The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-05 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Ned Locksley ; the Etonian. Two Vols. Bentley.
"Tender-hearted, yet strong-souled, just in rule,
brave in war, serving God," such is the character
of Edward Locksley, one of the most delightful and
loveable heroes that we have read of for many a
long day. Numerous readers will elose the second
volume, which ends his eventful history, with pro•
found emotion, mingled, as in our own instance, with
a feeling of indignation against the author for the
melancholy ending he has given to what might have
been a most charming and gratifying story. The
slip between the cup and the lip which befalls poor
Edward on his return from his Indian campaign,
when, almost within sight of his beloved home, he
falls in with his cousin, the artful, designing Keane
Burkitt, the evil genius of the book, is singularly
tantalising. At the same time the author of this
very clever story is no doubt aware that, however
much novel readers may delight in a happy-ending
tale, where " all goes merry as a marriage bell," and
" all's well that ends well," yet there is an indes-
cribable charm, as the Bride of Lammermoor can
testify, about a story with a pathetic close. We
dismiss the happy lovers when the curtain falls,
but our memories are strangely haunted by the
spirits of those whose misfortunes have been able
to call forth our tears. We doubt whether ever
little Nell and dear little Paul, charming as
they undoubtedly are, would maintain so
firm a hold upon our affections, were it not
for the exceeding pathos which lingers round
their early graves. All these reflections we have
called up to reconcile us to the close of the story
of " Ned Locksley" with which, to say the truth,
we have been grievously disappointed—with the
close of the story, that is to say, not with the story
itself. Ned Locksley had fairly won our deepest
interest and admiration by reason of his frank,
tender -hearted, chivalrous, and manly charac-
teristics. His is not the character, in truth, of
an ordinary novel-hero. There is something original
and attractive about him from the days of his
early boyhood. The opening chapters are capi-
tally described. The two home-pictures at the
Locksleys and at Cransleigh are very charming.
Edward is blessed with a tender-hearted, but
when occasion requires it, a strong-souled mother,
and a father from whom he inherits his frank
and fearless temperament. He grows up in close
companionship with Philip, Earl of Cransfield,
the only son of a widowed mother, who does her
best to supply a father's place to him, and who
wisely considers the friendship of Edward Locksley,
the best gift she can ensure to her young son.
The opening scene is a specimen of the happy
boyish life of the two heroes.
" THE DOMESTIC TELL I"
" Capital 1 But it wasn't on a live boy's head,
though ?"
" What odds if it had been ?"
" All the odds in the world, Ned. Funk makes a fel-
low's hand shake."
" Stop a bit, then, and I'll try again with Tommy Wil-
mot. Here I Tommy ! Tommy! "
But when it was expla,ned to Tommy, the gardener's
son, that he was to stand blindfold whilst Master Locksley
shot a bolt at an apple on his head, he manifested an unac-
countable repugnance. In vain was he shown two apples
spitted in succession by the marksman's skill : in vain was
he made acquainted with the story of the gallant Switzer's
boy : in vain was an offer made to dispense with the brass
ferule on the bolt.
Then bribes were tried, a new sixpence and a bag of
marbles. Then came hard words : "he was a muff :" "he
was a monkey." Lastly, lam sorry to say, came threats,
whereat he threw himself upon his back on the turf, kick-
ing and screaming for " Mammy I"
" Ugh I the little toad I" said both his tormentors, with
the most ingenuous indignation.
"I have it, though," said the Earl, after a pause. "Let's
get Mrs. Locksley's big china jar out of the back drawing-
room, stick it on a stool with the apple atop. It's no end of
funky to shoot at."
It was indeed. Even Ned's recklessness quailed.
" A nice boy you are," quoth his lordship ; risk Tommy
Wilmot's life or eyes and funk the crockery I Well !"
This was more than Ned could stand. Indoors he went,
and brought out the jar in one hand, a tall stool in the
other. On a lid squatted a grinding dragon with a smooth
round pate. Thereon a pippin was then craftily poised,
and the Earl stepped off the distance at which they had
been shooting before. Their weapon was a cross-bow, their
bolt of wood tipped with a brass ferule.
Ned took aim so steadily that his companion muttered,
" He'll do it now." So, perhaps, he would, but for a saucy
may-fly and a hungry swallow. The may-fly danced right
in the line of aim ; the swallow darted, snapped at and
seized her. The gleam of the bird's glossy back dazzled
Ned's eye too late to check the finger on the trigger.
Off went the head of the golden dragon of the dynasty
of Ming.
The jar is happily mended, but Ned's " uncompro-
mising honesty" makes a full confession necessary.
So identified are the two boys in all their relation-
ships that Lady Constance, the elder sister of the
young earl, considers Ned as much her brother as
she does Phil. Not so the young Etonian, as the
following scene discloses :
" SEEING IS KNOWING.°
Soon she went forward, and over the slope, away. Ned
quick as thought, pressed upward from the other side. He
reached the spot. Her footprint was yet fresh upon the
moss. He knelt down and kissed it passionately twice or
thrice, gathered a few shreds of the moss where his lips had
touched her footmark; picked a few floating rose-leaves
from the water, and put both tenderly into his breast.
" Ned l"
He turned at the dear voice of one who was almost his
mother too. Lady Cransdale sat on a marble seat close by,
where she had been iu conversation with her daughter.
"Ned I dear Ned ! Come here, and let me know at once
what meaning there is in what I have just seen you do ?"
So he sat down beside her, and forced himself to speak,
and told her what it meant, in the simplest, strongest words
that he could find. He was so frank and manly, in his
genuine and deep emotion, that it cut her to the quick ; for
she dearly loved the lad. Her long-lost Philip's early ten-
derness for him, her own obedient adoption of it, all her
indulgent motherliness in proof—to think that all should
end in having toiled him thus I The meshes were self-
wrought, perhaps ; but what of that ? She felt that they
were wrought in with living fibres of a true loving heart.
No unravelling was possible; they must be rent. Her
mournful firmness was the only consolation she could give
him. She put on no idle affectation that his hurt was
slight; she was no fool to think nor Hypocrite to feign it.
She had known and loved him all his life long as a boy, and
had held him up to that hour, for no more. But when he
had opened out his heal t in its honesty, she saw and owned
him for a man—with a man's capacity to suffer, she prayed
it might be with a man's strength to bear.
"You have been dreaming, Ned. So, indeed, have I ;
dreaming or blind. But open your eyes as mine are open
now, and see for yourself that you have dreamt what can-
not be."
It cannot be, for Constance has an older and more
suitable love in Lord Royston, and the disappointed
youth turns with double ardour to seek for military
glory in India, whither his thoughts had often
turned ; but his career had been otherwise ordained
by his father. Now, however, it is his mother her-
self, while her heart is broken at the prospect of a
separation, who bids him go. She loves him too
well to let his life be embittered by the double dis-
appointment. Very beautiful and touching is the
scene between the father and mother, when the
latter earnestly pleads her son's cause; and very
beautiful also is the scene between mother and son,
with the repetition again and again of a remark, that
haunts Edward's memory long afterwards—" only
a mother's heart." So Edward goes to India,where
stirring adventures await him; but he maintains to
the last his dauntless spirit and his affectionate
heart. We will not further disclose the secrets of
his career, but refer our readers to his very inte-
resting history.

SIR W. ATHERTON.—The Durham Advertiser
understands that although ho has resigned the office of
Attorney-General, Sir Wm. Atherton intends to retain his
scat for the city of Durham.
FIELDING'S COTTAGE TREES DESTROYED.—New
railroads are still fast rooting up old landmarks.
The one on the western road near Shepherd's Bush has
recently swept away a group of fine old trees, beneath
which Fielding often sat when ho had his abiding place in
the cottage hard by.
READING ON RAILWAYS INJURIOUS TO THE EYE-
siGHT.—Mr. Benjamin Travers, the oculist, used to
attribute a good share of his well-earned income to the
closely-printed double-columned editions of books which
used to vex the human eye in his days. Warning was
given, with the usual results. A new danger to vision fol-
lowed, when realing was indulged in by travellers on rail-
ways. Admonition was soon raised against it, but it was
unheeded. The consequent evil has been great, and medi-
cal men in England and on the continent are striving to
counteract it. One especially, Dr. Legrand de Saulle, states
that the difficulty to which the eye is put by the shaking of
the vehicle, often induces a slight congestion of the retina,
and that a persistence in the habit may bring on congestion
of the brain.

Return of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The Prince and Princess of Wales arrived at
Marlborough-house, Pall-mall, at a quarter past
10 o'clock on Saturday night from the King's-
cross terminus of the Great Northern Railway.
Their Royal Highnesses, attended by Lieut.-Gen.
Knollys, Captain Grey, and the Hon. Mrs. W.
Grey, left Edinburgh in the forenoon.

Yesterday morning the Prince and Princess of
Wales attended Divine Service in the Chapel
Royal, St. James's. The sermon was preached by
the Rev. Mr. Garden, sub-dean. The anthem was,
" Sing we merrily unto God"—Crotch.

Captain Grey and the Han. Mrs. W. Grey were
in attendance on their Royal Highnesses.

The Duke of Cambridge was also present at the
service.

Captain Grey has relieved Lien t.-Colonel Keppel
in his duties as the Equerry in Waiting to tho
Prince of Wales.

The Prince and Princess of Wales in
Edinburgh.
On Friday evening their itoybl Highnesses dined
with the Lord Provost, at his residence in George-
square. The preparations made by his lordship for
the reception of his royal guests were on a scale of
great magnitude and magnificence. The nurseries
at Inverleith row were liberally laid under contri-
bution to supply choice evergreens,flowere, and hot-
house plants for the embellishment of the various
apartments. Painters and deccrators took posses-
sion of the establishment, and lavished their in-
genuity in novel and effective designs. Mirrors
were employed without limitation to magnify and
reproduce the splendours of the rooms, and illumi-
nated stained-glass windows were introduced to
heighten the effect of the decorations. The dining-
room on the ground floor was most magnificently
fitted up. One of the windows overlooking the
meadows was taken out, and an arbour of beau-
tiful plants was formed outside which stretched
iuto a vista, the end of which seemed an immeasure-
able distance away. Long waving palm branches
were ingeniansly arranged so as to produce a most
striking effect; rare tropical plants of the most
luxurious foliage, intertwined with delicate tinted
flowers, were disposed in the most artistic fashion ;
mirrors were placed so as to reproduce the flowers
and the plants, and magnify the vista till the eye
lost itself in a dim maze of foliage, and the effects of
the whole were heightened and magnified by a blaze
of light. Towards the upper end of the room a
combination of heather and flowers was wrought
into an ingenious device, in the centre of which was
placed a small fo'untain of clear water. The fur-
nishings of the dinner table were of the most sump-
tuous and costly description, and the general ar-
rangement of the room was most elegant. On the
decoration of the drawing room neither labour nor
money was spared, and the effect was strikingly
magnificent. Adjoining the drawing-room was a
boudoir for the Princess, which was most tastefully
designed. The roof was concealed by a white lace
canopy of fine wavy outline, and the walls were
covered with white muslin. The furnishings were
extremely elegant, and the whole of the interior
fittings realised the idea of a magnificent Oriental
tent.

The Prince and Princess left Stanley's Hotel
about 20 minutes past seven, and drove in a covered
carriage to George-square. The announcement that
their Royal Highnesses were to dine at the resi-
dence of the Lord Provost had the effect of
drawing together a very large crowd in the
square, who cheered the royal couple loudly
as they alighted. Their Royal Highnesses were
received at the entrance of the mansion by the Lord
Provost and Mrs. Graham Lawson. Dinner was
served at half-past seven, and on the com-
nyin
preciselysembg the Lord Provost had the honour
aasl
of conducting the Princess to the dining-room, and
ahis Royal Highness the Prince conducted Mrs.
Graham Lawson. The band of the 3d Hussars was
stationed in a temporary apartment adjoining the
drawing-room, and played selections of music during
dinner.

The Lord Provost also gave an evening party at
half past nine. The Prince and Princess remained
for about an hour in the drawing-room, and listened
with much apparent pleasure to several pieces of
music played on the pianoforte by some of the
ladies present. Their Royal Highnesses departed
about 11 o'clock, and the company left shortly
afterwards.

The Court Circular states that orders were sent
to Windsor Castle to have all the rooms usually occupied
by her Majesty and the Royal family in readiness by the
17th inst. On Wednesday last the Queen caused to be
presented to the Windsor Dispensary portraits of herself
and the Prince Consort, admirably lithographed by Vinter,
from the last paintings her Majesty and the Prince Consort
sat fcr to Winterhalter.

Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cam-
bridge and the Princess Mary, attended by Lady Geraldine
Somerset and Colonel Home Purves. leave the duchess's
chateau at Rumpenheim, near Frankfort, either on Wed-
nesday or Thursday next, for their residence at St, James's
Palace, on their way to Kew.

The Duke of Rutland has arrived in town from
his seat in Derbyshire.

The Earl and Countess Russell and the Ladies
Russell intend to leave ➢Tinto House, near Hawick, Rox-
burghshire, where they have been visiting the Earl and
Countess of Minto, for Pembroke Lodge, Richmond Park.
The Earl and Countess of Erroll and family have
arrived in Grafton•street from Slains Castle, Aberdeen-
shire.

Lord Brougham will leave Brougham Hall to-
morrow for Edinburgh, to preside at the annual meeting
of the Social Science Congress. The noble and learned
lord will be the guest of the Lord Provost during his sojourn
in that city.

The Marquis d'Alterre and party have arrived
at the Brunswick, Jermyn-street, from Newmarket.
Lady Katherine Wigram died on Wednesday
last, at St. Mary's Isle, Kirkcudbrightshire. The deceased
lady was the youngest of the two daughters of Thomas,
fourth Earl of Selkirk, by Jean, only daughter of Mr.
James W edderburn Colville, and consequently sister of the
present peer. Her ladyship, who was in her 47th year,
married, in January, 1849, Mr. Loftus Tottenham Wigram,