The Sun.
London, England, 1870-11-22 00:00:00

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS

The past week exceeded the previous one in its win-
terly character, the frost having been more severe and
permanent. Indeed, all vegetation has been completely
stopped, and the timely pitting of roots is very plainly
suggested. The strong young wheat, in a remarkably
clean bed, has nothing to endanger its holding on, the
subsoil yet being dry ; but the late sown has greater
risks to run. Whether these early appearances are in-
dicative of increasing severity we leave to the weather-
wise, but we do not see reason to entertain the idea.
The planets, we are told, determine these matters ; but
somehow or other we have never yet seen a mortal
capable of holding the reins of these bodies in the long dis-
tance of space. In another direction it seems that we are
nearer to the realisation of our opinion than anticipated.
As if the waste in France were not enough, Russia, one
of our chief dependencies for cereals, has threatened by
her politics to cut us short.—Mark Lane Express.

RECEPTION OF A POSTULANT.—A public recep
tion of a postulant into " the order of our Lady 0
Mercy" took place on Saturday morning (the Feast of St
Elizabeth), in the Church of St. John of Jerusalem,
Great Ormond-street. Archbishop Manning officiated.

Whilst the Spike Island convicts were working at
the Government docks at Haulbowline last week, one
of them made a desperate attack on one of the warders
in charge, which caused him to be insensible for some
time. The convict being a very powerful man it was
with great difficulty he was prevented from renewing the
attack.

An inquest was held by Dr. Lancaster, in St.
Giles's, on Saturday, on the body of a child which was
found by a woman lying wrapped up in a parcel in a dark
part of the passage of a pawnbroker's shop in Drury-lane.
A post-mortem examination shewed that the child had
lived, and that it had been strangled. The jury returned
a verdict of "`Wilful murder against some person or per-
sons unknown."

“ THE SPEAKER'S COMMENTARY.”—The publi-
cation of "The Speaker's Commentary" is expected to
take place early in January. The first volume was exhi-
bited to the leading booksellers of London at Mr.
Murray's annual trade sale dinner last week, when nearly
3,000 copies were subscribed for. It forms a handsome
volume of 800 pages, with explanatory and critical notes,
and, where necessary, a revision of the translation,
correcting all ascertained errors, and to mark this dis-
tinctly every corrected passage or word is printed in a
special type. As the " Commentary " has been in pro-
gress seven years, and the translation committee only as
many months, the amended version of what is familiarly
known as " The Speaker's Commentary " is likely to
prove a very useful guide to the Bishop of Gloucester
and Bristol and his followers in their revision task.—John
Bull.

THE COURT AT BALMORAL—There is no im-
provement to report in the state of the weather on Dee-
side. Showers of snow and sleet have fallen during the
week, and the cold is very severe. On Monday the men
employed daily at Balmoral--gamekeepers, gardeners,
ghillies, along with a large number of the tenantry on the
estate of Abergeldie—turned out by request, and, with
aid of a snow plough and horses and carts, cleared the
road from the castle to Lochnagar Distillery, and thence
to Glassalt Cottage, to allow her Majesty and suite to
enjoy a drive that distance on Tuesday. With the ex-
ception of a few showers of sleet, the day proved mode-
rately fine, and her Majesty drove along the rod that had
been cleared of snow. Abundance of refreshments was
served to the men engaged in the work, which was exe-
cuted under the superintendence of Dr. Robertson, who,
notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, re-
mained with the workmen during the tlay.—Dundee
Advertiser.

MR. WORTH.—Mr. Worth, who, escaping from
Paris, was captured by the Prussians in the balloon which
fell at Chartres, and has been sent for trial by court-
martial to Meudon, is, it is said, the well-known man-
milliner. During the latter years of the Empire no
lady of fashion felt easy in her mind unless her
costume bad been either designed, or at least ap-
proved, by Worth. He conducted his business in a
highly scientific and artistic manner, engaging his clients
in general conversation, while he took note not only of
their figure, but their temperament, and then sketched
out a style of dress adapted to both. If this is really the
Mr. Worth whom the Germans have seized, they should
deal tenderly with him ; but perhaps they want an excuse
to send him to Berlin, and then make the capital of the
Hohenzollerns the supreme arbiter of fashion as well as
politics. That Mr. Worth should be anxious, as he said, for
the saile of his business, to leave Paris, is not surprising, for
there can have been very little business doing there in his
line ; but why should he have gone by balloon at a heavy
cost, when he could have gone away freely on terra firma
with Mr. Wodehouse's pass ? Mr. O'Sullivan, who, after
dining with the Crown Prince at Versailles, and button-
holing Count Bismarck with a great scheme of mediation,
was next morning ordered to leave the town instantly, is
an American.—Scotsman.