The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-28 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—I
have to thank you for some kind words
relative to a statement lately put forth, that my
story, " Griffith Gaunt," is compounded from two
independent and original tales in Household TVords.

Will you oblige me by stating, as the truth is,
that I never saw either of those tales, nor read one
line of them. By the extracts lam convinced they
are simply short stories founded on the cause
celebre " l'ivardiere." The bare outline of that true
narrative is made use of in the second and third
volumes of " Griffith Gaunt," and hence, no doubt,
has arisen a partial resemblance between three tales
of very different calibre, based, however, upon one
great fact.

In the parallel that has been drawn, all the
points of difference between " Griffith Gaunt" and
his predecessors appear to be fraudulently sup-
pressed.

Of course by this artifice, and by one criticaster
wording in his own language the three English plots,
a slight similarity may be made to appear a great
one.

Where two short tales and one three-volume
novel are all based on an outline, that would go into
a page, the short tales must, by the nature of
things, be more indebted to the historical record
than the voluminous fiction can be. Yet the editor
of the " Round Table " picks one out of the three
story-tellers as the one Plagiarist ; trivoluminous
Me.

I think the circumstance, apparently irrelevant,
that I am sueing this editor for defamation, has
something to do with this droll selection. He has
a mind to show one there are such things as impe-
nitent liars as well as impenitent thieves. My
Attorney shall give him a pinch for stale news.
Let me add that to plagiarize is to borrow from
a homogeneous, not from a heterogeneous, source.
When an artist of fiction clothes with flesh and
vitality the dry bones of a State Trial, this is not to
plagiarize. Dramas and Tales that are, and will
long remain, the delight and wonder of the world,
have been so based on histories, biographies,
chronicles, and other records, indeed the more we
scrutinize the origin of lasting works, the more we
shall incline to say with the naturalists, oinne vivuna
ex ovo.—l am, sir, your faithful servant,

CHARLES READE.

The Mildness of the Season.

We are accustomed throughout every winter to
receive verbal or written assurances, and occasion-
ally ocular demonstration of the extreme mildness
of the weather, although even at the time it may be
necessary to walk at abrisk pace and be well muffled
up to secure a comfortable degree of heat out of
doors. In point of fact these illustrations of the
so-called " mildness of the season" are in nine cases
out of ten mere indications that at this or that par-
ticular spot there is an abnormal growth of fruit or
flowers arising from the shelter which the confor-
mation of the ground or some other circumstance
affords to vegetable life. This season, however, ap-
pears to be an exceptional one. Octogenarians
assure us that never within their experience have
they known the months of October, November,
and December to be free from frost, and though
the weather, as a rule, has been far from agreeable
or clement, and although the average temperature
has perhaps been low, in every direction there seems
to be a profusion of blossoms, flowers, or fruit,
which is quite ,out of keeping with the old notions
of Christmas weather. Most striking among the
many illustrations of this which have lately come
before us is a package of ripe strawberries, black-
berries, and full-blown flowers which we received
yesterday, and which were picked on the previous
day, not on the sunny southern coast of Devon, but
on the northern side of Dartmoor, and at a high
level. Large red, wild strawberries have of late
been frequently picked in the open air at Crediton,
but at North Tawton, whence comes the " basket
of summer fruit" to which we have referred, it is
indeed astonishing to find such a profusion of vege-
table growth, six or seven species of which generally
bloom at the earliest in May. We have also re-
ceived some fine and thoroughly ripe grapes, grown
in the open air at Crediton, and picked ou Monday
last to grace the dessert of a gentleman of that
town, and in the Crediton churchyard is a summer
rose in full bloom ; a second crop of blackberries is
to be observed in many adjacent hedges. Coming
nearer home, we learn that a pear tree has lately
blossomed in a garden attached to the Plymouth
workhouse. If these be the results of such disagree-
able and apparently cold weather as has been ex-
perienced this year, who can wonder that the people
of Mexico get three crops of blackberries a season ?
—TVestern Morning News.

The Right Hon. Earl Grosvenor, M.P., has
kindly consented to take the chair at the anniversary
dinner of the Great Northern Hospital, Caledonian-road,
N., to be held in .the spring. The committee intend
trebling the number of beds, and are liable for £7,000 to
complete the purchase and furnishing of the 'new hospital.
Additional wards will be opened as soon as the funds war-
rant the committee in doing so.
ANOTHER PROTEST AGAINST TRADES' UNioNS.--
The protest of the Staveley colliers against the despotic
regulations of the Trades' Unions has been followed by a
similar demonstration of feeling on the part of the non-
unionists in the employ of the colliery company at Huck-
nall-Torkard, near Nottingham. At a meeting, which was
well attended by the colliers, including many who had
seceded from the Union and have now returned to
their employment, Mr. Walker, ono of the proprietors of
the colliery, presided, and delivered a good practical speech
on the differences which had existed between masters and
men, pointing out the mischievous consequences resulting
from the principles upon which the Union is conducted,
and promising every necessary protection to those non-
unionists who were willing to resume work, but who were
deterred by the intimidation of the members of the Trades'
Unions. After other speeches to the same effect by Mr. J.
E. Ellis, Mr. Buckby, and Mr. Ward, it was unanimously
resolved—" That this meeting is firmly convinced that the
Union agitation is opposed to the real interests of the
workmen, and, as an assembly of non-unionists, pledges
itself to support its employers, satisfied that, their interests
being identical, the only sound state of things is wiler°,
perfect confidence and good feeling exist between them•
The meeting was also addressed in sensible speeches by
several of the older hands of the colliery in support of the
above views. A society for the relief of the workmen in
cases of sickness was established, and the most satisfactory
feeling prevailed throughout the proceedings, which were
very uuanimem.

A stained glass window has been erected in
Kingsworthy Church, Hampshire, to the memory of the
late Lord Northbrook. The following is the inscription
" This window is dedicated by the people of Kingswortili
to the memory of the Right Hon. Francis Thornhill, llot
Lord Northbrook, of Stratton, in grateful acknowledgnieut
of his generous benefactions in the parish, and in the hope
of perpetuating the influence Of his pious and beneficent
example. Ho was born April 20, 1796, and diod Sept• 6,
1866."

LARGE CATCH OF HERRINGS AT PLYMOUTO.-""
Within the last few days a very large quantity of herring°
have been taken on the Plymouth fishing grounds. The
fish are in fine condition, and have, in addition to the re-
tail sale in the locality, met with a rapid disposal for
transport to the neighbouring towns, and to the metropolis
and midland districts. During the last throe days 250 ono
of the herrings have left Plymouth per railway. A 10"
the west coast of Cornwall the catch of herrings has Well
very limited ; so much so that large_ consignments of the
fish have been forwarded from Plymouth to Penzance for
curing.