The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-17 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

.pelf and Self-Sacrifice. By Anna Lisle. Groom-
bridge and Son.
A valuable contribution to our store of "moral"
fiction, and if we are not mistaken a maiden effort.
If so, we can congratulate the author on more
than the average success, and prognosticate for her
a useful, and it may be a distinguished career, pro-
vided she cultivates t sshe ought her unquestion-
able talent for this species of composition. " Self
and Self-Sacrifice" is a story of woman's life, in
he main truthfully conceived and naturally deve-
loped,iby one evidently possessed both of taste and
feeling, and able to produce impressive effects.
Though by no means complex in plot or crowded
with characters, ‘, Nelly's Story," such is the
second title of the book, is invested with
sufficient variety and force of incident to carry the
reader with growing interest to the conclusion.
The purpose of the author is of a highly moral and
practical nature. Primarily, it is "to portray
the quiet virtue of self-sacrifice," to render the
beauty of holiness more attractive than the false
allurements of the world, and to show that there is
bat one strength that is able to nerve us against
temptation. Secondarily, to illustrate the import-
ance of sound religious training in youth. Nelly
—the narrator—is an orphan, who is brought up
by a stepmother, a lady of cold exterior, but
endowed with strong passions—along with her
half-sister, little Edith. Her early. days are clouded
with an oppressive sense of injustice, being as
much an object of quiet but unconquerable aver-
sion to her stepmother as Edith is of demonstra-
tive fondness and pernicious indulgence. To add
to her sorrow she is perpetually reminded of her
sister's superior beauty by taunts of ugliness—by
no means warranted as the remainder of the story
will show. Fortunately for her future welfare in
this school of adversity she is not without a
friendly guide in the peason of Aunt Mary, her
deceased father's sister—a very pleasing and well-
drawn character. To Phis lady, the proud, sensitive
child naturally repairs, and finds in her affectionate
sympathies rescue from a state of isolation, as
well as receives counsel characterised at once by,
piety, discrimination, and good sense, and admir-
ably calculated to sober her perturbed spirit and
direct her future course. A bright morning
dawns at last on Nelly. Having, in a successful
attempt to rescue her little sister from the sage of
a bull, she is tossed by the infuriated animal,
and wakes to consciousness with the hitherto cold
eyes of her stepmother ,gazing fondly upon her,
having sacrificed a bitter sense of injury by Nelly's
mother to a womanly recognition of the fine, gene-
rous qualities of her stepdaughter. Nelly's first
great grief is over ; she finds what she has ever-
more longed for—a mother. The day, however,
is soon overclouded. Her new-found mother's
brother, uncle Rob, appears on the scene, and, by
his ill-advised speculations, reduces his sister to
comparative poverty. Aunt Mary adds her means
to those of her sister-in-law, and they live toge-
ther for a brief period, when the latter dies of
grief, leaving her daughter, the idolised Edith, to
the eharge of Nelly, to instil into her mind those
religious principles which she had failed to implant
herself when they were most likely to take firm
and lasting root. Nelly battles bravely with the
world, and fulfils her promise. The great event
of her life, her first love, pledged before the death
of her stepmother, proves to her a source of the
bitterest trial. The impulsive and negligent
lover, for whose sake she had made many sacrifices,
becomes the false lover, and to her keen anguish
she finds her successful rival in "little Edith,"
the child of her adoption, who thus rewards
her sister's kindness from her childhood upwards.
Womanly vengeance is permitted a temporary sway,
but principle triumphs—she gives up her reclaimed
and rewon lover, and her sister is married. In
the fate of that sister the tragedy of the story is
centred, but we will not forestall the reader's curi-
osity further than by saying, the self-sacrifiein;
spirit of Nelly meets at last with its reward, while
over her unfortunate sister's name and fame there
is cast a cloud her premature death can hardly re-
move. The above is scarcely an outline of the
story, but is enough for our purpose. Some of
the scenes rise to dramatic intensity, and the prin-
cipal characters are portrayed with graphic skill,
and leave behind a corresponding impression. The
work is not without defect.i, but these are such as
might be expected from a novice. Taking it as a
whole, we would commend " Netly's Story" to the
notice of those who, can appreciate a tale of fiction
written with a moral aim, and marred by no
maudlin sentiment, but healthy and invigorating
in tone, and demanding no sort of compulsion to
insure its perusal.

How a Penny
_became- a Thousand Pound;.

Houlston and Sonenian.

A good shilling's worth of " philosophy teaching
by example" is here. A curious, interesting, in-
structive little volume, containing a great deal of
sound common sense, quaintly convoyed, by a
writer who appears to have happily caught a spark
of the spirit of Stern; without apeing the mariner-
isms of that singular humorist. He professes
himseif to be a small tradesman, who, some years
ago, in 1843, became impressed with the produc-
tiveness of a penny, if set apart from the general
risks of business, turned to a proilt, and allowed
continually to grow by the augmentaton of its own
profits, which were not to be diverted under any
circumstances, until a riven sum hal accumulated.
By earnest determina.ion and discreet manage-
ment, the Peony had growa in 1855 to the impor-
tant sum of One Thonsand Pounds. For the modus
operandi, we ram-t, refer to the shrewd and amus-
ing pages of the industrious autobiographer, who
appears to have been gifted with a felicitous com-
bination of luck and judgment. It may not be
within the scope of every man's capabilities to
carry out to a practical issue the theory of our
Penny-wise (but not Pound-foolish) philosopher ;
but the details of his enterprise are well worth
perusal, and, being "level to the meanest capa-
city,' may set many a thrifty soul in the right
path to turn his or her copper piece to shining,
solid gold.

The Art-,Tournal.—Tie principal illustratiPil
for the month are Harding's " Hyde-park in 1801,
engraved by J. B. Allen, " The Madonna," by
Carlo Dolce, engraved by F. Ball—both pictures
in the Royal collection—and " Titania," engraved
by J. H. Biker from the bas-relief by F. M.
Miller. The latter is a work of high promise,
but to our thinking falls short of the conception of
the artist. The British artist selected for illustra-
tion is the renowned Turner—three of whose pic-
tures, displaying his " light" and " dark" styles,
contribute to the value of the number. The
literary portion of the journal is, as usual, rich in
criticism, information, and suggestion, on both
high and every-day practical art.

The Church of England Monthly Review.—
Has an article ou " Physical Geography and
National Development," in addition to a number
of contributions interesting to Churchmen and
biblical students. T!ie " Church of England
Quarterly Review" is, we perceive, to be amalga-
mated with it, and it is to appear in quarterly as
well as monthly parts.

Willis's Price Cur rent.—The list of new publica-
tions and " Current Notes for the Month " are pre-
faced by original paper 3 on literary anti antiquarian
subjects, the first of which presents us with new
facts respecting " Robinson Crusee." The paper
is illustrated.

SOUTItA3IPTON, Oct. 16.--The Peninsular and 0 •
men-
tal CorapanY s screw steamship Sultan, Captain Cook,
sailed this afternoon for Cadiz, Gibraltar, Malta, and
Alexandria. The Sultan conveys CO first-class and 72
second-class passengers, among whom are the Princess
de Salerne, Duke and Duchess d'Auccale, Prince do
Conde, Countess de Cooffier, Monsieur de Contierie,
secretary to the Duke d'Aumale, and suite, who will
land at Cadiz. On freight the Sultan has about 130
tons of cargo. This vessel has been placed upon the
Mediterranean line to act as an extra ship for the
purpose of conveying passengers and cargo which is
left over by the regular mail steamers. The Alhambra,
Captain Joy, the first of the additional packets, is ex-
pected to arrive at Southampton from Alexandria,
Malta, and
Gibraltar about the 20th in cant. The
Colombo, Captain Cooper, with the homeward India
and Mediterranean mails, is expected about Saturday.
The Royal mail steamer Orinoco, with the West India
and Pacific mails, and the United States' mad steam-
ship Washington with the mails from New York, for
Germany,
France, and England
The Atrato, with the is .
expected to-morrow.
West India, and Pacific mails, and
the Elaine, with the • .
Peninsular mails, sails at mid-day
to-morrow.

FEMALE SERVANTS Fon
do-
mestic servants who really AUSTRALIA —Female
in great demand in Aultr.'iloadn&rstand their bii,iness are
a
and are sure to obtain im-
mediate employment at good
Emigration Commissioners wilvla:". To all such the
passages on the
f Mowing. conditions :—Tha can,aln.irdeaanttes must not be
under 18 nor over 35 years of
'health
haveand free from
unexceptional character ;in good They must be of
t
my.iitnsaid lived in
bodily and mental defects. Tney
service as cooks, housemaids, nurser }.maids, laundry-
maids, or as servants of al work ; and the;
due,: satis'actory certificates and testimoniaylsmounstthpersoe
point:4. ----EV tigeat ion Record.
RIFLE SHOOTING.--THE INDIAN PRINCES.—On Wed.
needay the Nawab of Surat and ether Indian prince,,
with their suite, paid a visit to Captain Jay, at his r.:
silence, near Hendon, and enjoyed the sport of rifle and
pigeon shooting. The Nawab has the reputation of being
a first•rate shot. A large party bad be, 3n invited to
meetd the illustrious guests, and the whole sat down to a
ejeuner ; at the conclusion of which the princes re-
entered their carriages and left for town,.

THEATRE ROTA% DRURY-LANE.
Leone, Mr. E. T. Smith.
THIS EVENING
THE ADVEN TUREIZ.

Followed by

Burlesque of PIZARRO,

To conclude with
BALLET DIVERTIMEIWEITT.

ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
trader the Management of Mr. Meatus REIN

THIS EVENING.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.
To conclude with
PIZARRO.

THEATRE ROYAL, HAY3fARKET.
Under the Management of Mr. BtlekatoM

THIS EVENING,
THE INCONSTANT.
Followed by
The Spanish Dancers.
After which,
PRESENTED AT COURT.
To conclude with

THE GALICIAN FETE.

LYCEUM THEATRE ROYAL,
Lessee, Mr. Charles Dillon.
THIS EVENING,
BELPHEGOR.
Balphogor, Mr. Chas. Dillon ; Madeline, Mrs. Chas. Dillon:
Followed by (for the first time)
THE KING'S MUSKETEERS,
D'Artagnon, Mr. Chas. Dillon ; Constance, Miss Woolgar.
To conclude with
The BALLET from the Burlesque of the "Winter's Tale."
Stalls, ss. ; Dress Circle. 4s. ; Upper Roses, 3e. ; Pit. 25.; Gallery.
Is. Commence at 7. Half price to all parts at 9. Box Office open
daily from 11 till 4.

ROYAL THEATRE ADELPHI
Proprietor and Manager, Mr. B. Webster.
Directress, Madame Celeste.
THIS EVENING,
IRELAND AS IT IS.
Followed by
DOMESTIC ECONOMY.
To conclude with
LUCIFER MATCHES ; OR, THE YANKEE !