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R,CHARD MONCKTON MILNES was born in the year - OUDL Home

R,CHARD MONCKTON MILNES was born in the year - OUDL Home

R,CHARD MONCKTON MILNES was born in the year - OUDL Home

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Women Novelists of <strong>the</strong> 'Seventies 63Miss Merewea<strong>the</strong>r f<strong>in</strong>ally marries a clergyman, <strong>the</strong>headmaster of 'a sort of college', and <strong>in</strong> face of thisbetrayal of her ideals, Helena refuses to regard her anylonger as a friend. But by this time, bravely fac<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>grief and distress that have come <strong>in</strong>to her life, she hasrealised what from <strong>the</strong> beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g has been clear to <strong>the</strong>reader—that she is <strong>in</strong> love with Sebastian, while his ownlove for her has conv<strong>in</strong>ced him that 'no man and nowoman pitted each aga<strong>in</strong>st <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r could do any good,but that "<strong>the</strong> twa<strong>in</strong> toge<strong>the</strong>r well might change <strong>the</strong>world"'.Not all strife between <strong>the</strong> sexes <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> fiction of <strong>the</strong>'seventies ended as peacefully as this. Though <strong>the</strong> crav<strong>in</strong>gfor a latchkey and similar emblems of emancipation <strong>was</strong>not yet vocal, though ' <strong>the</strong> shriek of <strong>the</strong> Sapphos for love'seldom echoes <strong>in</strong> its courts, and even '<strong>the</strong> long<strong>in</strong>g', <strong>in</strong>Mrs Oliphant's words, apropos of Mr Joseph Taylor andCharlotte Bronte, 'for life and action, and <strong>the</strong> largerpaths and <strong>the</strong> little Joes', is seldom vehemently expressed,<strong>the</strong>re were o<strong>the</strong>r prevalent problems.The monk from <strong>the</strong> monastery <strong>was</strong> still a romanticdanger; <strong>the</strong> deceased wife's sister among <strong>the</strong> forbiddenfruits (<strong>the</strong>re are two such sisters <strong>in</strong> Hannah); and ritualismmight wreck a home. Under Which Lord, by Mrs LynnL<strong>in</strong>ton, is a lengthy and ra<strong>the</strong>r acid discourse on this<strong>the</strong>me. It tells of <strong>the</strong> conflict for parochial ascendancybetween <strong>the</strong> Hon. and Rev. Launcelot Lascelles andRichard Fullerton, for <strong>the</strong> fealty of Richard's wife,Hermione. Richard has for many <strong>year</strong>s of his marriedlife devoted his leisure to <strong>the</strong> study of mythology andprotoplasm. Too much, or too little, science has convertedhim to 'free thought'. Mr Lascelles (hav<strong>in</strong>g himselfchosen <strong>the</strong> guests) boldly denounces him at Hermione'sd<strong>in</strong>ner-party as an a<strong>the</strong>ist and an <strong>in</strong>fidel. AndRichard Fullerton, courageous and urbane opponent

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