The Sun. — 1860-02-27 (London, England)

OMNIBUS ACCIDENTA'.  TO TILE EDITOR OF THE SIIN.  Buchan. By the Rev. John Pratt, MA. Second edition, illustrated. Blackwood. The microscope reveals more wonders than the telescope—the concentrated examination of details excites far more interest than a general glimpse of some stupendous whole. What battlefield ever excited the beholder's sympathy like the contemplation of a hand to hand engagement ? But the fact is well known, and needs no amplification. It has been recalled to us at this moment by the volume before us, in which we are surprised to find so much matter of interest. A district of Aberdeen forms a subject of some 300 or 400 pages, and is found capable of arresting the reader's attention throughout. Its natural peculiarities, its old tra- • ditions, tales, and ballads that ever abound on Scottish soil, alternately arrest and attract us, while the skilful pencil of Mrs. Pratt has doubled the work by the introduction of a series of most charming and romantic illustrations.  Tho author has endeavoured in these pages to combine the exposure of some of the short comings of those high in command in the British navy at the beginning of the present century, with a romantic tale. As regards what appertains to seamanship and sketches of naval character we have no fault to find. Captain Glascock is at home when he is at sea, and he is certainly at sea when he enters the Court of Common Pleas. It would seem that the learned profession is going to the doge i altogether ; Sir Robert Peel will not suffer t to meddle with firearms, and Captain Glascock insinuatesrt o f ltahwa titso equivalentbring any t o to nauticalssi ngd. dispute ufot er into cou verdict. Plot the story has none ; the heroine makes her debut about fifty pages from the conclusion ; and the father of the hero, who the reader is led to believe has been murdered, and. on whom a coroner's inquest has been held, suddenly reappears on the stage ; which event might have led to unpleasant consequences, his wife having, after seeing his supposed body comfortably interred, married again. But the author, foreseeing this difficulty, conveniently brings about his death a short time before the resuscitation of the defunct husband. Despite these drawbacks the book has this recommendation that, Captain Glascock's writings are amusing, and written an off-hand style, threfore the tale having no particular plot, the reader may open the novel at any page and while an odd half-hour away.  Netley Hall; or, the Tirife's Sister. Smith and  This is a story of domestic life, which turns upon the vexed question of the legality of marriage with a deceased wife's sister, which has lately engaged so much of the attention of the Legislature and the public. The author is strongly in favour of the proposed alteration in the existing law, and the case is, of course, put in the strongest light. The. objections which aro by some conscientiously raised on moral grounds are altogether slighted, but the legal and scriptural arguments are thoroughly entered into. Ancient authorities are cited, the doctrines of the early fathers of the Christian Church are examined at length, and those who are occupied in the consideration of this question will be much interested in the perusal of these arguments. The characters introduced are, many of them, pleasing and ably drawn, and the general style of the work promises well for the author's future success.  SIR,—It is by no means an uncommon accident in London for one of the horses of an omnibus to fall down, in which case great difficulty is experienced in unfastening the traces and giving the animal liberty to rise. It is impossile to advance the omnibus,, to slacken the traces, on account of the chains connecting the horse's collar to the pole, and vice versa, the vehicle cannot be backed on account of tho traces. All this inconvenience could be obviated by a simple mechanical contrivance to disconnect the traces without the necessity of slackening them. It is needless to propose any particular plan, there being already more than twenty different ways of performing this simple operation. If omnibus proprietcrs would only loo" to this matter they would consult the convenience of the public, and prevent injury both to their cattle and their rolling property. IC IV.  FOUNDERING OF ANOTHER STEAMER AND Loss OP