The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-23 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Hidden links ; or, the &hoolfellows. A Tale.
. I 3 vols. Newby.
I This story is replete with interest ; a great va-
riety is offered to the reader. The purpornof the
narrative is to trace the careers of three schoolfel-
lows, who differ widely in character, fortune, -andpursuits. Besides these primary subjects of
atten-
tion there are many persons more joined in. who
contribute to the general effect. Some of the inci-
dents may be a little exaggerated, but,. on the
whole, skill and ingenuity ate displayed in the
events. Lady
.CJurter,lay evinces a striking
example of the crime committed by parnnts in
.urg-
ing on their daughters to marry for the sake of ob-
taining a higher position in the world, or a more
affluent home. Sir Frederick Courtenay is another
warning to those possessed of an excellent disposi-
tion, but who mar the innate worth of theiriusture
by suffering themselves to be led astray.: :Dermot
O'Neill is an aptly-described hypocrite,
who, Under
the guise of an unassuming candour, contrives to
play off as many frauds on his fellow-men .as ally,
open offender. The manner in which Isis guilty
schemes a. e frustrated is powerfully demonstrated,
and the final restoration of his brother's don to his
rights is a triumph over vice as well as-a EueeeEs t )
virtue. Henry Montague is the only.nieiitorious
one among the schoolfellow:. He set out. in 1 ft)
with fewer advantages thanhis ier.ds, but he con--
trived a', last to surpass them in everything. lie
was always ready to lend them a helping hand what-
ever difficulties they were in. The family of the
Dobisons forms a most amusing episode in the
story. The vulgar pretensions of the mother, the
absurd eiegances of the daughters, are ludicrous to
witness ; and the mistakes they are c-onstantly
making, the awkward positions they coritinuaLy
place themselves in, afford scope for many:live'y
sketches. Altogether "Hidden Links!' furnishes
material for diversion ; and, among its readers,
some wiil doubtless not consider vain the hope ex-
pt eased by the autLor in conclusion, that the
"utile " has been mingled with the " dulce."

A Twine of Wayside Ivy. By Margaret Casson,
autbores: of Cross Purposes, &c. John Moxon.
The style and scope of this little volume would
be scarcely gathered from its somewhat affected
title. It co,,sists of "Three tales froni an old
woman's notebook," relating the fortunes 'of some
fair friends she had krinwn in the &lure° of her
lift. They are pleasing and interesting stories of
domestic life, somewhat romantic, but very likely
they will V° more attractive to most readers in conse-
quence. The first tale, " The Haunted Well," is
tinctured with a supernatural interest. It conveys
a warning to those who would rashly seek to pry
into their future fate, showing the misery 6.a re-
sulted to the beautiful and unfortunate heroine,
Kathleen O'Brien, from her wilfully s= eking to
'elm the future consequences of her actions, instead
of amending them, while there was time. This story
is striking'y impro'etble, but it is mournfully
interesting, and points a useful moral. The most
ple tsing of the three is perhaps the next, " Evelyn
Shirley's Two Balls." This, like the others, turns
on Shajtspert's axiom, " the curse of true love
never did run smooth," and relates delays, disap-
pointments, misunderstandings, and all the usual
catastrophes of a love story. The last is a retro-
spective story, which is seldom so pleasing. The
authore?s is tavourAbly known to the lovers of fic-
tion as the writer of several romances, and the
present volume of agreeable narratives will sustain
her r.-putation. Though offering little of a novel or
striking character to the reader, and posseSsing but
little originality, they are full of simple domestic
interest, and breathe an elevated tone of sentiment.

THE CONVICTS ROBSON AND REDPATH.

LATEST PARTICULARS.

On Saturday, P. Johnson, Esq., the : Official
assigeee under the bankruptcy of Robson, accom-
panied by Mr. Morant, tie solicitor, fer the
assignees, proceeded to NetvgAte, and had an
interview, in the presence of the governor, Mr.
Weathcr:.ead, with Robson. On Tuesday the
Cryotal Palace Company presented a proof for
nearly 18,0001. against Robson's estate, which was
opposed by Mr. .13s,gley, on behalf of twenty-four
trade creditors. These creditors haie formed a
fund, not only to oppose the proof of the trade
assignee, but to call upon the commissioner to
suspend the dividend upon the numerous proofs
already admitted. It is alleged, but we cannot
certify to its accuracy, that upon an investigation
of the company's accounts many irregularities have
been discovered which have bem improperly attri-
buted to Robson. This led to the interview on
Saturday at Newgate, in order that Robson, who,
since his conviction has manifested everyslisposi-
Con to d. clare the truth, should check the proof
tendered by the Crystal Palace Company. Should
that prof be admitted, it will nearly absorb all
the funds, and leave the trade creditors with almost
a barren estate. The desire of Robson appears to
be, tl;at he should be at nc sent out" to some
penal colony, where his natural and intuitive abi-
lities will, doubtless, soon procure him favourable
consideration ; and his wife, who was governess in
a colonel's family, and is highly educated, and pos-
sesses considerable talent, has been promised ti e
means to accompany her unfortunate husband.
While Robson is endeavouring to do, all in his
power to assist his assignees in bank.ruptcy'to wind
up his estate for the benefit of his cre ittLa-s, Leopold
Redpath exhibits the most unflinching taciturnity,
and pertinaciously refused, at his last "priva.e"
meeting, to disclose anything which w,,uld had to
the elucidatiou of the extent of the Gr-a Northern
Railway frauds. He justified his '41614 upon the
ground of having been treated with ureatharsbness
and cruelty by Mr. Mowatt, the recreti.ry of the
compsny and the assignee of his estate.' His exa-
mination, as well as ' obsoa's, has been adjourned
sine die, the trade creditors not being at all satis-
fied in ether case. Up to Saturday both convicts
remained in Newgate.

THE RUSSIANS AND THE CBINESE

WAR.

The hostilities in which China is now 'becoming
involved, with one, if not more, " barbarian "
Stater, forms a subject of the highest•interest to
Russia and the press there ; the
.yriny words
used by the leading speakers in the .:recent de-
bates in our Houses of Parliament Nerve been
faithfully translated into Russian journals, an
amount of accuracy and circumstant44ity that
hitherto has never been bestowed on pAyy foreign
discussions. The opinion which the Rqesians at
first formed, that these hostilities on 4.10 eastern
coast of China would lead to an increase' of their
trade on the western land frontier of 14-ytt empire,
seems to be giving way to a lively apprelminsion that
they will produce the opposite effect this Is ex-
pected to arise; not so much from the usual im-
poverishing effects of war as from the cimuustances
that the interruption of the Chinese ?commercial
relations with Europe is stopping the import of
silver at the Chinese ports : the price pf silver is
already very high in that country, and4hirre seems
now every reason to expect it will rise oonsiderably
higher. The inevitable consequence of exc.
sive rise in the price of silver in China will he, that
the Chinese demand in Kiakhta for Russian me:-
chandike is likely to be very materiallyindueed.

. ,
A postal treaty has! just been conclHed between
France and the United States. By thir-Areaty th,
French Government will pay the expense, of transit . f
the Franco-American mails between Frani:4 aid Eng.
land and between England and America; by British.
packets. Tne American Government will, pay the ex-
pense of transit of such maili between France and the
United States by Artrericln packett, and between Eng.
land and the United States by American ppositets. The
postal offices of exchange between France.and America
will be Havre, the railway poet-office between Paris arid
Ca'ais, New York, Boater, Philadelphia, and, San Fran.
cieco. The postage on a letter from ArnreriCa will be
70. per i ez., pre-payment to he optimal:' 'The treaty
will come into operation on the first of nail month.
INQuasT.—On Friday ent u ng
an inque'sfiras held on
the body of a child 16 months old, the daughter of a poor
man Earned Baker, living in 'James-place, Ratcliff.
Baker had teen lately thrown out of e ork its cen,equenra
of an it jury to his hand,
and two of his b4titeren being
at`acked with fever ho obtain.d an order, tor reedioll
relief from the Ratcliff Workhouse. The jury were of
opinion that Mr. Stephenson, the surgeon to
bud neglected the we rik •
the child ; and expopeed &seat s
faction with his treatment of the poor generally. Tbe
coroner observed that it was the fourth oesion onwhichch
he had been obliged to lecture Mr. Stephenson at the
request of juries.
Company have announced "the
The Riga liailwaY f. their negotiations with the
euccesOut termination„
o Their concession has been ex.
Russian GOVertllll.
wire, the capital has been reducert
tended from 56 to 75 Y
.
in the length and route of the
. i,e_o„„ of changes. .
in co e
.‘ he terms as now arranged enable the three-
line, and t
' tors to aubatantiate the original representation of a mi.
trillium I .
nters_t of 5 per cent. upon the required capital."
The shares are to be reduced from 100/..te 201. each,
and the calls will be made over a period of three years.
The exact details have yet to be received; and mean-
while it must still be difficult to form an opinion as to
the value of the concession, although the shares have
improved upon the announcement. A favourable fe:,-
ture of the scheme, as it was originally understood, was
that the shares with 801. paid were to be redeemed at
1001. The concession is now stated to be prolonged to
75 years, but nothing is said regarding the terms of re-
demption. - It must also be borne in mind that when the
prospectus was first issued the public knew nothing of
the intention of the Russian Government to swamp the
European markets during the next ten years with
45,000,0001. of their railway securities, nor of tneir plan
of diverting the commerce of Riga by constructing a line
to the pert of Libau and the Prussian frontier.