The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-01 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

RECOLLECTIONS OF

AN OLD SOL-

DIER : a Biographical Sketch of the late Colonel
Tidy. By Mrs. Ward, Authoress of "live
Years in Kafirland.";
Mrs. Ward, the daughter of Colonel Tidy, has
given us a delightful little volume of reminiscences of
her father's military career. The affectionate and al-
most reverential filial spirit by which it is pervaded in
no wise diminishes the attractions of the little work.
Colonel Tidy was a soldier heart and soul ; his frank,
dashing, and almost reckless character rendered him
the darling of his men, and render bim a most in-
teresting hero for a book of adventures. His history
from the time he left home in early youth, on a jour-
ney to far-distant London to obtain a "commis-
sion" from some powerful friend, and taking up
a paper at the first inn at which the coach stopped,
learned that his promised patron had expired, is full
of vicissitude and full of interest. His eventful life
was passed in the West Indies, in the turmoil of the
Peninsula, at Waterloo, in India again, and lastly in
America. Many letters from the late Duke of Kent
to Colonel Tidy are in this volume. The occasional
tone of tender melancholy with which Mrs. Ward
speaks of her lost and dearly beloved father is en-
livened by an abundance of most amusing incidents.

Here is One by way of example :
" It was during the Peninsular war that he became
acquainted with the late Earl of Munster, then a mere
boy. As ' young Fitz:Aarence,' unlike Mr. Beamish's
hat in the story, was not ' nld enough to take care of
himself,' he was especially recommended to my father's
charge. At one time these two, with the late General
Duncan Darroch, got somehow in advance of the main
army, their only attendant being their cook, who was
mounted on a mule which carried their provisions, cook-
ing utensils, &c. They lost their way, and what was
worse, the cook went over to the enemy, bag and bag-
gage—at least so they supposed, for he disappeared,
mule and all. They next missed young Fitzclarence,
and searched in vain for him three or four days. At last,
when they bad nearly given up the search is despair,
they met him. The gallant youth was well nigh worn
out with fatigue and anxiety, and shivering with cold
and wet. Still it seemed he had not forgotten to take
care of himself, for a leg of a calf (which he had shot)
hung at his saddle bow. He had cut it up with his
good sword, and now carried his larder for a future day
before him.

" The meeting, under such circumstances, was parti-
cularly pleasant, for my father and Major Darroch had
been on very short commons for some days. So they
made the tired youth a bed of leaves in a stable, cooked
their meat, and the Portuguese General, Silveira, hear-
ing of their vicinity, sent them some capital wine. They
were very merry, and when their meal was over, I should
think Mr. Fitsclarence enjoyed his stable bed more than
Lord Munster ever did his couch of down.

" Some years after my father met Lord Munster in
London. •My dear friend,' said he, ' I wish you would
come and dine with me. Do, and we will have a fillet of
veal, by way of keeping up old remembrances."
Speaking of carving with a sword, Mrs. Ward ob-
serves—
" Rather an ignominious use for such a weapon; but
on a march I have seen the sword sadly desecrated.
Start not, ye men of chivalry! I have seen an officer's
wife use her husband's sword as a toasting fork. For
these occasions, there is a common saying in the army, ,
The staff of life at the point of death., '
Here is another more startling incident :
" One of the 14th was singularly lucky in what ap-
peared a chance mode of saving his life in one of the
actions in which the regiment was engaged. The drum
beating to arms before he had finished his dinner, he
thrust a piece of bacon, too precious a morsel in such
precarious times to be wasted, into the breast-pocket of
his coat. After the battle was over, he discovered a
bullet in the bacon; and ever afterwards, when thank-
fully recounting the tale of his miraculous escape, he
used to say that he was doubly fortunate, for that he had
' not only saved his bacon, but that his bacon had saved
him.' "

With reminiscences of this kind the little work
abounds. It will afford amusement to all who read

it, and perpetuate for a considerable period the me-
mory of Colonel Tidy's gallantry and his daughter's
filial love.

BOOKS ON EMIGRATION.

At the ;;;;;iii moment when so many thousands
are, like Pisistratus Caxton, anxious to seek in the
New World that fortune which seems denied them in
the old, books of alvice and information on the sub-
ject of emigration cannot fail to be welcome. Fore-
most among these are the works of Mr. Sidney, who
is almost as great a favourite with emigrants as the
country which bears his name. We have before us
now a group of little brochures of a similar character
to Sidney's Handbooks; these are Mr. Byrne's
" Emigrant's Guide to the Cape of Good Hope,"
ditto to " Australia Felix," to " South Austra-
lia," and to " New South Wales," each (with a map
of the region to which it relates) price sixpence, or
the three guides to the several divisions
of Australia in one book, without map,
for a shilling. The author, who has had, he tells us,
extensive practical experience in the colonies, has pre-
pared these little works chiefly for the use of those of
the labouring classes who intend to emigrate. Of a
similar character is Mr. Blackiston \V ilkinson's
" 'Working- Man's Handbook to South Australia."
We shall not attempt to decide which of these works
is the best—nor is it necessary, for every one wishing
to emigrate had better read them all. He may gather
some hints from one and some from another, without
entirely obeying all the directions of either.

POEMS. By T. J. Ozeseley.
Mr. Ouseley's
,poems have many of them appeared
from time to time in the magazines, and one of the
longest of them, " A Vision of Death's Destruction,"
has already been published in a separate form, and
has passed through three editions. These poems are
now collected in one volume of small sine and elegant
appearance. Mr. Ouseley's versification is very
graceful and unaffected, and in turning over his pages
here and there we light upon some beautiful thoughts.
" The Spartan Mother's Address," with the spirited
refrain to each verse.:—
" This was thy father's shield.
Die, boy! but dare not yield"—

is full of animation and energy. But there are a few
pages of prose in this volume, which we like better
than the poems—" Prose Epitaphs on the Poets."
Some of these are singularly happy, as a few exam-
ples will testify :
" SHELLEY.—His spirit burst forth like a mighty tor-
rent of waters from the green, and placid, bosom of the
earth, end dashtd itself with sublime energy o'er the
universal compass of material and immaterial life: his
conceptions flashed vivid as the lightning, beautiful, yet
destructive. He was the shadow of an out shut Angel upon
the portals of Paradise."
",SCOTT.—History enchained his spirit to her ancient
lore; while fiction guided his pen, and emblazoned the
past with the beauties of the present, weaving delicious
dreams with stern realities."
" BYRON.—The splendid ruin of a once glorious su-
perstructure, raised by the hand of genius, and wrecked
by the immensity of its own power. The eag!e's wing,
without the eagle's eye ; he soared beyond the world, but
could not gaze upon the sun of truth."
" GOLDSMlTH.—Perfection nursed his mind, and gave
it the strength of truth and beauty, which breathed in
strains of eloquence throughout his works. He played
upon the finer feelings of the heart, and touched the
strings of sensibility with the hand of a master; creating
a concord of sweet sounds from the lips of Love, and
Devotion." _

" CoLLnis.—The lofty diction of Elegance gave a sub•
limity to his works. Ile stood, a mighty Conqueror, at
whose word the Passions became captive."

" BLAIR.-With the precepts of religion, he lifted the
shroud from Corruption, and astounded Vanity. The
churchyard was his study, the grave his book of life, the
worm his monitor; with these he preached admonition
to pride, and comfort to humility.'"

GUY'S GEOGRAPHY FOR CHILDREN.
The geography of Guy is about as celebrated as are
the catechisms of Pinnock. This little brochure by
the son (we believe) of the celebrated Guy, himself
the author of many educational works, is intended as
a child's book of geography, preparatory to that more
elaborate work popularly known as " Guy's Geo-
graphy." It is illustrated by numerous maps, and
even for "children of larger growth" not well versed
in geographical knov‘ledge, it may serve as a valuable
epitome of information.

FRIGHTFUL DEATH OF A BURGLAR.—Last even-
ing Bedford held an inquest at Charing-cross
onHos-
Hos-
pital,n
the body of. James Robertson, aged eighteen,
his death la the following frightful manner:—
whoTh metomas Robertson, of 4, Theobald's-road, Red Lion-
square, pianoforte-maker, said that the deceased was his
brother, and was a porter, but he had lost sight of him
since Easter twelvemonth. Mr. George Jenkins, school-
master, of 4, Nassau-street, Newport-street, said that
that morning, about twenty minutes before two o'clock,
ho was awoke by hearing a strange noise proceeding'
from the passage of the drawing-room, and whilst listen-
ing witness saw the light of a candle shining under the
door. At first witness thought the place was on fire,
when he and hia wife jumped out of bed, and shouted
" Fire." They ran into the front room, when they saw
a man get out of the window, and on looking out they saw ,
the deceased on the top of the iron railings below,raffisocmd
which he succeeded in
,getting off. Witness
next
made an a cry of " Stop thief,' when the deceased
at-
tempt to walk away, but a policeman
came to the top of 1
the street, and having apprehended him,
above hospital.
00dWenitnsepsosuitm, sginidned that he must have
entered by the same
window as he went out. Police-
constable
F division, proved finding the deceasedMagin, of the
lying
locekn thathis
back in Hayes•court, at a quarter
to two oquite insensible at the
morning (Thursday).
time. Mr. John Steggaille, was
-surgeon, said that he
saw the deceased when he whalpfivasde:el i.s protruded from an Lteel. He had an
nin-
jury to his left hip, and
his
b died shortly after his ad-
injury to the abdomen.
eexamination, since made,
mission. A post tnorteniit
entered to the distance of seven
showed that a spike heed
were other injuries about the
or eight inches. l'
tett_ohueL that the injuries were the cause
body. He bad n?
" That the deceased died from in•
of death. e
Vrdine making his escape from the window of
Verdict--
juries received
~
~.58au.axeet.7,
the house. No. ' 4"