The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-17 00:00:00

SWEDEN AND DENMARK.
STOCKUOLM, DEC. 17.

-----

The semi-official journals state that Sweden can-
not and will not abandon Denmark while in danger,

FRANCE.

BOURSE, Dec. 16.—The market continues heavy;
and prices show no change from yesterday's quota-
tions. Threes, for the Account, are now at 66fr.
'et, but firm. The mar-

50c. Railway Shares qui
ket closed as follows :--
41 per Cents .. 94 90
Do. end month....
3 per Cents
Do. end month 6O 55
Credit Mobilier..., 1017 50
Do, end month lOl7 50
Bank Shares 3350
Credit Fancier 1235
Roman

Italian Loan 7l 00
Do. end month 7l 75
Sew ditto ..
Do. end month....
Russian
Austrian
Spanish Threes 52
Home Debt .
Deferred

RAILWAYS.

Orleans
Northern

New ditto
Lyons and Mediterranean
New ditto
Geneva
Southern
Western
Eastern
Sardinian
Austrian
Lombard

Cash. Account.
972 50 .. 973 75
975 .. 973 75

932 50 • „ 936 75
886 25 .„
493 75
690 - 687 50
506 25 „„ 505 -
480 476 50
398 75 397 50
M 75 .. 403 75
525 .. 530 -

North of Spain
Saragossa 620 622 50
Ditto to Barcelona

LITERATURE,

Adventures of .4lfan ; or, the Magic Amulet. By
John Holme Burrow, 8.A., Author of "Tales
for Sundays and Week Days," &c. With eight
illustrations, by J. D. Watson. One Vol., pp.
393. Smith and Elder.

This is a genuine Christmas book—a Christmas
tale in its theme, for it is wild, extravagant, and
romantic—above all, a Christmas book in its
moral, which inculcates the love and value of Home.
The hero of the story is the elder son of a poor
widow of Cairo, Who lived " ages ago," and who,
by her spirit and industry, contrived to support her-
self and her two sons, Alfan and Sidi. Atfan is a
clever and diligent youth, who has the good fortune
to save the life of an old man, who is being attacked
because of his being a reputed magician. This old
man, in regard for the youth's services, bestows
upon him
-the magic amulet, with this admonition
—" Wear it, my son, on your breast, ever near you ;
and be assured that if you follow its counsel you will
always act aright, and be honoured by all your
friends." Tnis good advice, however, Alfan neglects
to follow. He soon afterwards becomes a prey to
a boyish love of adventure, and, like many an eager
youth of modern times, leaves home by stealth, in
order to seek the gold regions. Very amazing and
romantic are the adventures that befall him—ad-
ventures ably illustrated by some spirited eketcnes
by J. D. Watson. Suffice it to say that Alfan,
having tasted the sweets of pomp and power, and
proved, like the sacred King, that all is vanztas
vanitatum, returns at last, like the prodigal, to his
early home and his most devoted friends, and agrees
at length with the wisdom of the magic amulet,
which has been so long and so vainly endeavouring
to impress upon him the full force of the homely
adage, adapted to all climes and all ages—" There
is no place like home."

.... ..;.....

Lost—but not for Ever. My Personal Narrative of
Starvation and Providence in the Australian
Mountain Regions. By the Rev. R. W, Vander-
kiste, Author of "The Dens of London. One
Vol., pp. 357. Nisbet.

This little volume contains a record of the reve-
rend author's wanderings in Australia, where, on
one occasion, having lost his way in the mountains
he was most providentially preserved from death,
after having been, for four days and four nights,
exposed to the inclemency of the weather
during heavy rains, and after having been
for six days deprived of food ! 4, From
one Thursday night to the following Wednesday
night, a space of six days and six nights, the only
food partaken of was one slight meal ere leaving
home." Although three years have elapsed since
his deliverance from impending starvation, we are
not surprised to find that the author is still a con-
firmed invalid, and that, in the opinion of his
medical advisers, his constitution is never likely to
recover from the severe shock which it then expe-
rienced. The chief interest of the-book, of course,
relates to this marvellous-escape. In his descrip •
tions of his wanderings, the 'author in every page
takes occasion to introduce his own 'religious
opinions. He does not tell us to what particular
form of belief he inoliqesi I).it that*, hex teaching is
not the most orthodox may be inferred ,-from his
remarks upon baptism- •Cine little anecdote which
we have read With g`reli interest we tndst-not forget
to mention : it served teendatirage the tnSt traveller
‘
when abandonedin the It a'thon4htillat
should strengthen all Overburdened: hearts in the
-hour of trial orArkitYN, A.poor widowi:threatene.d-
with poverty, . abandoned herself to
hopeless desolation'ilvifeortet -little son asked her,
-'in surprise af 'is •God
dead ?" • - • -
pzglanti's 11ark54028.,;- By Dr: G. It. M. Strauss,
2-, C. W. Quin,:F.Cea, John.-C, Brough, Thomas
Archer,conevo WL,r;p8,..•.41,2*Ter W. Pro wse.
• No fairy patifeitiniMe contains more marvellous
transformationsltian those which are related in the
magic records of thi; book.: " Patience,",, says the
.Persian proverb, ‘Sand the Mulberry leaf will be- '
come silk." lig the help of etherkindred virtues
in the moderitiv*OriSliePinrEnklatd," the fabled
transmutation. of the cif&ernii:fii; more,. than.
_realised, and by,tho airs og.art and JnOnstry every
meaner agent is converted siat9: goid._ •In turning
over these pages-ve,..in spirit,: visit-. 4! Metal. Wor-
kshops," " Chemicea ,I•l"brkaliops," •••'( Glass Work:
shops," " Provision and SupplylVork'Shops," and
"Domestic WOrkshePs" latter- comprising
the " Boar's Head Cotort Mills, 7. and file
" Gray's-inn Pianoforte Mennfeetory.6 Among
the metal workshops we ..have Gillott's. .steeh.
pen manufactory :` at • -Birmingham, the gas
branch and chandelier thatiufdefory at the
same place—edge tools-=--German silver—Sheffield
steel ware—locks and keys, &c.- In the other di-
visions are descriptions of the manufactures
of perfumes and glass works—Price's Candle Com-
pany—the paraffin oil works—a tobacco manufac-
tory—paper bags—mustard and starch—vinegar
works—Allsopp's ale brewery, &c., &C. Truly
Briareus, with his hundred hands, was but a poor
antetype of the British artisan. As a Christmas
present for thoughtful boys this little volume will
he invaluable.

My Imprisonment, and the First Year of Abolition
Rule at IVashington. By Mrs. Greenhow,
One Vol,, pp. 352. Bentley.
Among all the books upon the American war
which have come before us, this is undoubtedly the
most genuine. It is an outpouring of intense indig-
nation, and it affords a startling evidence of the
powerful emotions and bitter animosities excited by
the lamentable civil war in America, Mrs. Green-

how was,_for about a year,a close prisoner inWash-
ington, but however much we may participate in
some of her sympathies, end however much we may
deplore the indignities to which she wail subjected,
we cannot-be surprised at her imprisonment by the
Federal Government. Mrs. Greenhow is evidently
(and she is herself well aware of the fact) a clever
woman, tind being herself a Southerner, for she
boasts that " not a drop of Yankee blood pollutes
her veins," she avails herself of her residence in
Washington and of her many acquaintances among
theFederals,to carry on an important correspondence
with the Confederate camp. She is charged with
having obtained a knowledge of Gen. 11I'Clellan's
plans, and of having four times compelled him to
change them ! At this charge she says, "I smil-
ingly shrugged my shoulders and asked, '•Well,
'what else ?'" But in her confidences with the reader
she tells us that she actually had " the good fortune
to have minutes of M'Clellan's private consultations,
and often extracts from his notes!" In another
place she says, "I might almost be said to
have assisted at Lincoln's Cabinet Councils,
from the facilities I enjoyed, having ver-
batim reports of them I" By the help of
a secret cipher, and by the exercise of a marvellous
ingenuity, Mrs. Greenhow transmitted the various
information she continually acquired direct to
the enemy. Can it be a matter of marvel,
therefore, that the arrest of this secret in-
formant should be decided on by the authori-
ties at Washington ? And when Mrs. Green-
how indignantly charges them with making war
on women and children, she should remember that
fr.. her instance a woman proved a formidable foe.
Any of the abhorred " Yankees " who came in Mrs.
Greenhow's way had little cause for self-gratula-
tion. As we read some of this lady's fierce invec-
tives and bitter retorts, we are reminded of the
exclamation of Robert Bruce in " The Lord of the
Isles "

"Let women, Edward, war with words,
With curses monks, but men with swords."
Mrs. Greenhow's words are occasionally sharper
than a two-edged sword. Neither is this dauntless
Southern content with words, she is ready to use her
revolver when occasien offers. When she has been
arrested she repairs to her room resolved to destroy
some papers even "at the expense of life." " The
detective Dennis," she says, " little dreamed that a
few paces only stood between him and eternity. He
rapped at my door, Madam ! Madam and
afterwards opened it, but seeing ma apparently
legitimately employed, he withdrew. Had he ad-
vanced one step I should have killed him, as I raised
my revolver with that intent; and so steady were
my nerves, that I could have balanced a drop of
water on my finger without spilling a dropt On
another occasion, when she had given some warn-
ing to a friend,the detective officer grasped her arm
so rudely that the mark remained for some time.
An evidence of Mrs. Greenhow's intense feelings
maybe gained from her remarking upon this cir-
cumstance, "a strong effort was afterwards made
to drive this from my mind, as if aught but the life's
blood of the dastard could efface it ! " Truly, a ter-
rible woman is Rose Greenhow. As the spot of
blood on Gulnare's forehead obliterated every ten-
der emotion even from the heart of the cousin she
had saved, so do these revelations of the strong-
minded womanliness diminish our sympathy in
Mrs. Green how's sufferings, and abate our admira-
tion for her consummate cleverness. Nevertheless, as a
chapter—a striking, truthful chapter from the his-
tory of the times, this work is at once an object of
interest and of very sad significance.

11w Tiger Prince ; or, Adventures in the Wilds of
Abyssinia. By William Dalton, author of "The
Wolf-Boy of China," " Cortes and Pizarro," &?..
With Illustrations. One Vol., pp. 407. Virtue
Brothers.

The author of this work has already given us
many books of foreign travel and adventure. In
the "Tiger Prince," his object is to acquaint his
readers with the manners and customs of the
Abyssinians. "I have endeavoured," he says, "to
interweave fact, history, and legend, so that my
readers may have, as it were, at a glance, a toler-
ably good picture of a people who, in my eyes, are
trebly interesting. First, from their antiquity as a
nation. 2dly, from their claiming, and with some
show of reason, their descent from Solomora and the
Queen of Sheba. Lastly, from their having been
among the earliest of the races to embrace Christia-
nity." All which reasons, assuredly, are more than
sufficient to invest with a particular interest the
records of the Abyssinian race. The story is nar-
rated by a youthful traveller, who,sccompanied by
a faithful servant (Peter), experiences many strange
adventures during his wanderings in Abyssinia,
whither he has accompanied a celebrated doctor,
who is going to prescribe for an invalid prince.
During their wanderings, the travellers, and, in
consequence, the readers also, become acquainted
with the various habits and usages of the Abys-
sinian people, taking part in their marriage fes-
tivities, witnessing the administration of justice,
&c. The story possesses no very enthralling in.
terest, and the witticisms of Peter, which are
amusing enough in their way, are somewhat
superabundant; but, as an ingenious exposition of
the customs and characters of a little known and
interesting nation, the " Tiger Prince" has peculiar
claims on our attention. The work is adorned
with some half-dozen illustrations.

The Destiny of Nations, as indicated in Prophecy.
By the Rev. John Cumming, D.D , F.R.S.E.,
author of " The Great Tribulation," &c. One
Vol., pp. 334. Hurst and Blackett.
In his preface Dr. Cumming disclaims the title of
prophet. "Foolish people," he says, "occasion-
ally prophesy on his behalf, but for that he is
not responsible." Dr. Cumming is not a
prophet, then, but an interpreter of pro-
phecy. In the pages now before us, we
inay, if we desire, become acquainted with the
future of all the nations of the earth--=" The Waning
of the Crescent"—" France, her Place in Prophecy"
-" The Doom of Rome"—" The Destiny or
Britain," &u. While listening-to the awful dent*.
ciations which Dr. Cumming does not-hesitate• to
address to his fellow-Christians. onhis'self--inter
prated authority of prophe4, we are ,inclined to
~remind him of that beautiful, and Chris,tian aspira-
tion of Pope's universal prayer : •-.
• " Let not this weak, unknowing hand
Presume Thy bolts to Harem.,
And deal damnation round the land s
On each it deems Thy _foe." ‘.
"The unwary," we are told, " wrest the Scriptures
to their own destruction-;" but Dr. Cumming seems
to take it pleasure in "wresting;" or ititerpretidg
:them to the destruction of his felloW-men.'

'Vie SP 6'1114- Rifle and its Projectilei. By
James Forsyth, M.A., Assistant ConservatOr of
Forests, Central India. One Vol„ pp. 132, with
Three Plates. Smith, Elder, and Co.
This little book is the result of its author's
inquiries as to the best principle on which a sporting
rifle might be constructed. -So greatly wra his own
success in the field enhanced by thejruitt,of his
inqniries, that he has been induced to.lgive. his;
.fellow-sportsmen the benefit of his experience. A
very nice distinction is pointed out in the require-
ments of a military and a sporting rifle. With the
former we are reminded that the principal object is
to disable an enemy at the longest possible range.
To occasion death is not essential, as if wounded
the enemy is placed hers de combat. On the other
hand, with the sportsman the chief object is to
ensure the immediate death of the victim, in order
to prevent its escape if a timorous animal, or its
attack if a ferocious one, after it has been wounded.
In the present day, when the rifle has beoome the
favourite weapon, whether for the soldier, or sports-
man,: or volunteer, the advice and instruction con-
tained in the ten very lucid chapters and three
explanatory plates here contributed by a practical
shot will be found to be of general interest and
utility.

A REAL WANT.—There is a chance out in Ver-
mont for a very good boy. A farmer applied to the orphan
asylum for one who was smart, active, brave, tractable,
prompt, industrious, clean, pious, intelligent, good-lookP2g,
reserved, and modest. The superintendent referred him to
the New Jerusalem.—American Paper.
Five prizefigh.ors were committed for trial by the
Rotherham magistrate, on Monday, and six others were
bound over in two securities of £2O each to leeep the peace
for six mouths,