The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-19 00:00:00

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

CURIOUS CASE OF PICKING POCKETS.—INQUIRING
FOR APARTMENTS.— -Samuel Connor, a tall man, wearing
under his coat a blue Guernsey frock, was charged with the
following cases of picking pockets :
Miss Rosalie Fench, a governess, 9, Charles-street, St.
James's, said she was in Mr. Chester's trimming shop,
Tottenham-court-road, the previous afternoon about half-
past four, when feeling something at her pocket she put
her hand down and caught the prisoner's hand in it. She
seized him by the coat, but he got away, and she then
spoke to a man, but he refused to go after him. He was,
however, caught and taken into custody. She missed from
her pocket her purse containing half• a-crown.
This case being proved,
Mrs. Ann Whitehouse, of 39i, Howland-street, said
that at four the previous afternoon she opened the street
door, in answer to a knock, when the prisoner, pointing to a
card in her parlour window, said, " I see you have apart-
ments to let." She said she had, but not liking his ap-
pearance she said she thought they were too expensive for
him, as they were 18s. a week. He replied, "Oh I am
sure they will, as lam a clerk in the Bank." She asked
him what bank, and he said, " The Shilling Bank in
Fonehureh-street." He was all this while standing close
to her on the top step, and she thought her dress rustled.
He then asked her to let him see the rooms, but she told
him, being frightened, that if he eame the next morning at
nine, he could see them. He then left, and as soon as he
had done so she thought of her purse, and on putting her
hand into her pocket she found it was gone. She called
the prisoner back as he turned into Russell-place, but he
still went on, and she then asked a man to stop him, but
he refused, saying the man had done nothing to him. The
prisoner then ran through London-street. Her purse con-
tained half a sovereign, a shilling, a sixpence, and a three-
penny piece, a small note, and a piano key.
The constable said ho found on the prisoner two half-
sovereigns and a threepenny piece,

Prisoner asked the witness whether she was positive he
was the man.

Mrs. Whitehouse said she was, though she had stated
that it was another man the previous night to the in-
spector.

Mr. Beadon said ho should remand the prisoner, who is
well known to the police, for a week.
CLEVER CAPTURE.—Richard Price, address refused, was
charged before Mr. Beadon with being concerned with
Samuel Lyons in stealing a revolver of the value of £8
from the shop of Mr. Beattie, gunmaker, Regent-street.
It appears that the man Lyons was tried yesterday at the
sessions, and while the trial was on the prisoner Price was
observed to be very anxious as to the fate of Lyons. After
the trial he made off hastily, when Sergeant Joy, 9 C, and
and Shillingford, 141 C, went after him, and took him into
custody; and on Mr. Thomas William Dobson, jeweller,
of 32, Piccadilly, being sent for ho indentified him as one of
the men he had watched and seen with Lyons. When he
was taken into custody, he offered great resistance, drawing
a knife, and trying to escape.
Mr. Beadon remanded the prisoner, but he will be com-
mitted for trial.

TERRIBLE MURDER IN IRELAND.—A farmer,
named John Quinlan, residing near Portanein, in the
county Limerick, when returning home on Saturday even-
ing, was shot dead near his own residence. He had been
transacting some business, and left by the six o'clock train
for Oala Station, where a car was in waiting to convey him
home. When passing his sister's house on the road, he
alighted, for the purpose of paying her a visit, and was
immediately fired at from the opposite side of the road.
Ten slugs penetrated the heart, and ho fell dead. A man
recently evicted is in custody on suspicion.
MONDAY POPULAR CONCERTS.—The fourth sea-
son of these concerts began last evening, as formerly, at St.
James's-hall, and, also as formerly, under the able direction
of Mr. Arthur Chappell. The new series promises to be as
successful as the preceding ones have been, The entertain-
mentt was of the same high quality ; and the hall was filled
to the doors, the audience including many individuals dis-
tinguished in (Aix musical circles,

LITERATURE.

Said and Done. Smith, Elder, and Co.
This is a story of considerable ability, possessing
grert interest. The attention of the reader is never
suffered to flag, no page is dull and no description
wearisome ; but of description or detail there is in
truth very little. The tale is chiefly told, and the
characters pourtrayed by means of conversation,
which is al ways the most attractive and successful
method of story telling when cleverly done, but at
the same time the most difficult to do easily and
well. The title, "Said and Done," is borne out by
the motto, which is chosen from the writings of the
late Rev. F. Robertson, of Brighton, the gifted and
lamented preacher whose elegant words have
clothed so many unrecognised truths. "It is a
perilous thing," says the sentence on the title page,
to separate feeling from acting ; to have learnt to
feel rightly without acting rightly. It is a danger
to which, in a refined and polished age, we are
peculiarly exposed. The romance, the poem, and
the sermon teach us how to feel. But the danger
is this—feeling is given to lead to action; if feeling
be suffered to awake without passing into duty, the
character becomes untrue." This inconsistency or
harmony between dreaming and working the author
has endeavoured to portray in the dramatis personae
of the story. One of them, a poet, much given to
melancholy moralising, and what Carlyle terms
gossamer gauze, finds his poetical day-dreams and
elevated sentiments only too attractive to one of
the heroines of the tale, Cicelie Bracken-
bury. Cicelie is a charming character, although
too ready to indulge in unreal reveries
and airy castle building; fortunately she
discovers, or is shown, her mistake and learns to ap-
preciate sterling merit although not robed in gos-
samer gauze. The chief interest of the story, how-
ever, centres upon her cousin Aurelia, only child
and heiress of Sir John Brackenbury. Aurelia is
represented as a noble character notwithstanding a
large share of pride and reserve. She is thoroughly
truthful in thought and action, quick-sighted and
severe when she detects insincerity. Unfortu-
nately, partly from circumstances, partly from
too ready a compliance with the wishes of her
parents, her life does not bear out her aspira-
tions. She is weak, inconsistent and unjust,
though rather from the force of events than
from any deliberate intention. But at last she
awakes to her error at the call of a
great sorrow, and learns that though her
hopes have been disappointed, her life need not
be unworthy of them, and so she sets to work
to bring her feelings and her actions into har-
mony once more. Ernest Chaloner, Cicelie's
half-brother, is a noble and unselfish character,
who realises, most of all the group, the due con-
sistency between "saying and doing." The story
is more like real life than works of fiction gene-
rally are, inasmuch as the untoward events and
unpropitious circumstances of outward life do not
accommodate themselves to the wishes of heroes
or heroines, but they, on the contrary, have to
shape their course according to uncompromising
realities. The reader interested in the graphically
drawn characters is tempted to wish for the return
of the benignant sway of fiction, and lays down the
volume with a feeling of dissatisfaction at the con-
clusion. The first half of the book is the best, the
latter portion being a little hurried, but the atten-
tion is secured throughout. The complicated cousin-
ships of the Brackenburys and the Chaloners intro-
duce a variety of characters, most of them happily
individualised. Altogether it is a volume full of
attraction and interest, not without its moral,
though hidden rather than professed, and so simply
and naturally written that those who care for no-
thing beyond entertainment can scarcely fail to find
what they seek.

DE LA RUE'S DIARIES AND POCKET-
BOOKS.

The close of the year is foretold by the appear-
ance of the seasonable almanacks and diaries, and
foremost among the many rival publications are
ranked those of Messrs. De la Rue. The wonderful
variety which is displayed in kind and size, the
clearness and excellence of type and paper,
and the elegance of the binding and general
getting up secure the approval of the pub-
lic. The Diaries contain every species of
information requisite for the man of business,
whether political, legal, scientific or general, and
every convenience ordinarily met with in a diary
or memorandum book. The pocket-books are per-
fect of their kind, and are admirably suited for
gift-books at the coming festive season. They are
made in varying sizes to suit all tastes, and he must
be a critical mortal, indeed, who could fail to be
satisfied with them.

THIS DAY'S MARKETS.