The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-01 00:00:00

old signboard of the Falcon at Bidford, where, as
tradition goes, the bard and his townsmen once en-
gaged in a toping tournament with the villagers,
and got worsted. The old font from the church is
in the garden behind the house, where, in the course
of the evening,

The Mayor of STRATFORD, addressing the visitors,
informed them of the service rendered by Mr Halli-
well in putting the house in order; how the old
Swan and Maidenhead, a part of the property, had
been restored ; and how the garden had been bought
piecemeal as fur ds permitted, so that the map of the
old purchase in Shakspere's Lther's time would now
pretty well serve as the map of the property secured
to the public for ever.
In the Museum are three copies of the earliest
editions of Shakspere's works, each having a pre-
face as follows, facing a portrait of Shakepere

" T o THE REAMER.
" This figure that thou here seest put,
It was fur gentle Shakspere cut;
Wherein the graver hath a strife
With Nature, to outdo the life ;
0, could he but have drawn his wit

As well in brasse, as he hath hit
His face, the print would then surpasse
411 that was ever writ in brasse.
But sinco he cannot, reader, Tooke
Not on his picture, but his bookie."

FASHIONS FOR AUGUST,

(From Le Follet.)

We must no longer seek for fashion in Paris—the fickle
goddess is to be found in the chateaux or at the watering
places, but her reign there is as despotic as in the capital.
Foulard is still a favourite, and just now barege and oham-
bery gauze are much worn ; also a charming material called
Indian gauze, is tusad for demi-toilet. Dresses of pique or
batiste, simply ornamented with white or coloured braid,
and with a little veste to match, are exceedingly useful.
More elegant dresses, but still made with vestes, are of
muslin or batiste trimmed with guipure, Valenciennes, em-
broidery, or ribbon bows. The square fichu is that decidedly
preferred to be worn with low-bodied summer evening dress.
The ceinture is now one of the most important parts of
the toilet. For young girls of slight figure nothing can be
more becoming than the Swiss ceinture, embroidered and
trimmed with lace or ruches of ribbon, worn over a white
chemisette. Bands of thick plain ribbon are quite the order
of the day. Wide square buckles are worn with them.
Muslin shawls and camails, trimmed with insertion and
flounces of lace, are in vogue. The richest are lined with
taffetas; others, more simple, are trimmed with festooned
flounces or ball fringe, an insertion over ribbon being placed
all round. Some half-fitting casaques are also made of
muslin with embroidered seams.

This season white tarlatan is much used for trimming
taffetas. It seems a strange fancy, but when well arranged
it has a'good effect. But the best way of making our readers
acquainted with la mode is to proceed to our description of
dresses.

A straw-coloured lawn dress : at the bottom of the skirt,
a plaited flounce about five inches wide, and upon each plait
a coquille of black lace partly on the skirt. A small vests
of the same material as the dress, trimmed round with black
lace ; opened in front, but attached by pattes, which cross
over a waistcoat of batiste, with insertion and Valenciennes
lace forming a jabot, and also placed round the barques.
A dress of white alpaca ; the bottom of the skirt cut in
very deep festoons, and edged with a wide cerise ribbon.
This trimming is rounded off, and carried up the side as far
as the waist. A narrow flounce is placed over the ribbon
round the festoons. Ceinture corselet, with Basques Direc-
toire made of cerise taffetas and embroidered with jet, With
this elegant dress is worn a high body and long sleeves of
muslin bouillonnee, and cross-barred with narrow cerise
velvet.

A spotted muslin dress, over sky-blue tarlatan; a flounce
about six inches wide trimmed with guipure, and headed
with a magnificent insertion, which is carried up each seam
in horse-shoe form to the height of a quarter of a yard. A
postilion veste, trimmed in the same style. Underneath a
Swiss ceinture of blue taffetas, with very long and wide
ends falling behind.
A robe of white foulard : the skirt trimmed round with
a wide band of blue taffetas, edged on each side with a
quilling, and embroidered will white silk. A small collet
to match, and a jockey hat of leghorn, trimmed with a whito
feather and blue bow, complete this toilet.
A white muslin dress, with a plaiting and revers, about
five inches wide, round the bottom of the skirt and up each
side of the seams, gradually diminishing in width. These
revers are embroidered and placed over pink. The veste
and sleeves trimmed to match. A robe of pointed muslin,
the body full at the waist : ceinture of lilac gauze, with a
satin edge trimmed with black lace. The bottom of the
skirt trimmed with a quilling of the same ribbon, covered
with black lace.

THE MURDER AND SUICIDE IN SOMERS TOWN.
—The hatchet which was discovered in the water-
butt at the house where this tragedy was exacted has been
sent to Dr. Harley to be examined, in order to see if certain
marks upon it are stains of blood. It was also believed,
from other signs, that it was not thrown into the water-
butt until some time after the murder. Upon Brown's coat
are several spots, believed to be blood, as well as hairs
from the woman's head. The deeds referred to at the
coroner's inquest, which the man Brown was stated to have
handed to his son, George James Brown, and which are
endorsed with the name of "Rosetta Bishop," the mur-
dered woman, have been handed over to the police. They
relate to property which had been given to her by the
elderly gentleman who visited her, and whom the old
cause of quarrel.N c L N.—We see that the
woman Loader said she called her uncle. It has been
ascertained that the deceased woman had declared her in-
tention, as soon as she could get possession of these deeds,
to leave Brown ; and it is believed that their possession
was
theimmediate
CHEERING-UP
mit L I
papers are referring to the fact that Lincoln ordered
a comic song to be sung upon a battle-field. We have known
the facts about the transaction for some time, but have re-
frained from speaking them. As the newspapers are now
stating some of the facts, we will give the whole. Soon after
one of the most desperate and sanguinary battles Mr Lin-
coln visited the commanding General and the army. While
on his visit the commanding general with his staff took him
over the field in a carriage, and explained to him the plan of
the battle, and the particular places where the fight was most
fierce. At one point the commanding general said " Here
on this side of the road 500 of our brave fellows were killed,
and just on the other side of the road 400 more were slain,
and right on the other side of that wall 500 rebels were de-
stoyed. We have buried them where they fell." "I de-
clare," said the President, "this is getting gloomy. Let us
drive away." After driving a few rods the President said
" This makes a feller feel gloomy. Jack" (speaking to a
companion) "can't you give us something to cheer us up P
Give us a song, and give us a lively one." Thereupon
Jack struck up, as loud as he could bawl, a comio negro
song, which ho continued to sing while they were riding
off from the battle ground. and till they approached a regi-
ment drawn up, when the commanding general eaid " Mr
President, wouldn't it be well for your friend to cease his
song till we have passed this regiment ? The
poor fellows have lost more than half of their numbers.
They are feeling very badly, and I should be afraid of the
effect that it may have on them." The President then asked
his companion to stop his singing till they got by that regi-
ment. We are aware that this story is incredible; it is
impossible that a President of the United States could so
conduct himself over the fresh-made graves of the heroic
dead. But, nevertheless, the story is such on such autho-
rity that we know it to be true,—Essex (America) States-
man.

TAKE CARE OF THE CHILDREN.—That children
are so much left to the care of servants in so many
families of the middle classes, is perhaps in many cases un-
avoidable. Nevertheless, it is a great evil. However at-
tentive and conscientious servants may be, and even
allowing them to possess the necessary intelligence, it can-
not be expected that their efforts can ever fulfil the office of
the loving, watchful eye of the mother. It has been ob•
served that children who are attended to by their mother,
who aro undressed and put to bed by her, who open their
eyes in the morning to behold her cheerful face and loving
looks, who by her are dressed, and kept under her tender
and judicious care throughout the day, are, as a rule, tar
more good-tempered, healthy, and intelligent than rush
as
are lett almost wholly to the care of servants. In addition
to this, it should be borne in mind that the accidents which
so frequently happen to children, and by which they are
often crippled, maimed, or rendered idiotic, mostly arise
from the negligence of those in whose care they are left by
inconsiderate mothers. Parents who love their children.
and are solicitous for their welfare, should give these con-
siderations their earnest attention, for they are tounded
upon facts of the uLuost importance in relation to domestic
happiness and well-being.—Old Jonathan.
SAVED BY CRINOLINE —A few days ago a nurse-
maid lost her way on the cliffs at Newquay, and
went close to the edge of the precipitous cliffs, when she
slipped and fell to the beach below, a distance of 10S feet.
Her crinoline expanding with the air, however, so broke
the fall that she landed without a scratch or bruise, and
although much shaken, was able at once to walk 100 yards
and inform her mistress of the occurrence,— Treskrit Ohm-