The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-23 00:00:00

JENNY L2-ND'S RE-APPEARANCE.

.- ~-.1•1+ ..-...,

Exeter Hall was last night crowded in every
corner in honour of a most interesting occasion.
The gifted songstress, who retired from public life
in the full zenith of her fame, returned to the scene
of her former triumphs to assist a charitable pur-
pose. The condition of the dense population which
has sprung up on the outskirts of the metropolis
has long excited the attention of our philanthropists
and social reformers. The brief account given in
the published circular succinctly states the case for
which help is at present urgently needed.
The district to which public attention was last year called
under the name of " Londoners over the Border," is situ-
ated on the marshy ground on the Essex shore of the
Thames, and commences about four miles from the General
Post Office. It has but lately been inhabited thickly, and
owes its population almost entirely to the establishment of
the Victoria Decks, and of sundry manufactories in the
neighbourhood. The number of people at present resident
in the proposed new parish, which includes North Wool-
wich, is about 7,000. The demand for labour is, by neces-
sity, far from constant. The people are frequently
left for very long periods without the means of sub-
sistence from their own resources. When labour exists,
the remuneration leaves no margin for saving. Hence,
when the time of need comes, furniture and clothing are
sold or pawned. Want, hunger, disease, and misery follow.
Nearly four years ago Mr. Hernam Douglas, a clergyman
of the Church of England, whose private resources were
sufficient to render him independent of the scanty stipend
appended to this district, undertook its charge. His
efforts were devoted-1, To build and endow a church,
build schools, and a parsonage, 2, To establish industrial
institutions for the instruction of boys and girls in different
branches of labour, skilled and unskilled, and for their em-
ployment when so instructed, 3, To introduce needlework
for women, in order to supplement the scanty wages of their
husbands when fully employed, and to give some means of
support when their husbands are out of work, 4, To grant
allotments of garden land, at a small rent, The men work
only till 4 p,m, in the Docks, and the care of a plot of land
will both keep them from the alehouse after Dock hours,
and supply them with potatoes, &c. 5, To minister
to the wants of the poor when sick and starving,
by organising a system of domiciliary visitation,
by the aid of Scripture-readers and female missionaries,
To effect these objects, Mr. Douglas had recourse to the
columns of the Times, and liberal subscriptions flowed in
to his help. The results were-1. The church was com-
menced, and some money subscribed for a school in North
Woolwich, the eastern extremity of the new parish. 2.
The industrial institutions were set on foot to such extent
as funds permitted. The expenses of teaching being over,
they are now nearly self-supporting, but not sufficiently
large to give employment to all who need it. 3. The poor
were succoured in their distress; the average number of
visits daily is 75. 4. Crime has much decreased. Un-
happily, the success of Mr. Douglas's first appeal to the
public roused the jealousy and, suspicion of some who sup-
posed their interests to be in an opposite direction. A
violent persecution was organized, and Mr. Douglas was
represented to have misused the funds entrusted to him
by the public. Accusations of this character, publicly made,
required that a decided step should be taken for their refu-
tation. Mr. Douglas appealed to his Diocesan that com-
petent persons should be appointed to investigate his course
of action, and especially the administration of the funds
committed to his care. Two gentlemen were appointed,
who carefully performed the task &lotted to them. Their
testimony has been published, and establishes both the
purity of Mr. Douglas's conduct, and the judgment and
discretion of the means which he has taken to carry
out his objects. But in the meantime the accu-
sations had their effect. The tide of public bene-
volence wag stepped and Mr. Douglas acquitted
before the world, finds himself paralyzed in his
labours, by the absence of that support which was
generously given him, while the wants of his parish are as
urgent as ever. The church is half built ; schools, in the
most destitute part of the district, are not even commenced,
A site has been given for a parsonage, but there are no
means for building it ; and the industrial institutions may
be extended three or fourfold, but the means are wanting.
Owing to the frequent stagnation of trade the poor are often
in great want, and women approaching childbirth are with-
cut necessary food. The same state of things, as regards
deficiency of work, and insufficiency of the means of instruc-
tion and public worship, may exist elsewhere; but it must
be remembered that here, among the " Londoners over the
Border," there are no parochial charities for them to fall
back upon at such periods, nor are there any wealthy resi-
dents to help them.

Hearing of these difficulties, Madame Lind-Gold-
schmidt, whose ears are always open to the voice of
charity, generously gave her services, and we have
no doubt the result will prove most satisfactory
to the benevolent promoters of the movement. The
performance selected for this occasion was Men-
delssohn's chef d'oeuvre of " Elijah," and its success
was unquestionable. Madame Lind-Goldscmidt,
whose voice has not suffered from time or inaction,
displayed her wonted powers of expression in the
brief but difficult role of the chief soprano. The
principal air which fell to her portion during the
evening was the beautiful passage at the opening
of the second part, " Hear ye, Israel," which she
rendered with wonderful expression. In the widow's
dialogue with the prophet, toe, she gave the
varying changes of feeling expressed in the
words, " I go mourning all the day long ;
I lie down and weep at night;" and again,
" The Lord hath heard my prayer, the
soul of my son reviveth," with great accuracy
and power. In the exquisite trio, "Lift thine
eyes," in which she was ably assisted by Miss
Cole and Miss Palmer, a unanimous encore was
demanded. The quartetts, " Cast thy burden
upon the Lord," and " 0 come, every one that
thirsteth," which Madame Lind sang with Miss
Palmer, Mr. Sims Reeves, and Mr. Weiss, were
admirably given. Mr. Weiss was, of course, the
" Elijah," a part which is well adapted to his
voice, and displays his powers to advantage,
although we have heard him sing with
more effect than on this occasion. Mr. Sims
Reeves, who sang with his accustomed ability, ob-
tained a unanimous encore by his expressive ren-
dering of " Then shall the righteous," with which,
however, he was unable to comply. We must Rot
omit to mention Miss Palmer's singing of the
beautiful air, " Oh, rest in the Lord," which was
warmly re-demanded. The chorus and orchestra,
under the efficient direction of M. Otto Goldschmidt,
was all that could be desired, and the satisfaction
of a large and brilliant audience was loudly ex-
pressed. The welcome given to the heroine of the
evening was enthusiastic, and the applause on her
withdrawal was no less so. The arrangements
were excellent, preventing all confusion, and leav-
ing little to be desired; and altogether the evening's
performances met with a success which does not
always attend pretentious undertakings, and was
worthy of the occasion.

ANCIENT GRATES IN PERTHSHIRE.—Some dis.
coveries of a remarkable character have been msdo recently
in Perthshire, on the estate of Mr. Paterson, farmer, Barns,
Kincardine. In the course of removing some stones from
a knoll lying near the farmstead, a large flag of nearly a ton
weight was come upon, under Which a grave was discovered.
The sides were formed of four flag stones placed on edge,
and a similar one formed the bottom. It contained the re-
mains of a human body, which must have lain many hundred
years. The space which contained the skeleton is about
3ift. in length, barely 2ft. in width, and of about the same
depth. From the size of the grave the body could not have
been laid at length, and the bones were those of a full-
grown person. It is supposed that the grave is a Roman
one, as several others of a similar description have been dis-
covered in tho district. More recently still another Roman
grave has been discovered within two miles of the same
place, on the estate of Blackford. While a farmer was
engaged in ploughing his grounds the plough came in con-
tact with the top of a Roman urn containing a quantity
of bones, on an eminence like the former, about 70
yards from the farmhouse. The urn was quite entire, with
the exception of a portion of the bottom, which had been
broken off, although it bore indications of its ancient orisin.
What is remarkable, it was placed with its mouth down,
covering the bones. The urn is about ISin. in length, and

19in. wide at the mouth. There have been a number of
urns discovered about the same locality from time to time.
The troops of Agricola, on their march to the camp at
Ardoch, came through Gleneagles, and consequently would
pass near the spot indicated. Some antiquarians who have
seen the place conjectured that the urn contained the burnt
remains of a Roman officer who had died on the j Gurney to
Ardoch. —Scotsman.

TILE ALLEGED MURDER IN WILTS.—The man
Pearce, charged with the murder of his wife, has been
brought before Sir John Awdry and Lord Methuen, at
Chippenham, when evidence having been given to the effect
of that already published, the prisoner was duly cautioned
previous to his committal fo: trial, when he said, " All that
I have to say is that I never beat the woman." Sir John
Awdry having left the court before the examination was
concluded, a conversation ensued between the magistrates'
clerk and Lord Methuen, the magistrates' clerk being of
opinion that the prisoner should be committed for wilful
murder, leaving ajury to reduce the crime to manslaughter,
his lordship decided on committing biro for murder, saying
that he would take upon himself the responsibility of so
doing. The proceedings occupied about five hours, during
the whole of which time there Wai much excitement in the
icoArtl