The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-11-12 00:00:00

LITERARY NOTICES.

Tn ICATIONA4 MAGAZINI.—The proprietors of this
admirable periodical bare eatered iuto an arrangement
With the celebrated firm of Frith aud Hayward, of Diet
gate, to prodime monthly, a highmlaaa picture of
n*tional interest. The first of the conaction la iasued
with the November number, which is now before Us.
It is a view of the new Westminster bridge and House
of leir.ll; and is so well executed tlyst it is fit to grace
tho walk of an exhibition or the portfolio of a con•
noisseur, and is worth the whole of the money charged
for the nu ober. But, independent of its photographie
and other illustrations, the National Magazine contains
a variety of matter treated as with a waster hand. His-
torical sohjeLts are rendered as fascinating as the most
approved fiction, and ita "light" reading is nt •superior
ortkr. We know of no magazine more agreeable and
entertaining than the "National .." and the geniality of
sentiinent and high moral tone 44 its articles is such as
must eventually secure for it the hearty approval of all
who read it. .

Tan Cossoroures Remw.—This sixpenny maga-
zine is a new candidate for publio favour. The editor
in his prospectus says—" The unity of nations—the
alliance of Ixoplei—the fraternity of men—the inde-
pendence of netioutlities— the establishment of a new
system of diplomacy based upon publicity—free trade—
free press—sheap postage—cheap travelling—abolition
of passports—unity of weights and measures, of monies,
of maritime laws, of language—abolition of slavery, of
serfdom, of bondage-peace, by the establishment of
arbitration bet west contending nations—the prograniuse
of Oaribaldi--every movement tending towards re-
uniting the divided members of the human family, by
the bonds of justice, of reason, of love, shall form the
topics of discussion in the Cosmopolitan Reeler." Most
of our readers will doubtless deem the editor's task •
Utopian oue; nevertheless it cannot be denied that the
objects aimed at are most desirable, and if attained
would be a practical carrying out of the injunction Of
Him who said, "One is your master, and all ye are
brethren." The papers, contributed 1)7 men of various
nations, are, for the most part,ably written, progressive
in spirit, and will be road with interest by all who
desire to see a better state of things than now °lists.
The publication cannot bat be productive of good, and
if,it continues as it has begun, will, we have no doubt,
a sueoesidul career.
WLLDOWS RnalBTEß.—Weldoo's Register of Foots
and Occurrences relating to Literature. Use Sciences and
the Arta, pursues the even'tenor of its way. The follow-
ing articles which form the contents of the November
number will give an idea of the variety of subjects
treated on :—The announcements of new books for the
approaching season of nearly all the leading publishers;
io, never, a story in three parts ; Ingenuity upon fitn
names ; Advertising 200 years ago; Noughts and
Crosses; Pioneers of ?rogress—the ,' Co-operative
London Boulevards ;Mr. Charles Read's new novel ; the
Science of Language; Mrs. Yelvinion's second volume;
Martin's Catalina; • Story of some Wedding Guests ;
Egyptian Sepulchres and Syrian Shrines ; Barks and
liars, the resurrectionists; Facts and Fiction respecting
Rattlesnakes ; Tea,Coffee, and Cocoa ; the Barometer at
Sea; Art Note* of the Month; and Books published
during the pest four weeks. Coosidering the quantal,
the quality, and the variety of the matter contained in
each monthly part, we can pronounce it one of the
cheapest periodicals extant. Criticisms appear to us
to be written in • fair and impartial spirit, and being
supplied by various writers, are adapted to the tastes of
all classes of readers. It forms an excellent guide to
the current literature of the day.
Tan.— The natural necessity for warmth in food and
drinks caused warm Infusions of herbs, as of sage, etc.,
to be drunk in England long before lea or coffee were
introduced; and there are now nations, who actually
mix clay with warm water, and drink warm clay-soup
in preference to pure cold water. To this craving for
warm drinks is to be ascribed the rapid demand that
arose for tea and coffee when they were first introdaced
in Europe as articles of food in the 17th century.
Portugal- claims to have begun • tea trade with China in
1587. There is also evidence that tea was sold in
England prior to 1657, but it must have been esteemed
a great rarity, for it. price waitrons 120 a to 200 a per pound,
—prices at least equal, oonsidering the then value of
money, to treble the same price now. In 1664 the
East India Company are said to have given their first
order for tea; for in that year they imported two
pounds two ounces as • present to the King. Three
year. afterwards they ordered 100 pounds, and eleven
years later still, they imported 4,713 pounds. The
present annual consumption of tea in the British Isles is
about 80,000,000 pounds, or nearly 46 tons, which gives
nearly two and a half pounds for every man, woman,
and child inthe United KiNgdoin.-Prowithe artiele"Tea,
Coffee, and Chocolate in Weldon', Register of Literature,
Science astir Arta." .

Co-ortaartva SOCTITIIII.—Thers is now in Rochdale
three Co-operative Societies, owning among them •
°spitel of about £120,000. The whole of this sum bas
been subscribed, and is owned by into of the working-
classes ; men a whom most were, fifteen years ago,
scarcely able to make their means keep pace with their
expenditure • of whom many were in a chronic con-
dition of debt, their week's income always pawned
beforehand to the (small glopkeepat with whom they
dealt. The "Equitable Pioneer', the parent and
pattern Co-operative Society by whom the Store was
established and maintained, claim our first consideration.
Every candidate for membership must be elected by the
Society, The members at their general meetings elect
their executive, • board of directors, by whom a very
minute supervision is maintained over the busbies, and
aocounts of the Store. Under these directors are, and
have been for years, salaried servant*, now by no means
• small one. All employed by the Store receive fixed
wages, from the manager down to the youngest lad in
the shoemaker's or tailor.' workshop; and this has
been the system ever since the Store was able to pay its
servants at all. Of course this baa only been of late
years, for it was not till 1851 that the Store was open
every day, and all day long. The shopmen and hands
employed in every department are paid rather above
than below the market rate of wages; and those em-
ploped in the shoemaking and tailoring department
enjoy the benefit—rare in then trades—of more regular
employment and payinent than they could obtain else-
where. But the profits of the manufacture of shoes mid
elothes are the property of their employers—the Society
of Equitable Pioneers, whoa. experience has thus taught
them that the inapplicability in this case of one of the
most important of the Communistic ideas to which they
at first inclined. The Society haa now a grocery and
provision warehoases, • butcher's shop, and workshops
for the tailoring and shoemaking. It has • capital of
more than £5,000, of which £lO,OOO are invested in the
stook of two other Co-operative Solidity', of which I
shall have more hereafter to say. It supporta an ex-
cellent library, reading-room and news room, for the
gratuitone use of its members. And,---most material
evidence of its sucoese.—its net revenue hat presented
the rate of about £20,000 a year.—Prom as article
'Pioneer* of Progreso" its Weldon's liogister of Foes
and Occurrences relating to Luang." the Sciences,
and the Arts. _

A Surma. Mairi's Lerara z Ru Xmases's.—
"My dear Mistress,—My best day to you; and
this rto tell you that 'ector (a dog) isn't quite well. I
think 'e caught cold by • wet towel 'angina near ;
but I've put Ito in • warm bath, and woe 'ins up its
flannel pedalicoot, and 'e's only sneezed twee sinee, I
got the Dr. to se.'ius, and asked 5112 to feel la dear
little pulse, but he only 'mulled at that, 'orsaiserer
give Im some medicine, and come to see 'im again to-
day. Pose is quite well, takes 'sr milk aunfortable,
and catches mice and trues 'em like any Christian. I'
av'nt broke one plate sinoe you went, and I've got the
spots off the silver things, and the rust from the best
knives. Mrs. Jones' baby was christened lan Sunday,
but the Godmother never give the nurse so much as •
silver sixpence. Mrs. Jones only kept the monthly •
fortnight, which same made • little talk. Miss Bawd's
was married at St. Peters, all in white, hut they say it
was only a washed muslin, poor thing; and the bride-
groom's coat if it was'ot second'and want new by no
means. But they both looked very 'appy, and I 'avn't
no doubt their first present 'II be from my minds, and
most welcome they'll be to it. Mr. Winnow', grown
quite shabby like, and don't look 'ansionse and black-
whiskered as 'e used to look. I've noticed that Dr. and
'e is quite good friends, and Mr. Winnow most days
drops in to dine at ho. 7. Last Sunday I noticed in
'bora', that poor Miss Richards wee very tad, and kept
quietly every now and than, looking side-ways at Mr.
Winnow, and taking no notice of the smart young
brewer that's courting her. Women is strange you
know, ma'am I and I'm sure It's true, for Miss Richards
'as gone and refused the rich lawyer Mr. Simmons, and
they say she'll never marry. Iwe 'ow it all it, but I
think when my miens comes 'ante, 'he'll set it all right.
Well, now for the funniest news of all, my dear minds.
Only think, did you ever! I never did--I do verily
believe our Dr.—Dr. Van'oinry is gone and got married.
'E's been away three days, and 'e's come back again;
and if there &int a lady livin' at No. 7, my name aint
Jane, and if she did'in come beak with sweet peas
'II grua upon cabbage sprout.. I could'at see 'er face,
she was muffled up so with • veil, but 'e 'aped 'Cr out
of the coach, and she leaned upon 's arm, and looked in
'is face, and walked right in No. 7. And I don't know
no more, for I 'avn't seen the Dr.'s man for days and
days, mid if I do see 'm 'e's so aloe, a body can't get •
word out of 'im Bat I've sun Mr. Timothy's 'pranks,
and 'e says he see the Dr. buyin' • silk gown at Mr.
Green's, and Susan Fletcher see it to, but the one says
it was black, and the other says it was yallor, but as
soon as I know the rights of it, ni write by the neat
post. And now my dear minis, I've one thing more to
tell you, but somehow I can't And the words. Thanks
be to God I &int no more troubled with rheumatics, and
—well, you must know some day, so I may as well
tell. Thomas Wilkins, the butcher's man, 'as asked me,
if I'm agreeable to keep company with 'im. I thought
about all you've said, Mle&1111, and shout the text they's
'appier if they so remain, but o my dear missis, 'e 'sea
winnin tongue as Toni Wilkins, and I meant to say no,
but yes slipped out instead. To be sure us women is
poor, weak things, and Mr. Strongfaith says all tlesh Is
mei, and we've need to set our 'ours in order; rasps
Providence sees it best that there should be two to set
it in order 'stead of one. I 'ope you won't take this
amiss, my dear miens, but believe me, your very 'amble
servant, Jana MisrurrOL—P.B,—A 'animals, middle-
aged gentleman, tall, and lookin' uif 'ed come from
furrin parts, was 'ere yesterday, and did"rit 'stake on,
when 'e 'mud you wasn't at '.me ; 'e says 'e means to
go down to And you."—From • paper entitled Dr. Van-
kontrigA, in the Ocessopaiten Review.

A Flag/moor Ditges.—On Friday the Emperor and
Empress witnessed in the park of Compiegne a trial by
• 11. Buvert of a newly invented fireproof dream. A
cottage was erected in the park for the purpose of the
experiment. The framework of the building was iron,
and the roof and walls were made of fagirote end other
combustible materials. Their Majesties were attended
by • nume-ous court party. The Are brigade attached
to the chateau of Compiegne were in readiness in ease
of their services being required. X. Buvert's dress is
described to be both waterproof and fireproof, and is
copiously stuffed with sponges sown together. He wears
• helmet like that of a diver, with an apparatus for sup-
plying fresh air, and glasses to see through. M • signal
front the Emperor lie set fire to the temporary cottage,
and when the flames had well got • head he went into
the midst of them several times with perfect impunity.
The Empress, greatly excited by the scene, cried out
repeatedly, " Enough ; oh, it's quite enough!" The
experiment was considered to be entirely succeasful, and
the Emperor warmly complimented IL Buvert upon his
invention. Fireproof dreams have been of course in-
vented before, and have been exhibited in me, but Prac-
tical difficulties have hitherto prevented their applica-
tion to general parpoossi