The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-09 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Village Belles a Tale of _English Country _Life.
By the author of " Mary Powell." New Edition,
revised. Bentley.
The lines on the title-page of this book serve
most aptly to illustrate its purport. They are as
follows :

"Familiar matter of to-day; •
Some natural SOITOW, joy, or pain,
That has been, and may be again."
Few readers can be otherwise than charmed with
the perusal of this little volume. There is something
real about its character, and one feels interested
in the fortunes of the inhabitants of the White
Cottage. Mrs. Wellford is a delightful portraiture
of a true lady, one whom adversity, and the total
reverse of fortune, could not entirely depress, but
who accommodated herself to circumstances with
cheerful resignation. Her daughters are of very
different dispositions, but both are attractive.
Hannah, the eldest, is a gentle and refined
maiden, but Rosina is of the spirited and
brilliant style. The story contains many pleasing
passages, and the description of Huntly is a very
admirable one. He is represented in a very natural
manner as a gifted man, totally destitute of prin-
ciple, but possessed of a power of fascination that
'was dangerously influential. The episode of his
engagement' with Hannah Wellford forms an
important feature in the narrative, displaying that
there was something innately good in Huntly's
mind, or he would never have been attracted by
such a pure being, while her rejection of him, when
she discovered his deficiencies, revealed most un-
mistakeably her fixed adherence to the lofty stan-
dard of right. Rosina is a lively sparkling heroine,
with nothing calm'or composed about her. She is
genuine in her character, however, and displays, on
many occasions, much kindness of heart. Altogether
Village Belles " is a very desirable and delightful
little work.

The Net, Monthly Magazine.
An account of the "Flight to Varennee is the
first thing to meet us in this number. This mourn-
ful event, one of the most painful in the annals of
that:troubied time, is narrated at -length. It is one
that is almost irritating to the reader from the mis-
management and want of precaution which charac-
terised it. All readers, whether Republican or
Royalist, must sympathise with the unfortunate
family trying to escape for their lives; the poor,
simple-minded, patient king, the undaunted but
suffering queen and niother, whose hair went grey
from the terrible anxiety of that ill-managed
flight. The account here given is clear and
interesting, and fuller than is general in histories.
After this tragic romance of real life we come to a
vivid but painful fiction entitled " The Brothers."
It continues the story of Pommeroy Abbey under
another name, and tells us how Rupert Pommeroy
murders the lord, his brother. It is well written,
but the subject altogether is painful and unpleasing.
Cardinal Maury is the next on the list of Sir
Nathaniel's note-worthies, and an entertaining
account of his career is given. "My Friend
Pickles " continues his amusing catalogue of
grievances. The fifth of " Stereoscopic Glimpses,"
by W. C. Kent, shows us the mighty master of his-
toric fiction in his study at Abbotsford, with the
shadowy forms to whom he has given immortality
clustering round him. We subjoin the following

lassage :

" Though slight this wand, its flickerings still
Above each scroll their witcheries fill—
As fast the mystic symbols shower—
Recal to light dead shapes of power.
Back o'er Burgundian plains are rolled
The buried pomps of Charles the Bold I
Flames out once more 'neath northern sun
The shattered glaive of Marmion I
Loud clangs again in dust and blood
The stately tournay's iron flood—
The warlike storm of plume and spear,
That rings with many a blow and cheer I
Around the old magician throng
With these, the heroines of his song—
Whose charms his inmost soul entrance,
The glories of his heart's romance !
Sweet Ellen of the sylvan lake,
Whose bark a floating heaven would ma e :
Fair Catherine, fairest maids above,
As maiden of the morn of love :
Diana, whose quick-reined reproof
Wring's music from her palfrey's hoof :
And e, the hero-robber's joy,
Queen-mistress of the bold Rob Roy :
Rebecca, poised in virtue's proof
O'er batslements of Front de Bceuf
And loveliest still, though crazed in blood,
Yon widowed bride of Ravenswood !
Strange types of various clime and age—
The goblin elf, the pauper sage,
The smuggler grim with ruthless scowl,
The shaven monk in russet cowl,
The turnkey of the squalid jail,
The red-dioss knight in tinkling mail
No theme so quaint, no dream so fair,
But finds its aptest semblance there—
There circling as with magic ring
Yon grey-haired bard—their Lord and King."

A paper on "Arrivals from Paris" treats of some
of the new works that are exciting the attention
of the Parisian world. " Aunt Francisca," a plea-
sant tale from the Danish, is brought to a conclu-
sion. Cyrus Rodding, the veteran contributor to
the New Monthly, gives us a paper on " Lady
Morgan." There are other articles on subjects of
varying interest.

TILE LATE CASE OF HOMICIDE AT
BIRMINGHAM.

Very exaggerated reports of this case have ap-
peared in the papers. At the inquest, which con-
cluded on Tuesday night, it was shown that Bugg,
who fired the gun, went into the public-house with
the deceased on the night of the occurrence, and
called for a glass of gin and n glass of ale. They
stood by the bar door and were talking together in
a friendly manner. Shortly afterwards the bar-
maid brought the gun down stairs, and placed it
against the smoke-room door, while she went to
call a man to discharge it. Immediately after-
wards the report of the gun was heard, and
Bugg was seen to let the gun ,fall upon the
Paynergeon,
floor, while Payne fell bleeding. Bugg, in com-
Panandyrewturnith abutsil
edanionth.aebroumtafin,vewmenintutfoesr,
was then dead. On his return Bugg appeared greatly
excited, and fainted several times.
Police-constable 307 having given evidence as to
the nature of the admissions made by Bugg, to the
effect that he picked up the gun, and on making
the remark " How heavy it is," the gun exploded,
witnesses were called to show that there appeared
the greatest friendship and cordiality between the
deceased and Bugg on the night of the fatal occur-
rence.

The Coroner, in summing up, said hehad observed
with very great regret that observations had been
prematurely made before any authorised inquiry
could take p
minds in regard to the circumstances
lace, which tended to prejudice, he
feared, many
of the inquiry. One of the points made and plainly
suggested was, that some feeling of jealousy,
founded or unfounded, had been excited in
some way, and imputations were made which
were calculated to invest the case with a doubtful
character. They had, howeveri at considerable
length gone into that point, and had found that
tohnes the
olieclteantiiil
o evening ofof the
Bugg, fatabluoccur-
rence
that
of the deceased himself, and all the circumstances
there was no foundation whatever for a supposition
of this kind, so far as was known to those 'proxi-
mate and nearest to the parties concerned. The
•rcumstances of
actof
wasgo n' i 1 go
t at out
ut
the case would seem to indicate that any
preconceived
intention on the part of Bugg would have been a
matter of absolute insanity. The demeanour of the
parties showed that they vi, •
ere perfectly friendly, and
the direction of the wound, as had been
explained
0
by the medical gentlemen wh had
given their evi-
dence would tend to show that the act was the re-
sult of an accident. There was another important
circumstance with regard to the hour at wl tich the
gun was brought down to be discharged. On the
evening of the occurrence the gun was b Taught
down at a much later period than usual, and it was
impossible for the pri •
soner to have known. th at it
had not been brought
he entered the house.
After
a deliberation of an hour, the jury r( :turned
a verdict of " Homicide by misadventure, to George
Bugg." The nature of the verdict appeare dt o give
great satisfaction.
The prisoner was brought before the be rough
magistrates yesterday (Wednesday) n torning , hay-
in6 been remanded from Saturday; And aft er the
evidence of several] witnesses had b. en he: Ird, he
was discharged. 1