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

LIYERATUBE.

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 Howitt. 2 Vols. Hurst and
Blackett.
,Mies Bremer's work could scarcely have appeared
aa more opportune moonlit. Recent eveuts in
Greece have caused attention tube 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 he little
doubt. The higher classes are still distinguished
by intellectual activity; the lower orders are re-
maikahle for frugality and industry. The beauty
of the country is not more striking than its fertility,
and nothing but the development of its resources by
a wise and liberal government is wanting. Still
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 h.r
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
stcoentehrn sheeexhi sayslaratin:L,e,ffects of Greek climate and
B
the only one whom I heardu M t
remr.aVrkonthFat-life
in
hs
this
t
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
thoueand 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 chetrful 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 have 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, M) come, 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 Magrilficence, 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 bine 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 rernott 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 def€cts. 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," &c. 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 as 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 3 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
father they are now worried by the reoklessness of
an only nephew, who having been supported by
the generosity of a rich godfather, Mr. Ascott,
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. Ascott, who had
been for many years devoted to her charms,
and Elizabeth goes with her to reside in
Russell-square. Here she has her own peculiar
i
troubles. Her lover, Toni Cliffs, is false to her,
and her mistress, Selina,
then devotes herself,
her care. To the latter dies,. confiding a baby to
she
est exemplary manner;
and fulfils her duties in
f consumption, and dis-
covering on evil days, die-o his friends the missing
burying, moreover, her foaornimer admirenwho, having
covering and restoring
ned by misfortune, promises
nephew, who, future. Hilary's lover, also,
shaeent in India, returns, they are
amendment forac.ht
who had beeiled,n
and the tale thus ends. Its in-
°3larrdable one, is to show how possible it
happily
tention, a An
is to convert a
servant
ts infliunetnoc ae
of friend e nt
those
0;s
eand h
who
read
ahave
t
1 little doubt that
1 will be beneficial.

welcome heralds of the coming
Punch's Pocket Book.
many
yet with a more •
yeaarninnonngetwheillmma
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_
year consists of sea-side „gh The frontispiece this
o fashions for 1863, and is a
sly but telling hit at the absurdity of walking
sticks and a certain style of hair-dressing. In ad-
ditionumorous contents the usual useful
information is
not overlooked.

De la Rue's Red Letter 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. Do la Rue are not merely mart little