The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-30 00:00:00

Consoling Thoughts in Praise of Old Age,

It seems to us, therefore, that a great deal of ure
necessary pity has been thrown away upon old age
We begin at school reading Cicero's treatise, hear•
ing him talk with Scipio and Leelius ; we hear
much about poor old men ; we are taught to admire
the vigour, quickness, and capacity of youth and
manhood. We lose sight of the wisdom which age
brings even to the most foolish. We think that a
circumscribed sphere must necessarily be an un-
happy one. It is not always so. What one aban-
dons in growing old is, perhaps, after all not worth
having. The chief part of youth is but excitement;
often both unwise and unhealthy. The same pen
which has written, with a morbid feeling, that
"there is a class of beings who do grow old in their
youth and die ere middle age," tells us also that
"the best of life is but intoxication." That passes
away. The man who has grown old does not care
about it. The author at that period has no feverish
excitement about seeing himself in print ; he does
not hunt newspapers for reviews and notices. He
is content to wait ; he knows what fame is worth.
The obscure man of science, who has been wishing
to make the world better and wiser; the struggling
curate, the poor and hard-tried man of God ; the
enthusiastic re'ormer, who has watched the sadly
slow dawning of progress and liberty; the artist,
whose dream of beauty slowly fades before his dim
eyes—all lay down their feverish wishes as they
advance in life, forget the bright ideal
which they cannot reach, and embrace
the more imperfect real. We speak not
here of the assured Christian. He, from the noblest
pinnacle of faith, beholds a promised land, and is
eager to reach it ; he prays " to be delivered from
the body of this death ;" but we write of those
humbler, perhaps more human souls, with whom
increasing age each day treads down an illusion.
All feverish wishes, raw and inconclusive desires,
have died down, and a calm beauty and peace sur-
vive; passions are dead, temptations weakened or
conquered, experience has been won ; selfish inte-
rests are widened into universal ones; vain, idle
hopes have merged into a former faith or a complete
knowledge ; and more light has broken in upon the
soul's dark cottage, battered and decayed " through
chinks which Time has made." . . .
We are no longer the fools of time and error.
We are leaving by slow degrees the old world ; we
stand upon the threshold of the new ; not without
hope, but without fear, in an exceedingly natural
position, with nothing strange or doubtful about it;
with our domain drawn within a narrow circle, but
equal to our power. Muscular strength, organic
instincts are all gone; but what then ? We do not
want them; we are getting ready for the great
change, one which is just as necessary as it was to
be born ; and to a little child, perhaps one is not a
whit more painful than the other—perhaps not so
painful. The wheels of Time have brought us to the
goal ; we are about to rest while others labour ; to
stay at home while others wander. We touch at
last the mysterious door—are we to be pitied or
0
be envied ?--The Gentle Life.

A COMPETITION FOR THE BEST NEW STRINGED
QUARTETT has been opened by the Musical Institute of
francs,
Florence, offering a first prize of 400, a second of 200
Manuscripts am to be forwarded free of coat, ulna four
,
Percy to o'clock in the afternoon of the IGth of August next year.
The The Caluardzara announces that the A rchbish
Bolt op
of
York has offered
LlithiLao..iaTluhabeleslali.acvecrie.ne,dg
BisEhxopEoTft Imam:
under the direction of
Disraeli a subscription concert.
next performance will takemp,
Mr. Costa, on Friday, Jan.
egdhta t Grosvenor-ate, from Hatfield House,
11erts, where the
for the Rome
havirehearritivi
Bruce,lioti, B. b 'ng
and Mrs. Disraeli
they have been en a visit to the Marquis and
Marchioness of Salisbury.
Mr. 11. A.
M.P., Under Secretary of State
Department, left town on Monday, on a visit
to the Earl and Countess de Grey, at Studley Park, near
ItipOnt

wl4-0, ,
• tr,__LkAy
(rani tlrdien
-

HER MAJESTY.

OSBORNE, Dee. 29.
The Queen walked and drove in the grounds
to-day.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge is
expected to leave Gloucester House early in the ensuing'
week, on a visit to the Earl and Countess of Derby.
at
Knowsley, near Prescott, when a distinguished circle will
meet the royal duke.
His Serene Highness the Prince Frederick of
Schleswig-Holstein has left the St. George's Hotel.
His Excellency the Turkish Ambassador arrived
at the embassy, in Bryanstou-square, on Sunday evening
from visiting Madame Musurus and family at St. Leonards.
The Marquis and Marchioness of Salibbury'ss,
party during the last few days at Hatfield House, Klan,
has included the Duke of "Wellington, the Earl of Clan-
william, Lord John Hay, Sir Roderick Murchison, Sir
Hugh and Lady Cairns, the Right Hon. Benjamin and
Mrs. Disraeli, Maj Jr Teesdale, Baron Marcchetti, &c.
The Earl of Lonsdale left Carlton House-terrace
last week for Ventnor, Isle of Wight, where the noble earl
will stay about a month.
The Earl and Countess of Yarborough are re-
ceiving a sucuession of visitors at Brocklesby, their seat in
Lincolnshire, during the Christmas season.
The Earl of Shannon has arrived in town from
Castle Marty, the family seat in Ireland.
Count Woronzow Daschkaw, Col. Makaroff, and
M. Feder have left the Clarendon Hotel for Paris.
Lord and Lady Egerton of Tatton have been en-
tertaining company at Tatton Park, Cheshire.
Mr. Francis and Lady Eleanor Cavendish arrived
at the Hon. General Cavendish's residence, in Burlington"
gardens, yesterday, from Kimberley Park, Norfolk, the seat
of Lord Wodehouse.
Mr. and Lady Evelyn Brndenel Bruce have
Thomas's Hotel, Berkeley-square, for Woolaton, Larabourli,
Berks.
Mr. and Lady Fanny Howard have arrived at
Compton Hall, near Eastbourne, from Chatsworth, Derby
shire.
We hear that Miss Gordon, only daughter of
Lady Francis Gordon, lies most dangerously ill at FramPt°ll
dan.
Court, Dorsetahire, the seat of Mr. Brinsley Sherileft
The Right Hon. Thomas M. Gibson, M.P, is
staying with the Rev. J. G. Cullam, at his seat, Hardwick.
House, near Bury St, Edmunds. Mrs. Gibson is passing
the winter at Nice.

VICTORIA COLLEGE FOR LADIES, BAYSWATER.'"
The Christmas term at this college was brought to
a close on Tuesday evening, in a manner which was evi'
dently as satisfactory to the fashionable and crowded asset'''
blage of parents and friends as it must have been gratifying
im
to the director of the institution, to see gathered around h
so many friends, willing to testify their approval of Id
assiduous s
efforts during the last four years to establish'
college where the really useful and practical is blended wi
of the senversazione closing the term consisted of
the ornamental part of a lady s education. The programme
well selected morceaux for the pianoforte, which Were play
ed
with both taste and brilliancy by several of the paPile, ar;ide,
which evidenced even in the case of three very .ineb--
pianistes, that they had progressed most satisfactorily under
their professor, Mr. George Kiallmark, and the lady supers
Miss Snell. A scene from a German Play
and
enacted with great ability by the pupils of Dr. Fiselle4
in the case of a Miss Mossman eseciaily, .ct remarkable
knowledge of the language was shown.P A French Piece'
several
also, performed by the pupils of M. De Bouge, a, iNlisg4
Craufurd, in particularly evincing extraordinary facility is her
use of the language, proved beyond doubt that skilful teaching
had been appreciated by willing and hard-working students.
Several readings from Willis, Montgomery, and Longfellow
were then given by both senior and very junior pupils; and
the unanimous applause that followed them was at once
a
testimony to the great attention the director, N. Flew"'
Lesingham, professor of elocution, gives to this highly
im-
portant but frequently much neglected branch of education;
and this was the more obvious when the company hadin thr
e
opportunity of hearing, and we might add of seeing, M'
Lesingham's own reading from the " Samson Agonistes"
an exponent of what elocution should be. His reading W."
everything those having an appreciative taste could
shave
e
wished it to be, and it was received in an enthusasti
two
manner by all present. Mr. George Kiallmark pof
pieces in a most brilliant style, and one worthy
our great players, and very much to the delight of all pre'
sent ; whilst Mrs. Helen Percy, a lady well-known in
Bayswater as a vocalist and teacher of singing, sang two
ed
songs in a manner which elicited marked and prolonglayed
of
any
applause. The evening's entertainment soon after this
ended by Mr. Sergeant Miller, the Recorder of Warwick,
distributing to several meritorious pupils certificates of merit,
which were executed in a very artistic manner. In per-
forming this pleasing task, the sergeant expressed himself
as highly satisfied with the progress of the pupils and the
manner in which the college was progressing. The com-
pany then separated.
EXETER-HALL.—MADAME LIND- GOLDSMIDTP--
This gifted lady and her accomplished huSbandt
Otto Goldsmidt, Esq., having placed their services at the
disposal of the committee of the Friends of the Clergy Cor •
poration, it has been arranged to give a grand performance
of Handel's magnificent oratorio of " The Messiah," at
Exeter-ball, on Tuesday, January 5, 1861, on which
occa-
sion Madame Goldsmidt will be supported by the leading
vocal talent of the day. Apart from the object for which
the performance has been arranged, the great and ever
existing wish to hear again the enchanting tone threat" The
Lind'' will ensure an audience of no ordinary er.
to
The ticket arrangements have, we believe, been confided
Mr. Mitchell, of Old Bond -street, so that the public ra3Y
rest perfectly certain that, notwithstanding the extraorabi;
nary nature of the performance, no more tickets than t,_
hall will comfortably accommodate will be issued. l'ha
oratorio commences at eight o'clock. to to be
A LARGE LONDON GRAVEYARD isllg f
made something pleasant to the sight by the Piae,t^:,l-don
trees and shrabs in it. Hardly any churchyard ja hero
offers greater facilities in this respect than the„°--is very
alluded to, namely, that of St. Luke's, Chelsea; " sides,
large, not closed in by houses, has streets on three
and is broad and wide enough to show large trees ja needful
bulk. A subscription has been opened to pay the -vire
expenses, and in a short time the thing will be done' now
commend this example to parishes with churchyards
uilde.
in anything but a pleasant and venerable condition. Ich a
pendently of the sanitary advantages to accrue from Tinted
planting of trees, it is worth considering that a tree, P'a
by the grave of some lost friend, may remain te°tirad ered
eul
of affection long after the most costly stone has In
away.
CHARING-CROSS RAILWAY.—It almost appears
doubtful whether the long-expected opening ofda,.),
important line will take place by Friday (New Year
Tor not
as was generally anticipated, the Government inspector
public.
whose formal certificate it cannot be opened to the
having yet made his report to the Beard of Trade, without
In the meanwhile there is only some exterior finishing
Inns
work to be done, and the interval will been employed,
properly, in drilling the company's staff to the working
of the line and signals. The Customs departraent plat
at the Charing-cross station, to which the Customs basil ass
now carried on at Folkestone will be transferred, is finished
and ready for opening.
ff 00
TROTTING MATCH AT DONCASTER FOR £.1.-00"--'
On Monday afternoon a trotting match came o
the Doncaster Racecourse, in the preseace of an irtinuere.
number of persons, between Rat Tail, the bay horse oi D:143
Clayton, of Kirk Burton, near Wakefield, and Digby,
11.`e,
roan horse belonging to Mr. Field, of Copmantheorillfat
Betting opened even, but towards the finish of
thtehreacstarter
taking place in
Tail had the call. Mr. Aice, of Doncaster,
throughout,
and judge. Rat Tail took the lead,
the two-mile course, and maintehaetio, Digby broke
winning, after a good race, by two leg
and did not go past the
down4about fifty yards from home; t
at that point by pet
post, virtually giving up the cotaba
the trot. The match was for
turning round and resuming
£5O a side. ti
3 thenawn in noticing this
A REVIEWER in ,
of " Poetry," cruelly remarks that
the rdaceiW:asko
the following like a novelty much ' toot][
cleaningeek as:mall vor every

L in
14 I E restlessa y
Mute the smooth, pure lips
EwxorpkLinogssmoni::_heßpeetarl.con
the
hours of seven and eiht o'clock on the morning of
Saturday last, a fearful explosion took place at the Gin
Coalpit, at Maesteg, the property of the Llynvi Vale Iron
AsoTTiguhEteitnecdo
Company, when 13 or 14 persons lost their liveli by most
damp. The following is a list of tho bodies alreadybrough
up when our report left, namely:—William Isaac, carpen"
ter,
left a wife and seven children ; William Elias, h:tely ro
tied; John Bevan, left a wife and three children; David
Williams (and son), a married man; David Rees,
married ;
Morgan Thomas, single; William Davis, single; l3eni'e
min Rees, single; William Jones, single; and David J onto}
single.—Cambria Daily Leader.
IRISH CALCULATION.--An Irish Indy Was arse
declaring that she could not understand how gentlemen
could smoke. "It certainly shortens their lives," said sb°
" I didn't know that," said a gentleman. " There's in_s",
father, who smokes every blessed day, and hers new riv_.
years old." " Well," was the reply, "if he had Deve
smoked he might have been SO by this time."
A WOMAN'S RAN SOM,--By F. W. Robinoooo
author of "Grandmother's Aloney," &e. 3 v°?;
AI r. Robinson has already published severalsue,cosin
sad
novels, among which are "Grandmother's Money '
or
"Under the Spell." "A IVenian's Ransom" reinseal:_ii,
to any of its predecessors. It is a good novel,
ll
i,
sa"
clever, and thoroughly readable. The story is final,
i there is plenty of incident in it.— Press.