The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-23 00:00:00

LITTLE OLD GODFATHERS.

It appears to me that the children of the present age,
when they go to the play at all, take their parents and
guardians instead of being taken ; and as for little old god-
fathers and their birthday presents, it is in the first place
patent that the sponsor, as a philanthropist, is all but ex-
tinct, that when you meet your godfather he usually crosses
to the oilier side of the street to avert the possibility of
being compelled to ask you to dinner, and that the only
notice your godmamma ever takes of you is to beg auto-
graphs and cartes de visite, or to solicit your " well-
known-extensive influence" in procuring a nice little In-
dian appointment, or something of that kind, for her son
Ulric, aged 27 and a born fool. Presents I When you are
grown up they want gifts from you; when you are small,
and they must perforce give something, it is generally
something cheap from the Lowther Arcade, or else a 2s.
book bound in pink calico with Dutch metal binding, set-
ting forth how happy Frank and Willy and Herbert were
at Concord House, or Euphuism Academy, with an Alex-
andre harmonium to perform upon, and a vivarium to
of
os el
mh a
so o
el ,
run,
adne rd ther
.benevolent, a
hu
sp auspices
sot
.f
apannirt.u(lswVehitshoe:metvheeonustteuhoally goes into the Church, and becomes
Bishop of Bungaree, Central Africa). Nothing is ever said
about Dr. Muff, or Mr. Canechild, or Professor Screwboy,
or Mr. Swindloparent, B.A. These books are generally
written by schoolmasters tor the purpose of puffing (often in
the most undisguised manner) middle-class schools. There
were books about schools and schoolboys, too, in the little
old godfather days, but they were lifelike and true. Dr. Pro-
sody was a kind of pedagogue, and patted Harry on his
flaxen head when he gave his pocket-money to the blind
fiddler, or behaved so nobly in not betraying his playfellows
in that matter of the rifled orchard ; but what a tremen-
dous flogging he administered to the traitor Philip, who
should have confessed his share in the apple robbery, but
allowed Harry to be brought within an inch of the horse for
his (Philip's) misdeeds I I say that godfathers and god-
mothers have degenerated into mere simulacra. They ac-
cept an awful responsibility with as much alacrity—and,
as a rule, with as much sincerity—as the gentlemen who
were wont to pervade Westminster Hall with straws in their
shoes, and were ready to bail anybody, and to any ex-
tent, for half-a-crown. When we were young our sponsors
made much of us, and left us fat legacies. I was blessed
with one—a very little old gentleman who used to come
from Finchley to Paddington once a month for the express
purpose of teaching me my catechism. What has become
of the conscientious people who used to renounce Satan and
all his works, and the pomps and vanities of this wicked
world for you?—Dickens's All the Year Round,

ETCH FROM i
comeAS
round, and the grapes
sAaLnYd olives
haveen October
h been
nga has
thered
in,
,there is a general stir in the hamlets on the mountains of
the Abruzzi and the Neapolitan highlands. The fierce heat
is now over, and the poisonous malaria of the plains is
yielding to the fresh autumn breezes. It is time to bring the
flocks to the valleys and low-lying pastures, where they
may roam undisturbed until the month of May drives them
back to the hills. The note of preparation is sounded among
the shepherd families, and after a few days of preparation
all is made ready for the journey. It cannot, however, be
said that they leave their household gods behind them, for
the simple reason that they carry their household along
with them. First in the procession come the sheep, for
whose benefit the entire march has been undertaken, guarded
by dogs, whose names " Fide:e," " Pecorone," and such
like sufficiently indicate their qualities and functions. Then
the men, each after his own charge. The women and chil-
dren, laden with the utensils and little necessary domestic
property, bring up the rear. We may be certain that they
have classed under the latter head of necessary articles,
huge necklaces, each bead of which is as large as a pigeon's
egg, heavy pendants for the cars, and flaming red and green
gowns, to make a brave show on Sundays and festivals. In
this order they leave the streets of the village, and wind
along the mountain roads, now hidden in a chesnut forest,
now emerging from its shady depths,now resting near some
rustic chapel, where the women arrange the wild
e at
flowers
they have gathered on the way. At length th eyanarrdiv in a
the appointed pastures ; the sheep are turned out,
w
short time the whole plain is dotted with theirite fleeces.
some building
The shepherds then put up their
.h hnear each other.
in solitary places, others BOCJnlyt
hey move about in
Thus settled for the swoon,
search of new Past"r
es when the wants of the flocks
iStep necessary. For a circuit of about
resnder such
ro a
road
Rome,
the vast expanse of meadow is in-
hx miles
abitol for six or eight months of the year by this nomadic)
poP
wation,--Once a Week,