The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-20 00:00:00

LITERATURE,

Annis TVarleigh's Fortunes. By Holme Lee,
Author of "Sylvan Holt's Daughter," &c. Three
Vols. Smith, Elder, and Co.
There is a genial tenderness of feeling and a
simple naturalness of manner about Holme Lee's
writings that render them peculiarly delightful.
A. variety of well-drawn characters and a
series of most interesting incidents are intro-
dueed in the course of the narrative, which chroni-
cles the fortunes of Annis Warleigh. But, attrac-
tive as the story is, its principal charm consists in
its freshness of style and homely truthfulness in
the portrayal of the domestic affections. The
first volume relates to the elder generation, when
the lair Italian bride of Sir Laurence 'Warleigh
pines away in her uncongenial home. Little
Annie, their daughter, is motherless from her birth,
and the pictures of her wayward child-life, when
she aptly earns the appellation of " Gipsy," are
pleasant specimens of Holme Lee's facile style of
homely scene painting. Annie is passionately
devoted to her father, Sir Laurence, and is tenderly
beloved by him. Happy and careless are her wild,
untutored early years. But, alas ! a change comes
over the spirit of her life. Friends remonstrate
with the Baronet on the undisciplined existence of
his young heiress, and she is consigned to the prim
guardianship of Lady Georgiana Warleigh, the
fitting help-mate of the treacherous brother of
Sir Laurence. Poor Annie falls upon evil
days, and her " Fortunes," which give the title to
the book, are most romantic and full of vicissi-

tudes—in fact, for a considerable number of years
her life is a series of misfortunes. The character
of the heroine is a very charming one. She is
generous, tender-hearted, and loveable, and the
readers of her histary rejoice with the good-hearted
but not very agreeable Rachel Withers, when the
longing of years is at last realised, and the long-
lost daughter is restored to her dearly remembered
father. All's well that ends well, and we are
glad to leave Annis as happy as she deserves.

Leo: A. Novel. By Dutton Cook, author of "A
Prodigal Son," Szo. Three vols. Smith and Elder.
Mr. Dutton Cook is, indeed, industrious. This
fair Leo (for Leo, be it known, is an abbreviation
for Leonora) has hardly made her debut before the
reading world when another novel by the same
author is already advertised. Whatever the forth-
coming volumes may prove to be, the story of " Leo"
is sufficiently attractive, and may wile away some
pleasant hours in its perusal. The style is light
and lively, but somewhat superficial. Mr. Cook has
not yet become proficient in that ars celare artem
which happily conceals any consciousness of saying
a good thing. He writes smartly, but he unfortunately
lets us know at times that such is his object and
endeavour. Asa happy specimen of the lively and
sometimes telling manner in which the history of
Leo is narrated, we may quote some passages from
the incredulous lamentations of Mr. Lackington on
the misfortunes of the hero, Arnold :
" Well," remarked Mr. Lackington, "I am astonished
Arnold arrested I Arnold, of all men I Why, here have L
been in debt all my life and no one has over paid me the
compliment of arresting me. No creditor in his wildest
dreams,—and creditors have very wild dreams—they are
generally persons of great imaginative power—no creditor
ever once presumed to hope that he could himself any good
by arresting me. That the fact is so universally acknow-
ledged, is a great comfort for the stone. It saves no end of
inconvenience, and pressure, and squeezing. /am left at
large—poor, embarrassed, in debt, and yet free—while
Arnold, whom I have always looked upon as millionnaire,
a man who might fairly have sat for the portrait of Cresus

—Arnold, whose life seemed to me to be one enormous
balance at his banker's—Arnold is ignominiously arrested
and carried to a sponging house I It can't be, Rob ; the
thing's not commonly possible ; there must have been some
frightful mistake : or Arnold must have done the thing on
purpose, to try a new experience of life, just as kings have
before now played at being beggars for an hour or two by
way of amusement, &e. &.
The heroine herself comes in for her fair share of
smiles and tears. She proves, notwithstanding
treacherous appearances, very devoted to the not
too-constant object of her choice. We will, how-
ever, betray no secrets, but commend the sprightly
Leo to the kind consideration which she deserves.

(From the Gazette of last Evening.)
WAR-OFFICE, JAN. 16.
The Queen has been graciously pleased to signify her
intention to confer the decoration of the Victoria Cross on
the under-mentioned officer and non-commissioned officer
of her Majesty's army, whose claims to the same have been
submitted for her Majesty's approval on account of acts of
bravery performed by them in New Zealand, as recorded
against their names, viz.:—
Colour-Sergeant (now Ensign) Edward Mac Kenna,
65th Regiment—For gallant conduct at the engagement
near Cameron-town, New Zealand, on the 7th September,
1863, after both his officers, Captain Swift, and Lieutenant
Butler, had been shot, in charging through the position
of an Enemy heavily outnumbering him, and draw-
ing off his small force, consisting of two serjeants,
one bugler, and thirty-five men, through a broken
and rugged country, with the loss of but one man killed,
and another missing. Lieutenant-General Cameron, C.B„
Commanding her Majesty's Forces in that colony, reports
that, in Colour-Serjeent Mac Kenna, the detachment found
a commander whose coolness, intrepidity, and judgment,
justified the confidence placed in him by the soldiers
brought so suddenly under his command.
Lance-Corporal John Ryon, 6.5 th Regiment —For gallant
conduct at the engagement near Cameron-town above re-
ferred to. This non• commissioned officer, with frivates
Bulford and Talbot, of the same regiment, who have been
recommended for the medal for distinguished conduct in
the field, for their behaviour on the same occasion, removed
the body of the late Captain Swift from the field of action,
after he had been mortally wounded, and remained with it
all night in a bush surrounded by the enemy.