Barbara Hofland

Mrs. Hofland. Decision: a Tale.

London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, 1824.

Contemporary Reviews

Ladies' Monthly Museum, ns, v20 (1824), 336.

DECISION, a Tale, by Mrs. Hofland. 12mo.--The authoress of this tale has added another to the rather extensive list of moral and entertaining works, which she produced for the benefit of the rising generation. Her writings are too well known and too justly appreciated to require our commendation.

The United States Literary Gazette (1824-1826). Boston: Jul 1, 1825. Vol. 2, Iss. 7; APS Online p. 271

CRITICAL NOTICES
Decision, a Tale; By Mrs Hofland, author of Integrity, a Tale; Patience, a Tale; The Son of a Genius; Tales of the Priory; Tales of the Manor; &c. &c. New York. 1825. 18mo. Pp. 264.

Mrs Hofland is known to the public as the author of several small volumes, by one of which, "The Son of a Genius," she has attained some celebrity. This Tale, as its title purports, is intended to illustrate and encourage the truly estimable and valuable trait of character, Decision; and so far as the work has any tendency, it undoubtedly has the desired one. The story, although it is said to be founded on fact, seems in some respects to be rather improbable; and is told with no very absorbing interest. Mr Falconer, a gentleman in easy circumstances, is suddenly reduced to poverty, by an unfortunate speculation in iron. His only child and daughter, Maria Falconer, resolves to retrieve the affairs of the family. In order to do this, she becomes a dealer in iron also. She travels about, establishes foreign correspondences-and by great hard-ships and perseverance in business, succeeds in making her own fortune, which, with filial piety, she appropriates to the support of her parents and the assistance of her friends. This outline, filled up with minor incidents and interspersed with a proper relish of "love affairs," constitutes the story. Maria Falconer becomes initiated in all of the mysteries of waste-book, journal, and ledger. She weighs out her iron to her dusty customers, with scrupulous exactness; and nothing can divert her from her purpose till her object is achieved. But when the business of the day is over, she changes her identity, and appears the delicate and beautiful young lady, such as would grace a fashionable drawing-room. These two characters never interfere with each other; except that in a few instances, a little colour flashes in her face, and her hands wander at random over her files of papers without finding what she is not looking for, when a certain gentleman comes into her store on business. With this very brief notice, we must dismiss Mrs Hofland's "Decision" with the recommendation which we are obliged frequently to give, and which usually attends domestic prescriptions in medicine, "If they can do no good, they can certainly do no harm, and therefore may be safely taken."

The Ladies Garland (1824-1828). Hapers Ferry: Jan 22, 1825. Vol. VOL. 1., Iss. NO. 50.; APS Online p. 198

LITERATURE
DECISION-A TALE

By Mrs. Hofland, author of "Integrity," a Tale; "Patience," a Tale; "The Son of a Genius;"-"Tales of the Priory;" "Tales of the Manor," &c. 1 vol. 12 mo.

No preface can be necessary in introducing a new work by Mrs. Hofland. Her style of writing, and the class of subjects she selects for the exercise of her pen, are well known, and held in good estimation.

The present Tale is the third of a series, which appear to be designed to illustrate the most prominent virtues, exercised on Christian principles, in the common walks of life. In the two preceding tales, Mrs. H. had developed the great importance and beneficial tendency of the virtues of Integrity and Patience, as influencing both the character and happiness of two young persons under severe trials. She here presents us with a similar example of a young lady, called upon to exercise a degree of Decision of Character not often required in her sex, and which displays itself in what we should have deemed a most improbably line of conduct, had we not been assured by the author that this portion of her tale is founded upon facts. Her narrative in consequence assumes a much more original cast than that of either of the two preceding volumes, and will on that account perhaps be preferred by many readers, though as a whole it is deficient in interest, when compared to "Integrity;" and no part of it produces the deep impression made by the more affecting passages of "Patience." It is not requisite for us to give a complete analysis of a tale, of which the following will convey a sufficiently correct idea:

Maria Falconer, the heroine, is the daughter of unfortunate and blameable parents, in consequence of whose misconduct the whole family are overwhelmed with difficulties, and in a short time she is led to think and act for herself, in opposition to the wishes of her mother and the commands of her father. She is awakened from a dream of true love, by the sad realties of her father's situation; and having forced her mind to submit to a sacrifice of justice, which required the attendance of her parents, she avails herself of their absence to proceed to the house of a friend, in order to communicate to a ward of her father's (therein resident as governess,) the resolution she had formed; but in consequence of fatigue and agitation of mind, is taken ill upon her arrival. The trials and difficulties she has to encounter in the course of her undertaking form the principal part of the remainder of the tale, though we have another love episode before we arrive at the conclusion. Maria at length accomplishes her object, in securing to herself independence, and to her parents the comforts of life; and, as we are told, is yet alive, a useful and happy old maid of sixty.

-- Prepared by Alex Toews, University of Nebraska, April 2006.
© Alex Toews, 2006.