The Sun.
London, England, 1857-06-09 00:00:00

Peter Schlemil in, Fleet-street.

" When I sallied forth once more into Ficet-etreet, I
rejoiced when a startling phenomenon produced a rev:,
sensation—l saw my shadow on the pavement ! It is m
right that can only occur to the lonely promenader down
Fleet-street on the Derby-day. Narcissus-like, I stood
for some time contemplating my old friend with a new
phase. Another straggler past, and after him went his
shadow too ; a second and a third, and then—horrible
to behold !—a fourth, and behind him fell no dark reflec-
tion. I looked at the substantial form of the shadow-
less Elan. He was a sma.l German, in the peaked
hat and tunic-like coat of the legendary period. I
might have passed him on other days in Fleet-
street, a thousand times, without detecting the little
peculiarity which marks his memorable compact. It
wits Peter Schiemil himself. I could not resist the
temptation to inquire after his lost appendage, and we
then begi❑ to fraternise famously. At last the gambling
spirit of the day influences our fancies, and he offers to
toss me for ray shadow, setting his own substance against
my insubstantiality. Peter spins a new half-crown I
lend him spirally into the air, and it comes down with a
ringing reverberation in the solitude of the great tho.
roughlar. Schlemil wins, and hecornes owner of a sha-
dow once agate —illy shadow. I look iu the direction
where mine should Bill, and find it missing. The Man
About Town is even shadowless on the Derby-day.
Truly, .1-c suis dcsold ! The old companion of my wan-
derings—no matter. 'Forgive, blest shade, this tri-
butary tear.' &hieing now fetl4 adequate to the Derby,
and having the only thing that, not having had, ke t
him away from the great gathering, he varlishes, too,
with tho rest."

Here is the end of this wonderfully comical extrava-
ganza. The Man About Town has just seon Blink
Bonny announced (a few minutes after the race has
been run) as the winner of the Derby of 1857, in
the window of the news' office ; and, seeing it,
ho walks in to greet the publisher with tbil astound-
ing-4

Canard.
‘" Ha ! ha! Capital race, wasn't it ?' I exclaimed,
on entering, with an effrontery which was intended to
remove all suspicion. 'Never enjoyed myself so much
in my life. Saw hosts of people—glorious sport—course
covered with carriages ! Saw one man lose thirty tbou-
sand pounds with the greatest coolness in the world, and
make a good dinner atter it. Wouldn't have been ab-
sent on any account.'
" Why, you don't mean to say-1'
" Of course I do. All London was there, and if I
hadn't been I should have been ashamed to havelooked
London in the face again.'
" But really it seems impossible that'—and the pub-
lishei consulting his watch, compared it with my own
chronometer, and arrived at a careful correctness—
' that in the time you could.'
"'Oh, am I the first back ? Ah! well, we came spank.
ing along the road with four famous nags in first rate
style, I assure you.'
" ' The road ! What, all the way from Epsom in half
an hour ?'
"'Did I say the road ? Pooh ! absurd. Too slow for
me. The rail of course. Finest engine in the world,
and never stopped a minute for anybody.'
"'But such a quick return'—
" For a small prophet,' I added quickly, hazarding a
save
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" 'Train ! Pooh ! did I say train ! Not half quick
enough. I took my return ticket by the ELEOTRIS
TELEGRAPH ! ! !' u

Who 'is this " Man About Town ?" Certainly,
beyond all manner of doubt, a very waggish gamin
Londres !

THE -FRENCH PEASANTRY AND THE GOTERNUENT.-
The changes which have taken place in France since 1789
had thrown into the hands of the peasantry a large pro.
portion of the land of the country. As every owner
Of land, whether of large or of a small estate,
has au equal vote, the peasantry hold an overwhelming
majority in the franchise. The constitutional monarchy
had unwisely debarred this large class of the landholders
of France from political power; but by that principle of
society which seems to be one of the most deep-seated
and irresistible conditions of political existence, no sooner
were the existing institutions of the country overthrown
than the supreme power in the State reverted, as it were,
to its source, in the owners of the soil. There, and there
alone, the Government of the second empire has a basis
—that is the main, if not the sole, condition of the pre-
sent tranquil submission of France to a form of cove.
reignty which has annihilated every semblance of free
dour ; and the only shim to originality we can discover
in the fabric raised by the Emperor Napoleon 111. 1111
his discovery that a Government may be founded and
maintainedthefor
lauded peasantry, in
aconsi considerable period of time, by the sole
supportof spite of the disaffec
tion of the towns, the aversion of the upper ranks, and
the ridicule and vituperation of the educated classes.