The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-31 00:00:00

CHRISTMAS BOOKS,

THE ILLUS'TRATED

YEAR BOOK.

Edited by John Timbs.

The very deserved success of the .‘ Year Book of
1849" has induced its originators to offer to the pub-
lic a second series of that interesting and most useful
work. In the volume before us we have a record of
the Wonders, Events, and Discoveries of the year
1850. Conspicuous among these is, of course, a very
attractive history of the Hippopotamus, with some
faithful likenesses of that illustrious strarger. The
Submarine Electric Telegraph ; the Tornado in the
Bahamas ; the famous diamond Koh-i-noor, or
Mountain of Light ; the colossal statue of Bavaria ;
the Panoramas of the Nile, and the Overland Route
are among the subjects discussed and described, and
beautifully illustrated in this book of wonders. Nor
is the forthcoming Exhibition overlooked, and all
these momentous matters are not merely enumerated,
but are made subjects of very interesting articles.
Few Christmas books are likely to afford more plea-
sure to the curious and the thoughtful, and none are
calculated to bestow so much information as the
"Illustrated Year Book of Wonders, Events, and
Discoveries."

LORD and LADY HARCOURT ; or, Country
Hospitalities. By Catherine Sinclair.
" The Earl and Countess of Harcourt request the
honour of your company during the week to meet a
small select party of all the world at Saxonboroug 11
Castle, Middlesex." Such i 3 the somewhat unusual
form in which this volume is dedicated "to the
reader." All who accept the invitation so conveyed
will have little cause to lament their compliance. The
party assembled under the hospitable roof of Lord
and Lady Harcourt are well calculated, from diver-
sity of character, to afford a week's amusement even
to the most fastidious. Lord Harcourt himself, with
his easy, laissez faire kind-heartedness, and his
young bride, whose gentleness and gracefulness
are unable to overcome the prejudice and
animosity of her husband's relations, are sufficiently
attractive to render a visit to Saxonborough delightful,
and that delightfulness is considerably increased when
we find that Lord Killarney is one of the party—
Lord Killarney, whose wit and gaiety is irresistible
to all, with the sole exception of the pompous Lord
Kidderminster, the unconscious butt of the lively
Hibernian ; e.g.:--
"At table again Lord Kidderminster was hailed
with another round of conundrums, which the indefati-
gable Lord Killarney assured him were selected pur-
posely for him, as being of a political tendency.
"They are all inimitable, and Lady Rachel has positively
promised, at least, I think she probably will promise, to
work a waistcoat for the first person who answers
this: Why are you like nineteen shillings?' Because'—
surely you can make that oat!—' because you are under
a sovereign.'
" ' I tell you, Killarney, that 1 give them all up.
I shall give up society itself while this conundrum
fever continues to rage. They are a cloak for much
folly and malice. Lady Rachel, this morning. made a
most unfair allusion, both personally and politically, to
me, when she asked Why are a wig and a Whig alike?'
Because,' she said,' they both have a false attachment
to the crown.' It was extremely ill- bred and extremely
ill-timed. My political opinions are notorious through-
out the universe cow, and nothing has been able either
to alter them or to turn me.'
" What key is hardest to turn?' asked Lord Killar-
ney, in a tone of naivete. ' A donkey.' But you never
answered that one I left with you in the morning. * *
" Apropos,' What is the only wig a ta,ber cannot
make?' You will be so diverted! •An ear-wig!' And
Why am I over head and ears in debt?' Because my
wig is not paid for.'
" But you wear no wig! Pray, Killarney, spare me
any more of this nonsense."
No entreaties, however, can more and no contempt
ca❑ intimidate the imperturbable Lord Killarney. He
gravely asks " Why there are no horses in the Isle of
Wight ?" and Lord Kidderminster as gravely rejoins,
" Are there none ? I was not aware of the fact."
" Because," replies his tormentor, " the inhabitants
prefer Cowes to Ry de." No wonder, after all this, that
poor Lord Kidderminster heartily agrees to one only
of these jeux d'esprit, namely, when Lord Killarney in-
quires, " Why am I like the Thames Tunnel ? Be-
cause I am the greatest bore in England." An
opinion by no means assented to by the other guests
(including the reader) of "Lord and Lady Harcourt."

CHRISTMAS BERRIES FOR THE YOUNG
AND GOOD.
SILVER BLOSSOMS TO PRODUCE
GOLDEN FRUIT.

Two delightful children's Christmas books, gorge-
ously bound, bountifully illustrated, and printed in
unusually large type, thereby rendering them doubly
welcome to young reabers. Poems and prose tales
are mingled in both volumes, mostly on themes relat-
ing to this season of the year, and all are delightfully
adapted for the young and good, in whose tender
minds they are likely to produce not only silver blos-
soms but golden fruit.

THE DOCTOR'S LITTLE DAUGHTER. By
Eliza Meteyard (Silverpen).
Few story books are likely to prove more charm-
ing, not only to the young, but to all who can ap-
preciate the natural and the truthful, than the very
delightful history of Alice Tyne, the doctor's little
daughter. It is not so much a story as a series of
stories of which this volume is composed, having for
its object the development of a young child's mind.
It affords a refreshing glimpse of nature, and truth,
and beauty seen through that pure medium.
There is a genial and enthusiastic spirit and an un-
affected simplicity about the writings of "Silverpen,"
which proclaim them to be the outpourings of a feel-
ing heart. Whether as a Christmas gift, or a Mid-
summer's tale, the " Doctor's Little Daughter " will
be welcome to old and young. " Truth," says the
authoress, " is a divine and holier thing than beauty."
It is so, and, moreover, it is beautiful also; and the
volume which contains this excellent saying is worthy
of all commendation, inasmuch as it is both beautiful
and truthful.