The Sun.
London, England, 1870-11-18 00:00:00

victims to Prussian science. This is one example. Any-
thing approaching to a levee en masse must be difficult
under any circumstances. It is difficult almost beyond
conception in France, where the peasantry are convinced
that any resistance after the capture of the regular
army must end in mere slaughter. Some of our own dear
officials in such a situation might make neat proclama-
tions, but would they make an army ?
In the windows of the photograph sellers the Marquis
of Lorne of course competes for popularity with the ever-
green leggy actress es and dancers. The demand for the
carte of this pleasant, but certainly not remarkable looking
young man, is enormous. One London house has given an
order for 60,000 copies. It is very questionable whether a
Serenity from Germany would have commanded equal
popularity. But how did the engagement come
about? is the question discussed in social circles here.
It is only the first step that costs, but how was the
first step taken, and the heir of the Campbells dream of
aspiring to the hand of a princess? The truth is, lam
told, that whilst the young people displayed a decided
inclination to fall in love, the process of losing their
hearts was rather facilitated than hindered. The public
has obviously grown impatient at the constant German
importations of late years. The Queen divined that an
English marriage would be popular ; and so it un-
doubtedly is.

Mr. Tallerman, manager of the Australian Meat
Agency, appears to have solved the difficult problem of a
cheap dinner. The success whith has hitherto attended
his efforts to provide good wholesome penny dinners has
been so great as to induce him to convert the extensive
premises, in Norton Folgate, into a dining hall and
cooking depot, for the sale of dinners prepared
exclusively from Australian meats. The hall is about
75 feet long, and capable of dining about 300 persons,
It is tastefully decorated with pictures and vases,
will be fitted with marble slab tanks, and altogether will
form a comfortable restaurant. The kitchen has been
fitted with a powerful steam apparatus, capable of cooking
for ten thousand persons at one time. The boilers are
double banked, to admit of the steam circulating
between the inner and outer skins, and thus the
food is cooked without danger of being burned. This
institution was inaugurated on Tuesday evening by a
dinner given by Mr. Tallerman to a large number of gen-
tlemen interested in the prosperity of the working classes,
amongst whom were Drs. Letheby and Lankester. The
dishes fairly represented those which are to bessold to the
public, at one penny and two pence per plate. They con-
sisted of soups, entrees, pies, puddings, croquets, &c. Some
of them were too salt, but were of excellent flavour, and
appeared to be composed of wholesome and nutritious
meat. No beer will be sold or allowed to be brought on
the premises, but a large breakfast-cup of good coffee will
be supplied for a penny. It is to be hoped that the
success of this experiment will lead to a more general
consumption of a meat which is at once, sound, nutritious,
and cheap.
The subject irrisistibly leads one to think of a large
number of our Mends who would be only too glad to get
a supply of Australian meat. How Mr. Tallerman's
dinners would be welcome in Paris at this moment ! The
news from the besieged is ominous. They are organising
rat hunts on a systematic plan. Some adventurous.
Parisians, including, I believe, an editor, have already
tasted rat. They find it excellent. "It combines the
flavour of chicken, with the after taste of rabbit." It
would not do to say Vive le rat! for the exclamation
would scarcely accord with the design of killing and
eating the unfortunate animal, but it is not improbable
that Paris will be greatly indebted to the denizens of the
sewers before the siege is over.
Judging by present experience one would be inclined to
predict that the time of sensational dramas is past. The
London theatres are now in full swing, and it is already
apparent that, with one or two exceptions, the most
"legitimate " form of entertainment is that which
pays the best. At Drury Lane the de-
cidedly sensational play of " Amy Robsart '
" draws," but this result is not attained elsewhere'
The performances at the Holborn and at the Surrey em-
brace an ingenious epitome of the most approved situa-
tions of late years. Yet the chances of the profits at
either place yielding a fair percentage on labour and
capital are but indifferent. Where the best audiences
attend there is to be found a species of entertainment
which is at least free from the water, precipice, or railway
tunnel element.

Mr. Henry Mayhew, of „ London Labour and London
Poor " fame, is, I hear, to have the editorship of the
Morning Advertiser. He can hardly fail to improve upon
the preceding system of management. The post is one of
difficulty. The editor of the Advertiser has to reconcile
two very incongruous duties, but Mr. Mayhew will pro-
bably not fall into the mistake of neglecting the one and
misapplying the other. The competition for this
appointment was severe, and three other gentlemen, Mr.
Glossop (of the North British Daily Mail), Mr. Barnet,
and Mr. Walter Wood (of the Standard), ran Mr.
Mayhew hard. Mr. Mackenzie has retired from his
post as chief sub-editor of the Telegraph, lately filled by
Mr. Harrison. Mr. Ellerthorpe, formerly of the Hull
and Edinburgh press, succeeds him. Mr. Delane, editor
of the Times, has left the war and warlike complications to
their fate, and is now quietly studying the Brindisi route
in Italy. Some of the London papers, after the enormous
expenses attending the war, are beginning to display
retrenching proclivities now that the pressure of hos-
tilities is taken off. The correspondence of one journal
has averaged some £2OO a week since the lighthearted
campaign commenced. Yet if the Russian embroglio
come to anything there will be no remission. Everything
must be begun de novo. So inefficient is the present
supply of intelligence from Russia that we are kept
almost entirely in the dark as to what happens there.
The only Russian correspondent of merit contributes to
the Morning Post. Mr. Anthony Trollope will write a
Christmas story, entitled "Christmas at Kirkkby Cottage"
for " Routlege's Annual."

" Histories" of the war are already beginning to appear
—presages of the flood of bellicose narrative which will
shortly overwhelm us. Count de la Chapelle, who has
acted as French correspondent to the Standard, is in the
field, and some of the customary serial impostures with
" splendid engravings," &c., are announced. The
completion of " Her Majesty's Tower," by Mr.
Hepworth Dixon, will appear shortly. Lovers of
first-rate popular art will be glad to learn that the Graphic
is prospering. Its war illustrations have told greatly in
its favour, and the position of another well-known journal
in the same line is by no means so secure as it used to be.
An international chess tournament is contemplated in
connection with the exhibition of next year. The last
tournament brought players from all parts of the
world, including Prince Ourousoff from Russia.
Those of your readers who have read the wonderful
child's book, "Alice in Wonderland," will be pleased to
learn that the exquisitely absurd songs in it have been set
to music, of a kind easily learnt by youngsters, and
just the sort children will enjoy. The setting is
must appropriate, solemn 'enough to remind one of the
very didatic verses they parody, and yet light and en-
joyable. The work is published by Weekes and Co. The
composer is Mr. William Boyd.

While the battle of Balton was taking place, the Garde
Mobile of Loire-et-cher was drawing back, when General
Barille came forward, sword in hand, and exclaimed,
"I will shew you how to march against the enemy." He
infused spirit into the soldiers, rallied them, and cut a
passage through the Bavarian regiments.

A Mobile in the camp at Lathenay writes to complain
of the hardships he and his companions are called on to
endure. They have to sleep under tents while the barracks
stand empty. He would not object to this, since there
would not be accommodation for all at once, but thinks
they might be allowed to take it in turns to sleep in the
barracks, as the cold weather is beginning, and the men's
health is getting seriously affected by the constant sleeping
on the ground.

A very large number of the French officers captured in
Metz have in some way or other escaped. Numbers of
them have passed through Tours, and others are met tra-
velling on various lines of railway. From Lille an hussar
officer declares that when he escaped an order of the day
had been published by the Prussian generaj commanding
at Metz in which it was stated that more than 700 had got
away.

The Swiss Federal Council have forwarded a letter to
Count Bismarck, arguing against his decision not to
allow the diplomatists shut up in Paris to comznunic ate
with their Governments. Admitting the abnormal cha-
racter of the present case, they remark that of the 30,000
Swiss resident in Paris at the outbreak of the war, a great
number were compelled to remain by business and family
relations. Assuming that 10,000 are still there, they ask
whether such a colony can be deprived of their accustomed
representative and adviser at a moment of such peril,
especially as the German residents have been exposed to
danger and tumults. The Council wish him to stay, not
to engage in diplomatic business during the siege, but
simply to protect his couutiymen in so extraordinary a
situation. It was on this ground that the Council
ordered their ambassador to share the horrors of a. siege.