The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-01 00:00:00

8,362,701

978,212

£20,102.852

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THE VICTORIA.—This number ITT 14"/
essay on " The Queen as a Ruler," • ----1•1 :-
truly and simply the debt of national oiatitlile S
which we owe to a sovereign who has restored to
the English throne the love and confidence of the
people ; has helped to 'preserve her country un-
shaken by the social convulsions and political csnspiracies
which have agitated continental Europe during her reign,
and has fulfilled ire their highest sense those difficult and
delicate duties of a constieutionel monarch which have
rarely been adequately performed. Mr. Thomas Adol-
phus's story of " Lindisfarn Chase" proceeds with consider-
able interest. This instalment chronicles sues very im-
portant events, and displays the characters of the two sisters
in very strong light. The two r ffor Bof marriage, feared by
the one, and courted by the other, 1 .he place on the same
day with opposite rceults, although the rmx,ive and ne-
gative are both prompted by the weighty scent of
the unknown heir. Kate's honesty and Margaret's
eratftiness are differently affected by the bidden
knowledge that they are no longer the heiress, s of
Lindisfarn. tThe reader may reasoriably hope, hswever,
that the mystery may be cleared up, and that the course of
true love may finally run smooth, even if it entails the dise
comfiture of the ingenious Margaret. " The Difficulties of
Domestic Service" touches lightly upon a very important
social question, and hints that toe prevalent complaint, that
1
"good servants cannot be had," might in some degree be
echoed by the other side, Miss Frances Cobbe gives us
another of her pleasant papers of travel, and Mr. Dicey
contributes an ace unt of the rights and wrongs of Schles-
wig-Holstein. Those who wish to understand a little of the
subject had better read his brief and clearly written paper,
in preference to studying Mr. Punch's historical summary
of the case. He inclines somewhat to the German side, aril
omits all mention of the moving spring of German ambition
—the desire to possesiliiel—but, on the whole, his essay is
impartial and satisfactory. It appears but too probable, as
he observes, that a question of orthography—Schleswig, or
Sleswig—will plunge Europe into a war of which none can
foretell the issue.
TEMPLE BAR.—The author of " Lady Audley's
Secret," &c., is determined not to rest on laurels
already gained, for before one story is completed
another is commenced. Thus we meet with the
conclusion of " John Marchmont's Legacy" side by
side with the opening chapters of " The Doctor's
Wife." As might have been expected, the gentle
Mary had passed through too much suffering to be
able to recover her strength, and scarcely was she
re-united to her husband before a still more insurmountable
but less terrible separation divided them. It was a message
of mercy that removed the stricken heart and gave the
wearied spirit rest. There is more pathos in this story than
in some of the writer's earlier productions, and after the sad
fate of the fearful Paul, it is soothing to turn to the descrip-
tion of the latter end of his victim. The closing scene or
this eventful story is very effectively related. There seems
a calm sunset evening to a day of storms and tempests, and
if the brightness of life is for ever dimmed to the hero, the
picture is the more true to nature, for the mind never really
recovers its tone after such fitful struggles as those which
Edward Arundel had gone through. After the description
of his second marriage and the renewed measures which
spring up around him, the never-dying link which bound
him to the past is thus touchingly referred to :—" I leave
him, above all, with the serene lamp of faith for ever burn-
ing in his soul, lighting the image of that other world in
which there is neither marriage nor giving in marriage, and
where his dead wife will smile upon him from amidst the
vast throng of angel-faces, a child ever, and ever before the
throne of God." " The Doctor's Wife" begins in a very
spirited manner, and has already introduced the reader to
some very mysterious movements on the part of its heroes
and heroines. " The Trials of the Tredgolds" still continues
its dismal record, and in this number the blow seems to
strike home to the guilty man. Doubtless there are many
Mr. Giffods in the world of living men, and it would be
well if retribution thus overtook them in the eleventh hour
of their iniquity. " The Streets of the World," by Augustus
Sala, has for subject "Pall Mall." This aristocratic locality
is aptly sketched by this ingenious delineator, and many
will be interested to notice their familiar haunts in print.
" The Millers and their Men" refers to the fight for the
Championship. " What Ralph Hallsett Did "is a very
entertaining sketch of a supposed mystery. "The Lady of
Belmont" gives a description of the strange story of the
origin of " The Merchant of Venice." Various short
poems diversify the contents, and there are altogether seve-
ral subjects to attract the notice of the reader.
ST. JAMES'S.—The author of " Sackville Chase
commences a new story in this part, under the
title of " The Man in Chains," which promises to
show us some of the intricacies of our London
society, and to exhibit the skeletons that sometimes
hide in a rich mania cupboard. The Rev. T. G.
Wood, whose name is pleasantly known through the medium
of some works of popular instruction, draws us a sketch of
"Fairy Land"—not the dominions of Oberon and Titania,
but a veritable fairy land, within easy access of mortals. A
picture of German home life and social manners is given in
an account of " Society in the Schwarzwald," from which
it appears that our estimate of domestic life in the Father-
land is somewhat too high. The third part of "The
Science of Good Cheer" discourses on some of the ameni-
ties of the table, and a pleasantly written paper on "Penny
Readings" sets forth the merits of a scheme which we wish
could be more extensively carried out. "Miss Primworth's
Butler" is a story for dark nights and lonely houses, but
it has a moral, nevertheless. We have also a narrative of
" A Trip to Athens," an account of " A Tour Round the
Sun," and a further instalment of the story of "Madeleine
Graham,"
GOOD WORDS.—This excellent serial begins 8
new year with fresh spirit, and if any doubts o
its varied merits and popular attractions, they had
better procure this January number as a sample.
It opens with an essay from the pen of A. K. H. B.
on "The Sweetening of Sour Grapes," followed by
" Personal Recollections," by Isaac Taylor, and a Pape;
entitled " Meadowside House," by the author of " Johi
Halifax," which describes an admirable institution lately
founded in Edinburgh for poor, sick, and desolate children.
Mrs. Henry Ward, authoress of " East Lynne," begins
with a new domestic story. Sir John Herschel commences
a series of articles on weather prophecies. Principal Forbes
has a sketch of the Admirable Crichton. Mr. Gosse begins
the records of " A Year at the Shore." Alexander Smith
discourses on the attributes of "Winter," and Jean
Ingelow tells us the story of the first Eddystone Light-
house. More serious topics are touched upon in other
papers, and the amount of really good reading in this un-
pretending serial is remarkable at the price, and sufficiently
accounts for the immense circulation it has attained.
CORNIIILL.—" The Small House at Arlington" is
continued, but without much incident. The Earl
and the Squire prove themselves but clumsy
match makers, and Lily is determined to have
nothing to do with the affair. This is unsatisfac-
tory, for Bernard Crosbie is not at all deserving of
being the ideal of any heart through life, and the
sooner such an image is displaced the better.
The poor Squire is very melancholy in his well meant en
deavours to serve his nieces, for Bell engages herself h
Dr. Crofts, and thus loses the chance of an excellent mate]
with her cousin, who will inhereit the Squire's property. Th
very unattractive mansion in Bruton-crescent becomes th
arena of a tragedy, after so long being the centre of comi
enactments. One almost feels pity for Mrs. Roper, with al
her objectionable qualities, as she mourns over sad fortunes
and depicts her sombre picture. " Publishers, before th
age of Printing," brings some curious things to our notic,
and it is truly remarked that the chief cause of the defec
tiveness of old tests proceeds from the works being pre
pared from dictation, and copied by those who joiner
errors of the eye to those of the ear. " Sermons'' is 1
paper that deserves attention, alike from the tone whirl
pervades it, as from the tenour of its remarks. The con
eluding passage is an exemplification of the style:—
" The highest form of a sermon is not oratory. If th
message be anything, it is a Divine message. No flower
of rhetoric can exalt, and may ignominiously degrade it
Intellectual dignity of style it should have--neither commo:
colloquialisms, nor slipshod expressions ; but a certai.
solemn musical flow, which springs naturally out of th
high beauty of the subject. That, and no more. Th
simplest sentences, terse and succinct—the fewest illustra
tions—the most careful avoidance of all claptrap appeals t/
the sentiment, fancy, or emotion of the audience : in fact
a style pure, noble, and severe at those discourses which
are chronicled in Holy Writ—tbis is the perfection of a
sermon."
" Cousin Phillis" is proceeded with, and there is some-
thing very pleasing in these simple details of :an unevent-
ful career. Phillis herself is a simple girl, who is yet as
good a heroine as any stately dame or love-sick damsel,
who substitute sentimentality for feeling. " Respecting
Asses," is a: paper on that much despised quadruped,
which goes far to remove the stigma that has been attached
to the species. In some parts it may provoke a smile from
its extreme notions, but the general purport is a good one
and has for its object a very important thing to establish,
the claims of a useful animal to protection, instead of its
being a drudge and a victim to tyranny and caprice.
" Shylock in London," may prove of service to some as f
warning from the facile approach, but difficult extrica
tion from debt. " Yorkshire" relates the peculiarities or
that part of the world with a genial spirit that divests
satire of its sting, and imparts a raciness to description.
" Money and Money's Worth" is an analysis of an im-
portant question, which it is requisite to call attenti on to
occasionally, or in the hurry of pressing affairs it is apt to
be put aside and neglected. " MargaretDenzil's history"
is continued. This is a very strange story that ~.,annot be
called pleasing, nor is the heroine attractive with her ex-
traordinary peculiarities and strange adventures.

1.

RINGING THE OLD YEAR OUT —Last night, ac •
cording to ancient custom, the departing knell of the year
1863 was tolled on the bells of the several churvbea through-
out the metropolis, and at midnight mem., peals heralded
and welcomed the commencement of the, 'resent year.