The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-17 00:00:00

LITERATURE,

The Cost of Caergwyn. By Mary Howitt. 3 vols.
Hurst and Blackett.
The name of this novel indicates the locality to
which it relates. It is a Welsh story, sprinkled
throughout with unpronounceable names, to which,
however, in the course of its perusal, the eye be-
comes sufficiently familiarised. Mrs Howitt has
evidently lived among Welsh scenery and Welsh
people until she has come to love and appreciate
the beauties and peculiarities of that mountainous
region and that original race. And not only has
she done this herself, but by the marvellous fide-
lity of her descriptions and the life-like reality of
her sketches, she readily enables the readers of
" Caergwyn" to transport themselves for the time
into the regions of which she relates. The first
volume of the novel is perfect in its way. The
opening description of the pleasant village of
Dol-y-maenan, and the simple homestead of Fridd-
.back, has all the fidelity and minuteness (to use
a very hacknied comparison) of a Dutch picture.
The scene is presently enlivened by a passing
glimpse of some peasant girls going milking :
" Away they went, with their shining cans, which
reflected the sunlight far below, laughing, talking,
and singing, up the winding paths of the green
mountain side," end here is a closer view of one of
the number, the charming and loveable Laura
Hughes, of Fridd •back—
A WELSH MAIDEN.
She was a tall, well-made girl of sixteen, with a com-
plexion in which the rosy hue of health was enriched with
golden sun-tints till it seemed darker than it was by
nature ; her features were good and clearly defined, but
the charm of her whole countenance was in her beautiful,
dark grey eyes, eyes of that old British type, sometimes
grey and sometimes brown, which to this day are charac-
teristic of the Welsh. Deep, clear, and dark eyes, yet
filled with light ; eyes they are such as flashed in the proud,
indignant countenance of Boadicea, or spoke the eloquence
of the Divine Truth in that of the British Princess. the
Empress Helena, the mother of Constantine, whose beloved
name Cymrian tradition has gratefully retained in many a
beautiful locality. Laura's eyes were of this class, and
therefore very beautiful ; and though her brown and
wavy hair was somewhat wild and unkempt, in accordance
with her sunburnt complexion, she was one of the plea-
santest objects you would meet with on a summer's day, a
regular mountain maiden beaming with health and good
humour. Wordsworth, had he seen her, would have written
a poem on her, or had there been a pre-Raphaelite painter
in those parts before the class existed in England, he would
have gone wild over the rich, lovely colouring of her com-
plexion, her speaking eyes, and the simple joyousness of
her countenance as a bit of beautiful nature.
The prominent character of the first volume, in fact
the masterpiece of the whole work, is old Simeon
Hughes, the earnest, simple-hearted, God-fearing
owner of Fridd-back, tempted towards the close of
his life, in an ill-omened hour, to become the pur-
chaser of the rich domain of Caergwyn. After old
Simeon's death Caerg gun is for a time withheld
from the orphan inheritors by the unfaithful
steward to whom it has been entrusted. The Cost
of Caergwyn, the heavy cost hazarded by the trea-
cherous Grono Vaughan, is awfully indicated on
the title page, where are quoted those terrible
words, " What shall it profit a man if he gain the
whole world and lose his own soul ?" This
price, which the unjust and unscrupulous
do not hesitate to adventure, is the fearful
Cost of Caergwyn, which gives its name to Mrs.
Elowitt's enthralling history. The character of
Grono Vaughan, as he yields to temptation and
descends, step by step, down that fatally rapid
incline which leads to destruction, is powerfully
described; but even yet more powerful is the pie•
ture of old Simeon, in the first volume. As a speci-
men of the natural style of the narrative we can-
not do better than quote the following gossipping
reminiscences. Mr. Rutherford is a wealthy Eng-
lishman, with numbers of Welshmen in his em-
ploy :
" Why, you see, Susannah," returned Grono, "Mr
Rutherford was always fond of walking; he used to go
after plants and stones. I've known him to walk twenty
miles after a bit of moss without a leaf on it I Well, ho
was coming home one dark Saturday night in February,
when the weather had turned stormy,aud the wind was high.
Right over the top of Pentaren-bach he came, which is a
nasty place, when there's any wind, following a little path
along a ledge on the face of the rock, with the rock rising
like a wall above, and nothing to hold by, and a sheer
precipice below. Everybody knows the spot well enough,"
"Ay, sure I" '•Yes, indeed 1" acquiesced several, and
Grono proceeded :
" It was a queer place to be walking along at night for
any one, especially that was not used to the country, And
just as ho gets there, in the pitch darkness, he comes face
to face with a man, He shouts to him in English, and the
Man shouts to him in Welsh, and neither understands what
the other says. He declared that the man sprang at his
throat, and tried to throttle him."
"He was tipsy himself I" interrupted Mrs Vaughan.
"I always mid so, and always shall say so, Besides, it was
Saturday night 1"
" How like a fool you talk, Lisaboth," exclaimed her
husband contemptuously, " what was Saturday night to
him ? He could have ale or wine enough whenever he
wanted it. Besides, he was not a man given to liquor;
never was, and never will be 1 He was sober ; the man
might be drunk if you will I However, they went at it,
and a desperate struggle they had, and over the rock
he wee pitched. And that's the wonderful part of it to me,
that he was not killed."
" I don't believe he ever was pitched over the rook,"
interrupted the Wern-y-pandy weaver, "and it doesn't
stand to reason. Nobody could be pitched over there and
not be killed 1 Why, there was nothing but a young sap-
ling, that a child might have pulled up, to save him 1"
" There's something queer about it somewhere," said
Grono ; " and you see, Susannah," continued he, again
addressing her, "there was nobody to give any 'account of
it but himself. There was a fight, no doubt, with some •
body, for all the country went up next day, and for days
afterwards, to see the spot. There were no foot-prints,
because it was hard rocks, but the very rock itself was
broken in many places. And thanks were given in the
church after service that he was not killed. On Monday
he had all his people sent for, and told them ho knew it was
one of them, and that he could lay his hand on the man that
did it, but ho forgave him, and he wouldn't say which of
them it was."
" That was the very thing," said the old miller, "that
offended everybody."
" Never would say which of them it was," repeated
Grono; " said he forgave his intended murderer, but
wouldn't name him ; said he left him to the punishment
of God, and of his own conscience 1 But that wouldn't do.
They said, and they say to this day, If he knows the
guilty man, lot him point him out, and not leave the charge
to rest against every one of us I"
Years after this incident had occurred an old man,
moved by the solemn teaching of good Simeon,
comes to him and tells him that he was Mr. Ruther-
ford's intending murderer. Very touching is the
description of the two old men going together
to confess the once-intended crime to the
meditated victim. Neither of them can speak
a word of English, and Mr. Rutherford is ignorant
of Welsh. Not wishing to make the penitent's
confession known to a third party, Simeon Hughes
takes his 'Welsh Bible with him, and, asking for an
English Testament, finds by the help of chapter
and verse the corresponding passage in the unfa-
miliar language, and, pointing to his companion,
pats before the astonished Mr Rutherford the
exclamation of the Penitent Prodigal. Very force-
fatly and very beautifully is the whole scene por-
trayed. We are only spoiling it by any attempt at
a description. Let us rather give the following
happy history of a good clock that would have been
dear to the heart of George CruiksiiAnk
TEMPIRANCE CLOCH.
"It was about the time of Mr Fitzmaurice," said
Simeon, one day in his old-world talk with the boy, "when
the famous clock which is now at lalawnddu came first into
our family, and was, in fact, the first clock that ever came
into this part of Wales."
"Tell me about it, father," said Lento.
" It was my grandfather, Cadwallader Hughes, who
bought that clock," replied Simeon. "It is a carious
and handsome old clock, and came from foreign parts, from
Italy or somewhere. First it got t 3 Liverpool and then to
Chester, where my grandfather saw it. Old Cadwallader,
but he was a young man then, was a deep-thinking man,
always turning his mind to sun-dials and instruments that
would measure time. There were no watches in this coun-
try in those days, but clever as he was he never could
make anything that was exact enough to please him.
Well, one day he was at Chester he saw this clock. It
was the first he had ever set his eyes on, though he had
read about clocks, and had a great cnrioeity to see one,"
" What was it like, father V'
" It stood about six feet high, in a tall black case figured
over, and had a yellow dial-Plate full of scrolls and
patterns, and was worked with a heavy steel pendulum
that moved very slowly."
" I'll go and see it some day, if they've got it now. May
I, father, if Richard ask me ?" !bald the lad, remembering
the next moment that he had never yet seen Richard since
the evening of his deserved chastisement. But he said
nothing of that.
" Ay, you may go and see it some day, perhaps," re-

___________•-___
WINDSOR CASTLV, I''''. boo.
The Queen, accompanied by her loyal .1 05
the Princess of Wales, drove in the rose.
morning.
ii 041
In the afternoon her Majesty Visited the their
Orphan Asylum at Slough, accoroPsejea bid Ptilli
Royal Highnesses the Princess of -Wales se
cess Helena. Caleol
The suite consisted of the Countess ex pucelle/
Countess of Macclesfield, the Hon. l‘lr% erri
Colonel the Hon. Sir C. Phipps, and the e 913 .
ra
in waiting. •
1 bi °Otii;
The Queen was received at the oPu „lutio-'
of the directors and the secretary of the jeele e 604
..la
and inspected the arrangements of the
--e
blishment. lAT s Weil
His Royal Highness the Prince of ,' I°4o
out shooting, accompanied by Earl CoWleY a'
10
of the gentlemen of the household. rode 0
Her Royal Highness Princess Helena
dl
Riding School.
Her Royal Highness_Princess Louie° lent 1
°
driving. uour
Earl and Countess Cowley had the
dining with her Majesty.

Visit of Her Majesty to the 13riti1311
Orphan Asylum
The Q
:teen was pleased yesterday efterlita 10°
honour at Slotigb• 000 t°
this institution by a private Cißi; :,-4 Were
inspection of the premises, to which the Pr; eve
transferred from Clapham-rise in the raentlo'ol4
last year. In conformity with what were be',"
toi. b® the wishes of her Majesty, no special prer/ati
ion was made, and the visit was strictly of a Pil
character. ad
Her Majesty arrived soon after three o'clee'' oe
was accompanied by their Royal Highneso Its
Princess of Wales and the Princess HelentP tIO
attenaance were the Countess of Caledoll'il
Coantess of Macclesfield, Hon. Mrs Brecevthipe
Charles Fitzroy, Colonel the Hon. Sir C. 13.',"0011
and Colonel the Hon. A. Hardinge. The f°Ys);iiiP
.were received and conducted throughout thew"
ing by the Hon. and Very Rev. the Dean 0f oagt
sor,ch the Rev. Stephen Reed Cattley, M.ll''' i'illotll
arles Wooloton, three of the directors, to botio4
her Majesty was pleased to express her tie"!
of the whole of the arrangements for the edni3 Otfr
training__ and domestic comfort of the PuPils.of the
girlsgl,‘lvraaij cneidsoestuyoesrdlyctparticularlyohsretdi
ewer. er writing
ies
e oa noticedihmd eurtheesa
pt
osn
ocrt
fe:oar
vir°br
I::
tido
el
trog
let'
Three boys—Stokes, Stobbs, go sl3°rVijea 1°
absent in London to receive the prizes °Wilt
them at the Oxford local examinatioo.

0 0001
His Royal Highness the Duke of '''l C.O.'
attended by Colonel the Hon. James Macdonal'A'a pi°
expected to arrivevisit at Lord Huntingfields seat 1 .
to-day' on a foollf/
to his lordship.
The Duke and Duchess of Richmond ginha ve ,1161:
sta since. their return south from Gordon Colle' hest' r
Goy9dlnwgooadt
fHillingdon. The noble duke and due" .0
for the winter the week after nett.
rod i,
The Duke and Duchess of Northutnbe obefli°o
entertaining company at Alnwick Castle, Nortilu 00
succesesionuokf°isoiftopro
abouthrin'tiis
.et o oft
eavtocnhsahtisr‘evohrtahs. been enterto
lito
MarquiseTnh,ee
entertain
tai marchioness
c haand Marchioness of $1:11i0.010)16001001000:
the 00
day next.
onThheresvalylricollGi°enrmeisdoasinnsoPts::l3:wuliyilslhgheittdvsePaaarrgrtYrilt6letd:::tittl::::*
The Marchioness of Northampton c°ll-ili if
very precarious condition.
The Earl and Countess of Carnarcon 111111:00 tild
Folkestone for Paris, on their way to I°l' l''
intend spendicg several months. 10
ri 01"
The Earl and Countess of lloPet°°— 010100,
Long's Hotel for Pario and Dry t
The Earl and Countese'SPpon. cer ill-e 13.11 00
t ato ,e,
St. Leonardo for about six iseekot 811 d 111.
Otte
Althorp Hall for the winter.
The Earl ant Countess of Seoe.. areid ef°'
#ll
ing a select party etite 00
The Earl of Derby was rather better Jejtjg
accord to accounts received last eY
linowsinlegy. ---.......-

their fathei thedi Charterhouse Oa: iron b°, Cil
gbiefio
-
THE LATE
ivr
the late M - '''lt TuACKER,Air .---Tbe agAiied ,t°lol
Nehosrs
of r William Thackera 11. aN" IPte-elitoti ',OllO
v. .st an: uhrr i st: itv°o Asta°3,tor'of.reo
mit annos Leil' and it ig now in the head .o°,llolooo, it
It bears the f 4i iloo leo.' .00.'00
obdorrmvit
inollowing inscription :--
Kal Janvar,
quondam
dia,o.an mDGueeverliicpetitaxv::rvAo.arkbeepsooitcoeriria:cVelljt:t:t,
mva vii te Ipvlvs matvra CEs ate hvicsce 10 elifell°
City of Cork, IC'
fl•e ail
QUEEN STOW. 9"P#
Nov, 16,--The 0060 ..044,10
et 4.10 p.m. fromto-day
in sn. • with 61 paoengers and 53 1,00(16,
appear to be
.--cie. sn
Liverpool. H 0 landed 19 passengers, and 14 tea V)
of taking any
Belgian via er news has h i• ily aoticlP° ,iii
New York on the th 04:f:boo Pa' fo
heel[
~ ti i ir
Greencastle. 0 '0
THEwiG Ilia° . 011
labour,
Wigan dia IN CoLLIERS.---The 00- plt° t,et
for
an
adv4nrict,thoogh aWaro that tbeir fitfo Oi'l 10
apprehennsigo has
probable then of
a
waiting till they are fornialil °Otto', I
fact before
one or
striation the 01$010101 1
ee of wages has been refused DY coed °A 0
thatlfusrathreordosotetpiosninni
tile
coo
of, roil
collier to
been decided upon. Tilel33sl)-cett 1;04,,
certain quantity per day, is 011°Segtef0 in/j.OO/1
yet nothi a
two of the collieries, in the hopo 0f doe,' OP:
general strike, but it he° of st'baf
might resort to the echeectia o°ooo
the masttr4
an, member •In case anything' of this sort it du
be'enresolvt,dof the body would be speciali1110:0001
to indemnify to raise a fund of 430,000 or
him for his loss, ,