The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-24 00:00:00

DANISI: CIVILISATION.

The style of building, even of the meanest peasant
dwellings is a perfect marvel to the beholder. The people's
love for a thatch, as the best shelter in their opinion, both
for winter and summer, their preference for high-slanting
roofs, quaint gables, vanes, and chimney stacks, do not de-
tract frou the solidity of the masonry, from the neatness
and elegance of the design of even the most unpretending
abode. There is no such thing as a hut or hovel in the
whole land, not an ill-fitting or shattered door, not one
broken pane of glass in the small low casements. Tidiness
and comfort, most fastidious cleanliness in barn, stable, and
dairy, Bawer-pots behind the window, and bird-cages hang-
ing from the ceiling, all that can go towards making a mere
house a home, was contrived here. The subdued influence
of a severe climate seems to have a softening effect on man
and beast. There is hardly a horse here but seems to be
born thoroughly broken ; you can scarcely fall in with a
snarling dog, hardly with one that will bark even in fun.
There is a friendliness, a goolnature, a thorough sterling
honesty, which bind all creatures, and render them fair and
considerate towards each other, happy and well-pleased
With each other. It is not a iittle to be said in favour of
Denmark, that war can be waged here without marauders,
camp followers, or ether bad characters; without the price
of a single article being enhanced by the sudden and exten-
sive demand. The closer I come into contact with it, the
more intimate I become with it, the stronger grows my
sympathy with this plain and unpretending, but real and
well-grounded Danish civilisation. You meet hardly a
man here but seems to be contented, and deserving to be so,
and desirous, as far as in him lies, to contribute to yours
and everybody's contentment. Whatever may be said
about the force of climate, however much I may myself
feel inclined to ascribe to it, it is evident that much of this
universal well-being must be owing to the disciple of wide-
spread education, and goad, provident, liberal government.
This is one of the most valuable works that have
yet appeared upon the Danish War, giving as it
does a comprehensive view of the first rise and pro-
gress of the invasion.

Forty l'ears of American Life. By Dr. Thomas

L. Nichols. Two Vols. Maxwell and Co.

A very interesting glimpse of the Americans by
one of themselves, Dr. Nichols introduces himself
to our notice, and at once claims our sympathy and
attention as an emigrant who has turned for a
refuge to England, in order to escape taking part
in the civil war. Himself a native of the North,
but fully recognising the justice of the claims of
Southern independence, he protests with indigna-
tion against the idea of the Federal war. "War
for the Union! Fraternity or Death! Be my
brother, or I will kill you! Unite with me or I
will exterminate you." Such, he says, is the lan-
guage of the upholders of the Union, With these
opinions Dr Nichols could take no part in the war.
"Fight the South I could not. There was no pre-
tence or right to nerve my arm or harden my heart.
I felt the war to be unjust." Neither was he dis-
posed to take up arms on the other side, in which
he numbered "neighbours, friends, and near rela-
tions,'. As the happiest extrication from a difficult
situation, he took refuge with his family in Eng-
land. Hero he is sometimes troubled with senti.
moats of compunction at having abandoned hits

country to her fate, and with an agony of indigna,
don he protests against the modern system of non.
intervention,

0, Powers of Europe I—Powers of civilisation I When
brother is murdering brother, it is every man's duty to stop
the fratricidal strife. How long must nations stand aside,
and ask, " An. I my brother's keeper ?" Is there one
morality and one religion for men, and another for nations ?
The public opinion of Europe has denounced this war as a
useless conflict. Why cannot the opinion of Europe—" the
just judgment of mankind"—make itself respected.

As some solace in his exile, Dr Nichols has written
about his country—
In the weary hours of a most anxious exile, I have writ-
ten the following pages. I have described America, and
what seems to me most distinctive in its institutions and
people, as I remember them, looking back through a vista
of nearly half a century of a busy and varied life, and as
they appear to me viewed across the intervening ocean.
Americans have usually written of their country with pride
and exultation. I have written in sorrow and humiliation ;
yet not without the hope that, purified as in the fire, she
may in the future be worthy of the promise of the past.

Beginning with his early life in New England,
some forty years ago, Dr. Nichols has given us
many interesting particulars respecting his country
and his countrymen, which would necessarily escape
the attentiqn of the foreign visitor. As a picture
of American life,!by a thoughtful observer and actor
in the scenes which he describes, the book is full of
value. We must confess that when occasionally
the writer dwells upon the faults and shortcoming of
his people, we follow him with little sympathy.
That they have faults, and enough of them, we are
well convinced, but the telling of them comes v?ith
ill-grace from the lips of a brother. Passing over
such passages, which are few and far between,
we have found much to please and interest
us in these American recollections. But the author
shall speak for himself. Here is a vivid glimpse of

♦ NEW ENGLAND WINTER.

My birthplace is about the same latitude as Lyons, in
France, yet the snows fall three or four feet deep, and lay
on the ground three months at a time. The ice froze 20
inches in thickness ; the thermometer went down at times
to 20, 30, and in some mountain regions 40 degrees below
zero. Then the trees would burst with the frost with a
sound like a cannon, and the ground, frozen three feet deep,
would crack with a poise like thunder, shaking the house
when it passed near. These cracks extended across the
fields in straight lines for a long distance, and were as deep
as the frost extended, and nearly an inch wide; but after
reaching a certain point of cold, 10 or 20 degrees make
little difference with the feelings. Protect the hands and
feet and the ears and nose from freezing, and the sold
stimulates the system to resist it, and is less uncomfortable
than a drizzly chill above the freezing point. Steady, in-
tense cold is by no means the worst of weather: it makes
the blood circulate briskly, and the system put forth its
energies. The air condensed with the cold is rich in oxygen,
I and the frost is exhilarating.
Then the sleigh-rides I The snow is four feet deep, but
trodden in the roadway hard as a rock. All the landscape
is glistening white in the dezzling sunshine. The trees
may be cased all in diamonds, glittering with prismatic
light. You glide along swiftly to the music of the jingling
bells, just feeling the ruotion, and wrapped in buffalo robes)
bear skins, or softer furs. Perhaps it is a string of twenty'
sleighs, with as many couples, gliding through the frozen
landscape by moonlight, with the silvery ring of a thousand
bells and shouts of merry laughter, ending with a supper
and a dance, and then home again before the day breaks.
Skating, too. It is hardly worth buying skates, or learn-
ing the beautiful exercise, for the chance one has of erjoy-
ing it in England; but in the Northern States of America
you can calculate on three or four months of skating when
the snow is not too deep upon the ice. Sometimes the
snow falls before the large ponds and rivers freeze over—
sometimes it is blown from the ice. I used to skate miles
up and down the Connecticut river, and when thirsty,
creep carefully to the edges of the air-holes, or "glades,"
in the ice, and drink. The wat:r, clear as crystal, ten or
twelve feet deep, ran in a strong current under me. It
seems very absurd now that I should have run such a risk
for a drink of water ; but every boy, I believe, runs many
such, and shuaders at the danger in after years.

And here, as a striking contrast, is a graphic re.
miniscence of

THE BOZ BALL.

So it was a ball at the Park Theatre—th9 Old Drury of
New York—where the Cookes, and Keens, and Kembles
had delighted us, that was fixed upon. There was a sup-
per, I believe, and there was a series of tableaux vivans, re-
presenting some of the best scenes in the Pickwick Papers,
and the earlier works of the "immortal Bcz." I remember
the immense crowd of the " beauty and fashion" of New
York that filled the theatre from its dancing-floor, laid over
stage and pit, to the gallery. I remember the mixed com-
gnittc3, cfficial, fashionable, and literary, and some who

aspired to all these distinctions. I think Irving and Cooper
were there—l am sure of Halleck and Bryant, Willis
sported his ringlets there no doubt ; and can I ever for-
get the beaming, rosy, perspiring face of the American
Korner, General George P. Morris ?
There was a rush near the door, a flutter through the
crowded theatre, a hush of expectation, a burst of " See
the Conquering hero comes," and the author of " Pick-
wick" and the "Uncommercial Traveller," with all of
humour and pathos that lie between, burst upon our
astonished and delighted vision. Then the cheers, then
the waving of handkerchiefs from floor to boxes, and all
the tiers —and tears, no doubt, of joy and happiness—and
bouquets innumerable, gave what expression was possible
to the irrepressible enthusiasm of the hour.
I remember Mr Dickens as my eye caught him there,
with all that throng around him, and he the cynosure of
ten thousand eyes, allowing each person present the usual
number. His hair was in the bright gloss of its youthful,
silken curls; his face was full, and ruddy with English
health—not seamed, as now, with the thought and work
of all these years. His dress was, I thought, sufficiently
pronouaced ; but be was, on the whole, eminently satis-
factory and sufficiently imposing. It was hard to open a
passage where two or three thousand people were crowding
to see, and be near, and, if possible, shake hands with
him, but with tremendous efforts he was escorted around
tle room.

We tried to dance. Mrs General Morris honoured the
thrice-honoured author with her fair hand for a quadrille,
but the effort to dance was absurd. I remember being in
a set with two young army officers who were afterwcrds
heroes in Mexico, but even their prowess could do little
toward carrying their partners through the galop in such
a crush. Happily it was before the age if crinoline, and
what room there was we made the most of ; but it was
like dancing in a canebrake, the poor girls clinging to their
partners to avoid being swept beyond their power to pro-
tect them.

We must not pass over the animated description of

A DINNER AT NIAGARA.
But when you go to Niagara, dine once, if never more,
at the International Hotel. It is on a scale to match
Niagara. The drawing room is a gorgeous immensity of
plate-glass, gilding, and upholstery, You walk over a
prairie of carpeting. But the dining room gives the best
idea of infinite space, infinite eating, infinite clatter. A
vast regiment of negro waiters parade, march, counter-
march, and go through a series of distracting evolutions,
to the music of a full band playing in an alcove. There
is a march for them to enter; a three-four movement for
soup ; a piscicato passage for fish ; the covers come off to a
crash of trombones, cymbals, and gongs ; and so the whole
dinner goes off to appropriate music, with an accompani-
ment of champagne corks like the firing of skirmishers.
Altogether, it is a tremendous affair, even to an Ameri-
can, used to taking his dinner with a few hundred
people about him, I can imagine what it must be to an
Englishman. The expense of such a dinner, with a bill
of fare that would fill four of my pages, is three, or
perhaps four, shillings—but the wines are extra. An
American, who weans to do the thing handsomely, takes
champagne. No other wine is worth his drinking. An
English lady, wishing to give an idea of an American she
met in Montreal, described as " the sot t of man who would
take champagne with his soup I"

The author's indignant remarks upon the reckless
pursuit of riches would perhaps be applicable in
other places besides America. In the main these
remarks are eminently truthful and wise, but
we think such a remark as the following
must be taken turn grand. " Everything,"
says Dr. Nichols, " has a money value
I believe the American husband unceasingly
values his wife in the Federal currency; and a fine
child is associated with some such idea as a thou-
sand dollars I" Our last extract shall give a pic-
ture of an American railway that in this country
we should do well to emulate:—
Let us return, however, to our imaginary trip up the

Hudson and across the Empire State. At Albany, we take
the New York Central Railroad for Niagara. It is some
300 miles, and the fare 20a or 255. In some of the States
the highest fare is three halfpence a mile. The carriages
are much lighter, and to my taste handsomer in appear.
ance than the English. There is no lack of paint, gilding,
upholstery, and ornament. The seats are cushioned and
backed with plush. There are stoves in winter, and ice-
water in summer. In these cars, as these long carriages—
seating fifty or sixty persons—are called, are small retiring
rooms for both sexes. The doors open upon platforms at
the ends of the cars, and you can walk from ons end of a
train to another while it is in motion. The conductor walks
from end to end inspecting tickets. There is no danger of
robbery, murder, or other outrage, as in the small, locked,
and inact 2ssible compartments of European roads. Not
only does the conductor walk through to examine the
tickets, see that all is right, and answer inquiries, but the
newsboy comes along loaded with daily and weekly papers
—then he comes with books—all the newest publications,
and then with oranges and confectionary. Overhead
through every car runs a cord in reach of every passenger,
a pull at which will signal the engineer or driver to stop,
in case of accident or other necessity. This cord also

enables the conductor to control the train in any part of
of it. I never hoard of any tear that passengers would
needlessly meddle with it.

You travel all night, perhaps, or on a long journey two
or three nights in succession. There are sleeping cars, where
for a shilling extra you can have a berth made up, and lie
very comfortably under your blanket all night without dis-
turbance,. There is a wash-room in the corner of this car
for your morning ablutions.
These railway cars, day and night, are not always as well
ventilated as they should be. There are some which are
supplied with warm air in winter, and artificially cooled air
in summer, in which the ventilation is perfect. There are
various contrivances for changing the air and excluding
dust, which answer a good purpose. Free competition and
demand and supply, it may be presumed, will in time make
them universal.

From the specimens we have given it will readily
be seen what p!easant information may be gleaned
from Dr. Nichol's very interesting pager.

Tour Years in the lonian Islands : their Political
and Social Condition, with a History of the Bre.
tish Protectorate. Edited by Viscount Kirkwall,
lately on the Staff of Sir Henry Ward, seventh
Lord High Commissioner. Two Vole. Chapman
and Hall.

one." oTfhetheeesmsioosnt ovfertyhejudsatyly,
oefxtthreaolrodniniaanrylsleavnednst,s"
observes the author in his preface, " is assuredly
the due appreciation of which should not be a
matter of indifference to intelligent and patriotic
Englishmen. A great kingdom has voluntarily
retired from a most influential position in the
east of Europe, and has ceded to another nation
one of the strongest fortresses in the world."
Believing that very little is accurately known in
this country either of the social or political condi-
tion of the lonians, or of the merits and faults of
the British Protectorate, Lord Kirkwall has endea-
voured to supply this want of information by the
publication of this very opportune work. To en;
able his readers to form a correct judgment on
the subject, the noble author has given an in-
troductory historical sketch, with a particular ac-
count of the Venetian and other Governments
which preceded the British protectorate. The pro-
tectorate itself occupies the remainder of the first
volume, the ten chapters into which it is divided
being each successively devoted to the history of the
Administrations of the ten Lord High Commis-
sioners who have held dominion at Corfu, from Sir
Thomes Maitland, who was appointed after the
Treaty of Paris in 1815, down to Sir Henry Storks,
whose tenure of office is but just at an end. Mr.
Gladstone's famous mission is of course dwelt upon
at some length. Lord Kirkwall expresses his
wonder that he (Mr. Gladstone) "should ever have
thought the passing of his proposed reforms pos-
sible. Neither the English nor the lonians in
Corfu," he adds, " had ever believed it. Both were
strongly opposed to the contemplated change."
" To love not wisely but too well," says Lord Kirk-
wall, in reviewing these proceedings, is a very dan-
gerous quality. It is best to wait for reciprocity
before pouring out one's whole heart to strangers.
Mr. Gladstone, who had come out such a warm
Philhellene, departed thoroughly disgusted with
the Greeks in General, and with the lonians in
particular. He would persist in believing that the
comparatively few and timid friends of the Pro-
tectorate were the chief causes of a failure which
was due entirely to the fact, that to understand a
people thoroughly even a great genius must live
some time amongst them, speak their language,
and see them at unguarded social moments. Mr.
Mr. Gladstone," he adds, "bequeathed to his suc-
cessor a mcst unenviable legacy. The wisest states-
man in Europe wculd have recoiled from the task.
One great genius had been sent out by another
great genius, and yet had failed unmistakably. It
appears, therefore, to have been decided in Eng-
land that extensive knowledge and distinguished
ability were incompatible with success in the Sep-
tinsular Republic, and that an ordinary man of
business would make the best Lord High Commis-
sioner. With what results this decision was fol-
lowed, will hereafter fully appear. The severe
manner in which the English press assailed the con-
duct of the great Philhellene throughout his mis-
sion, led the public to expect that Parliament would
take up the matter, and call him to some account.
This, however, was not the case, and the subject
soon fell into oblivion. The reason was very natu-
ral, if we consider the state of political parties at
that time. Mr Gladstone had been sent on his mis-
sion by the Conservatives, who could not, therefore
he expected to find fault with his proceedings. On
the other hand, the Liberal party was silenced by
the fact that on his return to England be became a
member of the Wtiig Cabinet ; thus making a most
masterly retreat from his serious repulse in the lonian
Islands." Such a result proving an exception to the
adage, "between two stools," See. Leaving histo-
rical interpretations and political perplexities, the
second volume of this work is filled with pleasantly
written personal reminiscences of a four years'
residence in the lonian Islands, chiefly at Corfu,
the loss of which, as a place of British resort, is
much deplored. " Corfu, as a naval and military
station, and as a pleasant winter abodo for civilians,
will always be deeply and generally regretted. As
regards English society and hospitality it was a
second Malta, whilst in every other respect it greatly
surpassed the attractions of that ' military hothouse.'
With regard to the subalterns of the army, the ex-
cellent shooting in Greece and Albania, with the
delightful yachting excursions, and the paper hunts
of the ladies and gentlemen, rendered Corfu in their
eyes a kind of earthly paradise. English civilians •
and distinguished foreigners also visited with pleas
sure, especially during the winter, the beautiful
capital of the Seven Islands." A very effective
picture of the manners and customs of the lonians
may be gathered from these pages of recollections
Here, among other anecdotes is

A CURIOUS CUSTOM.
Oa every Easter Eve, a gun is fired us a signal at 11 a.m. ;
and, at the same instant, from the windows and tops of all
the houses in Corfu, great quantities of crockery are dis-
charged into the streets. For this memorable occasion, all
broken or cracked earthenware jugs and dishes are carefully
preserved throughout the year. The supposition is, that
good Christians are stoning, in imagination, the traitor Jaw.
The Greeks will not readily confess this fact to strangers,
yet it is generally believed. On Saturday, the 14th of
April, 1860, I (to use a sporting phrase) very nearly came
to grief, from a misunderstanding in regard to this custom.
I had been led to believe that operations were to commence
at noon. But about two minutes to 11, I was riding quietly
along the Line Wall, on my way home, when I observed
that the streets were unusually empty. My suspicions being
excited. I asked of a man in a doorway if it were not at 12
that the gun would be discharged. He replied that it would
be fired in a minute or two. I instantly set spurs to my
horse, and galloped to my house at racing speed. Just as
I had dismounted, bang went the gun, and down came the
crash of crockery from the houses. From the moment the
crockery falls, guns and pistols are fired in all directions.
This part of the ceremony lasts for three or four days, and
is by no means agreeable to ladies, or quiet strangers.
The decadence of Grecian art is lamentable and
ridiculous if the following anecdote may be regarded
as a specimen :