The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-29 00:00:00

31.21D.4ME LIN.

T'S CONCERTS.

If it were possible for Exeter Hall to have been fuller
than on the occasion of Madame Goldschmidt's last ap-
pearance there, we should say that the crowd was still
greater last night, when Haydn's " Creation" was given
for the benefit of Brompton Hospital for Consump-
tion. While it is impossible that so faultless a
mistress of every point in the art of florid
vocalisation can sing the grand airs in the " Creation"
otherwise than most perfectly, it is nevertheless true that
this oratorio is not calculated, liko Handel's "Messiah,"
for the full development of that particular feature in Ma-
dame Lind-Goldschmidt's performances which will consti-
tute her the grandest living exponent of sacred music so
long as she shall see fit to sing at all—viz,, the spirit of
fervid exhortation or deep devotion which she infuses
into every word conveying the least part of that religion
whose principles it is her highest triumph to set forth in her
songs. The soprano airs in the " Creation" are for the most
part glowing and descriptive rather than religious in cha-
racter, and require artistic skill more than depth of feeling
to give them due expression ; and thus it is that, missing
the inspiration by which Madame Goldschmid t carries
heart and judgment alike captive while singing Han-
del's music, we are necessarily more conscieus of
the havoc which time has made upon her once peerless
voice to an extent for which her absolute mastery of every
mechanical difficulty does not always compensate. In the
third part, however, where the enunciation of sentiment be-
comes the task of the treble voice, she was far more herself :
the first duet was beautifully sung, but the part of Eve in
the second piece, beginning, " Oh, thou for whom I am I"
was a truly glorious effort, exquisite in tenderness,
and overflowing with passionate and devoted feeling.
It took the audience by storm, and, notwithstanuing the
previous outburst of admiration for her execution of the
favourite airs in the first and second parts, was Madame
Goldschmidt's most triumphant success. Mr. Sims Reeves
was the tenor of the night, and in the beautiful air, " In
native worth," sang in the very best manner, and would
have been encored if he had seen fit to respond to the in-
vitation. Mr. Beletti was as ever careful and effective, and
the choruses were of the best quality.

LIFE PRESERVED BY A WATCH.—At a meeting
of the East Riding Militia, a day or two ago, at Westwood,
Beverley, one of the spectators of their evolutions had a
Marvellous escape from death. A private named Harring-
ton neglected atter loading his rifle (o remove his ramrod,
and on the firearm being discharged the rod was shot away
and struck a man named Bartle. Fortunately the end of
the rod came in contact with a double-cased silver watch
Bartle had in his waistcoat pocket. The watch was shat-
tered to atoms, but to the resistance it offered its owner was
indebted for the safety of his life, as from the force with
which the rod struck him there is no doubt it would have
penetrated his body had not the watch warded it off. The
rod when picked up was found to have been bent into a zig-
zag form by the force of the collision. Bartle did not suffer
beyond feeling an acute pain in the side for a short period.
Leeds Mercury.
RAILWAY ACCIDENT NEAR PRESTON.—On Mon-
day morning an accident occurred on the Preston and Wyre
Railway by which a tender and two carriages were thrown
off the line, and the lives of a large number of passengers
were endangered. The 8.30 a.m. express train from Fleet-
wood to Manchester, due in Preston at 9 o'clock, neared
the last named place about that time and when coming
round the curve north of Maudland the rod of the self-
acting points broke, and the engine and carriages, instead of
going on to Preston, went towards the Maudland station
for a distance of 200 yards. The tender and two of the
carriages were thrown off the line by the shock, but fortu-
nately they suffered little damage, and the passengers also
escaped serious injury. The train was a very heavy one,
consisting of ten carriages, the passengers being chiefly
merchants from Preston and Manchester, who in the sum-
mer time spend Saturday and Sunday of each week at Fleet-
wood, Blackpool, and Lytham. A portion of the rails were
torn up by the dragging of the carriages. It is fortunate
that the train stopped where it did ; a few yards further,
,and it would have been on the crossing of the Lancaster
and Carlisle Railway, on which a train was due, where a
collision would have been inevitable, and a fearful loss of
life not improbable.
GROUSE PROSPECTS ON THE OCHILS. The
accounts of the present prospects of the grouse on the Ochil
moorland ranges are anything but cheering. A keeper
who has lately traversed some of the best parts, and who
has had long experience of the sport in these districts, states
for the last 10 years the prospects have not been so bad, as
many of the birds are dying of disease. This will tell sadly
upon the hatching season, as few of the birds are apparently
able to bring out their young. Perhaps the prevalence of
the disease at present is owing to the excessive rains in
March and April. The early part of last winter was very
severe for them, but the month of February, which was
mild and open, revived them much, and good hopes were
entertained of cheering prospects during the hatching sea-
son. Owing to the abrupt conclusion of the sport last year,
by reason of the weather, a larger number of birds than
usual were left on the moors, bat the present epidemic will
soon lessen it.—Seetsnian.
EXTRAORDINARY DEATH FROM OVER-EATING.
—An inquest was held before Mr. Bedford, the coroner, at
Westminster Hospital, on Tuesday, on the body of a man
unknown, who died from the effects of over-eating. From
the evidence of Police-constable Gill, 106 A, and others, it
appeared that late on Wednesday night last week the de-
ceased was observed seated upon the steps of a house in
Parliament-street, and from the groaning noise and other
sounds he made, attention was called to him. The constable
found the poor fellow almost in a senseless condition, rolling
his head in a most peculiar manner. With assistance he
was conveyed to the "Westminster Hospital, where he ex-
pired a few hours after admission. Deceased never rallied,
and no clue to his identity has been obtained since. He had
the appearance of a respectable mechanic. A paper was
found in his pocket, with the words, written in pencil,
" Liptff, Dublin, 46, Pall-mall, and 27, CheshE.m-place."
He was about 35 years of age. Dr. Tanner, the house phy-
sician of Westminster Hospital, stated that when the de-
ceased was brought in, efforts were made to remove some-
thing from the stomach, when it was found that the
stomach-pump became choked up with large pieces of
moat. Every effort was made to restore the deceased, but
he expired in about two hours. A post-mortem examination
had been made, from which it was clearly shown that death
had resulted from disease of the heart, caused by the de-
ceased having eaten a large quantity of pork and fat, which
was found in lumps in the stomach. The coroner having
remarked upon the singular nature of the case, the jury
returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.
THE GOLD IN NOVA • SCOTlA.—Subjoined is an
extract from a mercantile !etter from Halifax regarding the
present state of the gold-fields of Nova Scotia ;—" I have
to report very favourable accounts from the gold-fields
generally. A lead has been discovered on the Carr lot, on
the lands of Townsend, and I have no doubt that rich leads
run all through these lands. The prospects for new dis-
coveries and of the localities already discovered continue
good. The miners are beginning to send gold to market.
The new discoveries which are exciting most attention are
those at Elmsdale, on the line of the canal and railroad, and
at Nine-mile River, in Hants county. The latter is spoken
of as promising great things, and the people in that neigh-
bourhood are quite confident that this locality will prove
very remunerative. The Laurencetown washings look very
favourable for the interests of such as aro prepared to go
into the work in the right way. Tangier, after a long and
tedious winter, is looking up. Many who were driven ou
of their claims by the heavy and continuous rains last fa

have resumed work, and many more will join as they have
put in their crops. Those who held on during the winter
have uniformly done well. Prospecting, since the weather
has improved, has been going on with a good deal of spirit.
At present there are three crushers at Tangier, a ton of

quartz is stated to have been put through one of them,
which yielded 3oz. 3dwts. of gold, in addition to 100 dollars
worth of specimens taken out of the same lot, making the
total yield of gold and specimens 157 dollars for a single
ton of quartz."

CLERGY RELIEF BlLL—This Bill of Mr. Bou-
verie has emerged from the select committee with some
alterations, and stands for discussion on the 18th of June.
The declaration to be made by a clergyman desirous of being
released from his clerical status was originally proposed to
be one of " conscientious dissent from the doctrines of the
Church ;" it is now proposed that it may state his dissent
from the doctrine or the discipline of the Church, or from
both. It was provided by the Bill, when introduced, that
although released from clerical obligations and deprived of
clerical rights, he should not for a year be qualified to sit in
the House of Commons; it is now provided that he shall
not be qualified to set there at all.

THE SEED AND THE FRUIT.--A physician, re-
ferring to the effect of different modes of education, says, of
thirty boys who were brought up in contempt of all useful
knowledge and occupation, spending their days in reading
novels and the lives of pirates and murderers, and their
evenings in the streets, at the dramshops, gambling saloons,
the circus, and theatre, one was hung for murder at the age
of forty-five, one for robbing the mail, three as pirates, five
died in the penitentiary, and seven lived and died as useless
vagabonds ; three were useful mechanics, and he was igno-
rant of the fate of the remainder. Of forty boys educated
with him by a moral and scientific teacher, under a rigid
system of restraint, at the age of fifty-five one was a mem-
ber of Congress, one a judge of the Circuit Court, three
physicians, five lawyers; fourteen were dead, and the re-
mainder were farmers and mechanics; not one was ever
charged with crime, all were respectable, and all but two or
three had respectable homes.—American Paper.
CRIEFF.—SHEEP SHEARING.—During the last
eight days a large number of sheep have been clipped in
this district. All accounts agree that the crop of wool,
bothpas regards quantity and quality, will be the best which
has occurred for a long series of years. 'I he stock_ of wool
in the market is nearly exhausted ; but, notwithstanding,
it is anticipated that there will be a great reduction in the
price of wool this season, owing to the heavy fleeces, cam-
bined with the depre.f;sed state of trade in all the
umanufac-
turimpc,
Districts, and the millions of operatives who are pur-
chasers of our woollen cloths are unable in a season hke
this to buy goods when they cannot find employment.—
/40 WM,