The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-22 00:00:00

7HE SHOES of FORTUNE, and Other Tales. By

Hans Christian Andersen.

This little volume contains translations of many of
Christian Andersen's children's tales, and a de-
lightful little book it is. There are very few authors so
well qualified to write for the amusement of the young
as is Christian Andersen; it is not necessary for him to
assume a new style, or to write in a different language,
when addressing juvenile readers, for his habitual strain
of thought and form of expression are always simple and
-natural, and, in the true sense of the word, ohidish.
So much is this characteristic apparent in this little vo-
lume, that so far from writing down to suit the capacity
of his little readers, he appears rather, in most instances,
to be only expressing his own thoughts and feelings. So
great is the simplicity of this little book, so extravagant
are the fancies of its author, that, we doubt not, many
of the precocious juveniles of " the rising generation"
will look down upon both book and author as too
childish and too ridiculous to afford them any amuse-
ment. On the other hand, all, of whatever age, who
can appreciate the natural, and, remembering the fan-
cies of their own youthful days, can sympathize ,with
the childish, will experience pleasure in looking over
these miniature tales. Andersen gazes abroad on the
great field of nature with the imagination of a child, and
the appreciation of a poet. With the imagination of a
child, however strange the expression may appear, with
the imaginative fancy, which invests every object with
life, and thoughts, and feelings, and with the power of
speech. To him there are literally,
" Tongues in trees, books in the running brook,
" Sermons in stones, and good in every thing."
Yes, " good in every thing," for most of these simple
tales, besides evoking smiles during their perusal, are
calculated to inspire some moral reflection at their close.
The first story, the " Shoes of Fortune," which
gives its title to the book, is founded upon a
not very uncommon contrivance in fairy tales, the
transporting or transforming of some favoured in-
dividual into the place or person he might happen
to desire. By putting on the "shoes of for-
tune," the poor man takes the place of the rich, the
poet is metamorphosed into the bird carolling above his
head ; the would-be traveller longing to behold the
beauties of southron lands, finds himself suddenly in
course disagreeable
in el?
thesequartersand
ins w
the
the wonderFul shoes, the favoured object of fortune finds
other el
l p a
changes ge diligence,
occasioned
by
no reason to approve of his change of state, and learns,
fiot
rims
atotioblei ho ()cep:dr
e, at
ol e sosnoen
cof o
ucnonni
lt
le(n)rt.K
nTehpe,
wfihr
ts)t
atlrwannys e-
admiring the days of King Hans, some four hundred
years ago, finds himself, on putting on the fairy shoes,
transported to that ancient epoch, on which his admira-
tion gives place to very different sentiments, as we sus-
pect would, under similar circpmstances, be the ease with
those who talk so much of " the good old times." It is
unnecessary to particularise the various tales ; to those
who can admire or appreciate one, the whole will be
most attractive, and the little volume a delightful re-
creation. It were difficult to find a more amusing hook
for those children in years who are not too wise or too
learned to be really children in feelings.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
HUNTING APPOINTMENTS.
Mr. Theobald's staghds., Wed., Newton (Suffolk); Sat.,
Quv, at 11.
Lord Elcho's hds., Tues., Budle ; Wed., Lilburn ; Fri.,
Twizel House ; Sat., Belford.
Mr. Horndon's hds., Thurs., Chapman's Walls-10%.
Mr. Roe's lids., Wed., Bigbury Court ; Sat., Crey Combo.
Tiverton hds., Wed., Winsford Village; Sat., Dulverton
—lO%.
Devon hds., Thurs., Bradley-11.
York and Ainsty lids., Tues., Dringhouses ; Thurs., Seri-
van ; Sat., Skelton-10'4.
Sinnington hds., Tues., Dalby ; Fri., Gillamoo-10.
Hurworth lids., Tues., Nerthallerton ; Sat., Hilton-10%.
Bedale hds., Wed., Hutton Conyers; Fri., Catterick Bridge
10%.
—Sir C. Constable's stghds, Wed., Hedon-11%.
Cleveland lids., Thurs., Guisborough Park.
Mr. Drake's hds., Tues., Marston St. Lawrence; Thurs.,
Edgcott Village; Sat., Fenny Compton Wharf-10%.
Mr. Watson's hds., Wed., Warkworth ; Fri., Longhirst
—lO%
Mr. Hildyard's hrrs., Tues., Swainby Bridge; Fri., Hil-
ton-10%.
Mr. Fane's hrrs., Wed., Little Haseley ; Sat., Watlington.
Warwickshire hds., Tues.. Whichford Village; Thurs.,
Lower Shuckburgh Village; Fri., Church Tysoe ; Sat.,
Sherington.
V. W. H., Tues., Hournington Hall; Thurs., Lechlade ;
Sat., Charlton Gate.
Berkshire hds., Wad., Tar Wood ; Fri., Step Farm.
Lord Parker's lids., Tues., Nuneham Park; Fri., Cane End.

LORD HARDINGE ON RAILWAYS
IN INDIA.

On Monday was printed, by order of the House of
Commons, a copy of railway reports from India. There
are seven papers in the document, the last of which is
an important communication from the Governor-Gene-
ral, Lord Hardinge, dated the 28th July last, wherein
his excellency states his opinion on the proposed Indian
railways, and also his confidence that the speculation will
entirely fail, unless it be largely and liberally encouraged
by the East India Company. The following observations
of Lord Hardinge show the importance of the proposed
undertaking:—"The limitation of the Company's liber-
ality may b safely calculated by the positive and palpa-
ble advantages which a railway from Calcutta to
Delhi would confer, and it need only he guaranteed
to be forthcoming when an efficient and daily com-
munication by railway shall have been actually com-
pleted between the two extremities, and measures have
been taken to ensure that it shall be permanently
kept up. The calculation of the contribution to be given
would be based on the political, military, and commer
cial advantages which would be derived from the com-
pletion and full operation of such a line. In a political
point of view, the daily delivery of the mails from Delhi
to Calcutta in sixty hours, instead of eight days—the
electric telegraphic communicating important orders in
a few minutes from one extremity to the other—would
give the Government great additional powers, approach-
ing almost to übiquity, as compared with the system of
thik runners and ddik travelling. Such a facility would
decide the question of the Governor-General and the
members of Government moving up to the frontier; or,
if it were necessary, to move rapidly up, the return
would be equally speedy. The rigour, the confidence,
and the economy with which the Government would be
carried on would be greatly increased. In a military
point of view, I should estimate the value of moving
troops and stores with great rapidity, would be equal to
the services of four regiments of infantry. This reduc-
tion of military establishments would be a saving of
50,0001. a year on the lowest scale. When the Lanca-
shire Yeomanry were moved to Birmingham, they com-
pleted 120 miles in three hours, rode their horses quite
fresh to the scene of the disturbance, having accom-
plished a distance of 130 miles in five hours, and being
again at their houses on the following day. In this
country, where no man can tell one week what the next
may produce, the facility of a rapid concentration of in-
fantry and artillery, and stores, may be the cheap pre-
vention of an insurrection, the speedy termination of a
war, or the safety of the empire. I need not enter into
the commercial and agricultural advantages which would
repay the Exchequer for a large portion of the outlay
contributed by the State. All these points are so well
known and so generally admitted, that I will merely
conclude by stating my opinion, that on military consi-
derations alone the grant of one million sterling, or an
annual contribution of five lace of rupees, may be contri-
buted to the great line, when completed, from Calcutta
to Delhi, and a pecuniary saving be effected by a dimi-
nution of military establishments, arising out of the faci-
lity with which the troops would be moved from one
point to another."

FALL OE TWO HOUSaEfser
ilnsr
Tent-street, Southwark,
SEoE}u,Tot
.four o'clock, an accident of
a most alarming nature occurredt
Thursdayby wilicl seven morning,
per
persons
shortlyn
nearly lost
time past the house numbered 210 in the street, formerly
enthaillereedin.
used as a chapel, had been considered unsafe,somevaOr kll ,
notwithstand-
ing,
fell
eoftmyorning in
miltah, and her two
wall,v'lnd
mean with a crash
daughters, which,
oaant i
ne lodeedr I yt
to
lady,d
owing
togetherto a
wviolent h
egale r
party
yf stack of
resembling a peal of thunder. The heavy
the top of that house, and on the one adjoining, known upon
gchuiemstnioenis,
the Temperance Union Coffee-house, both roofs-;•erneovfa as
in, and also the floorings, so that the interior of both housesorced
became filled with bricks and rubbish: At that timeAlrs
Smith and her two daughters were in one building, and Mr.'
Smith, the landlord of the coffee-house, with his wife an
two sons, were in the other. For some time it was feared
that all the' parties had perished, but the joists and flooring
having settled upon the top of Mr. Smith's bedstead, they
formed a kind of arch, which protected the inmates, and they
thereby escaped. Mrs. Smith and her daughters also, by
some extraordinary means escaped destruction; ono of the
parties only received any personal injury, and that merely by
cut on the head. The upper room of the coffee-house was
decorated with tents and canopies for the use of the society
termed " The Sons of the Plicenix.'"f he whole of the para-
phernalia has been destroyed, and Mr. Smith has lost furni-
ture valued at upwards of 1001.
DUNDEE TRADE, FED. 16.—We have no particular
change in the state of our market to notice. It is under-
stood, that the sales of flax during the past week have been
of considerable extent, and at full prices. Tows and codillas
are in demand, and have been sold at an advance on the
prices previously previously paid. In the value of jute there is no alte-
a • . Linens continue in fair demand as well as yarns,
although some particular
kinds aro rather neglected. No
arrivals from foreign since our last.— Coup l 1 •
er.

CABINET DINNER.—The Earl of Clarendon has
issued invitations to his several colleagues for a Cabinet dinner
on Wednesday, the ad proximo.