The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-28 00:00:00

A MODERN OPEIR,

A tale of marvel current in the boyhood of men now
grown old, related the value of a dust-heap, situate some-
where at Battle Bridge, which turned out a very hand-
some dowry for the daughter of its owner, besides that,
when cleared away, it left vacant a space of ground that,
soon covered with houses, produced a considerable rental.
One of the most thriving towns in the colony of Victoria
is Ballarat, which also may be said to stand upon a heap
of dust and fragments—but a mountain of gold must have
furnished the material. A plan of the Ballarat gold
fields before us sinews the position of the shafts and claims
of the various mining companies now at work within
the boundaries of the towns—for Ballarat contains three
separate municipalities--and also the spots, whose now
exhausted wealth poured riches into the pockets of their
finders. Gold to the value of forty millions sterling has
!nen extracted from the ground now intersected by the
streets and houses of Ballarat. From one narrow belt of
land, about the third of a mile. in length, three-quarter.;
of a million sterling was brought to the surface. Twenty.
two companies, still working, have returned £2,225,000
in dividends on a called-up capital of £890,000,
to say nothing of the property the shareholders have
vested in the plant, and the value of his stock to any one
of them wishing to sell. As might be expected, fortune
has not favoured all alike. One of the oldest of these
companies, which has been in occupation of its ground
since 1853, has paid £44,000 in dividends on a called-up
capital of £73,000, whae the United Sir William Don,
that has been in occupation since the more recent date of
Feb. 1865, has distributed2l3l,ooo in dividends on a called-up
capital of only £2,000. The United Extended Band of
Hope has divided £446,000 on a called-up capital of
254,000. In March last this company amalgamated with
the Albion, and success still attends their operations, for
the calls have been nit, and the dividends £39,000.
There seems no reason to conceive that these golden days
are to be altogether things of the past. The
explorations of the companies have effectually shewn the
track the gold takes—the course, that is, of the bed of
that now dried-up river which, in ages past, bore the glit-
tering particles in its waters. This bed haS yet to be
followed many miles to the westward of Ballarat, and we
understand that Englishmen at home will, early in the
new year, be afforded an opportunity of taking part in
operations already commenced for probing these "yellow
sands," on a freehold to which the streets of Ballarat
already run up, and which only waits for its gold to be
extracted, in order that it may be handed over to the
architect and mason. Hitherto the Australians have
reaped the rich reward of such experiments themselves ;
but, with more certain prospects, a much larger outlay of
capital is justifiable and imperative, and hence the neces-
sity and the occasion for British capitalists to step in.

"First-class New -York residences" now contain
4 billiard-room, a chapel, and a theatre or concert saloon.

INFLUENCE OF EXCITEMENT.-1 suppose excite-
ment is a mood which stamps events clearly-marked and
.vell-defined upon our minds. I think for the most part
our lives are more wonderful, sadder,
.and brighter, more
beautiful and picturesque, than we have eyes to see or ears
to understand, except at certain moments when a crisis
comes to stir slow hearts, to brighten dim eyes to sight,
and dull ears to the sounds that vibrate all about. So it
is with happy people, and lookers-on at the history of
others : for those who are in pain a merciful shadow falls
at first, hiding, and covering, and tempering the cruel
pangs of fear and passionate regret. —" Cornkill Magazine."
SEVERE GALE IN THE METROPOLIS.—During
the last few days a great deal of damage has been done in
the metropolis and the suburbs by the unusually high
winds which have prevailed. House property has suffered
much injury, while in the parks and other open spaces
trees have been uprooted. The fall of a large tree in
Birdcage Walk, St. James's Park, severely injured a man
who was looking on. On the river the gale occasioned
several disasters, a collision between a sailing barge and
a brig coming up the river proving fatal
to two men. Off Greenwich a large steamer swamped a
boat in which was a man and a boy. The man with great
difficulty succeeded in saving both their lives. Along the
railway lines the telegraph wires and posts have been a
good deal damaged, though the communication has not
been stopped.

A NOVEL HARLEQUIN.—EIIiston, the theatrical
manager, could humbug an audience better than any other
manager of his day. Re once took a celebrated pantomime
down to Portsmouth—company, scenery, dresses, and all ;
but lo ! when the company were dressing for the evening it
was found that the harlequin's dress was Mt behind.
Elliston was equal to the emergency. He went More the
curtain and addressed the audience in this wise :—" Ladies
ant gentlemen, I have brought to this city—this celebrated
naval depot of his most sacred majesty—my celebrated
pantomime of `Jack and the Bean Stalk.' I wish to do
honour to this maritime city, celebrated for its naval
depot, its vast congregation of sailors, and ships of war.
The costume of harlequin consists of a dress of many
colours—a parti-colour dress. Now, we know of but one
party in this country, and that is the party of our Sailor
King." His Majesty -was a sailor. " This is a great
naval depot. Most of its inhabitants get their living by-
the sea, and therefore I have resolved that my harlequin,
instead of wearing his usual dress, shall appear in
sailor's costume." The address was received with cheers,
and thus Elliston got over the absence of the harlequin's
costume.