The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-05 00:00:00

What Can it Be? or, The Fact Family Travelling
Incognito, Edited by Lady Caroline Elliot. 1
vol. Hurst and Blackett.
This is a very entertaining little volume, written
on a novel and striking plan. The question pro-
posed by the title is left to be answered by the
reader, who will often have his ingenuity put
to a severe test. He will sometimes be tempted to
echo back the query of this fascinating Sphinx while
pondering over her puzzles, which present the com-
mon things of every-day life to our astonished eyes
under a dress so perfectly fitting yet so ingeniously
designed that recognition of the familiar forms is by
no means easy. We subjoin two specimens, which
we leave our readers to discover :
LONGSHANKS.
And now I must describe my person, for you must be
anxious to know what lam like. I think myself very
handsome, although my complexion is so sallow that, in
most people, it would be considered unhealthy ; but it be •
comes me very well, and the better and the stronger I feel,
the more yellow is my skin. My figure is peculiar : I am
thought most of when I am slim and genteelly-made; but,
though I am certainly thin, I am never tall, and my body
is entirely hidden by my great " phiz," which is decidedly
not gifted with small features. My eyes are at the back of
my head, and completely obscured from view by my golden
locks,which are so redundant that they reach from head to foct.
I take my name from mylegs, which are so long, that,when our
family came over to England, the surname of Longahanks
was given them, in consequence of the lengthiness, and, at
same time, thinness of those limbs. My two legs are not
the same length, which would generally be considered dis-
advantageous to a person's appearance; but as it is part of
my duty to be always kicking with these legs of mine, their
want of similarity prevents me from bruising my shins,
which would be very inconvenient.
You will wonder at my employment—kicking I but so it
is. I never stop kicking from one day's end to another,
and the hard exercise makes my heart beat very loudly, I
can tell you. In consequence, I suppose, of being obliged
to exert myself so much, I am subject to disease of the
heart, which organ sometimes suspends its motion for a
time ; but when this happens I am very ill indeed, and am
generally sent to the doctor.
THE BIND OP BROTHERS.
After this preface, you will be surprised to hear that we
cannot speak, and that though alive we never eat nor sleep,
ana yet, ever since man was created, we have existed, a
whole band of us, attaching ourselves to every child, in-
creasing in numbers and size as he or she grows older • and
though daily growing taller, it is a curious fact Oita we
never get any fatter, and this I suppose may be owing
to our never eating an±thing—but not being able to
speak or ask questions upon this weighty matter, of
course this is only my own conjecture, and may be very far
the trul h. Another curious thing about us is, that though
we are entirely the personal property of our masters and
mistresses, and devote ourselves to their comfort and use,
they have not the least idea how many of us there are, and
though they might try to count us, they would never find
out.

Some of our bands dress black, and look so very hand-
some that, with many persons, they are the favourites. To-
wards the middle of our life, sometimes sooner, sometimes
later, we all put on a quiet grey dress, which, generally
speaking, our masters and mistresses dislike very much, and
try to hide by various disguises, which, however, generally be-
tray themslves,and cause ridicule and contempt; we have no
hesitation in saying that our masters and mistresses would
be wiser in letting us follow our own taste in this matter,
as the quiet grey dress always harmonises with our time of
life, and really looks much the best, if they would only be-
lieve it.

The reader will be amused to recognise parasols
and umbrellas as " The Rising Generation," and
will not find it difficult to discover the
original of " The Wonderful Mirrors" in
books ; he will find his eyes transformed into " Her-
mits Abroad," and detect " The Two Old Brothers"
in " Wind and Water Mills. But we need not
multiply examples, only recommending this clever
and lively volume to all who wish to make an hour
pass pleasantly away in the evening home circle.

JJ ilson's Picture Alphabet.
Wilson's Picture Primer.
Sixpence each. Sampson, Low, and Son,
Ludgate-hill.
Children of the present day are most fortunate
in their lesson books, and the brilliant little
books here before us are no exception to the
rule. The arrangement of the alphabet is most
ingenious, and will furnish a fund of amusement
to those who are beyond the necessity of learning.
From the animated representations, the child cannot
fail to be delighted with this bright example of things
of daily use and animals of all kinds. The Primer
is arranged in an excellent manner, and the method
of continually repeating the same words is of vast
importance, as it enables the mind of the young
beginener to grasp a firm hold of some one thing
in each lesson. To all teachers these pretty books
may be recommended, as they combine pleasure
and profit; and while yielding instruction, so im-
part it that the mind of the learner is divested of
the horror of books that so often seize on those
whose early studies have been harshly directed
or rendered dull by unnecessary drudgery. Thus
these endeavours to make the paths of study, as
far as may be, ways of pleasantness, is to be com-
mended, as with the best attempts there will re-
main much to weary the young in all schooling.

Ward and Lock's Shilling Series,
A pleasant collection of cheap reprinted novels,
selected principally from the pages of the weekly
and monthly serials, are before us. Their size and
form are convenient, their type clear and good, and the
stories of average merit. We have stirring romance
in the " Lady Lisle," sea stories for nautical tastes
in the "Cruise of the Blue Jacket," and varied and
animated sketches in " The Night Mail and its
Passengers," and " Storm Beaten."

- •
The Family Save-all. By the editor of " Enquire
Within," &c. Twenty Thousand. Houlston and

Wright.
We have previously noticed this excellent little
manual which must prove a great acquisition to the
good housekeeper, who likes to combine economy
and satisfaction. No one need henceforth have cold
dinners for fear of the expense of hot ones since the
uninviting remains of fish, meat, vegetables, or
puddings under the spell of this book of magic art
became transformed into varied and savoury dishes
at a very trifling expense. We must not omit to
mention that many useful hints on little household
difficulties are added at the conclusion. We are not
surprised at the large circulation of so useful a
domestic guide.

The Nistorical Finger post. "By E. Shelton,
assistant compiler of " The Dictionary of Daily
Wants." Lockwood.
There are few readers of the present day that
can profess to disregard the assistance of this
valuable finger-post in directing him along the en-
tangled and frequently obscure roads to historical
knowledge. Its arrangement is admirable, and
enables the searcher to find the name wanted
immediately. It is decidedly one of the best and
most comprehensive of the many useful works of
this class that have come under our notice.

The Midland Counties Almanack and Rural Hand-
book. W. R. Newcomb, High-street, Stamford;
Simpkin, Marshall, and Co., London

This voluminous almanack contains every pos-
sible information regarding farming and other
rural occupations. It is a difficult task to select
any special subject for commendation, and the enu-
meration of the varied information would require a
small catalogue. We may, however, mention
that the average prices of wheat and wool from
the year:l74o are to be found in these pages—Treat-
ment of stock, English and French corn measures,
Observations on the treatment of ,sick cattle, The
law of warranty in all its branches, &c. This is but
a tithe, however, of the contents, which is exceed-
ingly extensive, the whole volume containing some
200 pages, and both as a book for general informa-
tion and of reference is well worthy the attention
of the rural population.