The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-23 00:00:00

settle it amongst them." So poor Maldonata was taken,
and tied and left in the forest.

Curious to know the fate of the woman, however, the
same company of soldiers, two days afterwards, visited the
spot, when, instead of finding, as they confidentl3 expected,
the empty waist chain dangling from the tree, and .the
victim's tatterel and talon-torn rags strewing the ground,
there she was, alive, with a great female puma keeping
sentry before her, and guarding her from a host of other
pumas and jaguars that chafed and mouthed on every side.
As soon as the guardian puma saw the soldiers; she with
the rest of the savage beasts, retired; and then, having
, been released from her bonds, Maldonata related the story
of the puma in the cavern, and how that it and the one
that had protected her through two long days and nifrias
were identical. Hearing this, the soldiers ventured to re
present the case to De Galen, who ashamed to avow him-
self more heartless than a puma, pardoned Maldonata, and
sent her home to her family.

Baby Bianca ; or, the Venetians. By Mrs. Valen-
tine. London : Parker.

" Baby Bianca" will find a kindly welcome with
many readers, introduced to our notice as she is by
one so well known and so much admired as the
authoress of "The Ransom ;" and once known, she
will be prized on her own account. A Lweet
loveable character is that of Baby Bianca, and the
history of her ch(quered fortunes is one of the
most charming productions of Mrs. Valentine's
graceful pen. The scene opens in Italy some
three centuries ago, when the close of a lonr, war
had desolated the beautiful plains of Lombardy;i
many villages were utterly destroyed, and num-
bers of orphan children, in homeless and hopelc.f-s
destitution, wandered uncared for among the ruins.
Of these some forty or fifty are essembled by the
hero of their number, Antonio, and, under his
guidance, ultimately reach Venice. Touchingly
this little group-portrayed to us, and full of pathos
is the little scene in which the Baby Bianca is first
confided to their care—tenderly received by the
loving hands of Pietro. The fortunes of Bianca
and her two lovers, the early friends of her child-
hood, Antonio and Pietro, are full of varied inte-
rest. The determination ofAntonio and the devoted-
ness of Pietro, in their after lives, are in keeping
with the promise of their bayhood. Pietro disap-
points us, however, for deception, from whatever
cause, is a vice not easy to forgive, and is incompa-
tible with all the nobler instincts of an -affectionate
nature. Bianca herself is tender and truthful, and
cannot fail to win many hearts. The following
scene, in which the protector of her childhood again
meets his Baby Bianca, will afford a happy speci-
men of Mrs. Valentine's graceful, easy style of
narrative, and will introduce the reader to a charm.
ing domestic scene :
Suddenly a rap at the door was heard, and, for an in-
stant, Bianca's cheek flushed, and she made a movement
to put away her wheel. But ashamed of what she thought
an idle fancy, she restrained herself, and sat still, while
Jane opened the door. But then, a rich deep voice, with
a soft Italian accent, asked if one Mistress Osborne dwelt
there ? Jane answered in the affirmative • and it added—
" Is an Italian maiden, called Mistress liianca, with her
now f"
Bianca sprang from her wheel with a cry of delight ; and
as the tall and stately form of the visitor crossed the
threshold she rushed to meet him, crying,
" Antonio! Antonio 1"
"Baby Bianca !" was the reply, as he took her exten-
ded hands. "Dear Baby Bianca! But I must not so
address the tall maiden I see before me. Alas! my pretty
little vision has vanished, and grown into —."
He paused, and looked mischievously in her face.
" Into a very ordinary damsel, I am afraid," she said, •
laughing—Bianca had a very musical laugh. " But still
she is your own grateful friend and countrywoman, and
baby, if you will. Mistress Osborne, this is that good
Antonio of whom you have so often heard us talk—the
Good Providence of the children of Lombardy."
" He is very welcome," said the old lady kindly.
" And I have to thank you, good mistress, for your
kind, motherly care cf this little runaway," said the sailor,
cheerily, in good English. "Bianca mia, I learned where
you were, and all the details of this kind rentlowoman's
care of you, from your good friend Messer Osborne himself,
who hopes shortly to be with you all again ; and who
charged me with this packet for your hands, kind mistress"
—(to Mistress Osborne)—"and with it all manner of loving
greetings."
"You are doubly welcome as coming from him, Master
Antonio, as well as for the sake of your kindness to
one whom I have grown to look on as my daughter,"
said the good gentlewoman. "Bianca, offer refreshment
to your countryman, while I read my son's missive."
Bianca looked very Hebe-like as she proffered hospitality
to their guest. But he aeclined it, and telling her that he
had brought some remembrances from Venice, which his
men had without doors, called to two mariners who were
standing near the house, and bade them bring in the cases.
Two deal boxes were then placed on the table before Bianca,
and the lids deftly removed by their bearers. With girlish
curiosity and delight she examined their contents. A rich
dress, of the last fashion of Italy (then the ruler of taste
and toilettes) ; a necklace and bracelets of Oriental gold
beads ; some bodkins for her hair, ending in large glass
balls; a small mirror in which she could see " what a pretty
baby she was now"—Antonio told her, laughing—a drink-
ing vessel of Venetian coloured glass; a robe for Bettina.
Every article was greeted by exclamations of ingenuous
pleasure and gratitude by Bianca, and by admiring ejacu-
lations from the lookers on. The second case contained an
offering of " sack " from Candia for Mistress Osborne, and
a box of spices, which, if seen by them, would have been
the envy of all the city housewifes.
These gifts also received a gracious acceptance; and Mis-
tress Osborne pressed the seamen to sit down amidst her
maidens, and take some refreshment ; an offer which they
gladly accepted.
Then Antonio took his seat, also, by the fire, and while
the whirr of the busy wheels formed a not inharmonious
accompaniment to his voice, he told Bianca, in answer to
her eager questions, of his long voyages, of his dangers on
the great ocean, of his many adventures in 'strange lands
since they had parted. The wonders of earth, ocean, and
sky appeared to be familiar to him, and, at the bidding of
his graphic words, were present in the English homestead.
These travellers' tales were told in a foreign idiom and
accent, which gave them a new charm; while the brilliant
eyes and animated countenance of the narrator atone for
his occasional lack of the English words.
Bianca hung upon his accents, and looked up at his gal-
lant and manly face with an admiration and deference she
had never felt before for any one. Was it that rapt look
which induced the keen-sighted "padrona" to seize on the
first pause to tell Antonio (and thus remind Bianca) of her
betrothal to Pietro ?

" I had heard something of it before," he said, smiling.
"My first visit was, of course, to Pietro, and sorely vexed
was Ito have missed seeing him. But Master Hurlock
consoled me by telling me of his good fortune in being em-
ployed by the Lord Cromwell, and also of the happy rela-
tion in which he stood to our Baby Bianca. Did you not
marvel wherefore I have not asked about him before,
Bianca ? I already knew where he was, and would not
pain you by reminding you of his absence."
He smiled archly as be spoke. She answered sharply,
almost angrily,
" It could not pain me to speak of one so dear to me. His
absence is for his own benefit, and is not, therefore, a cause
of regret to his friends."

The sailor fixed his eyes inquiringly on her face as she
spoke, and after that moment's glance a shadow of grave
anxiety passed across his countenance.

TFIIS DAY'S SHIPPING.

LONDON, Jan. 23.—Wind this day at neon—South-
Eastarly ; moderate breeze and fine weather, but rather
cloudy.
CLYDE, Jan. 22,—Wind S.E.—Arrived—Hope, from
Quebec.

DARTMOUTH, Jan. 22.—Wind &W.—Arrived—Don
Jose, from Bremen for Porto Rico.
CowEs, Jan. 23.—Arrived—Borussia, screw steamer,
from New York, and proceeded for Hamburg.

NEWPORT, Jan. 21.—Wind E., with snow.—Arrived—..
Gleaner, from Hamburg for Callao. Sailed—Thornhill,
for Halifax, N.S.

DUBLIN, Jan. 22.—Arrivod--Allen Kerr, from St,
John's, N.B.

(BY SUBMARINE AND MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.)
GRAVESEND, Thursday Morning.
Arrived, Jan. 22—Arona, from St. Valery ; Planter,
from Berbice.

Sailed, Jan. 23—William, for St. Helena ; Alexandria,
for Smyrna Leon Ramondo, for St. Michael's ; Josephine,
for Dunkirk.

DEAL, Thursday Morning.
Passed, Jan. 22—Parthenon, screw steamer, from Lon-
don, for Jamaica.
Passed, Jan. 23—Wayward, from Woosung, for London.

THE AMERICAN BLOCKADE.—The schooner West
Indian arrived in the river Mersey on Monday with the
Confederate
flying
at the masthead, she being the pro-
perty of a Southern merchant and planter, and having suc-
ceeded in evading the Northern blockade at the port of
flag
Charleston. She left Charleston the evening of the 24th
Dec., and proceeded out to sea without seeing anything of
the Federal blockading squadron. Before the West Indian
sailed from Charleston the stone fleet had been sunk, but
she passed safely through the 11.-feet channel, one of those
left open. According to the statements of those interested
in this vessel, the people of Charleston felt no alarm as to
the consequences of the sinking of the stone fleet, but, on
the contrary, they believed the effect would simply be to
deepen the now comparatively shallow channels. The West
Indian, a schooner of 241 tons burden, has brought a full
cargo of spirits of turpentine, She is commanded by Cap-
tain Foote, and has also brought to England the owner.
This gentleman asserts that all the cotton plantations on
the seaboard between Savannah and Charleston have been
destroyed by the planters, and that at Port Royal, where
the Federalists alleged they have gathered a considerable
amount of cotton, the cotton secured consists really of only
that left by the planters, who did not consider it worth re-
moval. In the Southern States the want of tea, coffee,
sugar, and leather was said to be severely felt, and these
articles were reported to realise very large prices. The
owner, who was in Richmond, the capital of the Confede-
rate States, about three months ago, states there was a
growing belief that there would speedily be a determination
on the part of the French and British Governments to raise
the blockade of the Southern ports.
the
Hull County Court, a few days ago,
SINGULAR BREACH OF PROMISEanCAoSIEd.
in
st Mrs. Elder, a
eared that the
s!odigtina CASE.--At the
named Galvin, brought an action aga
lodging-house in Hull,
7
at the defendant would
her with gloves,
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ni itf
f NhOvalue
abroesfeonsfolmae age,
think,ltookveeept
oi nkge
nt
that
marry him, and therefore he
to enter the matrimonial state,
lls., and upon her refusing
back, books, handkerchiefs, and other articles, of the value of
he wanted his presents but she refused to restore
them. It was stated that the banns were published in one
effse ao nn to
us
ra i
odr
dsehree
awtohuel dmnoont
ehyatvoe
bplaintiffoart
of the Hull churches, and that, when the courtship was
broken.ceoff)
any pn •
the articles restored.