The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-29 00:00:00

ZI7ERATURE.

Greece and the Greeks. The Narrative of a
Winter Residence and Summer Travel in Greece
and its Islands. By Fredrika Bremer. Trans-
lated by Mary Hewitt. 2 Vols. Hurst and
Blackett.
Miss Bremer's work could :carcely have appeared
at a more opportune moment. Recent events in
Greece have cared attention to be strongly directed
towards that country, and its future career offers a
wide field for speculation. That it will once more
become great and flourishing there can be little
doubt. The higher classes are still distinguished
by intellectual activity ; the lower orders are re-
markable for frugality and industry. The beauty
of the country is not more striking than its fertility,
and nothing hut the development of its resources by
a wise and liberal government is wanting. stirl
this will be a work of time. Rome wasnot built in
a day ; and Athens must not expect to reach even
a faint approximation to her former splendour for
many a year to come. Miss Bremer's visit to the
country appears to have been made under
extremely favourable circumstances. She was in-
troduced at Court, was amply provided with
introductions, and the King placed his yacht at her
service that she might conveniently visit the Greek
Islands. Her first impression of Athens was that
of surprise- at the " richly verdant vineyards and
olive groves" that surrounded it ; and with reference
to the exhilarating effects of Greek climate and
scenery, she says But Mr. Von F- is not
the only one whom I heard remark that life in this
country is found to be easier than in any other on
the face of the earth. The very exterior of the
people, their easy and quick movements, their en-
terprising, vivacious, and gay temperament, seem
to show this, as does also their propensity for levity.
The pure air, the abundant sunshine - the lovely
climate, and more than all the rest, the richly-varied
scenery of hill and valley, land and sea, which in a
thousand bays and creeks, islands and capes, play-
fully embrace each other, as it were, all contribute
to the same cause. When heaven and earth are so
beaming with light and beauty, man may be readily
tempted to forget that life has a higher object than
mere enjoyment. There is a lyrical tone in both
nature and history here which resembles dithyram-
bic inspiration. The rocks rise up boldly from the
valleys or on the coast, forming natural altars and
pyramids. Upon these altars of nature the Greeks
have erected their sacred edifices and temples to the
heavenly powers which descended to the earth as
protectors or givers of victory, to Zeus, Poserdon,
Apollo, Pallas,Athena. The temples of Athens are
the offspring of inspiration ; those of Rome are the
product of imitation." One of the most interest-
ing of Miss Bremer's excursions from Athens was
that to Arcadia. " Towards evening," she says,
" the mountains opened, and we drove down into
an extensive gloriously-verdant plain, surrounded
in the distance by hills, on the lower terraces of
which lay picturesque villages or towns. It is
the plain of Tegea and Tripolitza. We are now in
Arcadia. The evening sun beams in beauty over
the country, the hills shine in purple splendour.
We bound lightly along over the wide champaign,
amongst large vineyards and cultivated land,
planted with maize, tobacco, and potatoes. Bushes
of blossoming oleanders indicate here and there
the course of a rivulet. On the delightfully level
road we frequently meet country people, mostly
young women and men, with handsome counte-
nances, gay and cheerful expression, all indicative
of health, cleanliness, and prosperity. The com-
plexion of the girls is like milk and cherries.
We are evidently in Arcadia. We could not pos-
sibly hi.ve imagined Arcadian shepherd and shep-
herdesses to be handsomer." But Arcadia is
not wholly of this pleasant type. Much of
the mountain scenery is gloomy and rugged, the
river Styx rises there, and in the loftier districts the
winter is severe, and snow and hail of frequent oc-
currence. Leaving Arcadia, the author then visited
Sparta, 1113 co, and Corinth, and her next excur-
sion was to the Greek Islands; when she touched
at CEgina, Syra, Naxos, and the holy island of
Delos. The latter is now a deserted heap of ruins.
The author says, " We devoted the whole morning
and forenoon to rambling on the island. It was an
interesting but a sorrowful excursion over the ruins
and debris of its former magnificence. You can
scarcely take a step without treading on pieces of
broken clay vessels, often bearing upon them the
traces of fine painting, or on fragments of marble.
In three or four places several broken fluted columns
are still standing, with their beautiful pedestals and
their ornamental capitals lying on the ground.
These remains are partly of blue gray and partly of
white marble." At Naxos, the island of Ariadne,
the author made some stay, and was delighted with
its beauty though dissatisfied with its isolation,
though indeed this characterises all the remot, r
parts of Greece. It wants railroads and steamers,
for at present communication seems uncertain in
the extreme. Other excursions were made by the
author to Thessaly, Delphi, and Thebes, concerning
all which she has much to say that is novel and in-
teresting. Her remarks too upon the Greek cha-
racter are extremely pertinent, for although
sympathising warmly with the aspirations of the
people she is not blind to their defects. The work
is full of most vivid and picturesque descriptions of
Greek life and scenery. It has been very agreeably
translated by Mary Hewitt, and it cannot fail to
delight all into whose hands it may fall.

Mistress and Maid. By the Author of "John
Halifax, Gentleman," &e. 2 vols. Hurst and

Blackett.

If our "Domestic Institution" differs, in some
respects materially, from that of America, it in
others possesses a degree of similarity. Servants
are regarded by many of their employers us if
they scarcely belonged to the same race, They
are looked upon and treated as in every sense
inferior, and, as an inevitable consequence, there
is antagonism between the two instead of sym-
pathy. To draw attention t. this state of things,
and to point out the advantages of mutual help
between mistress and maid, is the motive of this
tale, which is unpretending in form, deals for the
most part with everyday incidents, but is by no
means devoid of pathos. Elizabeth Hand, as the
maid is called, and who, the author intimates, is
drawn from life, is an awkward country girl of
about fifteen, who makes her debut as servant to
the three Misses Leaf. These are reduced gen-
tlewomen who are forced to eke out a scanty
income by keeping a children's school in a
country town, and who, up to the advent
of Elizabeth, had been forced to do their work
themselves. Upon the eldest, Johanna, had fallen
the chief of the domestic drudgery ; the second,
Selina, is an invalid and fine lady, and the youngest,
Hilary, is handsome, accomplished, and attended
principally to the pupils. Finding that Elizabeth,
though clumsy, was willing, Johanna and Hilary
took her under their especial charge, bore her fail-
ings with fortitude, developed her good qualities
by counsel and sympathy, and had the satisfaction
of finding her turn out a very paragon of servants.
For the sisters Leaf are far from being
exempt from
trials. Impoverished by the extravagance of their I
father they are now worried by the recklessness of
an only nephew, who having been supported by
the generosity of a rich godfather, Mr. Aecott,
winds up by forging a cheque and disappearing ;
and as they have moved to London with the view
of bettering their condition, and fail to obtain em-
ployment, they are soon in a state little short of
destitution. Fortunately, however, Hilary meets
with a good Samaritan in the shape of a Scotch-
woman, Miss Balquiddar, who employs her
as superintendent of a business.
Selina mar-
ries the wealthy Mr. Ass°tt who had
to
tonerrescildiaer charms,
been for many years devotedder
and Elizabeth goes
Russell-square. Here withher own peculiar
troubles. Her lover,
Tom " confiding a baby to
she
hasffe is false to her,
and her mistress, Selina, dies,
then devotes herself,
her care. To the latter
admirer,who, having
former
exemplary manner ;
and fulfils her duties infearninis
burying, moreover, s.
fallen on evil days,
to his friends the missing
ihndgries of consumption, and dis-
covering and
chastenedrestor
by misfortune, promises
nephew, W"r the future. Hilary's lover, also,
amendment
absent in India, returns, they are
ha
ahpor hiad d
married, been
and the tale thus ends. Its in-
a laudable one, is to show how pos 1)1e it
convert a servant into a friend iso end • and we h aye
that its influence on those
who read it
fill be beneficial.
l it tendon,tt
doubt

Punch's Pocket Book.
among the many welcome heralds of the coming
year none will meet with a more cordial reception
than the almanac of our old friend Punch. The
book is full to the brim with wit and humour, and
it is scarcely possible to open its pages
without
experiencing a hearty laugh_ The frontispiece this
year consists of sea-side fashions for 1863, and is a
sly but telling hit at the absurdity of walking
sticks and a certain style tyl of hair-dressing. In sad-
dition to its humorous contents the usual useful
information is not overlooked.

De la Rue's Red I etter Diaries.
It is hardly possible to praise adequately the Red
Letter Diaries just published by the Messrs. De la
Rue. In beauty of workmanship, compactness of
arrangement, and general information, they will be
found unrivalled, while the convenient form and
different styles in which they are offered to the pub.
lie will insure them the most extensive patronage.
Those intended for the pocket are exceedingly
beautiful ; those for the desk or library table are
appropriate in size and form, while those for the
card case are perfect little gems. The diaries of
Messrs. De la Rue are not merely smart little,