The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-06 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Shadows. By H. C. Bennett. • Bogue, Fleet-

street.

In these festival days, when amusing and un-
numbered annuals, with illustrations, embellish-
ments, designs, and drawings, are plentiful as plum
puddings at dinner and headaches at breakfast, it

is very rarely we meet with a production evincing
much original quality ; but Mr. Bennett has most
agreeably astonished us in this little book of

pictures. He has struck out into a new path, and
evolves his artistic imagination in a series of figures
representing " Shadows" of every-day realities,
with wonderful effect and power of expression.
We see a policeman stealthily stooping to look into
the kitchen department, and his " shadow" on the
wall is cleverly identified with the shape of that
much-maligned blessing to cooks, " A Cat." A.
young lady in fashionable bonnet and mantle
affords the unquestionable resemblance of " A
Little Duck." An elegant edition of Mrs. Caudle,
seeming thoroughly qualified for the situation of
domestic whipper-in, with closely folded robe de
thambre, keys in hand, and chamber candle
lighted, casts a length of gloom behind her in
the verification of "An Extinguisher." Some two
dozen subjects are portrayed in the genuine spirit
of fun and satire, without any violent exaggeration
of fancy, or outrage of delineation ; and one of
them, deserving especial commendation, is the
figure of a poor seamstress sitting in a ribbed-back
chair, and stretching her tired arms in utter ex-
haustion over " band, and gusset, and seam." Her
attitude painfully demonstrates how "weary and
worn" she is over her midnight labour of shirt-
making ; and on looking at the wall behind her, we
see her "shadow is falling there" in the moral
sublimity of "A Skeleton." We shall certainly
abstract this from the set, and append it to Hood's
I immortal song, as an exquisite and earnest illustra-
tion. Mr. Bennett is beginning to be well known
as a skilful draughtsman ; but this, we believe, is
his first entirely self-produced publication. If he
performs what his work promises here—if he fre-
quently attaches his name to things that " come
like shadows," they will not "so depart," but
steadfastly remain, and afford their author an
abiding and enviable fame.
There are few amongst us who have not beguiled
some of childhood's moments by making " rabbits
on the wall." Our individual recollection is strong
on the point. How distinctly we can see the old-
fashioned parlour on a winter evening, with the
couple of lighted moulds placed in symmetrical
and proper order on the crimson table cover. An
instigation from one of the numerous " olive
branches" set all hands going, until the oaken
wainscoat became a perfect warren ; and could
our limning digits have transferred colour as well
as form, doubtless many a lop-eared " bunny"
would have been a splendid " double-smut."
,Those " shadows" were very beautiful, although
they were generally dispersed by a parental box on
our auricular organs, when the unceremonious dis-
placing of candles and distribution of grease had
exceeded all parental endurance. We instinctively
remembered all this when we glanced into these
pages, and heartily congratulate Mr. Bennett on
his novel development of our juvenile sport.

A Digest on Pure Bread. By E. Stevens.
W. H. Myers, Whitechapel-road.

This little pamphlet is worth looking into. We
hoar, and have pretty good reason to believe, that
our " staff of life" is commonly adulterated with
alum, chalk, plaster of Paris, bone ashes, and other
equally nourishing substances. We read in these
pages that if the public want good and pure bread
they must not regard colour too scrupulously. For
our own part we have long had a conceit that a
very white loaf is in close conjunction with a very
blue devil, in the shape of dyspepsia ; and that it
would be wiser to consult the eye less and the
stomach more. The testimonials and analyses
given by the most eminent of our chemical pro-
fessors, relative to the bread manufactured by Mr.
Stevens, and herein published by him, afford satis-
factory warrant for its excellence ; but there is
an old saying, that "the proof of the pudding (we
presume loaf also) is in the eating ;" and the rapid
demolition of the sample bread forwarded with the
pamphlet is the most conclusive evidence that Mr.
Stevens produces a genuine and palatable article
of food, which is " a consummation most devoutly
to be wished" in such a staple article of household
consumption.

The London General Railway, Steamboat, and
Omnibus Guide. H. Elliot, 475, New Oxford-
street, and at all stations, &c.
This is a most useful little work, of the greatest
advantage to all whom business or pleasure com-
pels to tt averse the streets of London. To visitors
from the country it will be invaluable, while few
of the residents of the metropolis will not find its
multifarious information of great service. It gives
a complete list_of the routes of the different omni-
buses, with their fares, their distinctive colours,
their hours, and correspondence. This very
necessary department is usually neglected in
works of this character. The Suburban Rail-
ways are next in the catalogue, and a list of the
stations, times of starting, and fares are given.
Steamb.)ats on the Thames, Continental steam-
boats, ships for America and the colonies, all find
a place in this useful little traveller's manual, while
a list of the telegraph stations, club-houses,
and places •of amusement, will prove use-
ful to those unacquainted with the metropolis.
It ia_to be published monthly, giving the various
alterations that may be made in the different modes
of transit. All this information is to be obtained
for twopence ; and we trust it may obtain the en-
couragement it deserves.

The Journal of Agriculture. Blackwood.
This quarterly has its usual variety of charac-
teristic information, especially suitable for those
who pursue agriculture in its higher branches, and
are desirous to avail themselves of the scientific dis-
coveries and improvements recently made. A paper
on the "Mechanical Aids to Steam Culture," by R.
S. Burn, engineer, is likely to be of practical ser-
vice to the experimentalist. It takes a review of the
inventions of late years, and is illustrated by dia-
grams. An interesting article on "The Sciences Ap-
plicable to Agriculture" follows, and treats of the pro-
gress and practical benefit of the study of Geology.
The fifty-fourth number of " The Farmer's Note-
Book," in its review of Page's excellent works has
also some remarks on the advancement of this now
popular science.

"Of late years almost every branch of Natural History
has made remarkable progress. Little more than a
quarter of a century ago, it had only a few scattered
disciples, working laboriously each in his own favourite
department, with very imperfect aid from books; for even
when these existed, they were too often inaccessible from
their expensive nature. If there was any exception to
this, it was in those branches—such as botany—which
were required for certain professions ; and in such cases
they were for the most past studied only in their profes-
sional bearings. Nay, scarcely could the student de-
vote his attention to what are called the lower forms of
natural objects, without running the risk of being re-
garded as an imbecile or a trifler ; and when he had any-
thing on such subjects to lay before the public he had
usually to accompany it with some apologetical expla-
nation for making them the object of his regard. In the
present day not only have the effects of this ignorance
and prejudice happily disappeared, but the tide has set
in with an opposite current, and even the obscurest
forms of animal and vegetable life have assumed the
character of popular studies."
" Geology is one of those branches whose progress has
been most rapid. The true aims of the study, and modes
of pro touting it, were long obscured by fanciful theo
ries, either based on a few insulated facts, quite inade-
quate to admit of wide generalisation,.
ye exercising
on
gene
tnvbieelwr sfifpurely
r
icsagivary. Speculation.has.indeeu been the bane of geo.
logy , with
dwi lea. Yt
nOg's he
mtwhheenoi r showo ingenuity
genius
misteol rvheaesleer most ignorant of corn.
mo n things, never seem to have any misgiving as to their
ability to explain the formation of a world. No sooner
were the observation of facts, and reasoning from them
according to the laws of correct induction, substituted
fur these as the true basis of the science, than it began
to advance with a rapidity which has never relaxed.
Allied to so
.many other branches—the mineral, vege-
table and ardinal—and affords a congenial pursuit to al-
most every one who has entered on the study of any part
f natural history. It adapts itself to every variety of
capacity or acqurernent. The humblest collector of
fissil shells or mineral specimens may render useful ser-
vice ; the comparative anatomist, physiologist, chemist,
Sts., will find ample materials for his investigations ;
while the exposition of the general laws and phenomena
requires the exercise of the highest powers that can be
applied to the subject. The relations also which it bears,
in an industrial point of view, to many trades and occu-
pations afford other inducements to the study, and have
helped to recommend it to general favour."
The agricultural summary for the quarter,
and the tables of the average prices of grain,
foreign markets, &c., will be useful to the
farmer. The Report of the Transactions of
the Highland and Agricultural Society of
Scotland contain, among other subjects, a paper
" On the Chemical Principles involved in the Re-
clamation of Waste Land," by Professor Anderson,
M.D., and another of a similar character by Mr.
Urquhart Fraser, "On the Improvement of Waste
Land."

BRUTAL CONDUCT ON BOARD AN AMERICAN Star.—
On the arrival at Liverpool on Friday of the American
ship Potomac, from New Orleans, a number of seamen
proceeded to the police-office and 'charged the second
mate with bating caused the death of one of the hands,
a man named M'Mahnn, during the paiusge. They also
complained of gross ill-treatment of themselves, and
some of them bore marks of brutal violnce upon their
laces and head.. The matter will be brought before the
American Consul (Mr. Nathaniel. Hawthorne) for the
purpose of seeing what steps he will take in the matter.