The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-23 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Neill/ Carew. By Marguerite A. Power. 2 vols.
Saunders and Otley.
This is a very interesting story, that is written
with great spirit, and exhibits considerable know-
ledge of character. The- scene is chiefly laid in
Ireland, and the authoress evidently possesses a
vast amount of information regarding that country
and its inhabitants. The description of Mademoi-
selle Reuonard is a very admirable one. She is
exactly the sort of person that insinuates herself
into the concerns of a family, and exerts a dire in-
fluence on all who are unfortunate enough to come
within the sphere of her machinations. " The Fox,"
as she was familiarly styled in the neighbourhood,
had an arduous undertaking before her, but she
never rested from her toils until she gained a para-
mount influence that nothing could destroy. Mr.
O'Dell was a very weak man, who, being irresolute
himself, looked up with respect to one who seemed
always settled and fixed in her opinions on any
subject, and was endowed with sufficient determi-
nation to cope with all difficulties, and being trou-
bled with no scruples of conscience, and disturbed
by no tenderness of feeling, could do and dare every-
thing. He himself, to do him justice, shrank from
anything that would injure others, or even wound
their feelings, but was inconsistent enough to let
others perform the cruel task that he declined to
execute in propria persona. his wife was a very
giddy woman, who was destitute of any idea that
was nut centred on self. She took no interest in
her home, and cared nothing for her daughter
Nelly, the unfortunate heroine of this story. Her
misery may be imagined, when her life commenced
under the auspices of such parents and with the
fatal infliction of " The Fox," for her governess.
The years which intervened between the arrival of
that hateful woman and her installation as mistress
of Coolmore, having married Mr. O'Dell almost
immediately after his wife's death, instead of being
the happy ones that are the appanage of early
youth to a girl like Nelly, were wretched in the
extreme. It was to escape from her dreaded step-
mother that she consented to marry Mr. Carew,
whom she disliked, but Nelly was of a timid
nature, and threats and subterfuges were alike
employed to force her compliance. As might be
supposed, she exchanged a temporary slavery for
au enduring one, for she too quickly discovered
that she had bound herself to one who was in every
way different to herself. She gained none of the
advantages of position that the importance of Mr.
Carew's family had led her friends to expect would
be hers ; for Erle Carew disgusted his father with
his unworthy conduct till he disinherited him, and
the sums of money which the elder Carew for some
time bestowed on his unhappy daughter-in-law
were wrenched from her by the greedy and unscru-
pulous gamester. Her life was one long night of
sorrow, until roused to madness by the cruelty of
her worthless husband, she left with her faithful
attendant and infant son, during one of his many
absences, to seek a shelter with some valued
friends in Ireland: Her sister-in-law, Mag-
dalen, is a very pleasing character, one
whose gentleness and graciousness formed a
striking contrast to the dispositions of her father
and brother. There is something refreshing to the
reader, who is worn out with the wickedness of one
and the self-indulgence of the other, to quit for a
moment the contemplation of Sophie Renouard and
Erle Carew, and dwell on the refined excellence and
holy resignation of Magdalen. Those who desire
to read an exciting sketch of an eventful life of
suffering will be pleased with this new work of
Miss Power's, and it will doubtless be successful in
the novel-reading world from its brilliancy of de-
scription its vigour of style, and able delineation
of character.

Women Artists of all Ages and Countries. By Mrs.
Ellet, author of "Pioneer Women of the West."
Bentley.
In her preface to this interesting volume, Mrs.
Ellet observes that she never met with any work
on female artists except a little volume published
at Berlin. She has supplied the deficiency in a
very able manner, though, from various reasons,
many of her sketches are brief and incomplete.
She has consulted numerous authorities of high re-
pute, including Vasari, Descampes, and Fiorillo.
The biographies of Rosa Bonheur, Felicie Fauveau,
and Harriet Homier, three living celebrities of our
own time, are condensed from the Englishwoman's
Journal. The sketches of many of the American
ladies are prepared from materials furnished by
themselves or their friends. Mrs. Ellet extends
her researches to the earliest times of which there
is any record of art. The first female artist, whose
name she mentions, is the daughter of Dibutades,
who is said to have been the inventor of portraits,
by her charcoal sketch on the wall of her lover's
Grecian profile. She continues her record through
the earlier ages of Greece and Italy, and brings us
down to the time when German and Flemish art
attained celebrity. She devotes several chapters to
the eighteenth century, which witnessed an illus-
trious band Of feminine artists; and her concluding
pages are chiefly occupied with the American cele-
brities of the time, the biographies of Rosa
Bonheur, the famous painter, and Harriet Hosmer,
the pupil of Gibson. Many of her readers
will doubtless be surprised at the number and
varied abilities of these female artists. It
proves how mueli the powers of women have
been underrated in this particular. It is
curious to notice how few have had the advantages
of early training, and the numbers who have dis-
covered their talent as it were accidentally. Mrs.
Ellet has added but few comments; she has sup-
plied the facts and dates but has not attempted to
do more than sketch the outline of the artist's
career. She says in her preface, "No attempt has
been made in the following pages to give elaborate
critiques, or a connected history of art. The
aim has been simply to show what woman has
done, with the conditions favourable or unfavour-
able to hei efforts, and to give such impressions of
the character of each distinguished artist as may be
derived from a faithful record of her personal ex-
periences. More may be learned by a view of the
early struggles and trials, the persevering industry,
and the well-earned triumphs of the gifted, than by
the erudite or fine spun disquisition. Should the
perusal, of my book inspire with courage and resolu-
tion any woman who aspires to overcome difficul-
ties in the achievement of honourable independence,
or should it lead to a higher general respect for the
powers of women and their destined position in the
realm of art, my object will be accomplished." We
commend this work to the perusal of all who have
been discouraged in the pursuit of their vocation,
and it will also prove an attractive volume to those
feminine readers who, though unable to share in
the triumphs of their more gifted sisters, have the '
intelligence to appreciate and sympathise with
their efforts.

The Journal of the _Royal Agricultural Society of
- -

England: John lqurrai. No. XLIII.
This valuable journal, which is published half-
yearly, has commenced the twentieth volume, which
is a sure proof of its standard character. It opens
with- tables of statistics showing the fluctuations of
the temperature, the state of public health, the
prices of provisions, and the weekly average of
wheat for the half-year. The first article is
a Report upon the Preservation of Timber, by
the Professor of Chemistry in the Durhain
University. At the conclusion of his report
he makes some suggestions for adoption on rail.
Ways. A prize essay on the Agricultural condition
of the Channel Islands, by Mr. Le Cornn, of Jer-
sey, gives an interesting account of the state of
their cultivation, and the condition of farmers'
stock, market prices, &c. Papers on Beet-root
Distillery, the Allotment System, American Im-
plements, and the Influence of Climate on Cultiva-

tion, are amone, the remaining subjects. There is
is also a valuable prize essay, by J. Algernon
Clarke, on the important subject of the application
of steam power to the cultivation of land. The
writer discusses the various invention; improve-
ments and difficulties connected with agricultural
steam machinery, and gives a concise summary of
progress in this particular. The award of prizes
by the Royal Agricultural Society is given in
full.

WRECK OF THE ROYAL C'EART

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sir,—Some thirty-nine bodies have been found
since Sunday morning, of which the following only
can be or have been identified : fr rd
Francis F. Hutton, saloon passenger, F. Ru—°,
passenger, David Bell, as believed from a receipt
for a registered letter found upon his person (" t°
William Richardson from David Dell"), AnthonY
Belt, Captain James Morris, Mrs. Norman, Dr•
Hatch, Mr. Edwin Fowler (at Red-Wharf), and Mr.
M. W. Pitcher (my poor uncle), at Amlwch.
I am, sir, yours respectfully,
Moelfre, Nov. 22. ARTHUR RICH.

THE ROYAL CHARTER.— Tho following letter,
received yesterday morning, gives the latest account of the,
progress of salvage operations at the wreck of the Royal
Charter, from which about £lO,OOO has already arrived at
the Bank of Ragland :—" Moelfra, Nov. 21—Yesterday and
this day, although very fine overhead, it has been foul
impossible to do any work, by reason of a very hea_,V r
from the eastward. The divers were downy esterua"
abaut an hour, but could do nothing, the sea washin them
off their legs. Two bales of wool were recovered on'Satari:
day, and 24 sovereigns got out of three buckets of salt
..everal other buckets were washed, but nothing feund
i"4 is
is now noon, but, from the appearance of the sea)
feared nothing will be done to-day."
THE ROYAL CHARTER.—RECOVERY OF BODIE:1
—A Mr. Phair, who has just reached Liverpool fore ttila
Wharf Bay, after a vain endeavour to recognise anY °I other
bodies washed ashore as his two children and so that
(
relatives who were lost in the Royal Charter, statstatesthat
the
Sunday last no less than 18 bodies came on shore. °nthe
following morning three others were recovered fret° a
waves. One of them was evidently a firemaa, as be woreor
white canvas smock, on the breast of which Nor° sad:
pieces of coal; another was apparently a passeqer, d
his pockets was found £35, and two plain gold rinq abnoot,
silver lever watch (stopped at half-past seven and his boots
we marked with the maker's name in High)Holborn/ Lona;
don. Another was that of a female, and on her per's° r
found The whole of the property has been handed over
to the collector of Admiralty droits at Beauraaris-
ROYAL CHARTER.—ALmwur, Nov. 20. —leknd
up a mile at sea the body of a woman, supposed to be a her
Tied lady, stout, well made, middle age and height ; on.ll°`
ring Inger two gold rings, one a much worn wedding rillt
the other contains eight supposed Irish diamonds with gree
emerald in the centre, set in silver ; black silk body of &er
be-
black crape at the elbows, stays with sttel lac°
hind;, knitted worsted flannel, no chemise or night dress
o!
black jean boots, laced at the sides, patent leather teeggi
white cotton stockings, patent elastic garter on
with brass clasp ; on the other, black tape garter • day,roil
on body or dross to identify. Nov. 21.---A male 'b elf:
gone, say sft Gin high, flannel singlet, with white butt°. P.!
shirt, coloured cloth waistcoat ; in the pocket was founel
gold Geneva watch, albert curbchain,key white;
a °CV
ey
seal in ono end, plain, one side bloodstone, the other 4
watch marked on the back insido " 13 jewels, No. 9,721;a1f-
Perregaux, Geneve ;" two sovereigns, a crown, tw' bigok
crowns, one threepenny piece, one nugget and one pa of
(supposed coal), with a bit of gold stuck on to it, a P,Le,,,s'
paper with "Rev. J. B. M'Caul, 42, Gower-place/ 'D,'";;lied
street ; 40, Huntingdon-street, Barnsbury-parh." "-of.
the left 1
kg
up last week.—A bit of a flannel; shirt with the marks
ai,
W. P., 8 ;" good flannel, marked with red marking threek,
supposed to belong to a man hurried at Amiss-eh last web
but the flannel was not discovered until to-day.