The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-12-07 00:00:00

A FOREIGN DOCTOR

Your foreign doctor is a dreadful animal. He has not
the bland look, the soft smile, the noiseless slide, the
snowy shirt-frill, and the tender squeeze of the hani, of
our own fellows, every syllable of whose honeyed lips
seems like a lenitive electuary made vocal. He is a mean,
scrubby, little, damp-looking chap, not unlike the bit of
dirty cotton in the bottom of an ink-bottle, the incarna-
tion of black draught and a bitter mixture. He won't
poison you, however, for his treatment ranges between
dill-water and syrup of gum ; in fact, to use the expres-
sive phrase of the French, he only comes to " assist" at
your death, and not to cause it. I have remarked that
homoeopathic fellows are more attentive to the outward
man than the others, whatever be the reason. Their
beards and whiskers are certainly not cut on the infinitesi-
mal principle, and assuredly flattery is one of the medica-
ments they never administer in small doses. By the way,
I wish this same theory could be applied to the distresses
of a man's estate as well as that of his body. It would be
a right comfortable thing to pay off one's mortgagees with
fractional parts of a halfpenny, and get rid of one's credi-
tors on the " decillioneth" scale.

Mr. Lever has more than sustained his well-
earned reputation by the spirit which he has thrown
into these adventures.

The Christian Family Advocate. Edinb. : Whyte.
This magazine has now reached a seventh num-
ber.' The chief object is to supply instructive
and entertaining reading for serious families. It
has several historical articles.

The Dial of Love. London : Darton and Co.

A periodical for young people, by the celebrated
Mary Howitt. Its tendency is indicated in its
title, and its author's name is some guarantee for
the .ability with which it is conducted.

Hogg's Instructor. London : Groombridge.

This entertaining periodical maintains its popu-
larity. The part for December contains several in-
teresting articles, including " Scenes of Neapolitan
Life," " Notes on Pianofortes," " London Porter,"
" Progress of the Royal Water-lily," &c.

Cocks's Musical Miscellany. London : Simpkin.
A pleasing monthly publication, containing seve-
ral pages of well-printed music, in addition to arti-
cles on music and musicians, and interesting anec-
dotes.

The Dublin University Magazine. Liverpool : Orr.
The number for December of this popular perio-
dical is in no way deficient in interest, although its
contents are not so fitted for brief extracts as is
sometimes the case. It opens with an article on
" The Bright Spirit of Christmas," the length of
which alone prevents us from transferring it to our
pages, but we give the following little picture of

CHRISTMAS MORNING.

Hark ! the breakfast gong is sounding, and a gentle
cataract of life is on the stairs, and the family comes
pluring in ; the kind-hearted, stately sire, the handsome
graceful matron, the grey and dignified grandam, the tall
stripling sons, the gentle blooming girls, and curly-
headed children. Oh! what a happy meeting is here;
what kind good-morrows, what tender kissings on brow
and cheek, what fond enfoldings and joyous gratulations,
and oft-repeated wishes for " happy Christmas," merry
and many to each and all. Oh! what eloquent looks of
affection from pure eyes, and breathings of kindliest care
and prayer for all, and reciprocation of gift ; the book—
the box—the gem—the drawing—the toy—the verses—
the music—the knitted purse—the broidered kerchief—
the useful and the ornamental—the thing oft wished for,
never coveted, and now at length possessed. And, to
crown all, the blending of artless and affectionate hearts
around the domestic altar, as—

" Kneeling down to heaven's eternal King,
The saint, the father, and the husband prays ;
Hope springs exulting on triumphant wing,
That thus they all will meet in happier days,
Together hymning their Creator's praise
In such society, yet still more dear,
While circling titne moves round in an eternal year."
Of the three narratives which have been continued,
they are all very properly brought to a conclusion
on this the last month of the year. The last of
" Clough Fionn ; or, the Stone of Destiny," by the
O'Hara Family, is followed by an article on " the
Epidemics of the Famine Years," shewing the dis-
ease which accompanied the failure in the supply of
food. " A Night with the Mystics" is one of those
quaint rhapsodies by Jonathan Freke Slingsby, to
whom a sonnet is addressed in another page.
" How I Married to escape being Hanged" is a re-
miniscence by an officer in the Peninsular war,
shewing the ingratitude of the Spaniards for their
deliverance from the French. The conclusion of
" A Sketching Tour of Five Weeks in the Forests
of Ceylon" is illustrated with two well-executed
wood-engravings. The fourth round of "A Flying
Shot at the United States" contains some further
descriptions of American sayings and doings, many
of them by no means complimentary to our trans-
atlantic brethren. From the concluding part of
" Tyrone Power, a Biography," we extract the
following reflections on the