The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-09 00:00:00

Literary and Theatrical.

.
The first number has appeared of a new quarterly
journal, entitled the Southern Review, published at
Baltimore, edited by Albert Taylor Bledsoe and
William Hand Browne, of Baltimore.
We regret to announce the death of Nathaniel
.Parker Willis, which occurred on Sunday evening,
Jan. 20, at Idlewild, his residence on the Hudson.
Mr. Willis was born Jan. 20, 1807, so that he had
just completed his 60th year. Even at College he
gained a reputation for his " Scripture Sketches," and
after graduation he was employed to edic The Le-
gendary and the Token. In 1828 he established the
American Monthly Magazine, which two and a half
years after was merged into the New York
Weekly Mirror. Dr. Willis's " Pencillings by the
Way," sent from abroad to the Mirror, remain as
some of his best efforts. In 1835 he married, in
England, a daughter of General Stace, and about
this lime had . a hostile meeting with Captain
Marryatt On account of sonitijatlier free criticisms
of Marryatt's novels. In 1839 he "velum
.one of
the editors of the Corsair, and the next .year pub-
lished in England his "Letters from. under a Bridge,"
" Loiterings of Travel," and " Dashes at Life__with
a Free Pencil." In 1840 he became co-partner with
Mr. Morris in the Home Journal.
Mrs. llarriet Beecher Stowe's "Religious Poems"
will be published during this spring.
Mr. James Parton's North American Review
essays are to be collected into a volume, entitled
" Famous Americans of Recent Times."
The Rev. Mr. Robb, a Presbyterian missionary
to Africa, has added to the translation of the New
Testament, by Mr. Golding, one of the Old Testa-
ment into the Efik dialect, which is intelligible
throughout Central Africa.

Ina review on " Primary Phonics" the Round
2 able refers amusingly to Dr. Herman, in Bulwer's
" Caxtons" when he asks, " How can these sounds
which run thus to the ear, see-eh-tee, compose the
word Cat? Do they not rather spell ceaty ; see-eh-
te? How can a system of education flourish that
begins by so monstrous a falsehood, which the sense
of hearing suffices to contradict ?"

- Senator Cornell has presented the town of
Ithaca with an imposing building, containing
th e bui l d
fi ngwh—rented as a ,
hic which cost upwards of
$4,000 worth of books, the nucleus of a public lib-
; a 6
rOOOO Y;
, from portions
post-
office, national bank, and other purposes—a consi-
derable income is derived, Mr. Cornell intends to
r Besideso o
give annually $l,OOO worth of books until he shall
have given $15,000 worth.
The Rev. Dr. Robert Lowell, brother of Professor
J. R. Lowell, and author of the " New Priest," has
been elected to the professorship of English Litera-
ture, in Racine College, Wisconsin.
Mr. E. G. Squier is to deliver in Boston a course
of lectures upon the " Inca Empire, and the Ancient
Monuments of Peru."

Mr. Frank Moore is finishing his " Rebellion
Record," which is to be concluded in six months.
Mdme. Ristori has signified her intention of re-
maining twelve months longer in the United States,
and, at the end of that time, of retiring from the
stage.

Handel's favourite cantata, " Acis and Galatea,"
and Locke's " Macbeth" music, will be performed,
by the National Choral Society at Exeter Hall on
Wednesday, the
,13th. Miss Louisa Pyne, Miss
Lucy Franklein, Mr. Kerr Gedge, Mr. Leigh Wil-
son, and Mr. Weiss, are the artistes engaged. The
band and chorus will number nearly 700 performers.
Conductor, Mr: G. W. Martin.

TILE "VARIETIES THEATRE," LIVERPOOL.—This
elegant little theatre will reopen on Monday next
.as a Music-hall, under the management of Mr. E.
English, who has gained for himself a wide-spread
popularity during his career as acting manager of
the Prince of %Vales Theatre in that town, and
whose name alone is a guarantee for the excellence
of the entertainment which will be provided. It
will be conducted on the same principle and worked
in conjunction with the leading metropolitan music-
halls, and will supply a want long felt in Liver-
pool. A very attractive programme has been issued,
including the names of many
artistes, occupy-
ing a high position on the London boards
and which promises an entertainment superior to
anything hitherto attempted in the provinces. We
feel assured that the success of Mr. English's new
venture will be a sourceof gratification to his many
friends and admirers both in England and America.
Mr. BARRY SCLLIVAN.—This
great tragedian is
announced to appear at the Prince of :Vales
Theatre, Liverpool, at an early date. Apart
from Mr. Sullivan's rare talents as an actor,
and the brilliant position he has attained
in his profession, old associations make him
an ever-welcome visitor to the Liverpool public,
with whom he has always been an especial favou-
rite, and his appearance at Mr. Henderson's theatre
—which is admittedly the most elegant in the
kingdom--will be hailed with delight by his very
large circle of admirers.
MRS. STIRLING.—This celebrated actress is ful-
filling a brilliant engagement at the Royal Amphi-
theatre, Liverpool, and is nightly delighting large
and fashionable audiences by her charming render-
ing of her great impersonation, Peg
Wotlington in
the comedy of " Masks and Faces." This engage-
ment is another evidence of Mr. Byron's deter-

mination to leave nothing undone which will tend to
obtain for the Amphitheatre a high place in the
ranks of provincial theatres.

On the evening of 25th January, PEstablisse-
meat des Bains de tiler, Boulogne-sur-Mer, opened
its saloons for the first fete of the carnival of this
year. A fancy ball is like a challenge thrown to
the ladies—who will be the most beautiful ?—who
will select costumes of the greatest elegance and
taste ? And our ladies have responded ! Very bold
would be the Paris who could decide upon whom to
bestow the apple of beauty—if he offered it. to the
Polonaise, the Swiss Laitiere (Mdlle. Jessie Den-
net) would say, "And am not I equally beautiful?"
If he decided for the Grande Dame of the Reigne
of Louis XV. (Mdlle. Rosie Dennet) a pretty
Flower Girl would perplex him. " How to choose
midst; thii parterre, decide if you can ? and choose
if you dare," murmured a piquant Greek. It was
remarked the dram•i of Faust was perfect ; Mar-
guerite, Faust, Valentine, Mephistopheles, and
Siebel attracted great attention ; in fact, the soiree
was most brilliant, and ushered in the series of fetes
to follow in the most happy manner L'lmpartial de
Boulogne-sur-lifer.

Th 3 Freedmen.

On the sth January a well-selected colony of 600
freedmen sailed from Charleston for New Smyrna,
Florida, in charge of Brigadier-General Ely, to
settle on lands apportioned to them under the
Homestead Act. Their number is to be increased
to 3,000. A similar exodus of labourers is reported
from Columbia and Sumter. Their transport is
paid by Government, with the promise of six
months' rations after arrival.

The Nation mentions that there is a wide-spread
unwillingness on the part of the freedmen to con-
tract for the current year. In the lower counties
of Texas they try to stipulate for one-third the crop,
which is generally denied them. In North Carolina
$l5 a month and rations are rejected, and the wish
is to work by combinations amongst themselves. In
Lancaster District no trouble prevails, and new en-
gagements are already formed. At Columbus,
Capt. Moseback, Bureau agent, announces that the
regulations of the Bureau are still in force, and
that no contracts will be enforced except those which
it has approved.

In the pine-barren country south of Mobile
a company of Northern men, "The New York
and Mobile Turpentine Manufacturing Com-
pany," have tried the experiment of free labour,
with very gratifying success. They have employed
40 hands, all coloured men, during the past year,
of whom one receives $5O, one $3O, two $25, twenty-
one $2O, and twelve $l5 a month. Rations and
medical attendance are free, the work is performed
in a satisfactory manner, and the result profitable
to the employers. lu Texas General Kiddoo has
ordered the "Labour Law " to be disregarded,
and contracts made in accordance -to be disre-
garded by assistant-commissioners. Governor
Throgmorton has requested General Sturges to
send cavalry to Caldwell County to repress out-
rages on freedmen and others.

The inspector has reported on the schools in West
Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. There is one
at Parkersburg, two at Martinsburg, four at Win-
chester. The city pays $3O a month towards the
support of the school at Parkersburg. The citizens
of Harrisburg have applied for a freedman's school,
to which they promise support. In Northern and
Western Virginia many who a year ago opposed the
establishment of the schools now come forward and
support them.