The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-10 00:00:00

THE LOVER'S STONE.

" The deseription of this marriage naturally leads me to
Make a few remarks upon the famous lover's stone,' which
may be Mill seen, situated towards the south, at no great
distance from the village. The origin of this name it will
be necessary to explain. In the early ages of this little
commonwealth, when lovers were more diffident than in the
times in which we live, it was held a highly commendable
thing in a young aspirant for an island belle, to lay at her
feet, not, as in some of our English counties, his pedigree
and rent -roll, but some undoubted proof of courage and ad-
dress. With this view he assembled his friends—probably
also the young, lady hersel f—around the inner margin of the
6 lover's stone, the outshot cornice of a frowning precipice.
With dauntless step he then advanced, and firmly planted
his left heel upon its edge, the sole of the foot remaining
wholly unsupported. He then extended his right leg be-
yond the left, and firmly grasped the foot between his hands.
In this position he continued sufficiently long to impress
upon his spectators the conviction that a ' fair lady' would
in him gain no faint heart.' Had Newton been present
at this performance, he would have learned that, though
the force of gravitation might cause an apple to fall from a
tree, a lover can still cling to a stone—gravity yielding to
love, as the stronger force of attraction. That the exploit
I have been describing is not so simple as it appears, the
reader will understand by ascending the Duke of York's
column, getting outside the railing, and trying it for him-
self. After this heroic deed, writes Martin, the adven-
turous youth is accounted worthy of the finest woman in
the world.' He adds, that one of the islanders strongly
urged him to attempt the feat ; ' but I told him that it
would have quite the contrary effect upon me, robbing me
of my life and mistress at the same moment.' Thrice
simple youth, thrice happy innocence, which would fain
read in the breast of a canny factor the impassioned ardour
of thine owa 1"

"Ravenshoe" is continued. It contains several
episodes of interest which still further complicates
the plot. Marston proposes to Mary, who with
grief rejects him, having, alas ! given her heart to
the man who loves an ther, who in the end will
break with him; for the se'ifish character ofAdelaide
will induce her to throw Charles over when his
good fortunes desert him. Lord Welter arrives at
Ravenshoe to the disgust of Cuthbert and many
others. Ellen elopes ro one knows where, and
nobody knows why. Charles, in company with
Welter, v isits Banford and is graciously received
by Lady Harnadlt, but is mortified to find that
Adelaide is away on a visit to Lady Ascot, at least so
he is told, but in reality she had run away there for
Protection. He, however, follows and has an in-
Iberview. "Thoughts on Beauty and Art," by the
410 v. T. Barnes, contains—Thoughts on the Defini-
tion of Beauty, Beauty of Form and Proportion,
beauty of Colour,Landscape, What is Unfitting, and
Art True and False. "Tom Brown at Oxford" relates
how Captain East and Harry Winburn return in
triumph to Eaglcbourne ; how Patty, having sur-
rendered to the gallant sergeant, the wedding-day
is fixed, and the happy pair united. East pro-
V°ses to go to New Zealand, and Tom thinks of
Joining him. Under the head " Indian Cities," we
have a description of Lucknow. There is a paper
on " The Oxford, Cambridge, and Dubin Mission
to Central Africa, and News of the Mission of Dr.

Livingstone," and, of course, an article on " The
American Crisis."

Baily's Sporting Magazine.
This magazine has a portrait and biography of
the Earl of Stradford as a continuation of sporting
celebrities. " The Gentleman in Black " contri-
butes his experiences of the beauties (not those to
be found in the palace but in the paddocks) of
Hampton Court. He relates that within forty
minutes of Waterloo Bridge are to be seen six and
twenty beautiful paddocks of smile two, three, and
four acres, occupied by the very best blood in the
world. Part No. 4 of Wild Life contains interesting
exneriences of Californian life and of encounters
with the grizzly bear. Fierce and dangerous as
he is, however, the value of his skin tempts the
western hunter to seek him. The following sketch
of one of these primitive half-civilized individuals
will give some idea that the bear meets more than
his match sometimes with Western hunters—

THE HUMAN AND GRIZZLY BEARS.
One evening, when we were sitting yarning at a store, a
giant western hunter stalked into the room, and having
called for his particular vanity, and swallowed it at a gulp,
he fixed a new plug and began to whittle carelessly. Some
one observed to him that his hands and clothes were covered
with blood, to which he coolly replied, `Val now I Yes I
deu calculate they air; and if you'd bad the same tall fight
with an almighty big bar, it mout ha' been the colour of your
blood we'd see, old hose, instead of thn bar's.'
I you've got the paws in your pockets for supper, of
course,' said another, who doubted him.
No, I har'nt, 'coon,' replied the hunter ; but if you'll
come teu hum. I'll cook them, and you may have the skin
ten for fifty dollars ; and darned fine fur it is. Waugh
But tell us where it is,' was the general inquiry.
The old hunter, who was picking his teeth with his
bowie-knife at the time, just withdrew it, and stabbed the
air in the direction of the door, and then alternately
amused himself with his ivories and the piece of wood he
was whittling.
We went out to see, and sure enough at his saddle-bow
hung one of the largest and finest skins I had ever seen.
And this man had fought him single-handed, and by night,
too, skinned him, and carried off the trophy, without more
ado than if he had shot a 'coon, or worried a buck-rat.

But there are many instances of persons being
killed when coming on a bear unawares. In the
case related the bear had no doubt been severely,
if not mortally, wounded by the hunter's rifle before
the contest commenced, and he was able to despatch
it with hiss knife without much danger. In the
following case, however, the bear had all the
advantages—