The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-03 00:00:00

LONDON SOCIETY.—A very entertaining piper on
" Old Fashioned Winters" opens this number, bu r
in spite of the author's graphic reminiscences, we
apprehend they are pleasanter in retrospect than in
actual existence. We have just had visible contra
diction of his assertion that we have no snow now
adays, though certainly the thin flakes that gra • '
fully whiten our housetops . scarcely deserve- the
name when compared to snow which stopped mail
coaches and imprisoned the visitors to a county ball
from Thursday to Sunday in Bury. This was •I.
1808, when, on the North road, the snow in some
places drifted to a depth of 40 feet. Six years later
a heavy fall of snow occurred in the West of Eng-
land, and lay 12 feet deep in the middle of the roa I
near Exeter. In 1816, too, the mail coaches were
delayed by the blocked-up roads. The writer gives
an animated account of the delights of bein:
" snowed up" and the fun of digging your way out
but we suspect that it must have been practicall -
very inconvenient, and better adapted to the spiritii
and energies of hearty schoolboys than to
their more busy or more feeble elders,
His illustrations are very cleverly done
" Scenes in Court" is the title of a lively sketch of
the decorous life in Westminster Hall, which wi
be read with amusement both by those whO frequen
courts of law, and by those happier mortals to who
such knowledge comes only by hearsay. " Ccele I-.
in Search of a Mulready-envelope," is a tragi
comic tale of a Liverpool youth who decidedly de
served ridicule, although his vain tormentor wa
certainly not much of a lady. The " Mystery o
the Bloody Hand" is a story of another calibre ;
and although its name would seem to indicate some
romantic legend of ancient days, it is a modern
story of English domestic life, which sometimes, lo
spite of its matter-of-fact character has also its
tragic element. " Custom as it affects Dinner =j
time," is a lively paper, remonstrating with our
middle-class chatelaines for letting the head of the(
household habitually dine alone in the city, insteact
of deferring the family dinner until such time a5l
paterfamilias could comfortably share it. Thel
popular, though scarcely venerable game of whist
is discussed in a paper awarding to it the full share
of praise which, as a game combining in a happY
degree the -attractions of_cha,nce and of skill, it un-
doubtedly merits. 4 " A Fast Run and a Double
Kill," is the title of a lively story of English
country life, in which the fair heroine achieves .3
triumph beyond her expectations. A humoroes

paper on " Fireside Frolics" enforces Esop's ar

gument on the necessity of unbending the bow-
The illustrations are, as usual, capital.
THE Barrisn ARMY AND NAVY REVIEW.—ThiB
number commences with the adventures of a Car°-
lina loyalist in the famous but unfortunate revolu-J
tionary war. It is annotated by Captain Chesney"),
who explains many of the points now the very seencP

of operations between the Yankees and the galla,o
Southerners. The details are full of stirring inte-

rest, and show with what ardour men will Combal

for home and independence, as did the undisciplined
but sturdy volunteers of North America in that

sanguinary but successful struggle. " French
Courts-Martial," is a very sensible account of the
procedure of our great military friends, and the
Horse Guards, or whoever is going to amend our
system, will do well to take a hint from a practical
method now in operation among people who know
their business. " The Apparatus of War" is the
title of a paper which enters critically into the va-
rious plans now proposed for improving our de'
fences, and discusses the experiments in new gulls,
ships, and all the other improvements suggested by
various scientific men. It compares the old with
the new systems, and leaves the question open how
far any system now in vogue will stand the test of
ever-changing opinion. In fact, experience alone

must be the safest guide, for the future breech-

_ .
loaders are recommended as a decided improvement

over the " Brown Bess" of other days=-while the
rifle is fast treading on the destructive power of
artillery. " Scenes in Franco-Arab Life," and

Celebrated Trials," are both full of anecdote ;

while " The Scots Fusilier Guards and the Defence

of Hougoumont at the Battle of Waterloo," gives.
a very animated account of the doings of that
justly proud and chivalrous regiment. There is a

singular note in reference to many gallant mell

whose deeds were overlooked or omitted in the

celebrated despatch announcing the glories of that

memorable day, when Sir John Byng remarked to
the Duke that he had, no doubt by mistake/

awarded the praise of great merit to one officer in
place of another ; on which Wellington expressed

much regret, but added that he " never altered
despatch." This may have been characteristic of

his " iron" disposition ; but was it just ? There
are several other articles, which will be read with

profit.

CASSELL'S PUBLICATIONS. " Don Quixote,
(library edition) " Gulliver's Travel's," "
smith," " Bunyan," " Shakspere," " Natursil

History,'! " Educator for the Young," &c., &c.r
abound with illustrations, all executed in the highest,
style of art. Each of the above on completion will.

form a very beautiful volume, either for presenta-
tion or the library.

FORTUNATE ESCAPE.—From an official report ill
the Victoria (V. I.) Chronicle, we learn that in th 6
expedition against the hostile Indians at Clayoquet Soundf
Admiral Denman, of her Majesty's ship Sutlej, had
narrow escape with his life. He was fired at point 121a014
by a native, but the ball providentially missed him. Di° I
expedition was undertaken to obtain satisfaction for the'l
loss of the Kingfisher, which lead been burnt by Indians:
who also murdered the crew in the Clayoquet Sound. The 1
'hole Abousett tribe seems to have been implicated in the j
piracy. Admiral Denman demanded that Cap-chan, the
chief of the tribe, and six murderers should be given up•
If this was done within one month from the date of writing
(October 11) he would proceed no further in the matter--
otherwise, forcible measures would be resumed.

AN ODD DYING BEQUEST—made by an old Scotch
judge, Lord Forglen, who died in 1727, the account
here given being taken from a volume privately printed WI
Lord Houghton :—" Dr. Clerk, who attended Lord For"
glen, told James Boswell's father, Lord Auchinleck; that
calling on his patient the dayhis lordship died, he was let in
by his clerk, David Reid. How does my lord do ?'
quired Dr. Clerk. hope he's weel !' answered Davis
with a solemnity that told what he meant. He then coil'
ducted the doctor into a room, and showed him two doze')
of wine under a table. Other doctors presently came jet'
and David, making them all sit down, proceeded to tell
them his master's last words, at the same time pushing the'
bOttle about briskly. After the company had taken a gla4
or two they to depart, but David detained them. Nat
na, gentlemen, not so. It was the expressed will of the
deceased that I should fill ye a' fou, and I maun fulfil 00
will o' the dead.' All the time the tears were streaming
down his cheeks. And, indeed,' said the doctor after-
wards in telling the story, he did fulfil the will o' the
dead, for before the end o't there was na ane of us able t'
bite his ain thoorab.'