As a portrayer of rustic manners—as a relator of homely incident—as
a hander down of ancient customs, and of ways of life fast wearing or
worn out—as an exponent of the feelings, tastes, habits, and language
of the most interesting class in a most interesting district, and
in some other respects, we hold Anderson to be unequalled, not in
Cumberland only, but in England. As a description of a long, rapid,
and varied succession of scenes—every one a photograph—occurring at a
gathering of country people intent upon enjoying themselves in their
own uncouth roystering fashion, given in rattling, jingling, regularly
irregular rhymes, with a chorus that is of itself a concentration of
uproarious fun and revelry, we have never read or heard anything like
Anderson’s “Worton Wedding.”—_Whitehaven Herald._
_Just Published, F. Cap 8vo. Price 5s._
POEMS BY MRS. WILSON TWENTYMAN, of EVENING HILL. Dedicated, by
permission, to H. W. LONGFELLOW.
_From the ILLUSTRATED TIMES, November 7th, 1868._
Her verses are occasionally poetical, and always dictated by some
fine genuine feeling, which must come home to an honest reader. She
does not write about “Men and Women,” as Mrs. Browning calls two of
her most beautiful volumes, but about human nature—i.e., our hopes,
fears, loves, aspirations, etc., are never personified and put into
the dramatic form. The volume consists of short pieces, and the whole
domestic morality of them will be fairly appreciated in houses where
Longfellow is looked upon as the one poet.
_From the CARLISLE EXPRESS, January 8th, 1869._
A spirit of piety and domestic affection permeates all Mrs. Twentyman’s
pieces, but she has not yet attained the full power of her art which
is to inspire as Nature inspires, by reproducing that which charms the
mind. In all probability she has not made this her aim, her poems being
the simple and unaffected outflow of pure womanly thought and feeling:
the apparent aim of the volume being religious rather than literary....
Mrs. Twentyman’s best efforts are those in which her own experience as
a wife and mother have helped her most. There she rises into the region
of true poetry, drawing from Life and Nature. “Love’s Inspiration,”
in which she evidently speaks of her own wedded life, is an example.
“Our Ain Bonnie Bessie” is another flowing from the same fount—sweet,
maternal love evidently inspiring the heart of the writer.... We give
her a hearty “God-speed,” feeling that all local talent should have
its just honour and encouragement. The proper encouragement of local
literature generally improves it, and there are cases in which it
has eventually called forth gifts of no ordinary power and compass.
Sympathy and interest are the special needs of the poet who often
cannot sing at all unless prompted to faith in his own powers by some
sympathetic friend.
_Crown 8vo. Price 2s. in extra Cloth binding; or 1s. in neat Paper
Cover._
OLD CASTLES: Including Sketches of CARLISLE, CORBY, and LINSTOCK
CASTLES; with a Poem on Carlisle. By M.S., Author of an Essay on
Shakspeare, &c.
_From the CARLISLE EXPRESS._
M. S., by her many thoughtful and eloquent contributions to our local
literature, has long since become favourably known to a wide circle
of readers; and the little volume before us, in which her talents are
employed on congenial themes, cannot fail to maintain and extend her
reputation. The stirring historical events connected with the ancient
Border strongholds she has selected for treatment require something
more than the dry details which are all that are presented to us in the
ordinary run of guide books to make them properly understood. Adhering
strictly to historical truth, she has clothed the dry bones of the past
with life; and the various notable actors who have played their part in
the old castles, she so well delineates, seem to live and move before
us as we read her account of them. Nor do the natural beauties which
surround most of our ancient Border keeps lose anything of their rare
charm in her hands. Her picture of Corby is, indeed, a prose poem of
much beauty. But the gem of the book is the poem on Carlisle—worthily
holding the place of honour.... We must now take our leave of this
interesting little work. It is one which should be in the hands of
every intelligent Cumbrian who cares for the honour of his native
county; and the reader who desires to improve these glorious summer
days by visiting any of the scenes it so well describes, could find no
better companion to take with him.