The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-24 00:00:00

SPAIN.

The Spanish journals continue to take a cheerful
view of the war in Morocco, but they record no real
progress. The Iberia states that the Spanish troops
are to march upon Tetuan in the following order :
the main body is to march along the road that is
being cut, while General Prim with his corps is to
occupy the mountains to protect the flanks of the
army ; meanwhile the fleet is to proceed along the
coast to disperse by its firo any hostile force that
might present itself. The Spanish army occupies a
line three leagues in extent, with three redoubts and
other strong entrenchments. The Corresponelanci
ill giving the text of several manuscript prayers to
Mahomet, which have been found upon the persons
of the Moors, states one of them contains 5,000
times the words—" God merciful !" repeated
over and over again without any other sentence
whatever. A private letter from Madrid says .
" The commercial community of Cadiz has offered
the 44 millions of reals claimed by England. The
measure by which Ceuta is declared a free port is
prejudicial to the interests of Gibraltar. The army
of Africa is to be raised to 80,000 men, while
80,000 more, remaining in Spain, will form the
reserve ; besides which, in case of necessity, the
Government might call out 80 battalions of provin-
cial militia. All the naval forces arc concentrated
at Cadiz."

AMERICA.

(13Y ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)

LIVERPOOL, SATURDAY MORNING.

The City of Manchester has arrived at Queens-
town. She brings New York advices of the 10th
inst.

Tho President's Message had not been delivered,
the house not having elected a Speaker.
Cotton firm, with sales during the past three days
of 9,500 bales, at unchanged quotations.
Breadstuffs generally steady. Indian corn has a
tendency downward. In provisions pork firmly
held.

The steamer Edinburgh, Ocean Queen, and
Persia have arrived at this port.

NEW ORLEANS, DEC. 9.

A firm tone prevails for cottons. The sales of
the week are about 61,000 bales. Quotations show
no material variation.

THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

PLYMOUTH, SATURDAY MORNING.

The Union Steam Navigation Company's mail
packet Athens, Commander Strutt, from the Cape
of Good Hope Nov. 20, St. Helena Nov, 28, and
Ascension Dec. 2, arrived in the Sound this
morning.

LITERATURR.

CHRISTMAS BOOKS.

The Complinzents of the Season ; or, A Merry
Christmas and a Happy New rear. By Mrs.
Gordon Smythies, author of " Cousin Geoffrey."
James Blackwood.

A hundred thousand times repeated at this season
of the year, this Christmas greeting comes from
none more gracefully than from Mrs. Gordon
Smythies, whose pen is already delightfully fami-
liar to the novel reador., With the elegant little
volume before us, a "merry Christmas" now may
be pleasantly passed, and the story-tellers roind
the fireside in Great Russell-street will tell their
stories again and again with new approbation to
many a homely group. There is the story of the
" Vacant Chair, and Who Filled it "—there is Mr.
Younghusband's Courtship, or " No Fool like an
Old Fool"—there is a pathetic description of " A
Strike," and a very charming story, founded on
fact, of "The Old Curate and the New Vicar"—
there is a romantic history of an Editor in Love, and
a coup de theatre at last with two great arrivals.
In a word, there is (as in such a book there should
be) abundance of fun, and no lack of interest. Mrs.
Smythics enlivens her pages with a delightful
humour, and is singularly felicitous in her do-
scriptions. After speakinm6, for example, of
the old curate, in his youth, with his golden
hair, she tells us, in an image as happy as it is
beautiful, " since then Time had carried off the gold
and left the change in silver. And yet more elo-
quent is a passage in the introduction recalling to
the forgetful minds of Christmas revellers the holy
nature of the feast they celebrate. On the other
hand, as instances of humour, we might cite the
remark on poor Gaston, who, after some diEappoint-
mont in business, took to his pen, " lie might
almost as well," says his biographer, " have taken
to his bed !" Or, better still, the scene where Mr.
Younghusband, a beau of sixty, is anxiously array-
ing himself for conquest, under the auspices of
Hodge, or Hodgkinson, his country valet. " How
do I look, Hodgkinson ?" lie asks, " how do I look
in front?" "You looks most becoming, sir." " And
how do I look behind ?" "If possible, grander
still, sir." " Hodgkinson," said Mr. Younghusband,
"should you like to have a mistress ?" Hodgkinson
drew himself up, grew very red, and replied indig-
nantly,—" No, sir ! I values virtue and reputation
as father and grandfather done afore me ; but I
shouldn't object to a wife, sir, if I could afford such
a very expensive article." We have not space for
further extracts, nor are they required. Who does
not desire to have " A Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year?" To all who do, let us' very
heartily wish "The Compliments of the Season"
, from the hand of Mrs. Smythies.