The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-12 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Winter Evenings. By Leitch Ritchie, Author of
" Schinderhannes,' " The Magician," &c. Two
vols. Hurst and Blackett.
In these volumes there are a great many amusing
sketches and well-written essays on various sub-
jects. They are written with animation, and evince
considerable penetration into the secrets of social
philosophy. S me of these papers were previously
published in Chambers's Journal. We meet with
almost every variety in choice of subject, and forms
of expression. Perhaps the most entertaining are
the short tales, which exhibit generally some
ludicrous trait of character, or striking combination
of circumstances. Conspicuons among these is
" The Burglar malgre lui. ' This tale can scarcely
fail to occasion amusement. It relates the adven-
tures that befel an imprudent traveller, who, on
returning from abroad, approached his uncle's
house in the dusk of the evening, and chancing to
see the area gate open, he thought to enter and
surprise his cousin. His horror may be imagined
when he discovered, too late, that he had mistaken
the entrance, and come into the kitchen next
door, while, to complete his confusion, he had
taken possession of some silver laying about, to cow•
vey a practical illustration to his relatives of theia•
carelessness. To escape an awkward meeting he
entered a deserted drawing-room, and had the satis-
faction of hearing the house locked up. The long
hours of night were passed in reflections of no
pleasant nature. He turned over thy' question hi
his mind, and each way it looked darker and more
unpromising. " Who gives me in charge'
? I will
not stand it ; I am innocent, except of breaking
into a baronet's house. lam a gentleman with an-
other gentleman's spoons in my pocket." Fortu-
nately for the unhappy victim of involuntary ~'rouse
breaking, relief appeared in the form of the young
lady of the mansion, who proved to be the friend of
his cousin next door, and who had heard of his
expected arrival, although she had certainly not
imagined the form, it would take. The sketch of
the " Solitary City" is a striking one, and the writer
has powerfully depicted the lonely life that may be
led by the friendless stranger in the peopled
wilderness. It is said that society in London may
be described as consisting of so many circles, which.
are impenetrable from invisibility, and while there
exists much kindliness among them when once
entered, it must be "when introduced in a regular
manner." "My Fellow Traveller and I " records
the doings of two pretentious occupants of a coupe,
and each wishing to show off his French, per-
sisted in making remarks which the other
could not understand. After a most miserable
journey, they discovered on parting that both were
English. Had the eclaircissement taken place earlier,
the intercourse might have been much more satis-
factory. " Grandmother Hook" is a strange story
—not very probable, but related in a lively manner,
and forming a surprising denouement at the last.
" The Supernumerary Class" describes the course
of those who wander about with no occupation,
and no decided means of livelihood, yet who con-
trive to exist from day to day, unknowing them-
selves one hour what they will have to undertake
the next. It is truly said that this is "a melan-
choly picture, view it in what light we will."
" Circumstance" is the title of a tale that power-
fully shadows forth the great difference that often
exists in the life and fortunes of some men, owing
to some trivial event, or some unexpected occur-
rence. It is most probable that many prototypes
might be found for the cousins who met after 20
years' absence—one supposed to be an outcast, and
the other a most respectable member of society.
It was not the vice of the one or the virtue of the
other that made the difference, but accident, or, as
it is here termed—circumstance. " Jemima's Supper,"
the last sketch of the series, winds up with a very
ludicrous account of the blunders that were
enacted in a certain lodging-house, where the
stupidity of the servant, the folly of the em-
ployes, and the absurdity of the lodgers combined,
to create a perfect comedy of errors. " The Woman
of the World,"and the "Woman of Society," are very
admirable treatises, and it is well observed that the
two names are often confounded, but they are
ahiolutely different. " The highest ambition of
the former is to be considered an appropriate part,
that of the latter to stand alone ; the one is the
slave of society, the other its tyrant." While the
author does not always rise to the height that is
due in discussing some of the more important
themes here under discussion, we meet occasionally
with some fine passages, or some expressions that
are of an excellent and exalted kind. One of the
best of these articles is, " What is Life ?" in which
the great question of the aim and object of exist-
ence is considered in an appropriate manner, and
after speaking of what is called the monotony
of life, it is urged " Life is neither
weaving, nor printing, nor digging, it is
thinking. There is no employment so dull or
uniform as to deprive its follower of the power of
thought. Nay, the more mechanical the employ-
ment, the more opportunity it may be said to afford
for mental cultivation. The shuttle has before now
borne burthen to the lofty rhyme ; and it was no
intellectual task-work which gilded the visions of
him
Who walked in glory and in joy,
Following his plough upon the mountain side.'
In conclusion, it is said—" Forward, forward, is the
cry 'of destiny; awake ye who slumber, from
the slumber of your faculties. Read, listen, speak,
feel, think—in one word, live, for life is thought."
Taken altogether, a most agreeable companion for
a winter evening will be found in this work; and
the reader may rejoice to meet with so pleasing
an employment as the study of these brilliant and
sparkling sketches It is certain that however
diversified are the tastes of the lovers of literature,
there is a prospect of one, or other of the subjects
gratifying their wishes, since they comprise a wide
range, and are almost • alWays written in a con-
sonant style.

STEAMER RUNDOWN OFF GREENOCK

About a quarter past six o'clock on Saturday
morning a collision took place in Cartsdyke Bay, a.
little eastwards from Greenock, between the screw
steamer Emerald, 181 tons, Oman, master, at pre-
sent trading between Glasgow, Ayr, and Liverpool,
and the screw steamer Auguste Louise, 115 tons,
M'Neil, master, belonging to Mr. H. L. Seligmann,
Glasgow, and trading between the latter port and
Bordeaux, via Dublin, in which the latter vessel
was so much injured that she settled down almost
immediately. We gather the following particulars
from those on board the Auguste Louise :—At 6.15
a.m. the vessel was passing up towards Cartsdyke
Bay, bound for Glasgow, on her voyage inwards
from Charente and Bordeaux, via Dublin, with a
cargo of brandy, wine, and madder root on board.
They had halted off Greenock and rung their bell
for a long time, signalling for a pilot, but no one
came otf, and the vessel then proceeded slowly on
her course. • The morning was dark, but not thick,
and the steamer's masthead light and starboard
light were burning clearly, and her port light was
being trimmed. Captain M'Neill was upon the
bridge looking out, and while in Cartsdyke Bay he
saw the Emerald approaching, her port light being
clearly visible. He immediately gave orders to port
the helm hard, and had scarcely done so when the
Emerald ran bow into the Auguste Louise, striking
her nearly amidships on-the port side, and cutting
her down below the water's edge. The bridge of
the latter vessel, on which Captain M'Neill was
standing at the time, was demolished, and he was
thrown into the engine room, sustaining some
injury, but he immediately regained the deck,
and found the vessel fast filling and settling down.
By this time the Emerald had stopped and backed
oft; and took the crew of the Auguste Louise on
board. At this period it was within two hours of
low water; and, after striking, the Auguste Louise
slewed round, with her head westwards, and settled
down upon the bed of the river, which is very shal-
low at the place, and the stern got nearly under
water, and the bow part, which was more buoyant,
was considerably elevated. The Emerald sustained
little or no damage, and took additional cargo on
board at Greenock, and proceeded to Ayr two
hours after the collision. Without loss of time,
Captain M'Neill, with the Clyde Shipping Com-
pany's tug Nimrod, and a lighter and a body of
men, proceeded out to the Auguste Louise, which,
as we have said, was only partially submerged, and
commenced to remove the cargo, and they expected
to have done before the tide flowed, so as almost to
cover the hull of the vessel. The accident is bad
and unaccountable exough ; although, had the
vessels met in deep water the Auguste Louise must
have disappeared, and, along with the cargo, been
lost, or almost entirely destroyed, while a number
of lives might have been sacrificed. That it has
been otherwise, however, is so far gratifying, though
we cannot help saying that it does seem strange
that a vessel, after encountering the storms and
dangers of the Bay of Biscay, should; in a clear
morning, and within hail of port, meet with such a
disaster. We have again to repeat a hope, which
we have always expressed when a disaster occurred
in the channel, that a searching official investiga-
tion will he made-- as strict, indeed, as if lives had
been lost; convinced, as we are, that nothing short
of this will be satisfactory to the public or tend to
diminish those disasters which have become a
scandal to our channel and river navigation. The
same night, at low water, chains were put under
the after portion of the Auguste Louise, and
attached to lighters moored on each side, and on
Sunday morning's tide she was thus lifted, and
taken in close to the shore, to the east of Messrs.
Robert Steele and Co.' ship-building-yard.—North
British Mail.