The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-03 00:00:00

" Thirty days hath September," to which we are all
so much indebted—
Take a sugar-loaf first as the shape of your cone,
Next a keen-bladed knife newly stropped on a hone ;
Then cut sheer down the middle, not chipping a spangle,
And behold on each section, distinct, a triangle
Now with stroke horizontal cleave summit from base,
And a circle is seen in the dissevered place.
Midway down on each side carve two vertical slips, '
And on either hand, lo 1 in each wound an ellipse.
Parallel with the slope of the cone then at last
Through the sugar-loaf dint be the Augur's blade passed,
When you finish your quaint geometrical frolic
With a curve parabolic and curve hyperbolic.

The Cornhill Magazine.
Two mishaps befall Philip in the present number,
two mishaps of a rather serious character—he loses
his lady-love and his inheritance, Agnes T wysd en
surrenders him for the superior attractions of Cap-
tain Greville Woolcomb, of Mangrove Hall ; and
Dr. Firmin, while presiding at a splendid banquet
(his last), where he is giving his guests sherry that
cost ten guineas a dozen, is summoned away suspi-
ciously by the suppositious illness of the Grand
Duke of Groningen. The crash has fallen upon his
extravagant career, and Philip's fortune is involved
in the ruin. How this calamity may affect his
after life we know not, but his other " mishap,"
the loss of his cousin, is, as Mrs. Pendennis tries to
make him believe, only a matter of congratulation.
"The Stage Queen and the Squire" is happily con-
cluded by the Union Master Rowland and Mrs.
Betty. The English Convict System" is the
subject of an elaborate and interesting article, The
writer has visited and examined all the convict
establishments of England. "At all," he says,
" the orders of Sir Joshua Jebb procured me every
facility.:llf I had been a Government Commissioner
I could not have had the way thrown more com-
pletely open to me; and I have to acknowledge a
courtesy, a zeal, and a personal kindness in the
gentlemen who received me, which no official cha-
racter could have exacted." The result of these
investigations is well worthy of consideration, and
we may probably refer to the article at another
opportunity. Bird's-eye views of society, No.
111., gives a capital sketch of " A Morning
Party—Showing the Nobility and Gentry Play-
ing the Fashionable Game of the Period"—
Aunt Sally. In reference to this amusement the
artist remarks that " the able inventor of this
entertainment knew that when he created Aunt
Sally' he was supplying two great wants of mankind.
—the appetite for pummelling and the love of de-
struction ; the first met by the repeated application
of the sticks to the aunt's countenance, the second
by the occasional annihilation of the pipe that pro-
trudes from her face. Hence the popularity of the
game." Roundabout Papez s, No. XII ; on " A Hun-
dred Years Hence,"foments the general tendency to
circulate evil of our neighbours. " Magna est
veritas et prcevalebit." Pshaw, great lies are as
great as great truths," says Mr. Thackeray, " and
Prevail constantly day after day—take an instance
or two out of my own little:budget"—and here follow
ROllle of his gossipping anecdotes told in his own
delightful roundabout way.

Temple Bar.

The story of "The Seven Sons of Mammon" is
continued at some length, and displays its usual
ability,. It presents to us in this portion a new
character in the person of Mrs. Armytage's father,
This individual appears before us in the semblance
of a very venerable old man, who has fought for his
country under the scorching suns of India; but in
reality had figured lin a different locality, being an
escaped convict from Hobart Town. There are
'flatly smart sketches of society met with in these
Pages, and there is much truth in the closing passage
concerning the aptitude that many people possess
to declare things improbable or impossible, because
they have not actually seen or heard them. "To
be told what we know flatters our sense of self-
esteem, and makes us think what clever fellows we
are ; it is when we are told that of which we had
previously no knowledge that we begin to sneer
out, ' Oh, indeed,' and resent, as an impertinence,
information, which from want of evidence we re-
ject at once as untrustworthy. Bah ! I tell you
that I have known these people, and they must play
their several parts round the shrine of Mammon
until the deluge which threatens them all arrives."
Francois Rabelais" is a short sketch of the
writings of that famous man. It is done
with skill, and may inform some readers of a lite-
rary celebrity who attracted attention in his day,
despite his errors and absurdities. "My Aunt and
is a simple tale that is told with feeling. It
Presents nothing particularly noticeable, but is
readable and animated in its style. "For Better,
for Worse," is continued, and this instalment is
very exciting in its tenour, as Ethel's life is in
great danger, and her family are forced to intrude
themselves into the forbidden ground of the castle
in consequence of the Earl's absence. The common
anxiety that reigned, and the absence of the
dragons who generally reigned in the persons of
:Philip's mother and sisters, enabled the brothers-in-
law to meet with cordiality, and Margaret was
the first to appreciate the real goodness that existed
in the maligned grandee of the family. It is an
affecting narrative, that brings before us in a
striking manner the great distress that often ensues
from unequal marriages, when there is no sympa-
thy to smooth difficulties and level obstacles. " A
Raunted Life" is about as lugubrious a sketch as
Vas ever penned, and the precise object is not very
Clear, while the fearful sufferings are not deserved,
as the wretched man did not know of the guilt of the
cruel ladywho had enslaved his soul, and ensnared his
senses. " First Fiddlers and Top Sawyers "is a
humorous account of some adventures that befell
an enterprising youth and his fidus achates in their
Peregrinations through the wilderness of the world.
It is amusing enough t.) dwell on their plans and
to mark their want of courage when the moment
for decisive action arrived. The unhappy teller of
the tale never advanced out of the charmed circle
in Which he began his march, and all he can say
at the conclusion is that " I have not yet been cast
for leading characters, either top-sawyers or first-
fiddles," " Ancient Classical Novelists," in its third
Part brings before us Tamtlichus and Xenophon
the Ephesian. Some may be pleased to peruse a
Sketch of " American Hotels and American Food."
It states that an American hotel is to an English
_hotel what a seventy-four is to a jolly-boat, or to
borrow a simile from the immortal. Tupper's Ode
to 4haos, "an elephant is to a periwinkle." "An
American hotel would supply a regiment with beds.
It is (in the chief cities) as large as any two of our
club-houses fixed together, as roomy as Bucking-
ham Palace, and not much inferior to a palace in
its internal fittings. It has ranges of drawing-
rooms, suites of private rooms, vast staircases,
and interminable layers of bedchambers."
The poetical contributions are not so good as usually
appear in this magazine. The one entitled " The
Dead Baby" contains some good passages, and some
touching allusions to the grief that overcomes the
afflicted parents. "Amy" is rather a peculiar com-
position, but presents some pretty lines and pleas-
ing descriptions. " After Long Years" is an ex-
pressive piece.

•
The St. James's Magazine. No. 3.
We are glad to find that this newly established
serial maintains its attractive character. It opens
'with a paper on the Post-office, giving a review of
the system employed from the days of Queen Eliza-
beth to the Penny Postage, and the marvellous in-
crease in the development of our Postal system:—
, "In the year 1839, which was the last year of the old sys-
tem of high rates, the total number of letters (exclusive of
franks) delivered in the United Kingdom, was nearly 76
Millions. During the year 1859—twenty years after the
introduction of the Penny Postage—the number of letters
had reached the enormous extent of nearly 545 millions,
thus showing an increase of 469 millions of letters per
jrl,"lluni, or more than sevenfold what the number was in
,D-" 9. These 645 millions of letters are divided as follows :
-4ligland, 446 millions ; Scotland 52 millions ; and Ireland,
17 minions; being an average of about 22 letters per annum
51.0 each person in England ; 16 to each person in Scotland
an 7 to each person in Ireland ; or a general average of
18 letters to each individual in the United Kingdom. A
icry striking illustration of the increase of letters is found
it.,l the fact, that the number now posted in the limits of the
°Mott District, or old ' Twopenny-Post,' for delivery
letters the same limits, is equal to the total number of all
posted in England and Wales, London included,
twenty years ago."
Mrs. Merrifield contributes another of her sensible
Tapers on the application of artistic taste to matters
of common life, under the title of " The Use and
Abuse of Colours in Dress." We commend those
fair votaries of fashion who persist in wearing
`` the new colours," however ill they may become
them, and who grieve our eyes by displaying
scarlet and magenta in startling proximity,
to read and apply the advice here given
to them. Professor Anstel gives us a brief
account of San Domingo, and objects very
strongly to its appropriation by the Spanish
Government. Fiction occupies, as usual, a
Prominent place, though it does not monopolise the
magazine. The editress continues her interestity,
story, " Can Wrong be Right ?"—leaving her fair
heroine, Mildred, in a painful and uncertain posi-
tion. The third part of "Ralph, the bailiff," brings
t!Ito story to a conclusion,which is not very satisfac-
-;?rY. The reader will be disappointed to find that
Carlson is worse than rumour painted him,
that the secret of the wicked bailiff's power over his
Poor
master was his knowledge of his guilt.
t-i-t,clor Jenny runs fearful risks, but at last escapes from
farm with life, and after recovering from a severe
illness is almost thankful to learn that her miser-
able husband is no longer living. The conclusion
()f the story
ispainful, and the prosperity of the
tat. nof the piece, however probable, is very irri-
tating, The author of " Paul Ferrol" commences
a 'l'ory which promises to be interesting, and as it
refers
4,4 to a Polish family residing in Kraziusky, is
"1' least original. " The last days of Shakspectro"