The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-27 00:00:00

A ROMANCE OF REAL LIFE.

In the evening, towards the end of the year 1846,
when the typhus fever was making its ravages
amongst the poor in the populous districts of Glas-
gow, a female was often heard singing at the edge of
the pavement before the Western Club House. Her
dress consisted of little more than a petticoat and a
shawl. With the latter she covered her face, head,
breast, and shoulders. The passer-by could not dis-
tinguish whether she was well-formed or crooked,
good-looking or marked by the small-pox, young or
old, but the musical connoisseur could judge, from
the melancholy strains that forced their way from
within the all-protecting shawl, that the sound came
from the voice of a girl of about seventeen years of
age. She never solicited alms, but took whatever was
given her with a curtsey, and now and then with a
blessing, murmured in a low voice. One night,
when " the win Is were whistling cold," and the rain
was pouring down in torrents, two young German
gentlemen were passing the girl, who was striving
all in her power, against wind and weather, to keep
her features concealed from the wo,ld. They gave
her a trifle and hurried on, always accompanied by
the heart-touching tones of her voice. Suddenly
one of them stopped and said, " D > you hear that
voice ? What beauty and power! Does no one try
to save the possessor of such a voice from destruc-
tion ? Shall a girl with such a gift from Heaven
die from hunger, or worse?" " Let us see what we
can do," answered the other. They returned, called
the watchman of the district, and sought information
from hisa, yeMohmAza oorild say yery little About

her. He did not know where she lived, nor what her
name was, nor had he ever seen her face, but he give
her an excellent character, as far as he coual judge.
He was told to ask for her name and address ; and
one morning, after having got this, the two young
philanthropists went to he assigned place, but were
very much di4appointed by finding that no such place
existed. After having again spoken to ihe watchman,
they got en answer through him that the girl pur-
posely gave a wrong address, in order to get rid of
the young men, and that she also decidedly refused to
give her right name and adAress, or to go to see any
person, adding that " no one knew who she was, and
no one ever should know." After about a month's
diplomatic negotiations by means of the watchman,
the girl agreed at last to visit a German lady, univer-
sally esteemed in Glasgow for her kindness and bene-
volence. Arrived there, and putting the jealous
shawl aside, a pale, interesting face was discovered.
The girl gave satisfactory references as to her former
life. It appeared that she was a native of Edinburgh ;
that having become destitute from the death
of her father, the illness of other members of
her family (they were bed rid with fever), and
many other circumstances, and not being able
to get work sufficient to provide for a sick
mother and young brother, and being possessed of a
good voice—her only family inheritance—she resolved
to try to make a precarious living by singing on the
streets during the twilight and evening. Being
asked to sing she readily complied. Mr. Seligmann,
the well-known professor of music, who was present,
and one of the young men who had first taken an in-
terest in the voice, said—" The voice of that young
girl is not the one we admired so much." He re-
marked as something peculiar, and which he had ob-
served on previous occasions, that the voice sounded
on some evenings most beautifully, while at otheir
times it was very indifferent. The girl insisted that
she was the person in question, and by repeating her
conversation with the watchman, by naming over the
list of songs she was in the custom of singing, estab-
lished beyond doubt that she was the individual in
whom they seemed to take an interest. The matter
remained unexplained at the time, and the visit ended
by the lady and Mr. Seligmann promising to call on
her sick mother, after having had inquiries made into
the character of the family. Having found this to be
in all respects satisfactory, the promised call was
given, and then it was found out that the girl had a
sister, who was then with a distant relation in Pais-
ley, and who, when she happened to be in Glasgow,
sometimes relieved her from the task of singing
in the streets. The two girls were taken by
the gentlemen and the watchman for only one, and as
the two sisters communicated their adventures to each
other, the mistake was thus easily explained. The
second girl, who was the elder of the two, was sent
for, and her voice soon proved her identity. Most
satisfactory information as to her character having
also been received, another benevolent German lady
instructed her in reading, writing, and other elemen-
tary branches of education, and Mr. Seligmann gave
her singing and piano lessons. When her kind in-
structress left Glasgow the girl was put at board to
different respectable families in succession, and her
education soon took a higher bent. Her conduct and
diligence gave great pleasure to her patrons, who, by
private subscription, raised a sum of money for her
support. After more than two years' instruction in
Glasgow, it was considered expedient to send her to
Germany to pursue a higher branch of musical study
than this country affords. From thence, where she
has been labouring successfully about 18 months, we
receive the most flattering accounts of her voice, the
compass of which is from G below the lines to E flat
in alt, nearly three octaves. We hear, moreover, that
she makes great progress in every female accomplish-
ment, and that she is received into the best society.
As she is to appear soon in concerts in her native
country, we consider it our duty to direct the atten-
tion of our readers to her history, and to interest them
in her behalf. The name of the handsome young lady,
in whose elegant manners, lady-like deportment, and
great musical abilities no one would find out any trace
of the street-singer, is Christina Dawson.
We have watched the progress of Miss Dawson's
education since she was taken in charge by her phi-
lanthropic protectors, and have• much pleasure in
bearing testimony to the rapid and steady progress
she made under her different tutors before her remo-
val to Germany. We may also add that we have been
long acquainted with the facts contained in the above
simple narrative, and would have given them publicity,
but we delayed the recital until their publication
might be of service to her on the occasion of her first
public appearance as a professional vocalist.
We may here add that the father of Miss Dawson
was through life an industrious mechanic, originally,
we believe, from Rothsay. Christina, the heroine of
the above little story, is his eldest child. The widowed
Mrs. Dawson, with her second daughter and son, are
now in Edinburgh, where they have been by the kind
aid of Miss Dawson's patrons, put into a small and
respectable way of gaining their livelihood, so that
they are now placed beyond the necessity of depending
upon eleemosynary aid. Miss Dawson's professional
career, it is to be hoped, will further remove them
from want, and may, as she has always shown great
filial and sisterly affection towards her relatives, place
them in a more comfortable position in society than
their late gloomy prospects would have led them to
hope for.—Glasgow Herald.

FOREIGN FUNDS.
BELGIAN FUNDS.-13517811EL3, SEPT. 24.
Actual Debt, 2% per Cent ..........
Loan of 1840, Five per Cent ••• • • • 99
Loan of Thirty Millions, FourperCent • ••
Ditto Threeper Cent •••••• • • • • • • •. ••
Ditto Thirty-seven Millions,ditto
Ditto,ditto,lB46 •• ••••• • •• •• •..• •
Ditto,lB42, 5 per Cent ••.•••• • • • • • 99
Ditto, 1844, 4% per Cent• ••••• •• • • ••• 90%
Ditto, 1836, 4 per Cent.. • .
Ditto, 1839, 3 per Cent. • .
Ditto, 1848, 5 per Cent.. 97%
Ditto of the City, 1832 ............
Ditto, 1843 ••• • •
Bank of Belgium,. 4 per Cents.— •••• •• •• 78%
Issue of 1841, 5 per Cents. .••.. • • • • 1; 0%
Exchange on London, 25 50.
DUTCH FUNDS.—AMSTERDAM, SEPT. 23.
Active Debt-a% per Cent •••••• • • • • • 57 57 1-16
Ditto, 3 per Cent ••••••••• • • • • • • • • • 68 g 68 7-16
Ditto, 4 per Cent.. ••••••••• • • • • • • • • 88% 88%
Amort Syndic, 3% per Cent..••••••••
East India Loan, 4 per Cent •• • • •..... 88
Frankfort, 3 per Cents. • ••••••• •- • • 53%
Russian 4:per Cents., Hope & Co. 105%
Ditto, ditto, Steiglitz • • • • .. • • • • • • 88%
Spanish New .5 per Cents.• •••• • • • .... 11 11-16 11 13116
Ditto, 3 per Cents. ••• .... 34 ! 31 7-16
Austrian 5 per Cents., Metallice ...... 76% 741
Ditto 2% per Cent. ••..••• • • • • • 407 41
Commercial Company, 4% par Cent ..
Exchangeon London, at sight ••• • •• 11 95
Two months... •••••• • • • • • • 11 91
On Hamburgh, at sight .. •• 36 37
Two months.• ••••••• • • • • • • 35 12
On Paris, at sight •.••.• • • •• 56 75
Twomouths. • • •• •• ••• • •• 56 50
HAMBURGH FUNDS, SEPT. 21.
Bills.
Hanoverian New Loan,s per Cent. ... • 105%
Ditto, 3% per Cent.
Prussian 5 per Cent. •• . •• • ••• • • •
Anglo-Russian Loan •••••• • • • • • • •• 106
Ditto (1850), 4% per Cents.
New 4 per Cent., Hope and C 0.......—
Ditto Stleglit7, 4 per Cent. ••••• 89
Hamburgh, 3% per Cent. •• 89%
Lubeck Loan (1850) .......... • .... 98
Hamburgh Certificates, 5 per Cent..... Cent.....—
Belgian Loan, 2% per Cent. .• •• •• .• ••
Anglo-Danish Loan, 3 per Cent ......
Ditto, in 1001. Shares •• •• • • • •
Ditto,s per cent. .......... •• • • .... 97%
Anglo-Swedish Loan
Ditto, Transport Loan' •• •• •• •• ••
Ditto, Hyp., 4 per Cents •• ••.•• • • • 96%
Norwegian 4 per Cents. •• ••• .• • •• • • 100
Spanish New 5 per Cent.. •• •• .• •••• •• 11%
Ditto, 3 per Cents. • • ••••• • •• 32%
Ditto, 1846.. -.
Anglo-Portuguese Loan, 2% per Cent ••
Dutch Actual Debt, 2% per Cent. ••• ••
Ditto 3 per Cent. ••••••••• • • • • • • •
National Bank Shares ••••••• • • • • • • •
American, 6 per Cent..... •• • • .. •• •• 1065,(

RAILWAYS.

Hainh. Bergd. . ........ •••• • • • • 93
Ditto, Priority Shares •• • •••• • • • •
Berlin and Hamburg •••• •• ••••• • • • • • 91%
Ditto, Priority Share': ••• • • •• •• 101
Ditto, second emission
Magdeber,g•Wittenburg .............. 57
Ditto, 5 per Ceuts. ...........• •• .. 9914
Cologne and Minden •• • • .... •• •• • • 97%
Ditto, Priority Shares .. —
Ditto, 5 per 103
Frederick-William, Northern: ...... • • 39
Meeklenberg .......... •• •••• • • • ... 341 i
Ditto, Priority Shares, 4N per Cent. 101%
Altona and Kiel ..... • . •• .. 9034
Gluckstadt • • .....
Rend5burg.................... • • . • • •
Copenhagen-Roeskilde ........
Hanseatic Steam Company ..........

Money.

11%
32

91 )4
101

97%
1014,

Contrary to our anticipation, the speeches of Lord
Stanley at Warrington last night afforded no materials
for comment. His Lordship was all smoothness and ur-
banity: compliments flowed from his lips, and he re-
velled in common-place. For a: man of his conscious
power to so deal in harmless nothings must have been
a task of considerable difficulty. Once, indeed, ho
approached a subject that would have probably given
greater vigour to his periods. He just touched upon
free-trade, probably to feel the pulse of his auditory.
There was such are evident disunion of sentiment, how-
ever, amongst those present, some cheering and some
hissing, that he shrunk from the exciting topic, and
stepped back into the quiet path which he had quitted
but for a moment.—Liverpool Times.

A GREAT SNAILL—Mr. Charles J. Muschert, to-
bacconist, Market-street, and Mr. R. W. NVarneck, this
morning, c:ught in the cellar of the residence of the former,
Filbert-street, a large snake, supposed to he of the boa
constrictor species. His snakesbip made a tremendous noise
among the crocks and pans in the cellar, about ten or eleven
o'clock last evening, which aroused the lady of Mr. Mus•
chert, but she thinking that the sound proceeded from rats
retired to rest. Upon an examination this morning the huge
reptile was discovered snugly resting upon one of the shelves
quiet and contented, after a plentiful feast upon rate. The
snake is thought to have belonged to the former residents of
the house; or perhaps it may have escaped from some cage.
Mr. Muschert has occupied the house about one week. The
serpent is about seven feet in length, and in the centre mea-
sures at heist six inches in circumference. It is of a dark
colour, dotted singularly witti beautiful golden spots. Mr.
Muschert, not relishing such a pet, took it up to Barnum's
Museum, where it can be seen as one of the greatest curiosities
of that far-famed establishment. Colonel Sandford has him
well caged. in company with a big anaconda.—Philadelphiu
Penspvanian.

A NEW Rum)Ea.—Al. Funqu6, an old French
naval officer, has invented a new rudder, which is to be
adoptgcl t tkv 4114;44 navy.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
GUILDHALL.
Jane Truman was again brought up, and placed at
the 11%r before Alderman Cha lis, charged with steal-
ing► two 1001. Mink of England notes, one 201. ditto,
one 101. ditto, one 51. ditto, a cheque for 371., and 71.
103. in gold, irom the person of Mr. John Winpenny,
woollen rnanuf4cturt-r, 18tdy residing at the Castle
and Falcon, Aldersgate-street.
Alderman CHALLIS said, as none of the stolen pro-
perty had been f Fund, and the prosecutor was not
present to identify her more fully than he had done
on the previous examinations, ha should feel it his
duty to discharge the prisoner, as there was no case
made out against her.
Edward Matthew Macklin was brought up on re-
mand for further examination, charged with fraudu-
lently obtaining silk goods to the value of about 6001.
of Mr. Edward H Davies, of 5, Goldsmith-street,
City, agent for M. Faessler Petzi, silk-manufacturer
of Paris and Lyons.
The case was remanded from the last examination
merely for the production of the goods by the various
pawnbrokers, who hold them in trust till such time as
they shall be ordered to give them up.
A great quantity of goods, consisting of silks,
satins, plusher, umbrellas, &c., were produced by Mr.
Sowerby and other pawnbrokers, amounting in all to
the value of about 400/. or 5001., but they were pledged
for not more than about 2701.

Alderman CHALLIS could not help remarking upon
the facility afforded by pawnbrokers in general to
servants to dispose of goods of which they had robbed
their employers. He thought that when such valu-
able goods as those produced were presented for
pledging, that the pawnbroker, for his own safety,
should make some inquiry as to how the party pledg-
ing became possessed of them. With regard to the
present case, he should remand it till Monday next,
with the understanding that the prisoner would then
be finally committed, and the depositions in the mean-
time would be prepared accordingly.
Joseph Ruddick was charged with stealing a quan-

tity of valuable books, the property of his employers,
Messrs. Simpkin, Marshall, and Co., of Stationers'-
hall-court.
Alderman CHALLIS said—From the manner, pri-
soner, that you appear to treat this charge, I believe
that you are not aware of the serious position you
have placed yourself in. You are liable, according to
the Act under which your employers have prosecuted
you, to be compelled to pay double the amount of the
value of the property, to be fined 51., and to be impri-
soned for three months for each offence proved against
you; and in default of payment within three days
of the time of committal of the forfeiture and fine,
to be publicly whipped in the House of Correction
or any other public place that the magistrate may
think fit to appoint. The cases are all very clear,
though I can only convict upon two, for which I
shall impose a fine of 51. and three moans' imprison-
ment for each offence—the second three months to
commence at the expiration of the other. Tne books
are to be given up to the prosecutor without any re-
muneration. I am sorry to have to remark once more
upon the conduct of the pawnbrokers. In the cases
just disposed of it has been shown that 3s. has been
lent upo❑ property worth 255., and upon the pawn-
broker's own acknowledgment they could get ss. for
the same, even if they sold them to the greatest dis-
advantage. I consider that if pawnbrokers are de-
termined to carry on a wholesale system of receiving
stolen goods, the only way to make them more care-
ful is to make them the sufferers on conviction It is
only by repeated losses that they will be brought to a
proper sense of their duty. If a poor man were to
act in a similar way to only one-fourth the extent he
would most probably be transported for it ; and lam
therefore determined to use every means in my power
to suppress such an iniquitous system.
The books were then given up, and Mr. Longman,
the publisher, and Mr. Miles, on the part of Messrs.
Simpkin and Marshall, thanked the Alderman for the
kindness he had shown in his attendance to the case,
and retired.

MAI?LBOROUGH-STREET.
A bootmaker, who gave the name of John Gham
pion, but whose real name is Desmond, was brought
before Mr. Hardwick charged with having committed
a gross outrage on a young woman named Rose
Chamberlain.

Mrs. Champion, a respectable•looking married
woman, said she was walking through Percy-street
yesterday evening with her niece, Rose Chamberlain,
and a female friend, when the defendant, who was a
perfect stranger, suddenly laid hold of her niece in
a way unfit to-be described. She pushed the defend-
ant away, upon which he applied an infamous name to
her, and made use of language, both to herself and her
niece, of the most disgusting character. She called
for the assistance of the police, and sent her niece to
fetch her husband. The defendant then charged her
with stealing his pocket-handkerchief, and insisted on
the constable taking her into custedy.
The police-constable said the defendant appeared as
if he had been drinking.
The defendant was fined 51. each for assaults on
aunt and niece, making 101. together, or four months'
imprisonment.

M A I?YL E B ON E.
Mr. James Worthington Lavasey, residing in
Union-place, New-road, was brought before the sitting
magistrate, Mr. Long, charged with the following
shameful assault upon Catherine Hollis, a married
woman, and who lives in David-street, York-place,
Portman-square.
Mr. Davies, solicitor, of Dorset-street, attended for
the defendant, who was described as a law-student of
the Inner Temple.
Complainant, whose upper lip was swollen, gave
evidence to the effect that on the previous night, about
ten o'clock, as she was proceeding along East-street,
Manchester-square, she was followed by defendant,
who at length accosted her, and asked her whither
she was going; to which she replied that she was
going home. He requested to be permitted to ac-
company her, and on her telling him that she could
not permit anything of the sort, he exclaimed, " Then
take that," at the same time giving her a blow on the
mouth. He then ran away, and on her crying out,
"Stop him !" he was taken into custody. It further
appeared, that when captured by Church, 129 D, he
had fled for refuge into a ccok's shop in Paddington-
street. On the way to the station, and also when
first laid hold of by the officer, he denied having
struck the complainant.
Mr. Davies said that after all that had been stated
he would not attempt tor a moment to show that the
charge was an unfounded one, and he thought under
all the circumstances that the best course for him to
take was that of an expression of regret on the part of
the defendant for his conduct; the defendant was
truly sorry for what had occurred, and be hoped that
the magistrate would deal with the case as leniently as
possible.
Mr. Losto inflicted a penalty of 50s. for the assault,
which he looked upon as being one of a serious and
unprovoked nature.
Mr. Davies requested that defendant, instead of
being compelled to pay the sum alluded to, might be
permitted to arrange with the complainant; but the
magistrate would not c imply with the wish.
Two youths, named Walter Blake and Jeremiah
Stansham, were placed at the bar for re-examination
on the charge of having stolen a quantity of silver
plate to a considerable extent, the property of Mr.
Ed ward Broughton, of St. James's-terrace, St. John's-
wood.
The prisoners were fully committed for trial.
CL ERKEN WELL.
Thomas Thomond, a sullen-looking fellow, 20
years of age, was placed at the bar before Mr. Tyr-
whitt, charged by Mr. Joseph Thomond, his os n
father, a master baker residing in William-street,
Caledonian-road, Islington, with hiving stolen two
silver table-spoons and other articles of plate, and also
with having threatened his life, by which he went in
bodily fear.
The father, who was evidently much affected,
said that the prisoner was a drunken, profligate fel-
low, who might do well were it not for his depraved
inclinations. He had endeavoured in his youth to
instil moral principles in his mind, but to no pur-
pose. On the whole of Wednesday last he was
drunk, and continued annoying witness by driving
backwards and forwards before his door in a cabriolet.
He received information that the prisoner had boasted
to a neighbour that he had taken two silver
spoons, &c. Subsequently he called on witness at, d
asked him for money, which he declined giving him,
on which he threatened to bare his life, and, taking
several half-crowns from his pocket, exhibited them,
and said he did not want money, and he threw a
pawnbroker's duplicate on the counter for the pro-
perty, which had been pledged at Mr. Neade's, in
Penton-street, Pentonville. He consulted with a
policeman, and gave the prisoner into custody. 'Wit-
ness added, with a flood of tears, that the prisons r
had frequently alarmed them out of their sleep in the
dead of the night to demand money ; his mother
sometimes got out of bed and remonstrated with him,
when he threatened, with dreadful language, that he
would never be satisfied until he could put a bullet
through her heart. He had used a similar threat to-
wards witness.

Mr. TYRWIIITT inquired what course he wished
to be adopted towards the prisoner ? Mr. Thomond—
I wish to be protected. My property and life are
not safe. Something must be done.
Mr. TYRWHITT said there was abundance of evi-
dence as to the unlawfully pawning the property.
Prisoner (sullenly)—CAn't I have a solicitor ?
The evidence of the pawnbroker was taken duwn as
to the pledging the articles Lt. 1/. 2s.
The prisoner in his d: fence said he had been drink-
ing for two or three days, and the only excuse he
could make for himself was that he was under the in-
fluence of liquor at the time.
Mr. TYRWHITT, addressing the prisoner, said his
conduct was most disgraceful. There ought to be
some limit placed on the conduct of bad and violent
eons towards their parents, and he conld hardly con-