The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-04 00:00:00

kerchief to your streaming forehead as you go, and the
hilarity of the journey kept up by the fun created by
some of the travellers attempting to take a short cut
through the wheat fields, from which all are prevented
by a stout, determined looking fellow, who shouts
out that all trespassers will be prosecuted with the
utmost rigour of the law. The threat is effectual,
and the person who was venturous enough to at-
tempt to reach the goal by any but the long dusty
never-ending lane, returns to the beaten tract amidst
the laughter of the crowd. Thus it is no use for a
companion to point out to you the delicious fields
of young wheat which bounds the stony path, and
you quietly leave the ground to patient toil-endur-
ing donkey, who has taken advantage of the day
when nobody has time to interfere with his inclina-
tions, and has munched up the tender cereal until
his sides are blown out like a balloon. Hot,
parched, covered with dust of a delicate
brown colour, you toil on, and the conclusion yen
arrive at is that the distance from Epsom to the
Downs is considerably longer than the distance
from Pimlico to Epsom.
A sudden joy, however, is experienced when you
discover you have surmounted the last hill. How
you take off your hat for relief, having again ap-
plied your handkerchief to your forehead, contem-
plate for a moment what you have eccomplished,
and loudly demonstrate your gratification that
another such two miles have not to be done for
some time at least.

If you have any doubts as to what the Isthmian
games really are you have them soon cleared up at
once, and find them to be played principally with
three sticks, which mystic number is politely offered
to you the moment you arrive on the magic ground.
The proffered sport you politely decline, your pil-
grimage is to the racecourse; and thus you dive
into the narrow passage at the side of the Grand
Stand, through which the whole of the hundreds
of thousands of people must pass if they wish to
see the long-looked for locality, and it is in this
narrow thoroughfare that everyone first feels the
influence of the place. No matter what you may
have been before the moment you plunge in here
and receive your first breath, you become a
sporting man at once. You are asked what odds
you will give against Buckstone, the Marquis,
Zotland, &c. There your opinion of the respec-
tive merits of the beautiful smooth and shining
quadrupeds that are to act so tonspicuous a part in
the day's performance is asked, but before you have
time to answer either of the questions, another
eager gentleman asks the latest news about the
betting, all of which queries are put to you on the
understanding that you are well-versed in the art,
of bet-making ; and who on the Derby day has the
courage to decline being thoughtone of the "know-
ing ones ?"

What a delightful sensation occurs to you, hav-
ing, of course, luckily foiled the last pickpocket,
when you plant yourself on the smooth grass in
front of the Grand Stand, and look calmly at Merry
England enjoying itself in its own style. But where
in the name of wonder is the race-course. The
Place where it need to be is now one vast black
and surging sea. What a Babel of discordant sounds.
The shrill voices of the female venders of " kre,okt
card," the crack of the long and crooked Enfields
used by adventurous sportsmen shooting for nuts,
the ringing of bells, for which you can assign no
reason, greet you at
_every turn. Every one is
pushing, and elbowing his way about in order to
discover some one who has promised to meet him on
the Downs. Then again what a sight meets the eye
as you look across to the world renowned bill.
Everybody in that indescribable assemblage seems
busily engaged in a picnic amongst a bevy of sun
shades of every variety of colour, the pinks, blues,
and whites standing out in bold relief, add to this
the long lines of booths, the rows of vehicles, and
altogether it makes up a scene the equal of which
cannot be seen in any other nation in the world.
Previous to the commencement of the sports of the
day the indefatigable Mr. Dorling is seen riding
up and down the course, then comes the order to
clear the battle ground, and then it is peculiar
to witness the immense quantity of pushing and
driving about the proud and defiant Englishmen
take with the most perfect good humour.
They are swept up and down most mercilessly by
the " Blue" Brigade, and in a very short space of
time a broad green circle sweeps majestically round
where just before all had been huma❑ faces, bats,
bonnets and parasols.

The preliminary canter of the horses previous to
the start for the Derby is a feature for which all
prepare themselves by commencing au intense
study of the "correct card," the said card being
next to an Ojibbaway manuscript, or a page of
Bradshaw's Railway " Guide," probably the most
difficult document in the world to understand.
A rapid tramp of horses is heard, you see
the gay colours of the jockeys, pink, green, orange,
blue, yellow, you endeavour to discover the names
of the respective competitors by a reference to the
said card, but before you have arrived at a settled
conclusion, hey presto ! both horses and riders
have disappeared, and you crumple up your card
and thrust it with disgust into your pocket.
Your neighbour, perhaps, has been more fortu-
nate, he has discovered the Marquis, and is willing
to lay almost a guinea to a gooseberry that he will
prove the winner; while another equally confident
exclaims " The world to nothing on Buckstone."

A CLERGYMAN ON BILLIARDS.

"New York, April 26th, 1862.

" My dear Mr. Bonner,—l'm in trouble, and as so
many of your readers appeal to you in their tribu-
lation, I can think of nothing better. The facts of
the case are these : I happen to be an Episcopalian
yet an ardent admirer of Henry Ward Beecher,
whose paper I receive every week, and enjoy a feast
in his sermons, editorials, &e. Now I am often
called upon in our family circle to defend the say-
ings and doings of this great man, and it is needless
to say, come off victor. But at last lam cornered.
The report that H.W.B. was present at the billiard
tournament has created quite an exitement among
us. I have taken the position that he was not
there, and that it was a mistake or slanderous report '
of the Observer and other papers. Of course I have
nothing to offer but my own opinion, expecting a
contradiction in this week's paper to sustain me,
but have looked in vain among the 'Ears and
Eyes,' and all through the Independent. And now
I'm in as bad a position as Beauregard, and shall
point,ceme
be obliged to fall back, unless you will reinforce
with your opinion on the subject. One point which
I have taken is, that if Henry Ward Beecher was at
the billiard tournament, it was for some good
pur-
pose, but I can't for the life of me sustain th
so do help me, and oblige your contstaentbersetadaen reader,
CHURCH WOMAN." As our readers are aware,A
we always endeavour to publish the
that we can give or procure to the vbatireionoutnsiqrteucteeositvimoinnrgs.
to which we reply in this departme
the above letter, we immediatelyth
Beecher himself.
riHtteenrebthutrhneedfly
-leaf of our corre-
sopffo-hndanendtr'sepnlyot'e. It was not
for publi-
cation, brief,li
ourf fr
readers,
bo
tfa:nl eAd
pCehrumricsh-
ac ati o
largen , bnuutmbnumber
merelyo
Woman." Thinking, however, that it would interest
sion to publish it :
to see Morph My dear Bonner—Had I gone
y play a game of chess, would people
have raised a hue and cry about it ? Well, I went
to see the great
same way. There billiard champions play in just the
was a mixed motive. I was as
ignorant as a man could be, and supposing the place
that was good enough for respectable ladies and
gentlemen to be good enough for me, I went there
as would to any other exhibition. It was not
at I
a gambling nor at a billiard saloon, but at a
public hall (Irving), used for all respectable
assemblies, and at which the religious anni-
versaries of May are advertised to be held. I
wished also to see what company assembled at such
exhibitions, and what sort of men these great bil-
liard players were. Ido not apologise or excuse—
I do not even defend it. I take my right for
granted. I exercised it openly and above board.
It is for 'other people to make remarks upon my
Christian liberty as seems best to them. As to bil-
liard saloons, I think them bad for young men, not
on account of billiards, but of liquor, and of men
whose business it is to seduce the young. But the
game of billiards is fine, and not to be condemned.
It is only proper that I should add, that I never saw
a church or public meeting more well and
entirely gentlemanly than that at Irving-hall. If
there was any betting there it was secret. There
was no appearance of it. I was pleased with my
visit. Nor do I see any reason yet to regret it.
' Truly yours, H. W. B."—Neto York Ledger.

A VERY EASY ONE TO GIIESS.—Why are the
Germans like quinine and gentian? Because they are
Two-tonios.—.P'wnoh•