The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-19 00:00:00

JUVENILE BOOKS.

We have already noticed some among the many
claimants for juvenile favour this Christmas, but
many yet remain to add to the list. First upon the
list of Story Books comes Johnny Jordan and
his Dog (George Routledge and Sons), by Mrs.
Eiloart, the delightful authoress of "Ernie Elton,"
who last year proved such a pleasant addition to
many a Christmas party. There is an old familiar
saying, " Let me make the peoples' ballads, and I
care not who makes their laws," uttered by one
who was well acquainted with the mysteries of
human nature. In like manner, it may be
said, the successful author of a really favourite
story-book exerts more powerful influence for good
or evil than school or schoolmaster. Mrs. Eiloart
has rapidly earned for herself a happy and enviable
reputation as the Boys' delightful Story-Teller.
The love of adventure, ay, and the love of mischief
too, so inseparable from the " regular boy," here
find safe and ample room for exercise. Ernie
Elton, " the lazy boy," was a perfect pil-garlic in
his way ; but his troubles, being always occasioned
by his unblushing idleness, came to be regarded
with extra satisfaction in the light of deserved re-
tribution. His mishaps, however, were all most
ludicrous and laughter-provoking. A good laugh
is, in fact, the constant applause which greets the
perusal of Mrs. Eiloart's books among a crowd of
juveniles. Of a different character is the present
hero, Johnny Jordan. We are told that "in all
the town there was no such boy for work. He was
always at the top in his class. No matter
how hard a lesson, Johnny always con-
quered it. Nothing could tempt him away from
his books till he had thoroughly prepared his tasks,
but when those tasks were over"—then comes the
reverse of the picture. Having put away his books
and put on his cap, Master Johnny would exclaim,
" Now I'm off for a spree I must do some mis-
chief ; can't keep quiet any longer. Here goes for
whatever comes in the way !" Such is Johnny
Jordan. Need we say more to insure him a cordial
invitation to the play-room and fireside this Christ-
mas ? Of a different character is the more ambi-
tious Torn and the crocodiles (George Routledge and
Sons), by Anne Bowman, the author of The
Young Yachtsman," and other similar tales of peril
and adventure. The present story is fully as inte-
resting as any of its predecessors. It relates the
perils and wanderings of an English family in one of
the West India Islands, the eldest boy Tom
proving himself a perfect hero, especially in regard
to his adventures with the crocodiles. While enu-
merating boys' books we must not omit Routledge's
Every Boy's Annual, which appears in its usual gor-
geous array, with a colour picture of the meeting of
Sir Colin Campbell and General Havelock. Among
the stories is one entitled " Barford Bridge, or
Schoolboy Trials," by that indefatigable writer for
the juveniles, the Rev. H. C. Adams. Among the
practical chapters is one on " The Lathe, and How
to Use It." For younger readers there is provided
a rich treat by Aunt Louisa, who proves a
very fairy Godmother of picture books. Aunt
Louisa's Sunday Picture Books and Aunt
Louisa's London Toy Books (Frederick 'Warne).
The colouring of some of these picture-books is
marvellously effective. One of the toy-books, en-
titled "Edith and Milly's Housekeeping," represents
two little girls at play, with a doll's house. Every
alternate page is a picture, beautifully finished in
every detail, and coloured in the most brilliant
manner possible. A companion volume, " The Life
of a Doll," recounts (with alternate picture-pages)
the adventures of a doll who could walk by machi-
nery ! and who, after accompanying her little mis-
tress across the seas to India, on returning,
visits Paris, and is, "by express desire," pre-
sented to the Empress. Very stately and
dignified is the figure of the doll, as she stands
before the illustrious lady, who gracefully re-
ceives her most unusual guest. With such books
for their entertainment as these and Warne's
Large Picture Toy Books, containing the veritable
histories of " Little .Red Riding Hood" and " Cock
Robin," and " The Children in the Wood," and
"Jack in the Box," and for their instruction "The
Object Alphabet," and " Edith's Alphabet," the
little folks on a Sunday may find amusement, and
instruction combined in the beautiful Sunday Pic-
ture Books above mentioned (" Aunt Louisa's
Sunday Picture Books"), containing the story of
King David and Joseph and his Brethren, and the
Proverbs of Solomon and others. Of a similarly
attractive character are Routledge's New Toy
Books, containing for Sunday reading the History
of Moses, and the History of Joseph, and the Scrip-
ture Alphabet ; while the " Nursery Rhymes," and
" The Three Kittens," and " Cinderella," and
"The Alphabet of Trades," with many others, leave
one would imagine, no juvenile taste ungratified,
no juvenile appetite (for Picture Books) unprovided
for !

THE E3f PRESS OF MEXICO.—The Memorial
Diplomatique has the following :—" We learm from Mira-
mar that St. Charles's day, being the fete of the Empress of
Mexico, was observed there by a mass celebrated in the
chapel of the chateau by Mgr. Raichich, principal chaplain
to the Austrian navy, and who formerly held a similar office
to the Archduke Maximilian. After the religious ceremony,
at which the Empress was present, her suite and all the
persons attached to the service of the chateau were admitted
to offer their congratulations to her Majesty. The august
Princess talked with the different people without any trace
of the mental disturbance she has been suffering under
being discernible. The same day her Majesty was agree-
ably surprised by receiving a telegram from the Em-
peror Maximilian by the Atlantic cable, congritulating her
on her Ate in the most affectionate terms. The Emperor
and Empress of Austria, as well as the other members of
the Imperial family, had also forwarded their compliments
by telegraph."

WORKING THE TELEGRAPH.—The high scale of
charges which has been fixed for messages through
the sub-Atlantic cables has led to the establishment of a
system of " working the telegraph" by no means advan-
tageous to the Anglo-American or Atlantic Telegraph Com-
panies. The plan adopted is similar to that of "parcel pack-
ing" by carriers, which has been the source of so much
litigation on our railways. The charge of £2O for a message
of as many words—or .£lO as the price is now reduced to—
including the names and address of the sender and receiver,
and the date of the message; thus practically limiting the
number of words in the shortest message that can be sent
to some 14 or 15. For instance "Brown and Co., Broad-
way, New York, to Robinson, Leadenhall-street, London,"
takes off a very large proportion of the message, each word
representing a charge, at the present reduced scale, of 10s.
Now, the combination of packers in London or New York
were not slow to perceive that in these names and addresses
on each message there existed a very profitable field for en-
terprise. On either side of the Atlantic the packers" have
a number of clients for whom they transmit or receive the
messages at a price considerably below the tariff of the
company. Each of these customers or clients has a corre-
sponding figure or letter by which he is known, so that in-
stead of sending some eight or ten words giving the names
and addresses, the message is simply " A. 8," or any other
two letters that may be agreed upon, the first representing
the sender, the second the receiver, and thus a saving of
some 20 per cent. is at once effected. Beyend this, how-
ever, a very complete code is arranged between the
"packers," by whico the number of words in the messages
is very greatly abridged. Half-a-dozen messages, for in-
stance, directing different correspondents to buy or to sell,
may be "packed" in ono message, and thus the repetition
of many words be avoided. A variety of plans are adopted
by which several messages are thus sent or " packed " in
one, and a very handsome profit is realised by the operators
at the expense of the companies.—Railway News.
Shire-lane, now more commonly known as Serlb's
place;'adjoining Temple-bar, is about to come down in
order to make room for the new law courts. Readers of the
Tatter may remember that not only was this place the abode
of "Isaac Bickerstaffe," but that it contained (and still
contains) the "Trumpet" Tavern, which was the scene of
the evening potations of himself and his literary brethren.
Another relic of the Addi onian era and of the early part
of last century is about to be removed Sir Richard Steele's
cottage, opposite the Load of Hay, on Haverstock-hill.
We observe that the (now rather noted) female
doctor, Mary E. Walker, will give a lecture at St.
James's Hall, on Tuesday evening next. The sub-
ject of the lecture is " The Experiences of a Female
Physician in College, Private Practice, and in the
Federal Army." The lecture will doubtless be of an
interesting and highly instructive character. The
skill, experience, and repute enjoyed by this scien-
tific lady will justify the hope of an eminently
successful gathering of ladies and gentlemen in-
terested in the cause of female improvement and
employment in a field especially adapted to female
genius,