The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-02 00:00:00

THE VICTORIA MAGAZINE.--A prominent fea-
ture in the current number of this magazine is the
paper so recently read by AiissuFnfiatitEhmfuplloaytmethnet
Social Science Meeting on "The
in which Women are engaged." it When we find
these employments include, as they do, hard and
degrading labour, such as filling coal trucks, several depart-
ments of brickmaking, carrying loads of sand, dressing ores,
and the lowest and dirtiest tasks in many of the northern
manufactories—in the face of evidence like this, those who
have hitherto deprecated the exertions being made to open
up fresh sources of employment to women may well be silent.
If the choice lay between home life and watchmaking,
book-keeping, lithographing, and the other occupations
now being tried, there might be reason in the objections
brought forward, but when the area for female labour is so
scanty, and the need so urgent and pressing, it is surely
time some fresh experiments were made. Miss Faithfull
justly enough classes those who "want employment" the
idlers of the upper and middle classes. She says, with
truth, that fifty years ago women of all ranks had plenty to
do in-doors. " All sorts of things were done in the house
which ev©n the most old-fashioned people have left
off doing now. The baking and brewing, the spin-
ning and weaving, the knitting and sewing, are taken out
of the hands of women. Machinery has effected a complete
change in our internal domestic economy, and if the girls
of this generation are to walk in the steps of their mothers
and grandmothers, it must be by wise modifications ol our
present habits." "Lindisfarn Chase," by Thomas
Adolphus Trollope, proceeds with interest, and Kate
Lindisfarn becomes innocently engaged in more than one
secret. Matthew Arnold contributes an able and well
written essay on "The character of the Emperor
Marcus Aurelius." Pondering over the enlight-
ened wisdom, the exalted virtues, and the pure
morality of this remarkable man, Mr. Arnold natu-
rally exclaims, "what an affinity for Christianity had this
persecutor of the Christians." " Grapes and Goblets" is the
second part of a pleasant enough paper, narrating some
wayside experiences of rambling on the Continent. A care-
ful summary is given of the proceedings at the late Edin-
burgh meeting, and the nature and spirit of the undertak-
ing are thus happily defined :
"The work of this association is imperfectly performed.
Let that be granted, once for all. We frankly admit that
the imperfections which attach to all the pertormances of
imperfect beings are to be found here also. But at the same
time, we maintain that the essential business of the asso-
ciation—namely, first, thoroughly and impartially to exa•
mine new ideas, and then to aid in their dissemination—is
genuine work, and especially important at the present stage
of the world's history, when progress depends more than
ever before on the diffusion of sound opinions throughout
the community."

THE ECLECTIC.—We find in The Eclectic an
essay on one of the brightest ornaments of the Eng-
lish Church—Jeremy Taylor. He has been styled
the English Chrysostom ; and although his style
seems cumbrous and overloaded to the simpler taste of the
present day, yet the wit, learning, and eloquence of some of
his writings are amply sufficient io merit the name. Miss
Yonge's very able and interesting work on Christian Names
receives a kindly notice, and the entertaining extracts given
from it will induce the reader io rofer to the original voin:nci-..
The most attractive among the remaining papers, as being
1(388 influenced by the tell:Lions v_isays of the journal, is an
essay entitled, " History in Chancery," which passes under
review some of Macaulay's brilliant but ex parte statements
THE SIXPENNY MAGAZINE.—Gustave Aimarci's
story of " The Smuggler Chief " is proceeding with
interest and animation. He is well known as one
of the cleverest and most picturesque painters of
Indian life now living, and the lovers of wild adventure
will find no lack of it in the present tale. There are other
stories and sketches, among them one entitled " Who was
to Blame," of which we have only the first part; and a brief
but melancholy tale, "The Polish Mother," carries us to
that unhappy country which is now exciting so much of our
sympathy. We have a paper on " Holberg, the Danish
Moliere," and a further instalment of the series on "Bible
Women," which this month treats of Deborah, the "mother
in Israel." " Mexico and the Mexicans" are discussed at
length, and we must not omit to include, among the fictions,
the continuation of " Sackville Chase." Either Mr. Pepper
or the approach of the dark nights is bringing ghosts into
fashion, for this is the second magazine in which we find
them. There is plenty of entertainment provided for the
reader, if it be not of a very high or sterling quality.