The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-03 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS SERIALS.

Mr. Anthony Trollope's New Weekly Serial Story.
--" The Last Chronicles of Barset" (Smith, Elder,
and Co.) has happily made its appearance, accord-
ing to announcement, with the December Magazines.
It recalls to mind the weekly issue of " Master
Humphrey's Clock "—of itself a delightful as-
sociation ! The new tale, of which in No. I. we
have already three chapters, opens charmingly ;
and is effectively embellished by the pencil of
G. H. Thomas—the artist, who may be said
to have won his spurs by his admirable
embellishments to Mr. Wilkie Collins' " Arma-
dale." In these •' Last Chronicles of Barset"
we are introduced again to a crowd of old familiar
acquaintanoes—but people of whom we have never
yet heard one word too much. Foremost among
them all that delightful creature—" Good heavens !"
how delightful, one is almost tempted to say—Arch-
deacon Grantley. Together with whom we already
see or hear of such others as—Griselda the Mar-
chioness of Hartletop, Bishop Proudie and Mrs.
Proudie, Dean Arabin, Doctor Thorne, the Duke of
Omnium, and we know not who else ! So that
we have here, indeed, fair promise of most exhila-
rating entertainment—our author writing at his
very best, and about his own especial favourites.
Mr. Shirley Brooks's "Sooner or Later," No. 11.
(Bradbury and Evans)—improves upon our liking
as we advancs with our novelist in his new narra-
tive. The heroine—such a charming creature, not
a red haired fright, for a wonder, but (as young
sometimes do happen to be, occasionally,

ladies

in spite of Modern lommicists and congenial
pre-Raphaelites) boautiful at once in form,
feature, and expression Magdalen Conway
is introduced to us in this new number of
the story. And charmed are we to be intro-
duced to her. She is worth looking at it, as she is
here sketched to the life by the pen of Shirley Brooke)
and by the pencil of George Du Maurier. Charm-
ing, too, is our novelist's equally life-like sketch of
a very different character, indeed—one whom be
thus depicts as• the pretty popular actress, Gracie
Clare—

Not regularly pretty, but with features to which stage:
appliances lent a ravishing beauty, at least in the eyes 01
those who knew nothing of such appliances, Gracie had a
saucy smile, which did execution upon the wisest and most
hardened of her admirers. She was not very clever, flit
the smile was very clever indeed, and men who had just
heard her utter either nonsense or commonplace, would,
in defiance of themselves, affix wit or finesse to her
chatter, merely from the force of that remarkably know-
ing ram, ement of lips. Miss Clare had bright eyes, a
complexion which had not been much: itijurod by stage
work, and w:iica was brown and healthy, and the graces
of her rounded figure were recognised by all western
London. Finally, her real name was not Gracie Clare, but
Jana Nobb, and deducting an odd story, which those who
liked her declared to be without foundation, and to have
originated in her extreme kindness to an orphan, she Was
a reasonably good, as well as a very good-natured girl.
Moreover, she knew how to dress herself, off the stage, 83
well as to undress herself for' going on it ; and as her
mother, Mrs. Nobb, a respectable greengroceress in a small
way, observed, it was no matter, however promiscuous
you might meet her, she were always looking like a lady.
Which is more than can be said of everybody who ac-
tually is a lady, as may be said by men who venture into
the suburbs before lunch time.

" Sooner or Later" if continued as it has been
commenced, will, be it said without any dis-
paragement whatever to its predecessors, be Mr.
Shirley Brooks's masterpiece.
Photographic Portraits of Men of Eminence, Nos.
40-42 (Alfred W. Bennett), are especially interest-
ing. They include amongst the celebrities pour.
trayed in these three numbers a gifted poet like
" Festus" Bailey—an enterprising traveller like Dr.
Beke—a public benefactor so conspicuous as Sir
Rowland Hill, the author of the Penny Postage—a
veteran critic like Cyrus Redding—a man of letters
as distinguished as Charles Knight--a philsopher as
profound as Professor de Morgan.

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HER MAJESTY, &c•

WINDSOR CASTLE, Sunday.

The Queen walked and drove yesterday after-
noon, accompanied by her Royal Highness Princess
Christian.

Princess Louise, attended by the Hon. Flora Mac-
donald, went out walking.
The Queen, Prince and Princess Christian, Prin-
cess Louise, and Princess Beatrice, and the Ladies
and Gentlemen in Waiting, attended Divine service
in the Private Chapel this morning.
The Rev. E. M. Goulburn, Chaplain in Ordinary
to the Queen, officiated.
The Duke and Duchess of Sutherland arrived at
the Castle yesterday, and had the honour of dining
with the Queen and the Royal Family.
Lieut.-Colonel du Plat has arrived at the Castle
as Equerry in Waiting.