The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-12-22 00:00:00

A CHRISTMAS IN TOWN

is a pleasant thing enough in its way—so far as grasping
of hands, and smiles passing on, and compliments of the
season, and many happy returns—and the' tittle little
evening parties, and the dancing, and suppers, and --
the headaches next day, and many other things tao
numerous to mention. But give us a Christmas in the
country, with warm-hearted friends by our side, and
the starry sky, above ; the echo of the running cascade
in the distance, and then the quiet sleep, devoid of
nightmare, after heavy suppers ; no thoughts of coming-
due acceptancei ; no thoughts of inipending • writs ;
nothing but the happiness of a clear conscience and an
unseared heart—yes, give us a Christmas in•the country!
Yet still, turning to the other side of the canvas, the
Christmas in town has its magnetism. The bustle in
the streets and the crowds in the shops show that there
is something more than ordinary afoot. We often
asked ourselves if people's stomachs become more ex-
panded at this peculiar season of the year than at other
times ? and the question is not an unnatural nor un-
meaning one... Why ? There is certainly more, beef
and mutton, and pork and bacon, and turkeys and
geese, and capons and barn doors, and black game
and every other sort of game, consumed at this
time of the year,, than in any given period of the
twelve moons that encircle our globe in their nocturnal
wanderings. And only think, too, of the whole vine-
yards of grapes, alias raisins, that disappear, and the
entire gardens of Zante, and other currants, that vanish.
Great groves of oranges are 'destroyed at this peculiar
season, and the wonder is that Ceylon can stand the
drain made on its spice trees; so that really people
must cat more at Christmas than at other seasons. On
natural principles it cannot be at all accounted for,
because it is a well known axiom that all bodies expand
with heat, and contract with cold. We therefore doubt
if this law applies to the stomach—or if it does, that
reservoir must resemble a collapsed balloon, and only
remains to be doubly inflated, at the

Hallowed time
When no witch has power to charm.

Is it not a very marvel to behold the heaps of beef,

, .
mutton, veal, and other anpnal substances that are
'fatted for, our useTand foF; our abupe into the bargain--
for a man can Commit suicide as readily by over-eating
al Ei3i oer:drinking.. ktlfe great bisiiiess of life, after
all, richt* rtioie than eating and &hiking?' We may be
wealthy-perhaps it is desirable—we may possess 'broad
latuls,,. and fine mansions, and grapi equipages, but we
cannot enjoy these beyond the grave, nor bear, them to
• pi,atyundcovcred country, from wh'ose bourn
o trateiler returns.

, .
13ut there are otter Ways. of enjoyment beside the gfa:ti-
kation of the mere gastronomic appetites ; and we
like to look on happy faces, and bright smiles, and
juvenile sports, and playing forfeits; join in a quiet
tete-a-tete, and sip our claret—now that it is tolerably
comfortable—look at.the younkers figure in mazurkas
and English contrary dances, find finish up the etening
With rt goad reusing Irish' jig, that beats Clontiriental
polkas into emitheree6 i thdt vie begirt to get
into godd hunimfr
and with dufselves, Vie die pthilanthropic
enotigli tp etfiers into good hiiindur too,
because we think man was rot liorq,al;tiether for iris
own selfish ends-46.16 and Should
dd all iii his; power to pledse his felleNtfs, if he Cannot
aetuallY edritiihnte to their linjipineSs; In this respect,
the iihdpiteepef4 o LiVertidOl are the Most unselfish
class of beings to be found in a day's peraMbitlation of
electric wires; and every one knows that Reuter can
compass more than the 360 degrees that circumscribe this
planet, in a walk of 24 hours, with his tel-a-crams !
Let us look through

THE STREETS- Ole' LIVERPOOL,
and aSceftaln if this lie fact or fiction. Factsi sir, plain,
aridisgaised faits, See on that window; how
disinterested the ,dwrier ig acting toitardet you i an you
read ? Teti; !fell alert fail dllSefte lie °gets you
that splendid article for the ridicillons slim of Ms.,
whilst he tells you on the label that it cost exactly 42
13s. 4d.! The genius exhibited in the decoration of
windows has not been properly appreciated. We should
like to see Stephenson, or Watt, or Armstrong ; the
monk who invented gunpowder, or the discoverer of
the mariner's compass, put into a draper's, or a hatter's,
or a fancy,warehouse,
.or a , shpe establishment, or a
ttiiliiiler'a, p>; A or silkersoith's•shdp;aild ordered
to "dress up the *mild stake a man's
life to a game of jackstones, that they would Utterly
fail. And yet the young ladies and gentlemen who
perform these wonderful -things, are left like flowers
to blush unseen, and waste their sweetness all
around the counter! What a waste of intellect is
there in this neglected class ; and yet we prate about
the Fee-jee Islanders, and other neglected mortals of
that class, whilst- we need- never travel further than
Church, Lord, Bold, Byrom, Castle, Great George's, and°
other great streets, to find emporiums full of the greatest
but most riegleeted genius irt.the World. It makes little
matter who said. that he enjoyed a coach by looking at
it, its mach as the °Wrier who rode in the Yehidle--Avias
a shreWd,o4oig thi,t, and, the shopkeepers Liverpool
affordyet* agreeable sort of sensation to tlie. public.
Look at the beautiful flowers that they have culled from
all the hothouses and nurseries in the rural suburbs, to
adorn the windows, the gas-lights, behind the counter
and every place else, so that the two chief senses of our
material being may be gratified —sight and smell.
Think too, of the holly and- ivy, and the pretty little
" kissing bushes" prepared for us all. In fact, there is. not
a shop in the "good old town," where you cannot meet
with the most disinterested invitation, To such an
extent is this good nature carried, that some adorn the .
very lamp-posts with gay floWers acid attrabtite
nosegays ! Who, then, •dan despise our streets of our
people! . Are both ridt.the bride of did Eaglarid, -and
the adniiiitidri of stirrotirlding nations, flArtichlarly at
this tinie Of the
,year, 4hen the heart eioands and parses
open ? We. might dwell on this theme until neit
Christmas, 'Without being alale to do more than point
out such acts as we haie here synopsised. , But before
assuming ancither departnient, let us say .a word about
,two classes of the community—for . these
~ are the
only classes that deserve tills word specially,
namely, the iltdit and the 1 ociit. This season
comes alike to both in its external aspect. lf it rains
on the one, the sun shines not on the other. But, oh how
different in other points is this great redeeming festival
to the rich and to the-poor? The one knjoys the splen-
dour of the square, with gorgeously furnished house and:
eVery comfort and luxury that tflOney earl pfopilre: The
other tiiifdS in the and ddili 04.0; or. daufp,eellar;
Watitlag.foriti The dlioity.sit Litorildol is,
hOWeter, thank God, equal to its great wealth ; andVe
are sure I,e We, (hilt to fennatheie whoman, all-wise
Pl'oodo.ilae lids VleSSed. with, 4hand4dee, that, there are
many channels throUgh which they ,can rmicier good
Ussiltariee to theii, poor and stiffering,fellOw-beings:, By
assisting to. alleviate; the hardships to which some of our
brethren are -exiiosed,,the,rieli will enio+ their, own com-
forts With briglita serealty, theyrill have tie satiifac- •
tion of inward approval, • and will therefore lay up
treasure for themselves where no rust can reach it.
Ladies, think of your poor suffering sisters—but we need
not exhort you to deeds of benevOlence—your own hearts
lead the way in the good work, and your reward will be
exceeding great. One word,
to one and all we wish every comfort, _and may you
arid .y mirs enjoy many and, many llArint CitursTstAs
titsTitAls.
We now come to a More Material paft of our duty.
It is-a tinie:horiOnted cdstom, both here and, we believe,
iii eery other ,tOiirl Of note iii the for the
~,•
jOtirfialist to notice specially the,
~
itfARAETS *OF THE TdWN,

And, is newspapers are the chroniclers of the thries;
it would be a sort of neglect of.history to omit recording
the alip6ararice arid details of these great marts at this
Season of the year; for sure we arc that in after times'
when

We are dead and gone, lady,
When we're dead and gone ;
And at our heels a grass green turf,
And at our head a stone,
these lines will be looked to as the best history of the
present time. Shakspeare has talked something about
"Our ancestors who are to come after us,"—and mind
Sbakspcare was not an Irishman—although, we believe,
the ancient Buffalo who last made his. appearance in
print do tlld lit and adVerititres of the k` Third of Avon,"
has shown 'Clearly enough to his own mind, that the said
"bard" was a native of Tipperary, or; at least, a denizen
of nonnybrook, arid trig his nanie was Wagstaff. if
that is not satisfaCtOry Dan Sitllitan, of Cork, hits shovin
that " Hamlet" ova§ Written by Garret O'Shangliriessy
(there's a' name for you) and inserted, by pure mistake,
in Shakspeare's works. This is not more wonderful
than to find the present . Chinese general-in-chief
is a native of Mullanahone ; and, although he is
called in the celestial language by the classic name
of " San-ko-lin-sin," he is neither ,less . nor more
than " Sam Collinson," and there are plenty of
people about Malianahone, who are *ell acquainted
with the
.afore Said Samuel. flat what has all
this to do with the Ohristnias markets ? Why
it will. She* otir " ancestors Who are to come after us,"
what sort
_of, fare we of the Present daY
_provide for
Christmas Cheer. We read, with rather a smile, Of ill;
old Christieas Cheer, and probably in time to donie our
present-day histOiy *sill meet with a like reception some
time after the millennium: It is really astonishing to
see the absolute mountains of beef, mutton, pork,
turkeys, hares, 'geese, small fowl, game fowl, and every
other conceivable edible article, natural and artificial,
provided for gastronomic gratification this 'Year of grace,
1860. Manufacturers of -beef and Mutton=as those
who.rear pxen and sheip are how 6alipaltae of late
yearS,Paid treat attdritioil to the produce of the farm.
To pile oh tat on such quadrupeds is not now an object
so much as neat finish.; indeed, our fat animals do not
make as good food as what is called " well mixed."
Generally, this year the stock on show of all sorts is
excellent in quality, and as to quantity the wonder is
when will it all be consumed ? In this regard; how-
ever, a couple of days make sad haid, mid the disap-.
pearknCe tan bt, adeohnttd rdi on the -" devouring
pritiapie alone. All the markets are plethoric with
provisions of all classes, and the -depth of each pocket
can be suited to aT. As an invariable rule prices at
Christmas range higher than at other times, but we do
not think that there is an increase on the high figures
that have so long ruled our markets, as such prices could
hardly bear augmentation. A large supply does not
. bring the prices down, although alibi many 'Vendors
will or .bad markets." Geese, turkeys,
capons, and other fowl, are in great abundance,
and of fine quality, which commanded good figures,
with a brisk sale. Here and there may be .met a. few
house lambs, but these dainties are approachable only
by persons with long purses, and something in them.
Rabbits and hares plbhty, and ill goad dendition; the
latter "rim" from s. 6d. to 65.., according to weight.
Wild fowl Ana game seem to be plenty, and in demand.
We do not know what effect the late severe weather and
fall of snow may have had on the markets gerte'tally, but
it is 'presumed it caused an ap*Atd tetidehey in prices.
Having said =eh ahOnt the markets in globo, we
must now netioe them in detail. The first, of course, in
every respect is .

ST. JOHN'S MARKET,
an emporium that ‘Liverpool is justly proud of, for we
believe there is no other repository in England equal to
it in dimensions, nor for the variety and quantity of
merchandise that it supplies for the traffic of the human
alimentary canal. St. Sohn's Market has been always
A great sight at Christmas, and this year lacks nothing
of former attractions, but, we should say, the magnetism
of its contents is rather increased. To a person who
never saw such a sight before, it must be overwhelming,
and if we had visited it for the first lira, the-
idea of something- atipernattiral Would at once suggest
itself, If there is food here for the body, there is a trifle
also for the intellect; for on looking at the carcass of some
fine prize bullock or sheep, which might
Form a picture for painters to study,
The fat being so white and the lean being so ruddy,
the question will naturally force itself on us, "What
pains we take to fatten animals to fatten us, and we to
fatten worms !" Melancholy again. No one has any
right to indulge in such gloomy discontentedness in
presence of such beautiful gorgons as meet the eye at
every turn. The most merciless epicure that ever
breathed could not find a particle of fault with anything
in the market. To look from either end of the market,
up or down, one of the great avenues, the tout ensemble
is remarkable and picturesque. The decorations, the
bustle of those who
,have business, and the gaping
wonder of the sightseers,—the exclamationi of juveniles
and a sort of contented. hilarity that runs through all,
—is something to contemplate.
For some years past Mr. Thomas Lowthian has been
called the King of the Market, in reference to the
amount and quality of the stock that he exhibits; and
we do not see any reason why he should not retain the
regal dignity this year. His shop is about, the most
attractive in the market, and consequently a large
crowd is collected before it. It is adorned with all
that can • please the eye and gratify the palate.
Amongst his stock may be noted a splendid West High-
land ox, from the-Earl of Galloway's celebrated farm, a
baron of which 'is to be cut off for Morrish's dining-
rooms. Four very prime Galloway oxen, from the farm
of C. Stuart, Esq., Kirkcreist ; four immense heifers,
from Mr. Batterby's, Crossakeil, Ireland; two prize
oxen, bred by the Earl of Galloway; two very splendid
prize calves, from Cheshire, and a magnificent house
lamb ; ten prime sheep, from the Duke of Richmond's
celebrated flock ; twenty first class Cheviot sheep, bred
and fed by the Duke of Sutherland ; twenty-five prize
sheep, fed by Mr. Battersby, (Ireland), together with
some fine pigs, and three splendid Cape and one African
sheep alive, which he has fed on his own land at Tue-
brook, and which the admirers of such animals will see
at the farm. The shop, when seen from the centre
avenue of the market, is most attractive.
After shouldering our way through great coats, and
our legs by crinoline—the latter is still unfortunately
worn—we got near enough to note the following :
Vieing with Mr. Lowthian for the crown of the market
is Mr. Tomilson ; but it would require a couple of beef
and mutton Garibaldis' to decide between them. The
existence of two kingdoms so near to each other, is not

at all incompatible with the happiness of the subjects
that seek the assistance of each, and it will be gratifying
to know that the_ utmost cOrdialty'exists between the
two monarchs, whoseteyritwies, are approached by such
adrifiring liedes„ •Mr: Tomilson ~showe an immense
qUatitity d lieges.,
finest tieefi inuttm veal„hinth, and
pigs, that can be seen. He has nti leas illat fifteen (fen
and heifers, all of the finest quality, and about forty
irinl9 .sheep, together with some lamb. His stock is
from the-beaten& most . admired breeders in the three
kirigdolits., arid altogether cannot be surpassed.
A reniaritable and , attractive shop is that of Mr.
Aughes, and the Croid enlieetell before itlesterday was
an indication that something more than Ordiriaty N'as to
be seen there, and so there was. Mr. Hughes shows
splendid stock of the finest veal and pork perhaps in the
market, He has also an extensive display of beef—
' coien, and heifers—and a large English,
of first-class
niatton. his stuck consists of English, Scotch, and
friph fed animals, and beyond the flue quality and
amid 13e eipeOtect The attraction
alldaed to is; or rather Wag, driiatiVe if the trdasdtiantie
continent—, a fem'ale &gin" from.ChicagO: The his=
tort' of this ' bear is as follows ;--It is just drie',yes:t. arid
ten m9uths old;.anci atriVel in Liverpool when it Weighed
gist nine pounds avordupois., Miring its mciz.al career
in the atmosphere of England, and iti.ithe siike of
tWelity:ivro moons, itt has
.increased in del-lefty. to no less
than 374 pounds of good and lawful weight of this
realm—or nearly 27 stone! It hi beautifully, fat, rue
latter being white as the very driven snow, dfid the flesh
is prettily variegated like a carnation pink. It is pro-
nounced one of the greatest "beauties" of the "genus "
(was ever seen in Liverpool. The flesh of this animal
is highly esteemed by brother 'Jonathan, and we believe
it forins g co*eted dish at the table of genuine epicures.
Mn/ Sdirtpson has a #ne' eAibiticni of beef, veal,
thatton, St 6., aiid, anforigst the. Liter. is a qpantity of
prime wethet animals of the best finish: His stack is
ample, and ami,llge, It may be classed spine' of the Vest
fed beef and mutton from Ireland and,Scotland. He

has managel, too, to lay out the "stuff" in the shop-
front to much advantage, and his picturesque mode of

arrangement has caused much attention.'

Mi:Wiikinson,shows, as usual, a stock of prime beef
and judge
a master of his trade, he is a first-
idte of *hdi he ,chooses; and his customers are
sure to find a good article at his allot); •
Mr. Dentieth has a large stock of prime stuff. This
is an old-established shop in the market, and has always
maintained a respectable name and position, which he
fully sustains this year. He has two pigs, fed by Mr.
Lafone, of Cheshire, that are the wonder of the market.
Some of the finest saddles of mutton we have seen may
be met with here.

The only Brahmin beef, as we are informed, shown
in the market, is by Mrs. Gibbons; and judging from
Its appearance, it is all that can be required.
Mr. Knight's shop is, as usnaliattractive, and stocked
With a large quantity of various articles, such as beef,
mutton, Veal, lair* and pork. The quality is prime,
and the finest of the animals conimand the appreciation
of the best judges.
We may now notice in globo, the shops of Mrs, *ood:
ward, Mrs. Crosdale, and Mr. Deane, all of whom show
ample stocks of the best materials, in beef, mutton, and
veal. The latter seems very fine this year.
In the poultry market there is a large and very fine
stock, but very dear. The shop of Mr. Robert Isaacs,
Clayton-square, adjoining the market, seems to take the
lead in this respect, both as to extent and variety, and
Many a farm yard must have been emptied of its crow-
ing and cackling deniiens to furnish this establishment
With the ample arid ftrie stock. Ai& Is shown there ',-
We never, saw more splendid tdrke3's, geese; and
cap ins; „with a variety of other fowl and as for
garde; ,ftlae. drlp'dais to
,be }id end to it; in extent
and variety.. :The place, is, vi6lll g visit, eiefi
to look at the display, provided one did not require to
ptirehase. Mr. Isaacs also shows two of the most
extraordinary pigs in the market, at the shop of Mr.
Hoskins; The animals Were fed, by him at Buxton-
-1 all, At the shop of Mr,, Clendenning there
is a giant pile of till sorts of foWl and game, The
shops of Mr. B. Mahon, Mr. Smith, Mr. ratititfi; dnd
Mr. Renshaw, are also attractive, from the extent and
variety of their contents in the home feathered tribe
and game line.
Mt: Sullivan's stall seems to be the premier this year,
closely followed by. Mr: Edwards and Mr. ReeveS. The
atitlls took heatitiftiti and althongh we are left in the
dark as to tale Peetfilat fruit villidh is known by the
name of " forbidden;" perhaps it, migit he tonal . linen
amongst the mountains,, it we could only identify. it.
Altclgether the show id the'rridrket is a sticcessfril one;
and may challenge Clordrietitichi Brij} le'dt for the
past ten.. .
Aniongst the Shops outside the market to which
we would direct special attention, is that of Mr.
ftarditig, of Byrom-s:reett the most extensive pork
butcher in England. For the last few years we had,• at
the seasons corresponding to the present, the ilatf.sfal,
tion of calling public attention to this extensive and
singular establishment, whose ramifications are not con-
fined to Liverpool, nor to the United Kingdom, but
Treads over the Continent, America, and Australia.
his is something that the "Fond old -town" has a
right to be proud of, for Mr. Harding not only supplies
the emintriei his nian,lifattnred meats, but
he employs a large ritiniher of hinds, at cicellinit wages,
digs affording comfortable liiing to nialif
throUghout.#revyear. Few pen* Liverpool (except
Own *ho have visited this faetory) are, aware
there is such an extensive establishment here, but
for the information Of thdse Who . are not acquainted
with it, we may be permitted to say • thdt it
is nothing short of a perfect wonder. The extent and
Variety of the machinery, together with its wonderful
adaption to the purposes of Mr. Harding's trade, is a
subject worth contemplation; and we can confidently
say that any one who sees it Will pronounee,it a, wonder.
Such an establishment ought not to remain LinknoWril
for here is a tradesman expending thousands a year, and
benefitting his fellow-men in:more ways than. one; and
yet; like every other good man, he is as modest as he is
excellent. Ilia stook of the finest fed pork is always
considerable, and this year he shows no less than 100
pigs of unsurpassable quality, from the tiny to the
largest, of the finest ddtiditlou. He has them from all
parts 'of the United Itingddri, rind of the rilqst afprdijed
breeds. His factory IS worth a visit, and the scene at
liis ShOp this yetir the most. remarkable :in LiVerPoOl.
The other markets in the tewn though not .so riehty
decorated as St. johti's, ha+e Put on their Chriitnias
garniture, and from seeing the cartloads of e.Fergreens
which were all yesterday deposited at the gates, the idea
was no longer a mystery how ‘ Birnam Wood" could
"go to Dunsinane." As a general rule, St. James's
Market does not bestir itself much in the way of display,
but this season an extraordinary effort seems to have been
made, and we have certainly never seen finer or choicer
meat than weighs down the stalls of all the leading butchers
there, amongst whom we may mention Mr. Robt. Lawson,
Mr, Charles Sillitqe, Mr, Sohn Brownhead, Mr. George
Daft, Mr. Jdlni Pcidddn; Thomas Meado*p., Mr,
J. Otitratti,' Mr. Michael Shelley, Mr. Joseph Hiighes,
Mr. Richard Wheeldon, and Mr. Benjamin Davies.
The latter gentleman displays several attractive labels.
Franklin warned emigrants that when they went to the
land of promise they must not expect to see fowls flying
about and crying, Come eat me.!" but Mr. Davies
shows a sheep which carries on its back that very invi-
tation. It is in . poetry, too. We subjoin the lines,
liichr .as ~will be seen front internal evidence, are evi-
dctitlY Tennyson
I have come from afar, my friends for to see
So I hope you will all welcome me.
• And my business to yon I now will express—

It's to wish you all a merry Christmas.
Mr. Davies has also got, as we find from another placard,
"suet for the million." The only other peculiarity that
we noticed in this market was, that the geese, like public
docnments, were tied up in red tape. Their selling price
fbiii to semen shillings. ar Romh's feathered
saviours" are thus at a premium, and we regret
that the working man's board will thus be largely
destitute of the bird which has always been regarded
as so conventionally appropriate to the season. Out-
side the market, Mr. S. G. Broomhead has, as usual, a
Christmas show of his own.

...
Scotland-road market will also be found well worthy
of a visit. Apart from its. Christmas dress, it appears
looking sip in prosperity, and with one article or another
every stall seems to be occupied. There is thus infinite
variety ; and a stock of kitchen stuff laid in, the ens-
tomer has no occasion to d further for the supply of
any want, whetherjt be a aby fiddle; a tiff trumpet, or
A washing tab, The market tow is in fact what a
Yankee would term one huge " variety store.'

THE SHOPS, &c,
tl.e advent of Christmas is heralded king before its
arrival hy.mariy linmistakeable tokens; besides frost and
snow: GrOcers windows become suddenly plethoric
with currants; confectioners' shops, always neat and
attractive, display quaint sugar figures of colossal size,
decorative devices of every sort, and an' unusual abun-
dance of " sweets for the sweet ;" the drapers tell, by a
display of elegant coiffures, that the ball season is at
hand; the booksellers are rich in gilded literature for
deserving school-boys ; the toy shops show the march
of mechanical ingenuity ; and the jewellers—an art-
stttdy in themselves—are so filled with beautiful yet
costly presents, as to cause a sigh to poor Paterfamilias
when he comes to make an instinctive appeal to the
pocket. Trays of the new bronze coinage serve at this
time to add to the decorative display of many shops ;
and half ton of the new metal is as attractive as
his yellow butter.
The approaching festivities are pretty eloquently told
by the snug-looking hampers which are now passing
out daily from all the great wholesale wine and spirit
dealers ; and, as suggestive of the hospitalities of the
season, it is both pleasant and exhilarating to witness
the bustle in such first-class establishments as those of
Messrs. T. Anderson and Co., Thomas Robinson and
Co., James Stewart and C 0.,. Henry Hayes and Co.,
George Boyer and Co., and many others upon whose
advertisements we are not able at present to lay our
hands. Well, we need not say that to a good glass of
wine a good biscuit is a proper accompaniment ; and in
this line our old friend Mr. Gibbons, of London-road, is
as great as usual. We need not say a word in com-
mendation of his world-famous Balmoral and Blair-
Athol cakes. For those who eschew spirits, and have
a preference for the more English beverage of beer,
Messrs. Camidge and Co., of Duke-street, are emptying
their cellars of the very finest quality of the celebrated
Preston ale.
The newest and the best music of the season may be
found as usual at the establishments of Messrs. Rime
and Son in Church-street, and Mr. Ryan's, of Birken-
head. In the way of periodical literature, we are
to have, on the morning of the 26th, a new and
promising adventure in the shape of the Liverpool
Charivari, a local Punch, which is to be profusely illus-
trated ; and it is but right here to state, that amongst
the seasonable publications which will to-day attract
the notice of purchasers of light literature, we have
little doubt but that the Christmas double number of our
facetious and progressive friend the Porcupine, will hold
a well-merited popularity. Eschewing this week, jokes
and satire, which ;night offend some one, the Porcupine's
Christmas number (double the usual size, and
at the usual price) contains nothing but apropos
and seasonable talit and sketches in prose and
verse, some of them of a very high order of merit, and
quite equal to the majority of similar productions in pub-
lications of older standing and greater pretensions. For
true pathos and poetical feeling, we may speak highly
of "Christmas on the Ice," and "The Giant Christo-
pher," while•nothing could be more amusing and funny
than " Mr. Spoonberry's Adventures at the Zoological
Gardens," and " Haunted—a Tale of an Umbrella:" In
fact the whole number is a credit to our local literatures,
and we hope that its success will be commensurate with
its varied and talented contents Before leaving this
part. of the subject, why should we not refer-to a very
elegant, and, what is more,, a very valuable "Practical
Treatise on the teeth," which has just been issued by
our • townsman 4F, Gabriel, and a copy.of which now
lies before us, Vatbitahl9 at any time, it is also seasons-