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

LITERATURE.

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 :
LONGSHANNS.
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 foot.
I take my name from mylegs, which are so long, that, when our
family came over to England, the surname of Longshanks
was given them, in consequence of the lengthiness, and, at
same time, thinness of those limbs. My two legs are not
the samelength, which would generally be considered dis-
advantageous to a j erson'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 BAND OF BROTHERS.
After this preface, you will be surprised t 3 hear that we
cannot speak, and that though alive we never eat nor sleep,
and 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 that we
never get any fatter, and this I suppose may be owing
to our never eating anything—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 truth. Another curious thing about us is, that though
we an 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
oat.
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.

Tfilson'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
beginner 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.