The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-01 00:00:00

Homely Hints from the Fireside. By the author of
" Little Things," &c. Edmonston and Douglas.
This is another of those pleasant and practical
little works which offer so much sound and valuable
advice in a homely and unpretending form. "Little
Things," and " Things to be Thought of," have long
since become popular, and now these " Homely
Hints" are added to the series. They are chiefly
addressed to ladies of the middle rank, and they treat
of a class of petty troubles and perplexities which
present themselves to almost every mind, but which
are seldom thought worthy of a place in works of
advice or instruction. A few of the titles of the
chapters will best afford an idea of its character.
We have hints " On Worry," " On Sympathy,"
" On Interruptions," " On Offering Advice," " On
Convalescence," " On Needlework," &c., besides
many other subjects of domestic importance. The
opening division, "On Encouragement in Well
Doing," contains much cheering and helpful advice
to those who cannot accomplish as much as they
would. We commend this little volume to those
with whom its predecessors have found favour,
assuring them that -without pretentious instruction
they may gather some profitable suggestions from
these homely "household words."

Holiday Tales. By W. Martin. Darton and Co.,

This is a very delightful little volume for the
young, it is one of the most amusing story-books
that has appeared for some time. In particular
must be mentioned " The Original History of a
Cat and Its Nine Lives," and " Mrs. Fiddle-Faddle's
Lady-like Establishment and the Doings of Gen-
tility." The adventures that befell these young
girls, who had the misfortune to be brought up in
that abode of decorum were most singular. No
one who likes a joke can fail to find e rich fund of
entertainment in these vivacious pages. The ex-
traordinary events that occurred in the life of poor
puss are also very ingeniously related to us, and
one is amazed to behold the feline heroine sailing
down the Thames in a boat and joining in the
fight between an English and French frigate. The
marvellous good genius that guarded this animal
brought her safely from the depths of a French
prison, where she had been immured, and bore her
exultingly over the deep again past another hos-
tile vessel till she landed with her brave, daring
protector on the English shores. Throughout this
series of adventures is very lively, and it is brought
before the reader in a brisk and animated manner.
The " Haunted Mill" is a story very different
from the others, and it contains a useful warning to
all idle and spendthrift characters. The mill was
the turning point of the tale ; one of the possessors
died in it, another by it, and the third on it, thefourth
retrieved the fortunes of the family, repossessed
himself of the lost property, and through his
industry and intelligence he died mayor of the
town he had entered as a vagrant and outcast.
The " Young Volunteers" is another of those
serio-comic tales, in which the author of these
light sketches has achieved so signal a success.
Mr. Scrivener was a very worthy man, whom we
are told, " had it been his good fortune to have
died at the completion of his 40th year,would have
obtained and deserved as good an epitaph
as it was possible for a stonemason to
cut for him." He lived, however, to
became mixed up in the affairs of a Volunteer
Corps that was formed in the town, and great
was the confusion that ensued therefrom. There
are various other little tales in this book, which
furnishes a rich treat to all juveniles in search of
amusement, and it may tempt their elder friends
to forego serious; studies for an hour, and smile at
the drollery displayed in the sketches so humor-
ously described. "Holiday Tales" is a right title
for a book thus abounding in fun and frolic, while
occasionally the young reader may obtain a glimpse
of a moral that may serve him in graver hours.

Legends. from Fairyland. By Holme Lee, authot
of " Kathie Braude," &c., with eight illustra-
tions. Smith and Elder.
A fairy tale beginning with " once upon a time,"
and ending with " lived happily ever afterwards,"
disarms criticism at this holiday season, especially
when the title-page tells us that it narrates "the
history of Prince Glee and Princess Trill, the
cruel persecutions and condign punishment of
Aunt Spite, the adventures of the great Tuflongbo.
and the story of the Blackcap in the giant's well."
All these fascinating promises are fully and fairly
carried out. The valiant Prince Glee and the
lovely Princess Trill, after fearful risks and hair-
breadth 'scapes and snares, are safely united, de-
spite the machinations of the wicked Aunt, as-
sisted by the evil masksellers, and a band of
malicious fairies. That adventureus traveller, the
great Tuflongbo, relates his marvellous experience
in exploring the countries of the Applepivi and the
Puffraspabi and Alicempagni,to theawe and admira-
tion of Fairyland. We are also introduced to the
Old Woman who lived in the hollow Ash-tree,
and her little maid Idle, who was punished for
her laziness by being captured by the Wicked
Fairy of the Creeping-plant. The Old Woman was
Court-dressmaker to the fairies, and spun their gos-
samer robes, trimming them with dewdrops and
moonbeams. The story of " The Blackcap" is more
serious, and is something of an allegory; but the
whole volume is beyond very juvenile readers, and
is suited to more advanced lovers of the fairy world.
Illustrated with eight engravings, and gorgeously
bound, it makes its appearance most appropriately
in the midst of the holly and misletoe, and will
probably receive a hearty welcome from a large
circle of young folks in " the Country under the
Sun."

The Horse and its Rider. By Sir Francis Be

Head, Bart. Murray.
After perusing Sir Francis Head's remarks
upon the horse, we are somewhat at a loss to un-
derstand what has been his motive for presenting'
them to the public. His observations are, on the
whole sensible enough; but, with a few exceptions,
when he introduces some peculiar idea of his own,
we find it has been expounded by nearly every writer
on equine matters. That he is a bold rider is pretty
clearly expressed, when he talks about galloping
over glaciers as a matter of course. but too many
portions of the work seem to have been written.
with no other object than for the sake of writing.
He gives us a long description of the mode of
clipping, shaving, and singeing horses. He ex-
patiates on the barbarity of the proceeding—the
misery of the animal so treated, until he has roused
the attentive reader to the boiling point of indig-
nation, and then goes on to state that after all the)
horse does not mind it, is in far better health, and.
capable of enduring more fatigue when deprived.
of his rough coat than when wearing it. However,.
to those who like to have both sides of the question,.,
and that too from an author who does not explain!
his own conviction, this book may prove eniert ain—
ing. The most sensible remarks to be found are,
those relating to shoeing horses during frosty
weather.

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Specimens, with Memoirs of the Less-known British'
•Poets. 3 volP. Nichol, Edinburgh.
These volumes complete the first division of Mr.
Nicho]'s admirable series of the British Poets, which
has appeared at regular intervals during the last
eight years. It has included the poetical works of
Chaucer, Spenser, Milton, Scott, Cowper, Rums,
Thorn„,,' besides many lesser names, printed in..
clear and excellent type, in volumes which form a .
handsomet addition to the shelves of any library. Thai
Rev. George Gilfillan contributes a memoir of each
poet,
with a critical essay on his works, frequently
oee
containing a good deal of incidental information. A
short period will elapse before the second division
is published, owing to the copyrights of some of the.
later poets not having expired, and during that in-.
torval Mr. Nichol proposes to re-issue the first
division, with any improvements that may appear

liged to wander over the earth until they had
found a beneficent .mortal to listen to their doings.
" Twelve o'clock" may take its place among the
ranks of Christmas stories, in the confident expec-
tation that it will be a favourite from its variety
of events and vivacity of style, while the mystical
spirit infused into its pages is well kept up, and it
is, what it purposes to be, a genuine ghost story.

Japanese Fragments, By Captain Sherard Osborne,
_ ....

C.B. Bradbury and Evans.
A reprint of the lively and graphic papers which
appeared under this title in the pages of " Once a
eek," forms a very acceptable Christmas volume.
Captain Sherard Osborne is known as a brilliant
writer as well as an able officer, and a personal
visit to the singular peopla he describes, in
addition to his acquaintance with the earlier
writers on the subject, has fully qualified
him for his present undertaking. Although
it professes only to contain fragments of
information, a good deal may be learned from the
little volume before us; and those who were pre-
viously unacquainted with any of tha Japanese
peculiarities will be able to gather from its pages
a general idea of the country and its inhabitants,
and the nature of European dealings with them.
Most of our knowledge respecting the internal
history of the country is somewhat superficial and
uncertain, but Captain Osborne has collected the
best of it, and added the information gathered from
his personal experience, He takes a very favour-
able view of the Japanese character, and notwith-
standing the anomalies which he regrets in their
social system, he does not regard it with disfavour.
We must not omit to mention the gorgeous illus-
trations by artists of Yedo, which decidedly belong
to the pre-Raphaelite sohool, and which add greatly
to the entertainment to be derived from this clever
and agreeable little volume.