The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-11 00:00:00

ELIZA COOK'S JOURNAL.

According to the principles laid down in its pro-
spectus, believing that the heart needs to be educated
as much as the head, the aim of Eliza Cook's Journal
is always to appeal to the feelings as well as to the
intellect. With this view, the whole publication is
pervaded by a generous loving spirit, and those vices
which more especially interfere with the gentle
charities of domestic life, are reprehended with just
severity. As examples of which, we may cite the tale
of "The Flirt," the essay on " Vulgar People," " Ad-
versity's Friend," " Light out of the Cloud," the
lines on " Gentle Words," &c. In a mournful
but very effective poem, "The Trysting Place,"
Eliza Cook chides the dissen.ions of the quarrelsome,
and the exclusiveness i:f the proud, ri-mit.ding them of
the " try sting place" where ail shall wiogle together.
" No matter whether purple rubes, or lersr-rags we

wear ;
No amble wall, or golden plate, can raise a bar
between
The corners to the trysting-place—the churchyard
green."

More beautiful yet are the following " Stanzas," one
of the most beautiful and feeling effusions of the
gentle poet-heart they so touchingly pourtray:—
" No, net for worlds would I resign
This full and fevered heart of mine,
Though some quick pulses in it dwell,
That thrill and tremble, shrink and swell,
With that intense and fearful pain
Which locks the lip and burns the brain!
No, not fcr worlds would I give up
The drop (,f nectar in my cup,
Though that one drop may render all
The draught beside of deeper gall!
No, not for worlds would I forego
The throb of rapt ecstatic glow,
When kindling glances se( m to meet,
Of sunset flush, and noontide heat;
Though oft the gorgeous glow may mark
My breast, to leave it still more dila. I
I would not lose the poet piwer
That feels the thorn, and sees the flower
With sharper thrust, and gladder mirth,
Than more undreaming ones of earth.
No, not for worlds would I resign
This fond. work, poet-heart of mine;
For well I know this weak heart finds
A music in the running rills—
A voice upon the western winds—
A shadow on the misty hills—
Which, if it were a colder thing,
Streams, winds, and mountains would not bring!

" It maketh me Creation's heir
To all that's beautiful and fair;
It holds me with a secret tie
To the sweet lilies of the field;
It links to the star-lit sky;
It talks to wild birds flitting by,
And lets me look upon the book
Of Life's strange fairy tale, unsealed!

" What though it has some strings that ache,
And quiver till they well nigh brekk?
It is the same, electric strings
That have the might of Angels' wings
To raise and waft this heart away,
Above its common home of clay.
'Tis round those strings rare magic clings
And Joy's seraphic fingers play.
" It bends to Nature's holy charm,
And twineth, like a Lover's arm,
With sweet devotion—true and warm—
About its idol's worshipped form;
I, quails, it weeps, it throbs, it fears,
With ur,known pangs and unseen 'ears;
It feels, perchance, a keener goad,
To urge it onward with its a•i,
Yet, yet it has some hops so bright,
such love-titic::, flooding it with light,
Tnat God and Heaven seem to be
Familiar glories unto me;
And n:t for worlds would I rein
Tilts weak, f Aid, poet heart of mine,
While it can taste immortal cheer
Amid the bitter heibs grown here!"

MISCELLANEOUS.

Ainsworth's Magazine for October contains some
additional chapters of " The Lancashire Witches,"
and continuations of " The Confederates," " Val-
dorno," and " Jacob van der Neess ;" " Richmond, a
Pastoral in Fmk.," by Mrs. White ; some sweet lines
on " 'lasso," by W. Braihiford ; and one of E. P.
Rowsell'a very excellent essays, " Aid to Talent," are
among the best of the shorter contributions.—Tait
considers the important subject of " University Re-
form," and suggests that an attempt to reform from
" without" will retard the more beneficial reform
from " within."—The Eclectic Review is more than
usually excellent this month ; the two first arti-
cles, criticisms upon " Carlyle's Pamphlets" and
" Leigh Hunt's Autobiography," are necessarily
full of interest.—The Farmers Magazine is as
usual well calculated to assist farmers in
carrying out Lord Stanley's excellent recommen-
dations.—The London Journal of Patent Inventions
contains some interesting accounts of new inventions.
—The Colonial Magazine considers " Slavery and
its Defenders," and contains also articles on " Clari-
fying Sugar," on the " Proposed Ship Canal," the
" White Man in Hayti, and the Negro Race in the
United States," " Captain Payne's Illustrated Map
of Ceylon," " Steam to Africa from England and the
United States," and a variety of Colonial and East
Indian intelligence.—Sharpe's, Chamber's, and the
People's Journal, for October, are as excellent as the
majority of their predecessors. In the former " Lewis
Arundel" is continued with its wonted spirit ; in
Chambers' we find some capital " Sketches of Every-
day People ;" and in the People's Journal the
"Song of the Electric Telegraph," by E. L. Blan-
chard, which, after celebrating the marvels of the
electric wire, expresses a beautiful aspiration— .
" That a bond of such magical union
Might link every heart unto heart."
—The Working Man's Friend continues to prove itself
worthy of its title, and the Family Herald, as usual,
offers a pleasant collection of original and select
matter of entertainment.—" Mr. Vevers on Little
Tommy "
makes his appearance in the Sportsman.—
The Looker-onis graced with an original poem, by
Robert Montgomery, "The Orphan Sisters.".—Tbe
Church of England Magazine, the Catholic Magazine,
and the Rambler are, for the most part, devoted to reli-
gious considerations, and generally display discrimina-
tion and ability in the choice and composition of their
contents.—Mr. Knight's serial publications, M. Land
We Live In, Half-Hours with the Best Authors, Pic-
torial .Hulf. Hours, and the imperial Cyclopedia,
scarcely require commendation, their various excel-
lences being so generally known. The Imperial
Cyclopedia of the British Empire is adorned this
month with beautiful views of the public buildings of
Brighton, Cheltenham, and Cambridge.—The Belle
Assemblie, under the judicious direction of Mrs. Cros-
- I land, is always attractive and interesting ; and Li
• Follet, every month proves itself deserving of its place
as " the glass of fashion."

THE Naw STAMPS ACT.—The stompers at Somer-
set-house have been engaged fur the last three weeks from
9 A.M. till 9. r.st (Sundays excepted), in preparing for the
new Act which comes into operation this day, redudng the
stamp duties on eiortgages. leasos, conveyances, agteements,
&c. The quantity of parchment sent in to be stamped has
been so great that they have been obliged to have a special
locality tOr the purpose, divided into departments for London
and the county diwtricts. During the present week no less
than 2;0,000 to 3 0,000 stamps under the new Act have al-
ready boen delivered to the parties, so as to enable them to
have a portion to commence with it. It will be at least a
mouth or six weeks before the ',resent deman, a can be corn
pleted. The employes at the Stamp office receive extra pay
I for the over-time they are engaged in stamping.

EFFECTS OF FREE TRADE.—At the weekly meet-
ing of the Havant Board of Guardians (of which Sir John A.
Ommanney, K.C.B , is chairman), held on Tuesday last, not
one application for relief was made to the board. It is also
worthy of nose, that no application bad been made during
the p.evious week to the relieving officer. This is the second
time that the board has bad a blank day, so far as pauper re-
lief is concerned—a fact without precedent or parallel in the
good old times of protection.