The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-06 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Cuthbert St. Dine, M.P., or Passages in, the Life of

a Politician.

3 vols.

Hurst arid Blackett.

This story combines public with private life, the
career of the hero is traced from a very early age,
and we behold him gradually emerging from the
retirement of a studious youth, until he takes his
place in manhood in the senate, where he oc-
cupies no mean place. The record of his life is not
carried on to the culminating point, and he does
not even approach the meridian of his powers, or
' the maturity of his years, when tife conclusion of the
tale appears; but enough has been said to give good
augury of his success, and to hold out a fair pro-
mise of a great renown. The domestic details oc-
cupy a larger space than might be expected in a
political novel ; they are however exceedingly well
described. Perhaps the most highly finished sketch
is that of Lady Norah Donovan, whose mutable
mind could take no fixed impression. Light and
shade are vividly displayed in her composition, al-
ternately she was smiling and frowning, one moment
all amiability, the next as stubborn and unyield-
ing as possible. She possessed no guiding principle
like her cousin Edith, whose gentle nature was as
firm as Norah's passionate character was unstable.
Nothing is more probable, than that a creature like
this, who set reason at defiance, cast the counsels
of friends to the winds, and ignored all moral re-
sponsibility when following her own fancies, should
have a downfall. Unhappily, as often happens, she
could not suffer alone. The innocent, the high
spirited, and the noble hearted, hid to join the
ranks and swell the sacrifice. The whole of the last
volume is filled with the pursuit through Italy of
the fugitives. Sir Hugh Dawnay, a false friend
of Cuthbert's, had persuaded Norah to elope with
him, and indignant at her treatment of her unfor-
tunate husband, her brother, joined by his friend
Cuthbert, sets out after them. In early years Cuth-
bert had been engaged to the faithless beauty, and
it was a heavy blow to him when she gave him up
(during an unavoidable absence) and married the
worthy Mr. Burney. This latter event far more
than reconciled the hero to his disappointment.
The events in Italy are stirring one 4, as the
travellers were in that country on the eve of the
general outbreak in 1848. They were mixed up in
some of the confusions so impossible to avoid when
sojourning in a disturbed state of society. The end
of their expedition took theni to Paris, which they
reached at the moment when the Citizen King had
fled. Lord Beaconsfield, the brother of Norah, is
a good-natured easy-tempered man, very averse to
deciding matters for himself, and generally trusting
to his friend. Lord Elmwood was the very reverse
of this, a designing, intriguing man, intent on pro-
moting his own purpose, heedle..s if conscience de-
barred further progress, and indifferent to the
claims of friends if they stood in his way. He
acted very ungenerously to his nephew, Cuthbert,
in sending him to Ireland, at a time when every
public and private interest demanded his presence
in London. For once, however, the machinations
of the skilled intriguer failed. The young politi-
cian had excited too keen an attention to allow
absence itself to obliterate him from the regard of
those who watch events, and hail each rising star
of promise, who seems likely to irradiate with the
fire of genius the dull monotony of the political
arena, and wake up the dreary echoes of conventional
mediocrity, with the flashes of native wit and the
sound of inspired eloquence. We have seen how
being frustrated in love was a blessing instead of
a curse eventually to Cuthbert. Lord Elmwood
had a more striking proof of the vanity of his
attempts, for in the hour of his party's triumph he
was struck down by a fierce attack, and could never
again set his foot on the stage of public life.
" Cuthbert St. Elme" may thus afford to the
reader a stirring sketch of political existence, and a
striking drama of social life. The crafty is shown
in the one, and the cunning met with in the other;
but while pride has a fall, and vanity is covered
with vexation of spirit, the upright-minded one
prospers, if not always successful. The book can
be fairly recommended as being clever in its com-
position, elevated in its purpose, and brilliant and
effective in many of its passages.

Chow-Chow. By the Viscountess Falkland. 2 vols.

Hurst and Blackett.

These agreeable volumes are not devoted, as their
name might imply, to the district known as Chow-
Chow. They consist of selections from a journal
kept by the authoress in India, Egypt, and Syria,
and take their title from the Indian pedlers, who,
among their wares, always carry a " Chow-Chow
basket" of miscellaneous merchandise. The word
itself signifies "odds and ends ;" and as the work
before us is intended more as a pleasant record of
individual experiences than a serious work of tra-
vels.
it has also received the name. Lady Falk-
land writes in a clear and brief style, and evident
and
a considerable powers of observation,
a disposition to be interested and amused in all the
peculiarities of country, customs,
or inhabitants, in
defiance of the various
misadventures and annoy-
ances she met with. Her opportunities of forming
an acquaintance with the people and government
of India were considerable, as Lord Falkland
was Governor of Bombay, and, of course, Lady
Falkland had to hold the various receptions,
ike., that form a large part of the duties of a
governor's lady. Having been only a short time
returned from North America, she was amused
at the difference in the style of company conversa-
tions. In Halifax the topics were icebergs, sleigh-
ing, stoves, and double windows ; in Bombay they
were dusty roads, cool houses, and toe coming mon-
soon. However, she tells us that tile weather rarely
serves for conversation in the E.ist, only when the
rains are expected. There are few amusements in
Bombay, for the European gentlemen are all busily
engaved during the day ; and the dinner hour being
very late, they prefer quiet iu the evening. Oa
the occasion of the races there is a little more acti-
vity displayed, and a very mixed group of specta-
tors may be seen. "You may see in the crowd
a Bombay European exquisite by the side of a
dirty fakir. Here is a group of Parsees, there is a
Jew ; and there are Hiudoos of all castes—Mussul-
mans, people from Scinde with square caps, Portu-
guese, Ertelish sailors, Chinese with long tails,
native soldiers, and Armenians." The "cold sea-

son," as it is termed; is usually selected fo • enter-
tainments. Occasionally at this time the east wind
blows, which in India is sometimes dangerous,
Persons have losi, the use of their limbs for a time
from sleeping with open windows. The following
is a description of a dust storm :
At about four o'clock one very lovely afternoon, while
in my verandah, overloolling the sea and beautiful view,
embracing Back Bay Colaba, the Fort of Bombay, the
harbour, tile distant mountains and the extensive cocci'
nut wood of palms tl the left, I heard Rome one sail
suddenly, " What is that " "Itis a fire." No, ib
is a dust storm." Over the distant mountains dingy yel•
low red clouds were stirring. With us at iVlalabar POW
all was bright, calm, and beautiful. In a few minute
the m iuniain9, Colaba, the Fort and Tower of Bombal
became quite invisible, as if they had suddenly sunk int°
the ocean. But we were not to escape unmolested : 8000
a low murmuring sound was heard, the sea close to 111
became agitated. The leaves of the trees began to rustle'
the sky was overcast, but the sun was not quite obscured
the colour of the sea was magniacent, there were strealo
of deep purple, green and lilac, the waves looked
rriiribows, the wind became stronger every mould'
kites and crows could not fly, they perched on roll
and trees waiting for the storm to be over. Myriads
dragon-flies were tossed up and down by the wind, whir,
now rushed through the bungalow, bringing with"
clouds of dust, which clvered everything in its passag
and then fell in torrents of rain, and everything was re
freshed for a time.
Experienced residents become used to these
conveniences. "It is surprising how indiffere
one becomes to frogs, snakes, hyenas, and tie
One evening I was highly amused by a person eoli:
ing to dine with us exclaiming, '1 have just k/10,
a snake at the door ! ' Another guest follows'
saying, The hyenas are howling dreadfully;
while a third came in and told us there had heel)!
cry among his servants of baugh' (tiger) ia 117
compound." Another agreeable feature of India
existence is the large number of wandering tel
that live in the plains of the Deccan. They hat
a very questionable reputation, and the departrael,
that was organised fur the suppression of Thugg't
when Thugs became scarce, were set to trace
the system of gang-robbing, by which maul
these tribes subsisted. One of the officers drercll
a list of toem, with their occupation, ostensiv
and real. He enumerated seventy-one tribes, ap
even, then, the list was incomplete. 'They:
very insignificant, however, after the Thugs.
adventurous authoress once saw some of ti.b:
heroes who had been pardoned. One of tu,
owned to having committed one hundred mitude'ii
was anxious to exhibit his mode of casting
noose, which she declined to witness for fear;
accidents. The Bohras, or pedlers, though "01
derers, do not belong to this class. They by
often shops at the Bazaars, but are consta9
coming to the European bungalows, followed
men or women carrying large boxes, among th
of course, the Chow-chow basket, which-is spec,l`;
exhibited. The following extract gives a 011
idea of its contents:—
" Lady Sahib want fine cheese T Here Uncle si
Cab'n (which the Bohrah had just „,, purchased at a 6
I got good pickle. There box of French gloves.
soap Lady Sahib Then he tempts the lady's
with a gay ribbon, and by degrees the contents c",.
chow-chow basket are displayed. Side by side ,tt.
bottle of anchovy sauce and one of tincture of rlis',„
There lies a Wiltshire cheese, surrounded by Gos,;:
English tapes, and French ribbons. There are In
of ink, blacking, and hair dye, in the neighbourbo%,
fringes, pins, and needles. There are gum and g",
lower down, too, with brushes, flannel jackets, and ogV,
deeper and deeper are found more treasures, till at
the content of the basket are exhausted, and aftero;.
Bahia has shown his numerous goods, all ends in b
yard of ribbon being bought for Madame Sahib's C
Shortly before Lady Falkland left Indis,i
first railroad was opened. It may be iragi
what excitement was caused to the natives
as those Europeans h o not having quitted
for years had never seen a railroad. Close 'VII'
station was a very handsome new temple,
had. been begun before the railway was thougud
and was about finished when the latter was oP7
The authoress exclaims, in allusion to "the
of the rulers and the ruled," " Could one
imagine buildings more opposite in their porl2
or more indicative of the character of the r
the last triumphs of science side by
with the superstitions of thousands of yearS
The expatriated Europeans regard the aff6'
their native country as very secondary to
matters. On one occasion the authoress 11°,4,
old officer, and mentioned to him a great ;o!
which had taken place in Europe. He stare
said, " I know nothing at all about it." Sheo,;
started another topic connected with. Engl
he answered, "I take no interest in it.
made one more attempt, and alluded to 54
nothingknown politician, when he calmly replied, "
hr.
at all about him." This officer had,
ever, been forty years absent from England.,/o:
life in India is very monotonous, espente
ladies, but the authoress found the secret to glj
zest in taking an interest in the native life, erli
exploring the neighbourhood. She says/ 4,
,
truth, " It is not always easy to appreciate tiLf,
nificanco and value of what is constantly fro?
our eyes, but I think people can learn to utij:
and nowhere is such a faculty more valuable 11,
in India where one is left so completely tote
own resources—that is, the ladies ; for agile;
the gentlemen , who hold office have much,,,,i
and are hard worked, being employed eat,3.
late." The second volume narrates LadyFalk-'t,;
departure from India and her visit to E(:).,371).A
Syria. A pilgrimage up the Nile is, as she
observes, now so common, that there i 0
novelty in the description. She therefore
but a brief account of what she saw and hO4
fared among the Pyramids. Her visit to the 0:
Land she describes more at length, and tboS6l;
are disglisted with the levity and infidelity
many travellers, when writing of the Holy „`•
will read Lady Falkland's account with pleo,
It is written in a simple and reverent spirit, tP
she is not willing to accept all the old 1)1°-,,ii.
traditions that too often lead the visitor to, 1,
more established records. On quitting SYTllicr'
returned to Europe to give to the world 0011;
tents of her Chow-Chow basket, an offering W
they will probably receive with as much sati43e
as the Ayahs welcome the visit of the Bohrall'

POLICE INTELLIGENCE. (This Pa

MARLBOROUGH-STREET,
INSOLENCE OF A CAB-DRIVER.—John Iluttow
driver, owner of 3970 cab, was charged bel:
Beadon with the following insolent conduct toward
John Kirkland.

It appeared from the evidence that on Saturdaft,
noon last Sir John arrived at the London-bridge °di
of the South Coat Railway, and that he engag!ol
defendant's cab to take him to his office in Pall
The defendant was obliged to lash his horse to maleoP
go. Complainant took away several papers of
im
ante from Pall-mall. After be left that he told t'')
fendant to drive him to Mount-street. As be wafitil'il
there he found that the defendant was compo
lash his horse in order to urge it to go Ori.
then spoke to the defendant to induce hiPi(
him to leave and to get into another cab. pr
defendant then observed that his horse was " a r"?
slug." Defendant went through Berkeley-N(l9'V
observed that he would take complainant to the tAII,
house. He collected a crowd around the cab,
caused him (complainant) to be in fear of his paper
he spoke to the crowd and incited the persone.op
against him. Eventually he reached the police stet',"
Vine-street, where complainant stated to the inePed
the circurnstancet he had now mentioned. Lie
forward on public grounds.
The Inspector said that defendant was not s.ober'el
He was sent for seven days to the House of
rection.

HIGHWAY ROBBER
Oy ITHh
sVAmolting a rough to
fellow named Spanton, was charged with robbing ge"
wright named Allen. From the evidence it acre
that early on Saturday morning the prosecutor pf
pas,ing along the Spa-road when Spanton nano 13,0
him and struck him with such violence that he fell t"V
ground in a state of insensibility. On recovering e
sensei he found he had been robbed of all his o°ll
The prisoner was remanded.