The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1866-07-03 00:00:00

-0.--_

Literature.

, PERIODLCALS.
Bucewil's MAGAZINN with • smaller
average of rticles than most of the over-
crowded pri4dlosJs of the day, has always more
of them to t 4. point and to the purpose. In
the present Issue are discussed for instance,
"The principles and issue of the American
struggle," "the panic in the city," "The
European Wit" (by Cornelius O'Dowd), and
the Miuisterial " Collapse "—not to mention the
ridicule (in acme) of the panic raised by Mr.
Stuart Mill anti Mr. Gladstone rrspecting the
exhaustion of coal. Even the racy novel of
"Sir Brooke Foebrooks" deals with the age of
Lb. Irish Lord Chief Baron, and introduom the
subject of the Fenian prosecutions, indeed
promises to turn on these points. Whilst the
first part of a lengthened history of another of
our public schools (Westminster) must be taken
as fairly as mudi • leading topic of the moment
as any. True to its literary instinct of placing
however its bert foot foremost, Blackwood for
this month commences with the first part of a
story of conscious power, in which "the persons
of the story" being premised in • list such as
usually is give% of the dramatis persona in a
play, the tale is opened in • mingled narrative
of terse and swim English such as might be
written by Carlisle—for the story, "Nina
Balatka,' is that of " • Maiden of Prague,"
the love and no doubt enduranoe of • Christian
Maiden foe • Jew—but then the dialogue and
artistic construction of the story is equal to the
best style of Buhrer-Lytton, and so it would be
unsafe to say who may be the author—neither
perhaps—Mr. IL G. Lewes 1 At all events
here is • first clam fiction forthcoming in
Black /cad which the lovers of good literature
will do well to watch. The number includes •
very exhaustive review, with extracts of George
Elliot's new novel "Felix Holt" so admirably
noticed in Thursday's Times. Altogether it is a
special number of the old maga, and, being the
first of a new volume, one most likely to extend
the subscription.

Ti MUSICAL TININ AND SINGINO CLAIN
Ciaetnas, a cheap litge paper published every
mouth by Novelle, Comes before us with an
exceedingly pleasing full score Anthem for
Harvest Festivals—" 0 Lord how manifold are
Thy works," composed by J. Hamby. Its
leader, a dream of. "Musical Congress," by H.
C. Lunn, is • rare piece of humour—a satire on
profmaional malpractices and on Music halls.
Tee contents, beyond what we have mentioned,
are composed of brief aceounta of the past
ulotith's musical transactions, whether in Loudon
or the provinces. Next month we are promised
a review of the Salisbury and other choral
festivals.

THZ ART JOURN ILL appears this month beauti-
fully embellished with three line engravings
Elniore's "wire's Portrait," Poole's "Parting,"
and the sculpture print John Henning's reitera-
tion of the East Frieze of the Parthenon. We
knew the old man well, havine taken part in the
proceedings at the dinner given to him in Paisley
in 1846. at which Professor Wils,n, aloe a native
of that place, presided. The current number of
the Art Journal is enhanced by one of
the most genial of Mr. and Mrs. S. 0.
Hall's article* on their contemporaries, as
may well be surmised when we mention
that in the present case the subject is Mrs.
Hennas. Mrs. Hall by the way has been laud-
ably applying her winning talent in a remon-
strance with her countrymen, the Fenians, which
she intitules " God save the green," but in
which she takes cue to lead up to the conclusion
that it is best to cry "God save the green AND
the Queen," since she shows the Irish that they
have really nothing to complain of. For the rest,
J. Dafforne writes on and illustrates the pictures
of Baron Lays. Ansted, Etruscan architecture, P.
Cunningham on the right or left hand carriage
of the crosier; and altogether the number is not
only good but beautiful.
ScieNcs GOSSIP roa Jvcr contains severea
illeatrated articles, two of which—one by Mr.
Mclntire on desinids, and another on waterfieee—
are worthy the attention of all who possess •
microscope. Mr. W. A. Lloyd, of Hamburg, leads
off however with an interesting paper on mullet—
our own mullet, caught on tbe coast of Devonshire ,
at Torquay, sent to London by rail, thence to I
Southend in Essex, where they were kept • while;
waiting for the steamer, retransported to London,
and placed on Mord a Hamburg steamship for a sixty
hours rough voyage, and 'even hours extra detention
in the Elbe ; and yet he has them in the Zoological
Gardens all alive; all January, February, March,
sod April they live oontinuedto iw, only one bad
died. He remarks it as curious that young
mullet on being first placed in aquaria, are apt to
lose their tails from some cause unknown. We may
state that we bare ourselves noticed the same thing
in the case of golden carp, and attributed it to
alteration of food. An amusing contribution on
"the large wood ant," relates a curious thing of
them. 'To our surprise we were never stung by
them, even when unintentionally touched rather
rudely, or when they strayed on our persons. In
fact they appeared to oonsider us friends residing
under the lame roof. I state this now because the
reverse took place in the sequel" Thaws. the
result when it became necessary to exterminate the
ants. "After the slaughter had commenotid, it was
sad toss* the distress of the poor insects when they
discovered their friends bad become their foes.
Their nouflding manner was gone. When they
caught sight of us, which they did quickly, they
stopped, stood partly erect, and put forth their
, feelers in an attitude of defence, and darted forth
the poisonous fluid with which we thee discovered
they were armed. This fluid was a strong acid • if
it fell on the drew or gloves the colour was instantly
changed, or if on the skin it raised a Mister." An
illustrated piper on the mistletoe of the oak con.
firms a suspicion that not the common mistletoe
(viacuns album) but quite another permits, Loma-
t/ma Errepores is the rare mistletoe of the oak.
Stickleback breeding, cowslips, and the "pigmies'
(old world dwarfs, of which all countries have
traditions) afford scope for shorter papers. Add to
this an infinite variety of surprising facts, oommuni.
elated by geologists, soologists, histologist.,
botanist., and photographers, with several pages of
" Notes and queries," and where could you find a
fitter means of "Science Gossip." As an example
of the contents of some of these last, we observe that
at Drayton, in Leicastershire, dandelion is made by
the poor people into • beer, supposed to purify the
blood, and cure gravel and scarlet fever. They pick
the flowers and dry them in the sun or in an oven;
boil them and add yeast to them, and after ferment-
ing the bur, bottle it for use. Gooeswood
(potential') is employed to remove the mutts of
small-pox I the room being boiled down and rubbed
over the marks. Black horehound (Ballots) for tee,
to cure asthma, beenohitis, consumption, sad diseases
of the cheat, The nettle is eaten as • spinach, and
used by the poor for cutaneous eruptions. Beer is
made of the parsnip, but not used for any disease.
Chickweed is used for spinach, and is "very good."
Tea, made of thyme, hyssop, French mazy g Ids,
and mint is employed to cure measles, smallpox,
and cutaneous eruptions.

OUR OWN FIRI3IDI. —We oftener feel that • few
words of commendation are dim to an attempt such
as this, to purify and improve general and especially
periodical literature, than we feel able to lay these
words. The July number SIC excellent specimen
however of the Rev. Charles Bullock's, the amiable
rector of fit Nicholas, Worcester's, "Magazine of
Home Literature for the Christian family. Nothing
more difficult can we conceive than adapting to the
pages of "pure literature" • novel of the day. Yet
here Mrs. Webb is doing this in her "Oliver
Wyndham," as meet week it may be our reviewer's
task to show that one of our county ladies, Mts.
Fitzmaurios Okeden, has Mom suroseded in doing in
even a higher walk of fiction in her new novel now
ooming out at all the libraries, " Felicia's Dowry."
Nay there is another serial tale, "Nellie Brownie-
law," the school-master's daughter," also in pro-
gress in this cheep magazine by the Rev. J. B.
01,1111. " The three profeinors" of the rev, editor
I, not • tale, but an admirable religions exhortation.
But a more sensible or important family article has
perhar.ii been penned than tbe elaborate one
Os " Wmeetio Servants—what we may claim from
them, and they from us," which fills • large space
in the present number. The reel of the contents,
including Professor Ken's illustrated maps coe-
corning the Hindoos partake of the interest and
variety incident to than papa