The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-15 00:00:00

•
their ability to indulge in other things be expedited ;
but they must clamour for unwholesome puddings and
vegetables, and even (to them) poisonous pastry. Of
some of these t tIVO former a selection can always be made,
but one of the g-reatest annoyances which medical men
meet with, is th e cuckoo cry from the friends, (?) not the
patient, of at may we give him to eat, doctor not
knowing, and therefore not considering, that where
hundreds have died from starvation, millions have
perished from stuffing."

However, we might so go on quoting down to the
end of the chapter, until the extracts accumulated
into a veritable infringement of the law of copy-
right. Wherefore, let us close the volume without
further parley, thanking Sir James Eyre for his
sage advice and his agreeable anecdotes—obdurately
reserving our opinion in regard to the efficacy of
the oxide of silver as a remedy for the dyspeptic,
but ready at once to accord to the book and its
author the guerdon of our sincere and unaffected
commendation.

Day and Night Songs. By William Allingham,

Routledge and Co.

From his first appearance, we have all along
thought that Mr. Ailingham stands in the foremost
rank among our young poets—with Mr. Patmore
and Mr. Meredith, with the author of the "Life
Drama," and the author of " The Roman," and the
author of " Babe Christabel." His earlier volume,
notwithstanding its many beauties and its varied
merit, appears to have been recalled from publica-
tion by the writer himself—either as being un-
worthy, or as being, let us suppose, unsuccessful.
However this may be, the book has been re-
called, and is no longer purchasable. A selec-
tion of the best of the minor poems con-
tained in it, together with several which have ap-
peared since then (1850) in _Household Words
and Fraser's Mag
azine—numbering thirty-.two al-
together—are here given to the world again in a
shilling volumette, issued from the press by the
firm of which the enterprising head is Mr. George
Routledge. Several of these fugitive pieces are
eminently fantastic, and some of them too emi-
nently beautiful. Among the former, that is to
saY among the eminently fantastic, we would class
" The Aolian Harp " and " The Lover and
the Birds." Whilo among the latter, that is
among the eminently beautiful, we would grant a
conspicuous place to " The Wayside Well" and
" The Venus of the Needle." The last mentioned
might have been written by Leigh Hunt. We give
the charming little poem entire as a favourable
specimen of the more quaintly graceful mood of
the muse of Mr. Allingl:am.

VENUS OF THE NEEDLE.
" 0 Maryanne, you pretkv girl,
Intent on silken labour,
Of sempstresses the pink And pearl,
Excuse a peeping neighbour !
" Those eyes, for ever droopirog. give
The long brown lashes rarely ;
But violets in the shadows live,—
For once unveil them fairly.
" Hast thou not lent that ilounae enough
Of looks so long and earnest ?
Lo, here's more ' penetrable stye
To which thou never turnest.
" Ye graceful fingers, deftly sped !
How slender, and how nimble !
O might I wind their skeins of thread,
Or but pick up their thimble I
" How blest the youth whom love should bring,
And happy stars embolden,
To change the dome into a ring,
The silver into golden !
" Who'll steal some morning to her aide
To take her finger's measure.
While Maryanne pretends to chide,
And blushes deep with pleasure.
" Who'll watch her sew her wedding-gown,
Well conscious that it is hers ;
Who'll glean a tress, without a frown,
With those so ready scissors.
" Who'll taste those ripenings of the south,
The fragrant and delicious—
Don't put the pins into your mouth,
0 Maryanne, my precious !
" I almost wish it were my trust
To teach how shocking that is ;
I wish I had not, as 1 must,
To quit this tempting lattice.
" Sure aim takes Cupid, fluttering foe,
Across a street so narrow ;
A thread of silk to string his bow,
A needle for his arrow !"
There is something odd and graceful, too, in that
genuine nursery song about the " Fairies," be.
ginning :