The Sun.
London, England, 1847-09-17 00:00:00

Ph tre A. rt
" GREATEST PLAGUE OF LIFE; or the
`„aventures of a Lady in Search of a Good Servant
"it Yl. Edited by the Brothers MayhFw.
This is the concluding number of this entertaining
I"rk, and it would be well that all those who have
dene
tae.
amused by the fun should attend to the moral of
0
It is to be found in the concluding address
Mr. Edward to his lady-wife :-
11;',!, As I was saying, then, Madam, we put ourselves to
0; muds of unnecessary expense to gain the good opinion
do` itlere acquaintances and comparative strangers, who
01U t care a snap of the fingers for us; and in order to do
p is' and "make both ends meet," as we call it, we stint
Alarsalves, and those about us, of a thousand little
uguries which would make home dear and happy,
,pore regardless of either the feelings or the esteem of
po,c.'s who live under the same roof with ourselves, and
mnse affection can add so much to our comfort.'
yiur ," °h. yes, certainly,' I added; I'm perfectly of
opinion,—let the servants do just as they plse,—
'4 a deal of comfort at home we should have then.ea
170er fault, and the fault of many other ladies I
f. 4 name, is, that you have your servants—like your
iora
oiture—for shfrow—though—unlike your furniture—
ju don't think you can spoil them, however much yon
loeut_ila.m. And then you wonder that they don't treat
vo“ with respect, but take every advantage they can of
*it'll. You carry out your contract to the mere dry letter
tlIt„ tAhero, and yet are continually grumbling because
1,1-J uon't carry out theirs to the spirit with you. Only
ulistresses be kind—yet firm with their servants, and
th,,11,e same time speak the whole truth, and nothing but
th; rutn
of mere human nature are such, that servants—
r.ew exceptions—will be willing, obedient, and
loted to them.' "
C
``4STOPHER TADPOLE. By Albert Smith.

this Part XIII.
f number the author is evidently preparing
the his catastrophe, and " coming events" cast before
Ara-"e strong shadows. Christopher sallies forth as
e itinerant lecturer on the "sports and pastimes of
Il people of England," having previously
.ha
,a
toZi°ll% rehearial of his lecture in Mr. Chirpey s
„t • In the course of his journeyings he meets with
•Barnes, and a host of medical students, botanizing,
;I.ended by their professor. Into the good graces of
Is latter gentleman he manages to ingratiate him-
aBelf, and procures from him a letter of introduction
7' our old friend, Dr. Aston. The Doctor is still
-esi(ling in the same village in Cheshire, and in the
e "red-brick, scarlatina-looking house," and
enttl"_r.raunded by the same curiosities, including Mrs.
es, the only alteration he has made in his
tittles,
being the starting an assistant hight,
4r. Mole, to take some of the heavy work off his
"aZds. A railway is in the course of construction in
tha neighbourhood, and the Doctor is called in to
Xtend a "navvy," who has met with a serious acei-
'Lat. That. navvy is Rockey, who dies shortly after
lie Doctor's arrival, and concealed in whose neck-
faand a small diamond buckle, which is
fonded over to the Doctor for safe custody. The
family°Nving eitract will show the situation of the Arden
a d
n' of their " Evil spirit" :
fo" kn one of the southern counties of England—some
pilty
miles away from London—and situated upon a
tfea headland, where the rich pastures of the valley of
air river make their first undulating break, before they
lit,:ge into the short verdure of the downs—whose sum-
whraaY be seen and taken as land-marks from the sea
ere is an old Elizabethan house.
It aotbuilt of grey stone, from a quarry which has.
been worked fur many years, but which may be still -.a. •
in one of the shows upon the estate, it you have
kilt°t.age to penetrate the dense thicket of brambles,
igi and fern that encompass it. It was once a
blue
mansion ; but at the period of our tale it was
1,„,, cared for. The ivy that climbed along its many-
pried front, had, in some places, forced the discoloured
a4l from its frame, and twisted' round the mullions to
til; inside the rooms ; large trees had upheaved the
VIZIIrY of the terrace wall in like manner, throwing it,
al4" force of their roots, in huge blocks upon the turf:
tno fiturdy creepers, reddening in the autumn, had
..rtirtated to the very summits of the clustered chimneys
°r° some few of which the smoke curled as of yore
sad
,„ grown over their tops.
that J'here had once been herds of deer in the fine park
itottit surrounded the house ; but they had been sold, or
Iveren, or had strayed away ; for the palings around
iebe,broken down, and their absence had been poorly
tor-Teuied, here and there by hurdles, and old gates in-
tree with furze. And one or two stately chestnut
hes marked the course of a noble avenue that had once
fitai,uP to the principal door of the house, the smooth
forms of the others still forming weather-beaten plat-
tact 3 amongst the grass. There were large gardens too,
vtieed with high walls, but nothing was cared for
1te,..1111_ They were perfect wildernesses ; and the walks
tables'anked up—below with grass and self sown vege-
-1110,,,, and above by the lung sprangs of the vines
.and
of t-,`B °F the standard fruit trees, which no hand trained
huuidnited into order. And the pleasaunce behind the
" tiee-e was equally uncared for. Suckers from the large
the surrounding it, grew up all about the lawn ; and
Dat, hoP and wild convolvulus, having once got an occu-
eY, overran the entire enclosure, and strangled all
atectlther flowers that tried to lift their heads above the
8.
t~inThis old house was not less desolate within. Every-
pan falling to decay from want of care and occu-
-016,-Y• The wind roared and howled down the huge
(10;4Y; and wailed strangely through the ill fitting
even when all was tranquil without. The rude
kintirlag, patched and repaired with half-a-dozen different
fotf3,(4 Wood, creaked and groaned beneath the lightest
43, 4'l; and old unexplained noises sounded from the
and wainscot constantly, There were, besides, closets
appe°,llPboards in every available corner, some of winch
able rQd, from their obscurity, to be perfectly untathom-
pr,„? and others resounded hollowly, when knocked,
illtdlng that there were still recesses beyond them which
1p oricrer been opened. There were long ghastly lofts,
Mortarlti°ni immediately under the patched and heavily
Rl44ed roofing, dimly lighted through the dull greer!-
teeti,°"ements at either end ; and staircases in all di-
toorn-138' Communicating with so many different damp
andl:B4A leading to so many different mouldy passages
thoat;lidings, that but for the dread of meeting the real
Prank; tilaY sham apparition might have played whatever
not" pleased, and got away as easily after them, as
boards,3,l,-10 had possessed the power of pervading oak
7, glibly as his spiritual prototypes.
retard ! apartment only of this house was fitted up with
Ivith a r female occupationthat was a parlour
level ,uaY Window, which commanded a fine sweep o
foliar,-"diatid, dotted with villages and clumps of
rose.e. amidst which, here and there, a church spire
R
on. ; an midst
by a chain of blue hills on the hori-
fituuro,,- T's room, one afternoon towards the close of
cl, a"b' o t therefor twyere two persons. One of them was a
years of a ein reality, although she
tthheouge;oelrdaeir, for herfiaturesgwere worn and lined, and
Gxpression of her face indicated anxious
I)l4cint• She was
sitting at a table, on which was
of a b°X ; and from this had been taken the quantity
window papers by which it was surrounded. At the
middle coated soated her companion—a man under the
which
stature, who had a small table before him on
torn`fnyvas some wine, and on a chair at his side were
ktr filberts (which he was cracking with his mouth) ;
Prerine more papers. The lady was the w idow of Sir
Prick Arden, and her present associate was Mr.
aCige.7,
p
111V/7,-,, -

1- -- . FAIR. By TV. M. Thackeray. 11'o. IX.
tA4.I this part we have a graphic description of the
fo•-vti -
hK, forth of the various regiments from Brussels
thr Waterloo, and of the thoughts and feelings of
clae who were left behind. Rebecca, of course, was
e'lloul t*
~t. amg the amount of ready cash of which' she
°l become possessed should Rawdon fall, and the
ances there were of improving her position by a
more eligible match should such an event take place.
Among others the figure of Jos Sedley presented
,qBelf to her imagination, and she called at Amelia's
'24eigings to revive the acquaintance, and at the same
time to- secure a seat in his barouche, in the event of
the approach of the French rendering flight necessary.
While there of course she could not do less than go
44d comfort Amelia.
" Rebecca's appearance struck Amelia with terror,
-4,1 to d her shrink back. It recalled her to the world
dad the remembrance of yesterday. In the overpower-
iqyears about to-morrow she had forgotten Rebecca,—
aed°?BY—everything w
exceptth thatis
dauntlessh e
or
worldling
lwi
nags
camegone
was in danger. Until .
long had
Iflt.ttlod broke the spell, and lifted the latch, we too have
that Poo to enter into that sad ch,an:hbaert
less pri„°°l' girl been on her knees. .holluroswofspeech-
The'w-aYer. and bitter prostrationhadshsetopraiesssedofthfiegrhet:
and t %al' chroniclers who write brilliant
These are too
zneaariumPh scarcely tell us of these.
crie Parts of the pageant; and you dofnt'thheesahrowuitdsoawesd'
itilysa°r mothers' sobs in the midst o
11(411,170n in the great chorus of victory. Aonudt y:etwhenhro46-"e time, that such have not cried
heart-
the
‘Aiftehr
Lreittph!
litmheble Protestants, unheard in the uproar of
mind
first movement of terror in Ameliha'sr
ruswtill;Qa Rebecca's green eves lighted upon letter in her fresh silks and brilliant ornaments, the
Ikeiir
nr,tripped up with extended arms to embrace
btfo-6 Of anger succeeded, and from being deadly pale
lithr, her face flushed up red, and she returned
ner,ee,ea'S look after a moment with a steadiness which
.r,ll,sed and somewhat abashed her rival.
%aid, 4-'arest Amelia, you are very unwell,' the
.'visitor
i, it? Putting forth her hand to take Amelia's. What
" AmeliaI could not rest until I knew how you were. .
ter, drew back her hand—never since her life
4411 I' that gentle soul refused to believe or to
menu;
ish, ethM y
demonstration of good-will or affection.
are dry back her hand and trembled all over. ' Why
soi,,Ni here, Rebecca?' she said, still looking at her
her illvie3liY,,,with her large eyes. These glances troubled
the,e
ball,' must have seen him give me the letter at the
Arn,l.,bEcca thought. ' Don't be agitated, dear
I ilas she said, looking down. ' I came but to see if
„Ind---if you were well.'
vlii.iv.
are .' Are
You well?' said Amelia. ' I daresayyoue
her, •;011 don't love your husband. You would not b
ae 4n3g.obiludtikdind%
?Te, Rebecca, did I ever do you
de: 'l'dced, Amelia, no ' the other said, still hanging
4 ber he d "
~.,... a .
trietawhen You were quite poor, who was it that be-
-411 in ed Y°11? Was I not a diver to you? You
,sa allw nis
all thenPPier days before lie married me. I was n
Ilia to him; or would he have given up his fortune,,
tlid pmilou Y, as he nobly did' to make me happy? WU
- -‘
41" b%Yreell n2Y FM and me? Who gent You