The Express.
London, England, 1857-09-11 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 11, 1857.

why, the syllogism is complete, and the conclusion
inevitable. Had the dinner ruse off—but, above
aU, had M. Boyer arrived in time to cook it—it
is impossible to say what effect well-cooked
dishes might have produced on the constitu-
tional ferocity of the Tartar diplomatists. " Heaven
gave me a good gizzard and I conquered the world,"
exclaimed Charles the Fifth ; " for the sign of sub-
jection everywhere is a poor stomach." It is quite
clear that Alexis the First holds nearly a similar
opinion, and hence his theory of first causes, and the
energy and perseverance with which, through evil
report and through good report, he works oat his
savoury mission. But he hurries on, and we mast
hurry on along with him. He is soon at work at
the hospital, and in the twinkling of an eye, he re-
arranges the boilers, reforms the soup, and refreshes
the poor invalids with good and well cooked dinners.
We next find him organizing the daily distribution,
reducing what had hitherto been a regular scramble
in which the weakest always went to the wall, into
a system which pee every one his fair share, and
in such a short time, too, as to enable him to eat it
while it was hot—no unimportant privilege to poor
fellows who were at the time fluttering between life
and death. While these operations are going on,
the regenerator has daily opportunities of seeing
Mir Nightingale, and he finds time amid his multi-
farious duties to draw the following pleasing por-
trait of that distinguished lady:

She Is either high —in Mature, far in complexion, sad sllnt
Is pram; her is heir Mows, and is worn quite plain ;kw
pityllogeomy Is meet pleasing; her eyes, of • bluish tint,
speak Muses, a= see siways sparkling with intelligence;
bar me= is =ea sod well formed, while her tips set in
=Loa, end =Me known tie impression of her tweet—oes
mews the roles of the sate. Her visage, es regards el-
qrls very nimericskile, and one can =lost anticipate
seNetentsmence whet she is about to my ; altersately,
with emliere ef the met glare import, a geode =Us pessee
radially cow her emaissmice, thus proving her man=
of temper; et ether times, when wit or • Pisommaymarnami
the Iwo= is lost in the happy, good-nstured which
yens= her fiCa, Slid you recognise only the eltanthre
warm Her dries is mama', of • grayish or black est ;
as wows a simple white cap, end often • rough apron. Is
11=1:tatir whole sppearance I. religiously sun= sad as-
. in earverestion no member of the fair sex
me ke more at iside mad gentle than Him Nightingale. Re-
moved from her side= and cavalier-tike duties, which re-
quire the nerve of • Hercules—and she pastes= It when
required—she is Rachel OR the stags in both tragedy and
comedy.

From itself the reader must learn how the regene-
rator fared in the Crimea ; how he established camp
kitchens, which entirely satisfied Lord Raglan, and
drew praise from Marshal Pelisaier ; how he hob-
nobbed with Omar Paths, and gave luxurious ban-
quets, created by his magic art out of salt jack and
soldiers' rations, to the high and mighty of the
campaign ; and how testimonials showered down
upon him from all sides, like bouquets on a
prima donna at the Opera. Farther, it may be
read with absorbing interest, how kis curiosity led
him frequently into " the imminent deadly breach,"
and how his star as pertinaciously saved him on
these trying occasions ; how he was on one occasion
ran away with by his horse, and on another brought
to a standstill by his fever, but how, notwithstand-
ing all these perils, ho manfully stuck to the object
for which he had set out, and finally succeeded in
effecting a complete culinary reform in the camp
kitchens of the allied armies. Ilia book will be read
by every one with interest and instruction, but by
those who know the writer with peculiar avidity, be-
cause they will find the impress of the man himeelfupon
every line, with his strong practical mind and an-
' tiring energy, his philanthropic zeal for the interior
economy of rieh and poor, his never-failing bonAoines
his tact, and his fertility of expedient. Shall we
add, that they may also find amusement in the occa-
sional presence of that amiable egotism which is the
weakness of great minds, and in which M. Boyer
may be permitted as much es any men to indulge,
because although on some rare occasions venturing
I to speak well of himself, he never in one single
instance can be charged with speaking ill of his
neighbour.