The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-16 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

The performances last evening were fer the benefit
of Lucile Grahn, and the house was crowded by
those who were anxious to do honour to the talent
of the young Dane. The opera was La Gazza
Ladra, with Grisi as Ninetta, Brambilla as Pippo, Mario
as Gianetto, Fornasari as Fernando, and Lablache as t' e
Podesta. It is needless to add that it was performed
in a style which cannot be equalled upon any other
lyrical stage in Europe. Between the acts of the
opera we had a pis de quatre, the composition
of the fair beneficiare herself, in which she bore a prin-
cipal part, and in which she was rapturously applauded.
The Dansueses Viennoisses introduced two new pas—
the Pas de Rococo and the Pas des Amours, and repeated
the Pas des Miroirs. They exerted themselves to the:
utmost, as, in fact, they w ere in duty bound to do, for
Lucile Grahn did them good service in composing
the exquisite ballet of Maya, more for them than for
herself, and which affords them such admirable op-
portunities of displaying their powers. The favourite
pas de six, from this ballet, was also given in the
course of the evening. The great treat, however, was
Un Bal sous Louis XIV., in which Lucile Grahn ap-
peared for the first time as the Cavalier, supported by
Cerito, as La Dame. These two delightful artistes
danced together the Minuet and Gavotte, in the most
quaint and fascinating style imaginable. Lucile
Grahn looked exceedingly well in her male
attire. La Nena, too, danced El Ole,
a national Spanish dance, perhaps the most original
pas in which that celebrated danseuse has yet ap-
peared. Then we had La Cracovienne, danced in
the most espiegle manner imaginable by Lucile
Grahn. Madame Anaide Castellan sang the finale to
La Sonnambula. Cerito gave us the Pas de
l'Ombre, from Ondine ; and the whole concluded
with the Mazourka d 'Extase, from Eoline, and never
did Lucile Grahn appear to greater advantage than
she did in this last pas. ller dancing was perfect,
her acting beautiful.

LITERATURE•

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 16, 1845.

THE LADY'S COUNTRY COMPANION. By

Mrs. Loudon. Louq►nan and Co.
This is a most useful and interesting little work—
full of practical information ; written in a light and
pleasing style, that instructs without fatiguing. It
is intended for the use of ladies who, having been
educated in town, find themselves unequal to the
management of a country house ; to all such it must
prove an invaluable acquisition. Every lesson that
experience can afford—every improvement that fancy
can suggest—is here set forth for the benefit of the
young and ignorant. It is written in the form of
letters, supposed to be addressed to a young lady
just settled at an old country house. This renders
the style familiar and interesting—it is no longer the
dry reading of a book, but the kind suggestions of a
thoughtful friend. Though intended as a companion
for the country, it contains much general informa-
tion that will be useful for all persons and all situa-
tions. Beginning with the interior of the house,
the first letters are devoted to the arrangement of
furniture, the preservation of stores, &c. The fol-
lowing remarks on the care of fires will be found
useful both in town and country :
" In warming a room a good deal depends upon the
mode of managing the tire. Servants are very apt to
throw on a quantity of coals at once, in such a manner
as to smother up the flame ; and, when this is the case,
the heated air produced by the imperfect combustion of
the coals passes up the chimney with the smoke, and
very little warmth enters the room. If, on the con-
trary, the coals are carefully arranged on the fire so as
to allow a free current of air to pass through them, per-
fect combustion takes place, and the coals become a
glowing mass, from which rays of light and heat spread
in every direction► ; while the cheerful appearance of a
bright glowing fire must be felt by every one. Where
an opportunity occurs of altering a fireplace, its capa-
bility for diffusing radiant heat will be greatly increased
by making the back and sides of fire-br►ck or fire-stone;
as these substances retain heat much longer than any
kind of metal, and are consequently more likely to pre-
vent the fire from being chilled by the addition of fresh
coal."

We are next initiated into all the mysteries of the
" Commissariat Department;" besides instructions in
the important arts of brewing, baking, making butter
and cheese, &c., we have plain directions for domestic
cookery, with numerous useful recipes. The care of
a garden and the management of flowers forms, of
course, an important part in a " guide fur the coun-
try." There are many letters devoted to this inte-
resting subject, and the following remarks will be
useful to those who prefer the busy town to the quiet
retreats of rural life :
" The pleasures of the town and the country are, in-
deed, so different, that it requires some time to become
accuston.ed to the change; but, when you are sufficiently,
well acquainted with country pursuits to take an in-
terest in them, I am sure you will never feel any want of
the pleasures of the town. The great secret of being
happy is, to be able to occupy ourselves with the objects
around us, so as to feel an interest in watching their
changes; and, when you can once do this in your present
situation, you will no longer complain of dulness or want
of excitement. All that is wanted to give an interest in
any subject is, a sufficient degree of knowledge respect-
ing it to be aware of its changes, and our own natural
love of variety will do the rest.
" It is a great advantage in a country life, that its
principal objects of interest must be found at home; and
hence, as home is woman's peculiar dominion, the
noblest and the best feelings of the female heart are
more likely to be called into action in the country than
in the town. In youth, especially, the ameliorating
effects of country pursuits will soon be perceptible, both
morally and physically."
The principal charm of this work consists in the
real instruction it affords. It is not a work of theory,
but a series of practical lessons, and the style is at
once so pleasing and so full of interest, as to render
it not only a useful, but a most entertaining com-
panion for a country house. We doubt not it will
tend to remove many of the prejudices entertained by
the young and thoughtless with regard to the " dull
monotony" of retirement. It shows that every situa-
tion has its pleasures and its duties; that happiness
does not consist in external objects, and a quiet coun-
try life may afford an opportunity of exercising every
Christian virtue, and obtaining the purest satisfaction
and delight—
" For more true joy Marcellus exiled feels
Than Caesar with a senate at his heels."
The following advice with regard to the employment
of the poor is worthy of attention :
" The proprietor of a large estate ought to be regarded
by the labouring cottagers in the light of a protector, to
whom they can look up for advice and assistance in
their troubles ; and as a friend upon whose kindness
they natty confidently rely, and who they know will he
interested in their welfare. When this is the case, the
tenantry of a country gentleman will form his best body-
guard ; and, instead of ever attempting to injure his
property, they will do all in their power to protect it.
" It is the blessed privilege of wealth and rank that
they give us the power of making our fellow-creatures
happy, with very trifling inconvenience to ourselves.
A word or a kind look from the rich to the poor speaks
volumes, and carries with it encouragement and plea-
sure, which no efforts of persons in their own rank in
life can give. It is, however, difficult for the rich to
know how to be of real service to the poor, as giving
alms seldom does good except in eases of sudden and un-
foreseen distress. The best charity is first to teach the
poor how to maintain themselves, and next to give them
employment ; and, when they have this, they have a
better chance of happiness than any riches could bestow
combined with idleness. Perhaps, indeed, there is no
state of existence more happy than that of a person who
is usefully and profitably employed, and whose employ-
ment is of such a nature as to exercise moderately the
faculties both of the body and the mind.
" Many ladies in the country employ a portion of
their time in making clothes for the poor ; but with the
exception of permitting young people to make baby-
linen, I question whether itis advisable that much should
be done in this way. The feelings of the poor are often
hurt by having it dictated to them what they are to
wear, and they are apt to look upon the clothes thus
given to them, and which are probably quite different
from what they would have purchased for themselves,
almost as a badge of slavery which they are compelled
to wear to please their patrons, but of which they hate
the very sight."
We need hardly recommend this work to the
" ladies of England," it has only to be known to be
appreciated and admired. The following is an ex-
ample of the pleasing way in which Mrs. Loudon
combines instruction with amusement :
" You are perhaps not aware that a carriage is hung
exactly on the same principle as a hammock is suspended
in a ship at see, viz., to substitute a gentle and regular
swinging motion for an irregular jerking
one. The
principle of suspending carriages is as old as the time
of the Saxons; but it has been reserved for modern days
to break the force of inevitable jolts, by such a variety
of pieces of elastic steel or springs, as to render travel-
ling in a carriage as easy as gliding in a boat down a
smooth river. Carriages, such as those WC have now in
use, are, as no doubt you know, quite a recent inven-
tion. You remember the celebrated letter of Henry IV.,
in which he says, I cannot come to you to-day, be-
cause my wife is using my coach t'
and even in the
time of Charles 11. there were ,but fifty
coaches in Lon-
don and Westminster. Now it would be rather difficult
to count them, and it would even be a more tedious task
than I should like to undertake to enumerate their kinds.
I shall, therefore, content myself
with mentioning the
points that are of most importance in selecting a car-
nage."

MAGAZINES—CON
• TINUED.
SIMMONDS'S COLONIAL MAGAZINE.
In the present number there is an interesting ac-
count of "Agriculture in Hindostan," with particu-
lars relating to the cultivation of the sugar-cane.
" A Few Hints on Foreign and Home Coloniza-
tion " is written by " One about to Emigrate,"
and he seems desirous of inducing others to
follow his example; attributing the general distress
felt in so many parts of the country to over popula-
tion, he recommends emigration as a sure and certain
remedy. Although some of his suggestions are
worthy of attention, he seems to forget that, while he
blames the League and others for offering but one
panacea for so many evils, he himself falls into the
same error. Colonization may be a useful
auxiliary in ameliorating distress, but it cannot
effect any improvement by itself. " The defenceless
condition of Jamaica ' forms the subject of a letter
written to Lord Normanby, when Colonial Secretary :
it is introduced at the present time in consequence of
the disputes with America. " Great Britain and the
United States " is also on the same subject : the
writer seems to thin
En k that
land war is inevitable, and that
it is " the duty of g reduce America to
s slavery." submission,er . to divide the States, and loosen the bonds
of

FISHER'S COLONIAL MAGAZINE.
This magazine is a
almost entirely devoted to matters
of foreign and colonial interest. The first article is on
polafrnegtshsueensg:"
the subject of the " Trade. and Commerce of Webtern
o"fNtehielghrenrgrileisi,
Australia," from which it appears that the last report
from that colony was less favourable than usual. There
Itahnneltbe account
hNraeesgwbr eeteZnet s 0 wa,lrsioterofexa-
long delayed, observing, " that
il)sTabiil
"Visit
blue
e to interestingti
oleu c taßpi
Hine
Zealand
ilal(.t)nf6dt, descriptionlocillanguage,"
I.ll::ltiihu:ttoarptgfteoie.rot,:e,ni:e
the only way to really, and not nominally, christianize
the aborigines, is first .to teach them our language ;
by degrees, they.
.w.lll. adopt our habits, they
will amalgamate, civilisation will follow, and Chris-
tianity, and probably our owns form of worship, will
all occur as a matter of course. The most interesting
article in this number is on the subject of " Harbours
of Refuge ;" it contains a minute description of the
floating breakwater off Brighton, from which we
subjoin the following extract :
" The mechanical construction of Captain Tayler's
i
floating breakwater s so Pimple, that a very concise de-
scription of it will be sufficient. In appearance it re-
sembles two prisms, united at their bases, the lower
prism being equilateral, and the upper isosceles, the
angles at the base being 30 degre,,,, that being the de-
sired angle of the sloping top upon which the sea will
break or become dispersed. The extreme dimensions
are as follows:—namely, 60 feet long, 24 feet broad, and
27 feet deep. The structure Is wholly of fir timber i in