The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-30 00:00:00

CHRISTiVAS BOOKi.

Schoolboy Honour. A Tale of Walminster College.
By the Rev. H. C. Adams, M.A., Author
of
" Tales of Charlton School." A New Edition
with Illustrations. Rou fledge. ,
A work of this class is always desirable, and in
the present instance the effort has been a very suc-
cessful one; of presenting the young with a moral
tale that is not overstrained. The characters of the
chief boys in the story are well drawn, and Austen,
the most difficult to sketch, is true to life, as he is
not exaggerated in his views, as so many good chil-
dren are made to be, being more like a pattern made
to order than a human being who is for others to
copy, and who cannot serve as models unless they
are represented as
" Creatures not too bright and good
For human nature's daily food."
Austen is a fine nature—one of those minds that
matured by experience, and strengthened by trial,
shine out bright and conspicuous in after life, and
appear as landmarks to others who are treading the
thorny path of life by their side with a less steady
step and a less steadfast soul. Cole is also well
described, as one whose good impulses are often
crushed by the evil influences of those around him,
and who is nearly drawn aside altogether to the
evil ones, but who is stopped at the right moment
and saved from further contamination. The acci-
dent that his mother met with was a blessed occur-
rence in the end, for thereby her son was forced
to think. How many would lead different lives,
and how many death-beds would give better hope
for the surviving friends to dwell upon, were those
in doubt resolutely to retire into solitude and to
think. The scene at Mrs. Cole's bedside is very
impressive ; many careless children may learn from
it to act now as they should like to have done
when they stand by their dying friends. At-the
same time, they must not presume, and think be-
cause they are sorry all will go well. A long life
of regret often follows on some heedless act or ob-
stinate conduct; and Mr. Holford's advice to his
young friend was admirable. "However that may
be, be sure God's providence, who makes all things
to work together for good, made use alike of your
mother's danger and recovery to awaken your con-
science to a sense of your own sin and of His
mercy. You must not expect that He will always
be pleased to answer your prayers so directly and
promptly; but you need not doubt that He did so
answer them upon this occasion." Also the words
spoken by Dr Campbell are excellent in their purport,
afford alike warning and admonition to others
similarly circumstanced, and, above all, they are
good in their teaching as regards honour. That
oft misquoted and perverted term which signifies
so much and yet often means so little, in the actual
observance of its dictates, cannot be too fully illus-
trated to ignorant and incautious folks. AfLer a
series of confusions and a course of mystery and
misunderstandings, that do not often occur even in
the perplexed stage of a public school, the Head
Master took care to improve the occasion, bearing
in mind the efficacy of a word in season. At that
time many false ideas of " Honour" had obtained
ground at the college of which he was the worthy
superior, and he thus forcibly worded his exor-
dium :—" I trust that the occurrences of the past
few weeks will impress on you, and on all, the dif-
ference between true and false HONOUR, the latter
of which is so often the bane of a schoolboy's life.
Your great mistake has been in believing that you
could be false to duty in your actions, and yet
faithful in your words. You see in your own case
how vain this attempt has been. Your disobe-
dience involved you inevitably in evasion, deceit,
and equivocation, one after another, till it ended in
open and deliberate falsehood. Such must always
be the case. The shallow distinctions which the
world affects to draw, as how far it is allowable to
withhold or disguise the truth, are but so many
contrivances to escape the condemnation which
attaches to the confession of its evil works. Only
they who do the truth in its integrity can speak it
in its purity. Only they who hold fast to both,
after the fashion of the great example of all noble-
ness, can fulfil, whether as men or boys, the per-
fect law of Honour." In Mr. Holford we meet
with a rara avis among schoolmasters, one of those
really noble-minded men who recognise to the
fullest extent the high and holy object of their
efforts, and who are beacons to their fellow-workers
to persevere in their calling, remembering that the
ultimate object of their toil is to train men to serve
their Maker in this world, and to influence spirits
who should shine around His throne hereafter. Mr
Holford was a very just man, but also kind, and his
words were potent because his actions were con-
sistent with his preaching. He was enabled to
note the answer to his prayer, and to rejoice at the
crown of his efforts in Austen, whose conduct under
very trying circumstances was exemplary in the
highest degree. He felt "thankfulness, such as
they alone experience to whom it is granted even
in this world to know that their labour has not
been in vain in the Lord." This little work may
be recommended to notice as affording an excellent
instance and perfect illustration of the trials and
troubles of schoolboy life, and those who know the
value of early impression of virtue and the strong
influence of vice on the young and ardent will
accord their testimony to the merit of a book that
sets forward the difficulty and shows the danger of
early youth in public seminaries. Also they will
subscribe to the good attempt to admonish the
young under their case, that with temptation there
is a way to escape, and all trials may combine to
gain the crown of glory which is the appanage of
those who endure to the end. " Schoolboy Honour"
is a very deserving book, that deserves success,
and is sure to interest, from its exciting passages,
remarkable events, and eloquent descriptions.
Children are easily influenced when they see con
sistency in their teachers, and the whole tenour of
this volume goes to prove a plain and perfect stan-
dard of truth, honour, and kindness. These quali-
ties, each in its separate and intrinsic merit, are the
most important to gain a hold and exercise an influ-
ence on the character, and the young, who reverence
and practise honour, will as they grow up the
most effectually secure respect, enjoy happiness,
and gain the good word of all. What is of more
consequence, they will also experience the approval
of their own conscience, and thus furnish the ante-
past of that peace beyond all understanding which
now crowns the works of the just with a lustre
surpassing worldly glitter, and hereafter will adorn
them with imperishable splendour, where honour
has its source at the fountain of all dignities.

Through Life and For Life. A Story of Dis-
cipline. By A. Richmond, author cf " Annie
Maitland," etc. Illustrated. Routledge.
This is one of those useful books that are so de
sirable for the young to peruse. It furnishes a
striking example for those giddy girls who persist
in dressing up and indulging in vanities to the
neglect of their duties, and the annoyance of their
friends. Mary, the heroine, is a very good ex
ample of this class, and the picture is not at all
overdrawn, a fault which often mars the effect of
these moral tales. The contrast between the two
sisters is very forcibly put, and the selfish repining
of Mrs. Elwes illustrates the errors people commit
in persisting to settle for themselves what is best
for them and what will be most irksome also. Thus
the weak foolish mother declared the beautiful
child would be a blessing and the sickly one a curse,
but events proved just the contrary, as Mary caused
nothing but trouble, and finally killed herself from
persisting in going to a ball in cold weather.
Meanwhile Susan, wits her limited cap abilities for
exertion, did her utmost, and by her patient cheer-
fulness rendered inestimable service to the uncom-
fortable household. The aunt, Susan Elwes, is an
admirable character, end affords an instance of an
upright person labouring for others without meet-
ing with much return in the shape of gratitude.
Susan Eiwes, however, toiled not for the approval
of man, and the reward of earthly things; her aims
were heavenly, and her works were of that class
which shall be recompensed at the resurrection of
the just. In Mrs. Dunn we find a woman who
means well but acts very unwisely, and who com-
mits the errors of deceit to gain her ends. She
was in a great measure answerable for the mischief
and misery that occurred when Mary was living
with her. Tnis little story is very interesting and
is sure to prove a favourite from the natural man-
ner in which it is written. It can in all confidence
he recommended to young readers as a pleasant
pastime that has a moral to be of service to them
when the amusement of the tale is past. " Through
Life and for Lite" slows many important things
spring from slight causes, hence no care can be too
great, no exertion too unnecessary on the part of
the ignorant and inexperienced to gain knowledge
and obtain advice regarding the petty details of
everyday life. Also they are told where to seek
help in the hour of need, and how to spend their
short day of trial here in preparation for that
other and better life to come to which this transi-
tory existence is but the stepping stone.

How to Make the Best of B. A Domestic Tale
for Young Ladies. A New Edition. By Anne
Bowman. Routledge.
A new edition of this interesting and sensible
story appears very appropriately at this season.
The object which the authoress sets before her is to
show the evils of false pride and discontent, and
to prove how true dignity and happiness may
best be found, by doing our duty honestly and
boldly, in the state of life in which it has pleased
God to place us. The heroines, Julia and Con-
stance, meet with a sudden and startling change
of fortune. They are the daughters of an Eng-
lish merchant and a French lady of noble family.
They pride themselves on belonging to the aris•
tocratic race of the De Couryilles, although that

haughty family has refused to aeknowledge the
marri,,ge. Their absurd pride is greatly encou-
raged by Nanon, an old French nurse, who is
full of affection and prejudice. Their mother
having died when they were young, their father
re-married their governess, who realises the old
idea of stepmothers, being cold, harsh, and un-
just. A fraudulent partner brings Mr. Chilton
to ruin and disgrace. Unable to bear the shock
he dies, leaving his widow and orphans in great
poverty. Felix, through the kindness of a friend,
enters the medical profession, and departs for
his studies. The youngest child, Bertrand, the
indulged son of Mrs. Chilton, is too young for
any exertion, so the weight of assisting in main-
taining the household falls on the two girls. To
complete their misfortunes they are shipwrecked,
and lose the few goods they possess. Mrs. Chil-
ton is forced to abate her pride, and open a
small day school for fishermen's children, and the
two haughty scions of the race of De Courville
are driven to common household employment
and monotonous drudgery. The various adven-
tures they meet with, the kind friends who come
to aid them, the cheerfulness with which they
learn " to make the best of it," and the sweet
uses which they gather out of their adversity,
will be best shown by Miss Bowman's plea-
sant and instructive pages. She is already known
to many by her graphic tales of emigrant life
and adventure, and the story before us will cer-
tainly not disappoint her readers. It is by no
means a childish story, but rather designed for
those who have reached the age when it is a com-
mon mistake to suppose that refinement and idle-
ness are synonymous, and that the performance
of honest labour is derogatory to the dignity of
young ladies. There is an admixture of ro-
mance, which all ends happily, and the cheerful
performance of duty is shown to lead to peace and
happiness, while perverse and discontented rebellion
against the will of God brings nothing but
wretchedness iu its train. There is abundance of
incident and a variety of character, while altogether
the work may rank among the most pleasing and
useful of the Christmas stories.

Eildon Manor : a MTh for Girls. By the author
- -

of " The Maze of Life," Routledge.
One of those pleasant tales whose interest centres
in the home circle, and whose most startling ad-
ventures are incidents which might naturally
chequer the course of English country life. The
heroes and heroines of the story are for the most
part residents at Eildon Manor and children of
Mrs. Bruce, a gentle and delicate lady, whose mild
temper and ill-health render her scarcely fit to cope
with the self-willed, high-spirited young folks
around her. Her eldest son Walter is abroad, and.
the chief event of the work is his return with his
young bride. This new member of the family has
been looked forward to with very doubtful feelings
by the young ladies of the Manor; but on her arri-
val all their fears are dispelled, as with ready tact
she accommodates herself to each one's peculiarities
while preserving her own principles. The story
breaks off somewhat abruptly, and the reader would
have liked a few more chapters to show how the
beneficial influence of Walter and his wife acted on
the unruly inhabitants of the Manor; but the first
steps to the desirable change are seen. The charac-
ter of Margaret is somewhat disappointing, as she
alone of the family seems to have some desire for
improvement and some sense of the faulty tone of
the circle. The various dispositions are well con-
trasted, and the uncomfortable result of each dis-
obeying the injunction to " Look not only on his
own things but also on the things of others," is
forcibly shown. Aunt Jane is another source of
discord in the inharmonious group, and the family
of the Swintons is very unattractive. There is a
lesson to be learned from the history of th in-
mates of Eildon Manor, although there is no at-
tempt at preaching in it, the moral is unfolded
by the story ; and young people at this holiday sea-
son will find it a welcome companion for their
leisure hours.

The Young Painters and Young Musicians. With
Illustrations. Booth, Regent-street.
This work is divided into two parts, called "The
Sweet Power of Music" and " Tales of the Studio."
It would be difficult to find a more attractive study
than that presented in these pages to all young
folks who have any ability to appreciate merit, or
any ambition to be aroused by the recital of the
actions of those once children like themselves. If
anything could excite the vapid, arouse the idle,
and urge on the timorous, it must be the strange
but true account here set forth. Living witnesses
attest the reality of the marvellous things here set
down. They appear to us not in the world of living
men, but from the temple of fame they speak to us
as we behold their works that shall last while time
endures, or listen to their melodies that will en-
chant the sons of men till tongues shall cease and
knowledge vanish away. The striking lesson to
learn from these sketches is that all the men whose:
early lives are here chronicled were, as boys, beset
with difficulties. In no one instance was the pro-
fession for which they were designed, and for which
they were partly trained in many cases, the sphere
in which they afterwards excelled. The relations
had not the sense to recognise the necessity for
their vocation which actuated them, and indeed
they were often too limited in their capacities to
appreciate the godlike gift that rendered the
creations of their sons almost divine in their beauty
and excellence. In most cases the boys were so
poor that their perseverance in the cultivation of
their favourite art was almost incredible and fur-
nishes an apt illustration of the importance of la-
bour and the necessity of application even where
true genius appears, and that creative power exists
which electrifies mankind. " Thy talent to im-
prove, take care," is a solemn and also an encourag-
ing warning, and these ardent young spirits were
actuated by the true feeling in regard to it. All
must be deeply moved at the picture here drawn of
their early struggles, their innate consciousness of
power, but their difficu:ty in making it understood
by those around them. The little slave, who came
in at early dawn, and altered and improved the sub-
jects in his master's studio is a very interesting
sketch, and it is satisfactory to know that such
precocity was crowned with success. The discerning
eye of real talent soon recognised the embryo artist,
and the master exclaimed to his unknown pupil,
"Happy man that lam ! I have done more than
paint pictures, for I have made a painter ; for your
name, Sebastian, will be handed down to posterity,
coupled with mine, and your fame will be the
crowning glory of mine. I wish that in centuries to
come, you may be spoken of as the Mullatto of
Murillo, and, in truth, my young readers, Sebas-
tian Gomez was more known by that name than by
his own." The force of prejudice is shown in the
ease of the Cardinal St. Gregory, who would not
agree to the merits of Michael Angelo. Tbat
distinguished individual contrived to expose his
folly. He laid a statue of his own making in a
spot where he knew they were making researches,
and having broken off an arm, he gave it the ap-
pearance of a relic of antiquity. The Cardinal
sent for him and expatiated on the merits of this
discovered gem of sculpture. Very few modern
artists, I think, could make such an arm as this,
Signor Michael Angelo." Michael offered to show
the equal, and returning home, he brought to the
Cardinal an arm whioh fitted exactly. The latter
exclaimed A Miracle !" No, not a miracle, but
a trick,' replied Michael Angelo. I wished to
prove to your Excellency that the moderns were
capable of doing things as well as the ancients.,
The incidents in the stories of the young musicians
are also very entertaining, and in full ussuraece of
its being an excellent monitor, an inciting example,
and a glorious proof of the marvels wrought by
perseverance, this work may be presented to all
young readers at this season of respite from learn-
ing and making merry at home. It will pre-
pare them for that time when the lessons of
childhood are over with its holidays for
ever, and they must march on to the
battle-fields of life. Happy if there they can com-
port themselves as becomes their country ; and
whether or not they can shine in the ranks of the
renowned, as the heroes of the work before us, they
can at least do their best, each in his separate
sphere, and according to his distinct abilities.
Patience and perseverance are qualities of lasting
importance
persons;rtanceto be impressed on the minds of all
you
and this work contains a moral
that may be useful to many humble capacity, while
to the talented it exhibits the crowning examples
of those who could go no higher, as they are at the
summit of all earthly fame, sons of geuius whose
works have gained a world's applause, and of whom
humanity is proud. The compiler of this book has
a claim on the gratitude of the public in presenting
them with this interesting and admirable work, so
improving in its tendency, and so attractive in its
style.

The Wonderful deentures of Tefflonybo and his
Elfin Company. By Holme Lee, author of
" Legends from Fairy Land," &c., illustrated.
Smith, Elder, and Co.

The little people who followed with eager eyes
and anxious hearts the marvellous history told last
Christmas in the "Legends from Fairy Land" of
the disasters which betel that adventurous knight,
Sir Tuflong,bo, and the haps and mishaps of the
&fin Company, will receive with delight this fresh
budget of news from the fairy country, and study
the achievements of Little Content as he followed
the fortunes of that warlike knight. A regular
airy tale is now getting rotnewhat uncommon, but
as the tastes of cildhood do not chance with the
fashion,we have little doubt that this genuine story of
marvels, adorned by eight large plates, will gladden