The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-12 00:00:00

LIT r,„:7_ TURA.

3 . -. ~'?

The Wolf-boy of China, or incidents and adventures
in the Life of Lyn Payo, By William- Dalton.
London ; Pew-tress and Co., Ave Maria Lane.
A really new tale for children ! Not one of the
common good boy and naughty boy stories, but a
real telling romance ; nor as a romance for children
is its chief object to read trite lectures on every
day duty, though it does incidentally give several
striking illustrations of truth and honour nobly
adhered to under temptation. The author's object,
as we gather it from the tale itself, is to give to
children and young persons a picture they should
not easily forgot of Chinese life, manners, habits,
and superstitions ; to combine in a romantic nar-
rative, a vast number of the peculiarities of that
singular, and now specially interesting people, as
gathered from a great many sources, from Marco
Polo, down to the present time. The author has
succeeded admirably in this object. That the tale
will entrance children, gain their attention, and
engrave its details on their memory, through the
fancy, we have had some half dozen striking
proofs, as the book lay on our family table. It
completely absorbed the attention of every child
who saw it, till the perusal was finished. In most
fictions "founded on fact," the facts are generally
the leading incidents of the story. Here it is the
reverse, and the facts consist of the filling up of the
daily life and customs of the Chinese. Those who
wish to teach their children without trouble some-
thing of the people with whom we and Sr John
Bowring have now some matters to settle, and
those who want a perfectly novel treat for their
'boys and their girls too, will find •'The Wolf-boy
of China" the very book for them. It is quite a
success in its line.

THE LATE MR. JERROLD.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUL

Sri,—l will ask you, in common fairness, to
afford me space in your journal to reply to a letter
inserted in your impression of the 7th instant,
signed " Charles Dickens" and " Arthur Smith."
It has grieved me excessively to be at issue with Mr.
Charles Dickens, a gentleman who was so long my
father's friend, whose regard I have every reason
to cherish, and for whose kind intentions I am
deeply grateful. But some consideration, it seems to
me, was due to a son who was anxious to vindicate his
father's memory from the charge of having left his
family totall yun pro vided for. This consideration has
not been extended to me, and I venture to offer the
following justification of that statement made by me
which has unhappily aroused the anger of Mr. Dickens.
This gentleman and Mr. Arthnr Smith are pleased,
in taking exception to this statement, to preface
their remarks with a sneer at the publicity I
"could obtain for it." My reply to this sneer is
that I sought no publicity for my communication
beyond that afforded by the journal in which that
communication first appeared.
I am next informed in the letter which you in-
serted on the 7th instant that the "forbearing and
delicate" reference to my father's affairs made by
Mr. Dickens in a previous communication was
forced upon him and those persons whom he
represented by exaggerations with which they had
been frequently met, " and which the son had never
contradicted." I will now explain why I did not
contradict these exaggerations, by quoting a letter,
addressed by Mr. Charles Dickens to Mr. Wells,
dated " Gadshill, June 16," and directed to be
submitted to me. Mr. Dickens writes thus :
"I, too, was excessively mortified and indignant
to see that nonsense (I forget where) about
poor dear Jerrold, and his not having
left a sixpence.' But we all have to bear our
share of such dunderheaded small talk ; and I don't
think it practicable to contradict this obscure stu-
pidity now. It is clearly not for us to contradict
it, who take such pains in every movement, from
the smallest to the least, associated with our de-
parted friend, to place him on a footing apart from
all solicitation. In inviting artists to sing, actors
to play, and the Queen herself to come to one of
the performances, I have invariably said in all the
letters that what we put forward 'in remembrance'
of him is to speak for itself, and no entreaty or re-
presentation is to be made to any human being. If
this print of a jackass' hoof should last so long, it
is rubbed outin a moment, when our little campaign
is over, by a well-considered few lines from William
Jerrold to the Times, or from me, if he wouldpre-
for it, simply stating the truth." So much for my
delay ; I may add on this head, however, that
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roughly known and beyond all doubt assured them-
selves that their exertions were needed by the
dearest objects of Mr. Jerrold's love, those exer-
tions would never have been heard of." I will
simply give a few dates. My father died on the
Bth of June. On the morning of the 9th a gentle-
man, deputed by Mr. Dickens and those with whom
he was already acting, waited upon me, and asked
me whether I would consent to the' In remem-
brance" performances. I replied that there was no
need whatever for them, so far as I knew, and that,
were there need, I remembered so vividly the
horror my father had of anything like a public
subscription, that I should still decline. I promised,
however, to talk with the members of the family. On
that evening, the 9th, I received a letter from the
gentleman who had waited on me in the wording (I
encloseyoulhis name), still urging me to accept the
kindness of my father's friends. In this letter—and
I value it for the affectionate spirit in which it was
written, the following passages occur :—" Consider,
first, that the proposition is one made by men who
are incapable of suggesting anything that can by
any possibility be unworthy of the occasion and of
the memory of him whom we mourn. Secondly,
whether your own position (I know you will pardon
frankness at such a crisis) justifies you in declining
for others what is offered in such an affectionate
spirit." . . . " Whatever may be the condition
of his (my father's) affairs, and the more prosperous
they are the stronger is my argument, the addition
which his estate will thus honourably acquire must
promote the last and dearest wish of his heart." On
this strict unde'rstanding, viz., that nothing should
be put forward of which I should not have previous
knowledge, my consent was given—in behalf of
the family—for the performances. The title given
to these performances, and the extracts I have
ventured upon, sufficiently prove that they had no
reference whatever to the "need" of the family.
More, dates show, that they were undertaken be-
fore a single paper belonging to my father could
have passed into the solicitor's hands. I now
come, sir, to the statement which I published on
the 7th of September, in which I asserted that my
father left property, policies, library, lrc., collec-
tively worth something under 3,0001. This is
fact ; and the only point Mr. Dickens offers
against it is that, since my statement was published,
Messrs. Bradbury and Evans hive made a claim of
7001. against the estate. Thera are other liabili-
ties which will considerably reduce the amount ;
but there is 1,000/. which is my mother's absolutely.
More, there are dramatic copyrights. It is most
humiliating to be thus driven before the public by
ill-considered statements, no less than by the gross
breach of faith committed by Mr. Ashurst in
giving Mr. Dickens permission to publish a letter
declaring that the est ate will be " absolutely in-
solvent." This letter was given without the
consent of Mr. Ashurst's clients—actually before
he had communicated to them anything like the
intelligence of new claims.
It only remains for me to add that when I made
my former statement—one month ago—Messrs.
Bradbury and Evans had made no claim, and to
reiterate my previous asseition, viz , that my
father's family declined everything like charity.
heartily thank the gentlemen who took part in the
" remembrance performances ;" while I regret that
Mr. r:A ickens, who has considered me worthy to
contribute to his journal during five or six years,
should think fit to sneer at me on a false assump-
tion, and discuss my private affairs in public jour-
nals. With this explanation I lOave the matter
finally to the judgment of the public.—l have the
honour to remain, sir, your servant,
W. BLANCIIARD JERROLD.
12, Salisbury-square, Oct. 10, 1857.

DETERMINED SUICIDE IN A POLICE CELL IN FLEET.
STREET.—Yeterday evening
a moat determined act of
,
suicide was committed by Mrs. Helen Watson in the
prisoners' cell of the Fleet-street station of the City
police, under circumstances of a somewhat painful and
p.culiar nature. It would appear that the unfortunate
deceased woman was charged at the Fleet-street sta•
tion at ten minutes past ten on Saturday night, with
having been drunk and disorderly, and in con-
sequence was removed to a cell as soon as
the charge had been entered on the sheet. The
cause of the charge arose at a tavern on Saturday
night where the deceased, whilst in a btate of intoxica-
tion, created a disturbance to such an extent that, al-
though the landlord of the house would willingly have
induced her to leave the premises, still her conduct wag
so disorderly that it was found necessary to give her in
charge. After she had been removed to the cell the
searcher made an exatnication of her clothing, and al-
though every article which was thought could be need
by the unfortunate woman in effecting any injury to
herself, iaciuding the garters, was taken away, she
managed to destroy her life in a very extraordinary
way. According to the custom at the station, the pri-
soner was vi?ited evt ry few minutes by the gaoler, and
between the visits she managed to remove one of her
stockings, which she fastened round her neck, and then
secured to the wire-work which protects the windows.
In this st Ito she was found shortly after midnight, when
the district surgeon was called in, but life was pro•
nounc-id to be extinct. The body has been removed to
St. Bride's deadhuma for an inquest.