The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-24 00:00:00

diNitatito
_ - A.! ; •

HER MAJESTY.

WINDSOR CASTLE; June 2J.

The Queen, accompanied by her Royal High'
ness Princesae Louise, drove out yesterday after'
noon.

Her Majesty went out in the grounds this morn-
ing with the Royal Family.

LITERATURE.

ha's Story. By Grace Ramsay, Author of "A
Woman's Trials." Three Volumes. Hurst and

Blackett.

This story is a powerful romance, thrilling with
interest from beginning to end, a book that will
fascinate all lovers of a stirring tale, while it will
be read with graver interest by those who syrnPa"
thise with the cause Grace Ramsay so ably defends.
Unhappily, the latter audience is likely to be a very
limited one. No one at all conversant with the
political barometer will attempt to deny that of all
European nationalities Poland is the one that now
commands the smallest share of sympathy in Eng'
laud. Indeed it may be no exaggeration to say
that as a cause it has ceased to exist altogether in
the minds of practical men in this country. " Uncle
Tom's Cabin" is believed to have hit the first death-
blow at slavery in America, but, without drawing
any comparrison between two books so essentially
different, Miss Ramsay's has this eminent did"
vantage, that while her predecessor's hammer fell
on hot metal, her's falls not on cold metal, but on
no metal. She seems aware of the fact, and de-
nounces it as base ingratitude on the part of Europe
—of France especially. There is often great force
of truth in her arguments ; but the author, carried
away by her own enthusiasm, sometimes ventures
on language unwarrantably bold even in a novel,
all the more so'as " Iza's Story" is furnished with
authentic facts in foot-notes, that give a colour of
reality to the whole, which should have made the
author proportionately measured in her accusations.
There is a courtesy due to nations as well as indl"
victuals, which the gifted author has overlooked.
This may pass in a work of fiction; novelists,
like M.P.'s, are privileged to say bitter things
in Parliamentary language ; but there is sucha
thing as abusing a privilege. in the author
elovont denunciations of Muscovite cruelty we
heartily concur. Russia, with " her genius M.
intrigue carried to inspiration," is not able to hide
her brutal treatment of a brave, conquered nation
from the eyes of Europe ; but Europe finds Lthe
sight so unpleasant that she prefers shutting ne"r
eyes to it, and will certainly not thank any one Rho
tears back the, curtain and forces her to face
the ghastly picture. Besides, there can he,
no possible good in ringing the h
fire-be
when the house is burnt; the neighbours
who were too lazy or too cowardly to hasten to the
.
rescue, when their presence might have quenched
the fire, don't want to be dragged up to contern-
plate the work of their own inaction in the shape
of a smoking ruin underlaid with corpses. Never
i
theless we recognise in " Iz i's Story" a noble effort
in a noble cause —the cause of a brave, doome'_.
people fighting to the death against barbarons
..
oppression, and as such it is most fittingly ded 1
cated to—

CHARLES, COUNT DE MONTALEMBERT,
THE LARGE-HEARTED CHRISTIAN,
TIII3 STAINLESS GENTLEMAN,

THE CHANIP lON OF TRUTH AND JUSTICE,

THE BRAVE DEFENDER OF THE OPPRESSED,
I,
THE MAN WHO LOVES MANKIND AND WIIO3I AL

MANKIND HONOURS."
Indeed the book may 131 said to be a passionate
protest apinst that golden calf of our cowry/
material success, the triumph of might over right'
Of the tale itself we shall say little, leaving,,
our readers the pleasure of finding it out icw
themselves. The scenes from Polish life are
charmingly picturesque, and evidently drawn by °lle
who has seen what she paints. The characters are
well sustained, some standing out from the caav3s3
with life-like reality. Prince Kasitner is a Pot;
trait of the Polish grand seigneur, the original ,Qf
whi,l we may fancy we recognise in a noble eh°
who was not many years ago looked up to as all
exiled king by the remnant of au exiled pe°Ple:i
Stanislas is a fine conception of the patriot sn;
the gentleman. Miss Ramsay is decidedly in 101,,
with her own hero, and has fully justified 111'
heroic self-devAion to her lover. But with all re:
spect to the young man's perfections, we incline t';',
Borynoski's opinion that " he is a noble madulaflci*
Borynoski, the panslavist, is admirably sketel3reDl
and we regret to have seen so little of him.
interview in the prison with Stanislas is vigor"B
ly
characteristic of the two men :
" The West is paralysed. Let her rot in her paralysls!;;
he exclaimed with fierce vindictiveness. "Poland gale
resuscitate in spite of it, the white eagle will rise lika
thte
phccaix from its ashes. Russia, from being our tYlni
will become our saviour—the ladder by which tc° 6113
climb out of our tomb. But we must trust her." •
" There was a long pause before Stauislas ansvrere"'
'Y u reckon without your host, Gen•ral.' " •• re-
,4 I know my host batter than you do, .ra,
turned Borynoski, meeting the young man's cheel
patiently. " Lot Poland trust her once for all in,,
earnest. Let us rest our lever on her magnanimity ;
" The lever is too heavily weighted for the ful°rll7o
it would fall through," argued Stainslas, with exhitisti

sarcasm.
" Where do you see a stronger one ?" detnan—da tb°

Governor.

"I see it higher up than Russia or the West. I 0,, Le
in the divine vitality of a nation that all human e'-„for
have been powerless to annihilate. I see it in the "-ig
growth of Russia, that you hold out as ; terror to ne the
is the growth of disease; she is falling to pieces 11,h of
growth of her own corruption. I see it in the streng`' to
my country's trust in God; His word is pledged "4
°beliebee it; while Poland trusts in Him she may be et°ll
Oa
and crucified, and buried, but the day of her resurrect'
will come. Heaven and earth shall pass away rather tri
God's word shall pass away. In to Domine speravi; 'l°

confundar in xternunt I"
He lifted his arms with a sudden, passionate gestu eta:
made the irons strike. It sounded like an 0
" Amen !" to the burst of patriotism and Christian
faith
"Sublime fallacy !" muttered Borynoski, ahnoit fore"-
ting that Stanislas heard him. . . He noticed th°l
wounds made by the chains on the prisoner's wrists,
ell
summoned the gaoler to snap them asunder. ir'4e,'
rattling to the ground. Borynoski went up and laid ;
hand on the young man's shoulder---." You are 100191-
have chains that I can't relieve you of once they are 00.
may keep them off if you help me." . . . Stanislas nor
fusses his willingness to help him, and the goveril°o
proceeds to argue on the folly of grappling wilh the
Russia, pointing derisively to the strong bars of the Pie
soner's cell and the massive irons at his feet ; but Stii-r.,
lag is inaccessible either to fear or to reason. gas cl2thiler
age is invulnerable as a flame." Borynoski tries auo7l A
way. "You have a mother, I believe ?" " Yes; 1412

wife." • liP
" Ali ! thought Borynoski, noticing the quivero36 0 j
and the whiter shadow that fell upon the pale We' to
have a way now." "Go back to her," he said, maki°lsA,Ai►
voice soft with persuasive authority; "go back to pad
a wiser man than you left it."
-

" Stanislas made no answer. He had let his head. dr°.":',:
and listened, or ceased to listen, while the Governor,'"
last effort, pleaded."
The picture of Siberian exile is dangerously stirr
ill
and has an accent of authenticity about it that 11,4
probably be challenged by more competent judgo.
than Miss Ramsay's readers can pretend t° iis.
The whole story is full of power and path01:00
playing at times a masculine vigour, startling '.1.e0
v
a woman's pen.
--et Grace Ramsay never eea'of
to be a woman in the highest and purest sellsetpr
the word, refined and tender in every thought. free
style is sustained and graceful, and perfectly
e 3
7o
from the novelist clap-trap with which youngl3
have been so prolific in these days of novel fever

The screw steamship Revenge 70, t • Thou
, ply'
Cochrane, from Malta, with the officers and ;Iv
of the Caledonia, and invalids, arrived at ."
mouth Sound yesterday morning.
I)UNvILLE and Co., Belfast, are the 13rge5t.
holders of Whisky in the world. Their Old Irish WhislOr
commended by the medical profession in preference to Fr!
ut-
Brandy. Supplied in casks and cases for home use or e%Pur„.,
tion Quotations on application to Messrs. Dunville and
Belfast; or 4, Beaufort-buildings, Strand, Loudon, VV,C*C
vet labellent.]