The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-04-09 00:00:00

LOCAL NEWS

A WOMAN RUN OVER.—On Wednesday afternoon, a
poor woman, named Mary Toole, was accidentally knocked
down in London-road by the Wavertree omnibus, and the
wheel paQsing over her arm, broke both it and her fingers.
There was no blame attached to the driver.
We are informed on the authority of a most respectable
gentleman that the proceedings before the Presbytery of
Greenock, in regard to Mr. Welsh, the incumbent of the
Scotch Church, Oldham-street, have terminated in the
Presbytery finding and declaring that Mr. Welsh has
ceased to be a licentiate of the Church of Scotland, and
that he ►s disqualified not only for receiving any presenta-
tion to any spiritual charge in the Church, but also for
retaining the status of a minister of the Church of Scot-
land in any place wheresoever.
- - - - - - -

-- • •
brauEsTs.—Four inquests were held before the borough
coroner on Tuesday. The first was on the body of Abel
Over, of Watkinson-street, who drank some cetic acid,
while labouring under inflammation of windpipe. The
second was on Alexander Hill, of Powell's-place, who
was drowned in a pool of water; the third was Thos.
Parkinson, of Watkinson-buildings, who died of suffoca-
tion, from having been overlain ; and the fourth was on
Elizabeth Peacock, of Mann-street, who died of apoplexy,
the result of natural causes. Verdicts in accordance
with the evidences were returned in the several cases.
ASSAULT OF A SON ON HIS MOTHER.—A well-dressed
stout man, named James Tinsley, was yesterday charged
before Mr. Rushton, with violently and repeatedly as-
saulting and annoying his mother at her own house. The
complainant said she had purchased him off when he en-
listed, and had clothed and fed him, though be had means
of his own. He had been brought up three times before
for the sams offence. He was fined £5 for the assault,
or two months; and required to find surities, himself in
£5O, and two others in £3O each, or to be imprisoned two
months more.

THE ROYAL SOVEREIGN STEAMER, CAPT. ALFRED
BROWNLESS.—We have heard with pleasure of the arrival
at Singapore of this steamer, having marked with interest
her progress, knowing that, from her crankness, nautical
men (her worthy captain amongst the rest) deemed her
anything but a safe craft for the work she had to go
through, especially off the Cape, as, in all probability, the
season being winter, she would have to contend there with
the worst of weather. Our young townsman, Captain
Brownless, however, has surmounted all difficulties, and,
we feel no doubt in adding, with credit to himself. The
Royal Sovereign reached Singapore on Sunday, the 7th of
January.
THE LATE MR. MACKRILL.—Weare glad to find that
Sir Robert. Peel has, in the kindest manner, appropriated
from the Royal Bounty Fund the sum of £4O in aid of
the contributions now raising for the benefit of the widow
and orphan of the late Mr. Mackrill, who unfortunately
lost his life from the injury he received on landing from
the Birkenhead packet, at George's pier head, during
the storm on the morning of the 31st January last. Our
worthy Mayor took a lively interest in the success of the
application, and strongly recommended it to Lord San-
don, who, conjointly with Sir Howard Douglas, immedi-
ately forwarded it to Sir Robert Peel, urging a compli-
ance with the prayer of the petition, and which we are
happy to state has met with such.success.
SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE.—On Sabbath night,
Captain Miller's term of service in the police establish-
ment of this city expired ; and we understand he enters
upon his duties in Liverpool in the course of next week.
On Saturday night, Mr. Miller collected the whole of the
police force together, and delivered to them a farewell
address, in the course of which he impressed upon them
the propriety of continued attention to their respective
duties, and pointed out the importance of sobriety and
steadiness, not merely as necessary for keeping up the
discipline of the establishment, but as essential to the
correct and faithful discharge of their functions, in pro-
tecting the persons and property of the citizens.—Glas-
gow paper. _

RESCUING A PRISONER, &c.—Yesterday a man, named
John Murray, was placed at the bar of the police-court,
charged with obstructing police-officer 494 in the exercise
of his duty. The officer stated a gentleman having been
knocked down in Banastre-street and robbed, be (police-
officer) got bold of the offender, when the prisoner came
up, struck him, and rescued the fellow. The prisoner ran
off but was taken, and a man immediately afterwards
found in the street, at the precise spot where the scuffle
took place, a bunch of skeleton keys, and picklocks,
which were produced. The prisoner was convicted of
felony two years ago. He was requited to pay a fine of £5
for the assault, or be imprisoned for 1 month, and further
to find sureties, himself in 5.30, and two others in £l5, or
be imprisoned a month longer.
EASTHAM.—Very extensive improvements, we under-
stand, are in progress and contemplated at Eastham,
which bids fair at no distant period to be a favourite site
for the residences of our opulent merchants. A company,
we hear, have taken some land for the purpose of erecting
a number of handsome edifices, a new and commodious
slip is to be erected, boats of great power and swiftness
are to run between Liverpool and Ea&.tham every half
hour; a reservoir has been constructed for the purpose of
keeping open the passage at low water, and a splendid
hotel has already sprung up, and is nearly completed.
It is the first evidence of Sir William Stanley's determi-
nation to make this property more profitable, and is from
the design of Mr. John Wood, architect and builder, of
Derby. The storks have proceeded with great rapidity
under the superintendence of Mr. G. Malin. The exter-
nal elevation is very neat and lofty, and presents three
fronts, extending from ninety to one hundred feet, with a
handsome portico. The building has three stories, and
contains thirty-five bedrooms and four large-sitting-rooms,
with delightful views of the river and opposite shore from
Liverpool almost to Runcorn Gap.

COLLEGIATE INSTITUTION : DR. WESLEY'S LEC-
TURES ON .2HURCH MUSIC.—The sixth lecture of the
course was given on Friday to the largest audience yet
assembled. Perhaps the knowledge that the doctor had
consented to play upon the organ, on that occasion was a
great inducement, and certainly no one was disappointed ;
the great smoothness and unity of his performance display-
ing the master hand in every chord, and convincing ail
that he is the first British organist. The anplause was
immense, the orchestra playing and enthusiastically cheer-
ing him. We ale glad to hear that Dr. W, sky, at the
earnest request of a number of his friends, will again per-
form on the organ at the close of his eighth lecture, on
Friday next. This week, being Passion week, no lectures
were delivered at the Collegiate Instiiution ; but, on
Tuesday next, Dr. Wesley will deliver his seventh lecture.
In this will be performed a variety of fine mustc, from
Boyce, Sphor, and Mozart, and the magnificent church
service which Dr. Wesley has composed—the first speci-
men of his own works, which he has brought forward in
these lectures. This service has been said to be the finest
composed in this country since the days of Oilando Gib-
bons. The Spectator, one of the highest musical autho-
rities of the day, speaks of it as "a work of great &pity
and beauty of harmony, especially remarkable under two
a carte blanche admission into
aspects,—firtst, as giving
the English cathedral service of the modulation and
transactions of the modern school, with copious specimens
of the same, from Beethoven, Sphor, Weber, &c; second-
ly, from the dependence of the work on the prominence
and effect of the organ rccompaiaiment, In the applies-
cation of the effect and peculiarities of modern music to
the cathedral style, his work is entirely original; the license
adopted gives a stimulus to the imagination, which could
not have been obtained in the beaten path of counterpoint ;
while the sequences and cadences of Bach, with a recur-
rence ever and anon to the old church endings, maintain
the style of its due elevation. The organ, and the classi-
cal reminiscences of the author, came forth with vigour ;
Bach, Bethoven, Spohr, Weber, and Mozart being by
turns laid under contribution, but each time coloured by
the individuality of a nature powerfully attuned to the
harmony and graces of melody. Passion is a remarkable
characteristic of the composition ; and it so interests us as
to leave little inclination, even if we had space, to question
the strict origin of every phrase we meet, the choice being
generally' exquisite. The service is the key of E 'with the
greater third.' The opening of the Te Deem is fine.
The octave passages for the voices, which sueceed, are a
new effect in church music. Holy, holy,' is expressed
with great elevation of style, in a beautiful strain of melo-
dy and harmony. The verse, " Heaven and earth' is
delivered in powerful unison by the men, while the organ
accompanies an harmony, and makes a cadence in the un-
wonted key of D sharp minor. At the words ' Thou art
the King of Glory' we have one of the few pieces of imi-
tative counterpoint to be found in the work: and a very
clear and pleasing specimen it is. A passage of Cavan in
the seventh here takes place between the treble and tenor
on a freely moving bass; and the other parts join in ; and
the whale are conducted to a rich and harmoneous cadence,
on which the double-suspensions are conspicuous for their
effect. ' When thou tookest upon thee' is a tender and
elegant phrase of melody. A new and beautiful harmony
is discoverable in the double appoggiatura on the words
' We therefore pray thee ;' there is a boldness in the pds-
sage which discovers consummate feeling. The octaves
between the treble and tenor in the prayer Vouchsafe, 0
Lord,' are new and beautiful in their effect, The pathe-
tic parts hence to the end are finelc written; and the ex-
amples of the inverted pedal-point which are here and
there interspersed are of the choicest description. The
Kyrie Eleisons are both beautiful, and we need only look
to them and the last bars of the creed to see with what
feeling and taste Dr. Wesley can treat a little strain of
melody. With practice in writinz, finer things may yet
come from him ; but chum') music or the higher instru-
mental style is the quarter to which his genius, by its in-
clination to remote and uncommon effects, is enure espe-
cially turned. He uses the classics of the art as Meldel-
sohn uses them,—in every thing with superior gusto.
Meldelsolin may have the advantage in counterpoint, but
Wesley has a fitter taste in chorus if not in melody.

THE JUDGES.—Mr. Justice Coltman having, on Satur-
day morning, disposed of the thirty-five Nisi-Prins cases
allotted io him, left immediately after for London. Mr.
Baron Rolfe did not attend Divine Service on Sunday,
and dined at the lodgings in the evening. It is expected
that the Assizes will terminate about Thurhday next.
APPREHENSION OF A GANG OF THlEVES.—Police-
constable Marks, an active officer, saw three dressed as
sailors, but with more clothes on them than jack tars gen-
erally choose to encumber themselves, pass by the Cus-
tom-house and go up Park-lane. Seeing that they had
not the walk of sailors he dogged them, and seeing them
enter a cellar in which a dealer of old clothes lived, he
concluded that it was a case. Calling for ihe assistance
of another officer, lie went to the cellar, but the door was
locked, and the party inside hesitated in opening it.
Marks, however, got admtttance, but was received with a
determined opposition. After a struggle of some minutes-
the gang were secured, and in the place was found wear-
ing apparel and other property belonging to vessels in the
King's Dock. It appeared that in the disguise of sailors
they had got a boat and entered vessels lying in the centre
of the dock. and having robed themselves in the spoils,
and filling their mane pockets with what they could find,
rowed ashore again, the police on duty looking on them
as sailors belonging to the vessels. They were all com-
mitted on Monday.

THE THEATRE-ROYAL.—After an attractive series of
entertainments for some time, including several new and
popular pieces, in which Mr. Charles Matthews and
Madame Vestris afforded so much amusement, that repe-
titions were frequently called for by unanimous assent,
this theatre, which was closed during the past holydays,
was re-opened yesterday evening with a new drama, called
" The Lust Ship," a piece full of nautical life, love,' and
adventure, in which our old favourite, Mr. T. P. Cooke,
appeared to great advantage in the principal character, as
performed by him in London ; followed by a fairy extra-
vaganza, entitled "The Fair One with the Golden Locks,"
a piece which has been highly successful hi the metropo-
lis, and which has here the advantage of being prepared
under the eye of Madame Celeste, of whose taste and
judgement in this peculiAr department, we have already
had gratifying proofs. The whole (as well as the other)
is got np with new scenery, machinery, &c. The parts
are so cast as to embrace the entire available strength of
the company, and we doubt not " The Fair One" will be
in requisition for many nights to come. We need scarcely
remind our readers that our Theatre-royal is one of the
prettiest, most commodious, and most "practicable" itt
the kingdom.

MEETING OF HOUSE AND COTTAGE OWNERS.—Oe
Wednesday a meeting of house and cottage owners was
held at the Clarendon Rooms, to take into consideration
the notice of motion given by Mr. Colville, in the House
of Commons, that in committee on the Poor Law Amend-
ment Bill, he would move certain clauses, providing that
the owners of tenements of the rental of £2O a year and
under be rated instead or the occupiers for the poor rates,
and that occupiers paying the rates be empowered to de-
duct the amount of rates from their rents. Mr. W.
Walthew was called to the chair, and having stated the
object, suggested the formation of a House and Cottage
nualdn tbs
e.
sufficient Guardian
s S
x )cr i ta t
sevenyf
rt ot
hspihsr
pit
uenerg
shillings
them p
osae year
a from u
from
Mr. r: pßri n
eachen
pcOiapwrltneyde Owners'
Ben-
nett moved the first resolution to the effect, that the
meeting viewed the notice of motion by Mr. Colville with
alarm. He stated that if the poor were distrained for the
rates they would become inmates of the workhouse. Mr.
Forbes seconded the motion, and it was unanimously car-
ried. Mr. Weusleg moved in effect that the measures
would be unjust in principle, and oppressive in practice
to the poor. Mr. Duckworth supported and seconded
this resolution, which was also carried. Mr. J. A. Picton,
proposed the third resolution,.to the effect that the mea-
sure would oppress those struggling to -get an honest
livelihood, and that if rents were raised there would be a
large accession of inmates to the workhouse. He entered
into some details showing the impolicy and cruelty of the
measure. ,It was impolitic every body would believe
when they recollected the operation of a similar measure
a few years ago, and cruel because they wished to compel
the landlords to screw the rates out of the tenants,
although the parish authorities could not themselves get
them. Mr. Watts seconded the motion, which was carried
unanimously. A committee was then appointed to watch
the bill, to prepare a petition against the claim, and take
steps against it. Several gentlemen spoke in favour of
the suggested Guardian Society, a committee was ap-
pointed to form it, and several parties put down their
names as members.

ST. MARY'S KIRKDALE NATIONAL SCHOOL.—The
opening of these schools took place last night, when a tea
party was held to celebrate the event. The building is a
new one, and ha.i been erected through the exertions of
the incumbent, the Rev. Mr. James, and other benevolent

individuals. The greater part of the funds was raised by
a bazaar, hell in 1837, which produced about £500; a
sum of £l5O was subsequently obtained from the Com-
mittee of Council on Education, and another of £lOO
from the National Society, making £750, or thereabouts,
covering the cost of the land and the building. The site
is an eligible plot of land at the bottom of a lane called
Johnson-street, running immediately west of the church,
and but a short distance from it. The land comprises ra-
ther 'above 800 square yards, and the school-house is
erected towards the north frontage of the plot to-Johnson-
street, leaving an open space between it and the street,
and two ample and airy playgrounds at the back. The
spot has the advantage of being as nearly as may be in the
centre of the village. Mr. James was himself the archi-
tect; and being struck with the superior accommodation,
&c. of a school-room at Waterloo, which had a projection
in the centre of the front elevation, adopted a somewhat
similar improvement on the ordinary buildings of this
kind. The style may be classed amongst the plain but
pleasing specimens of the English : the form resembling
the letter T, with piqued roofing surmounted at each of
the gable ends and at the point of the projection in front,
with an octagonal stone shaft, which forms an ornamental
finish, and at the same time serves as a chimney. The
windows of the two school-rooms ate of an oblong square
form, with diamond sashes—three on each side of the pro-
jection and two (all of large size) behind. The projecting
part is in two stories, with two smaller windows, with cor-
e responding sashes in each. The interior of the body of
the buntline is equally divided into two school-rooms, of
equal dimensions,. arid separated by f 'Ming doors, panel-
led, and grained to oak, and a standing partition above
the central principal beam—a great part of the cavity of
the roof—sloping at the sides, fiat in the centre, and plas-
tered, being rendered available in giving greater elevation
and better circulation of fresh air. A portion of the
moveable partition, which is about 131 feet in height,
folds hark against the north wail, but the greater part of
it rolls in an iron rail-way countetsunk flush with the
floor, into a cavity of the central yard wall behind, leaving
the two rooms, for puiilic Occasions, thrown into ore spa-
cious apartment, 54 feet in length and upwards of 26 feet
in width. The whole of the work was contracted for by
Messrs. John Johnson and Son, of Hatton-garden.
GRAND JUNCTION RAILWAY.-00 Thursday last a
special meeting of the proprietors of ;he Grand junction.
Railway was held at the Cotton Sale-room, for the pur-
po e of obtaining the sanction of the shareholders to the
Lancaster and Carlisle Railway Bill, now before Parlia-
ment, towards which railway the directors had recom-
mended the company to cowl ibute X 230,000, to be raised
by the creation of new snares. The chairman (Joint
Moss, Esq.,) first alluded to the statements in the public
papers, blaming the directors for not engaging their com-
pany to a large subscription to the Cheater and Holyhead
railway. He had hut t.) repeat that the directors had
been informed that a consideriiblt sum was expected from
government as for public service; and that they (the di-
rectors) did not retire focim the and making until the cer-
tainty of such an arrangement had ceased to exist • and
he saw no reason whatever to regret that they had re-
frained. under the circumstances, from subscribing. He
aiso contradicted a statement that he had held shares in
the concern, and that this company intended to strangle
•he scheme—the contrary being the fact. It was also un-
true that their late chaii man and several of the directors
had reduced their holding in this company, and for him-
self (and family) he had no intension to reduce his interest
in it, for no railroad presented a better investment. It
had also been stated ag inst them, that they were adverse
to the improvements at B rkenhead, which was quite as
erroneous.—Captain Huish then read the report. It
stated contracts had been entered into for the whole of
the Lancaster anti Carlisle line, the rails, &c., and that
the time for executing had been narlowed to two years.
It recommend-d a creation of shares to the extent of
£250,000, to be applied towards its construction. No
diminution of dividend vies expected from admitting these

• ny had been formed io complete
tncwsehsaterers.
western
n J./it, i
en 7: P-Oit4i Carlisle to Edinburgh and Glas-
gow. The directors therehire reoonirni-nded the pro-
prietors to embark £lOO,OOO in the Project, and to for-
ward it by all possible means, sati-fied that the advan-
tages to their company would be c vain and important;
but they did not intend to ask for that vote at present.
Tne directors announced that they purposed to call.up
the unpaid portions of the new quarter shares in doe
course, to be applied to the paying off of the mortgage
debt. The report next stated the preliminary steps taken
with regard to connecting Shrewshmy w;th the Grand
Junction, and pointed out the greA adtantages of a rail-
way to Stafford, in connection with their line, by a branch
from Shrewsbury to the station a: Stafford and Penkridge.
This would cost less than one to a point further south,
and would accommodate Liverpool, Manchester, and all
the north as well as the south—and not the south only, as
would be the case if Wolverhampton were to be the point.
They considered such a branc), essential, and would ar-
range to have it br,,oght tefore Parliament, with the
approval of the proprietors, next session, a !tether the
Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury line were prosecuted by
an independent patty or not.—Resolutions were then
passed, first, adopting the report ; secondly, approving
of the act fur making the Lancaster and Carlisle line—
subject to such alterations as may he required or deemed
expedient ; and t irdly, exple,sing the open on of the
meeting that it would he for ih-ii interest to protrn,te the
construction of a railway,- c,nrieeting theirs—or Stafford
or Petiklidge—with Shrewsbury; and that the directors
take steps to secure such object in the course of the next
session of parliament.—Creation of new shares :—An
eighth, or £l2 10s. slim., to be allotted to each holder of
a whole share, or two halves, or four quarters, (niw and
old.)—Dividend on this stuck to b paid pari pasxu with
the other shares, from and alter the Ist July, 181 ti, less
5 per cent.. on such portions of the stork as may then be
uticalled.—Five per cet,t. to be. allowed on al calls as
p,,id until Ist July. 1816.—An ituniediate call of £2 lOs.
to be nriaile.—Thal k. having been voted to the chairman,
the meeting serarat d. •

LINEN DRAPERY. --We beg to direct the attention of
our readers to ttie adv of Miss s. Mar'ind le Brothers,
whose removal fri,m B 1 '—trt ii.. already been an-
nounc it in Our paper. Tu. 1. PIJCk 1. nw. sud tar many
years experience ti ey have lad, vie 1 eiiabli s them, we
doubt not, to p es-lit to be public auvautages in the cost
and quality of the►r articles.

Wittraturt.

POETRY.

THE PRIMROSE AND FORGET-ME-NOT.

BY MISS CHRISTIANA WELLER.

Where sun-beams crept and gaily danced,
In sp rtive light, on al ar und ;
Where trembling moon-beams often glanced
Along the fairy-ha low'd roun.!.

A primros‘, blos om'd to the day.
Of sweetest perfume. palest dye :
The infant flower 'mid green le ,ves lay,
And z,phyrs san its lullaby.

And time pass'd on, and gently dealt
With this fair token of the spring ;
The chilling blast it scarcely felt,—
'Twas fann'd as by a seraph's wing

But ,-'er it Pity shower'd her dew,
In falling dr ps of crystal lie•ht :
For well the tearful mourner knew
That fleeting—frail, was its delight.

Each morning-ray dispelled the gloom
That hung upon the fair one's cheek ;
The golden beam restored its bloom,
And painted it with beauty meek.

And noontide's fervour harm'd it not;
A canopy of verdant shade
Threw freshest charms around the spot :
Hope wAsper'd that it neer should lade,

Another flow'rct blossom'd nigh,
And, mingling fondly, thus they grew;
For friendship lent her sympathy,
And sweet companionship they knew.

They lived, they loved in after days,
As, one by one, each joy decay'd
When summer's sun withdrew its rays,
And winds the darkening skies obey'd.

When each fond dream that youth had shown
And pictured, fair as earth could know,
In one sad hour had vanish'd—flown,
And desolation left below.

The primrose heard the night winds sigh,
And read its doom amid the storm ;
Unbroken only was the tie
That friendship threw around its form

And, whispering sweetly from its bower,
Ere yet had closed its cheerless lot,
It named its vntle sister flower.
And, dying, said—" Forget-me-not !"

" SITTING ON A RAIL."
THE LL'S TUNNEL.

Hark t the shrill whistle runs up the L— tunnel—the

rope is adjusted—the cap fits roundly upon your head, in-
stead of your hat—the gleaming red oil light gives its
sickly hue to the book in your hand or the face of your
vis-a-vis companion. Slow—slowly—less slowly the car-
rir.ges move on till they break at last into a run, with a
ratt:e, and you are rattled through the dark future, and
are only glad that you have already escaped the murky
gloom of the sabled past, whilst each successive moment
becomes in its turn one of present conflict with the powers
of darkness, until the blue light of day gradually expands
before you at the tunnel's mouth, with phantasmagoric
effect and welcome ! Another scream of the whistle, which
like some fabled bird of darkness, throws all its lungs into
the loudest embodiment of a hideous sound, distressfully
shrill, and seems to rejoice in thus fitfully celebrating the
praises of its birth-place. Spirits are generally seen ;
thou, tunnel-bird ! art only heard, and never seen ; and
thy wings must have the stilly flight of thy living and vi-
sible prototype, the hooting and noiseless owl, or in the
gliding whirl of the many wheels, as they skim over the
expectant rail, we should sometimes hear them flap and
flatter. Thou art truly the creation of the engineer! a
Prometheus offspring of his steam and smoke—a being
embodied in sound only—invisible—untangible, whilst thy
wiry claws scratch at our ear-drums till they are ready to
bleed again under the vexatious infliction : yet we know
not thy ugly form—too ugly to be revealed perhaps—
though we can note down with the accuracy of astonish-
ment the fiery octaves and the wild wolf-note' of thy
murderous din ! A music so severe and spiteful, though
blunted in the enshrining column of steam, must owe its
origin, and that in the nineteenth century, to the tunnel
of L—, out of whose sombre bowels, oh, Earth! that
such a fossil echo should ever have been dug!
Whirl—whirled upon a rail, through the green fields—
below, above—like the Shaksperia❑ witch—

" Thorough water,
Thorough fire,
Thorough brake,
Thorough brier"—
bow we do go along, "sitting on a rail"—quaking over moss
and swinging down " inclines ;" and after a short look-
out beneath, over canals and race-courses out-sped every
Lour by the exploits of subjugated steam, the giant town
of M— spreads out its swarthy arms to welcome us to
its heaving bosom, whence are belching daily forth clouds
of smoke and vapour of smoke—contracted for by the
whole island of Great Britain, as to be furnished at the
rate of a cubic mile per second, of the best black Egyptian
—warranted, as per sample, to contain a variable supply
of smuts of the true jetty hue. Well, but leave M—to
itself, for gold dust and cotton refinements ; look what
airy picture sits like a marine refraction, on the terminus
of a bridge which spans the Stygian river, whose dusky
red sides must have been bathed in the thin red tide of
the manufactured and manufacturing victims.
Ah! this L— terminus is a gem of a place, set picto-
rially in the jetty frame of mill-work—a pleming fresco on
an ancient wall—a fair relief in cast-iron—a picture in iron
and glass, standing out from the hieroglyphic spinning-
jennies of countless numbers around, plied by incessant
bands, and as under Egyptian rigour doing a service "without
straw." Here the rail has a rope for a fringe or tassel to
pull up by ; but then there is no tunnel wherein to take
leave of your senses " cheminfaisant." There is some-
thing pictorial, too, and enticing in the construction and
nomenclature of some of their carriages : a fine "Divan"
for those who divert in smoke; a " Gondola" for pic-nic
parties and associated groups; and finally, a " Tourist"
for the summer season, when pedestrians and butterflies are
out, the former not liking to he inclosed and entombed in a
first or second-class carriage, may in this carriage gaze
around and above to the heart's content, for they are only
" glazed in" in these directions, though their correspond-
ence below is intercepted by a platform of wood, which is
far more satisfactory than if they were invited to a glass
seat and foot-stool likewise, as in a diving-bell, especially
since they are about to dive into numerous cuttings and
tunnels where from. any accidental fidgittiness on their
seat, it would be a very hard and irrecoverable penalty to
be left behind, the victims of a glass seat and cushion.
First we come to " blue pits," which are anything but
blue, though dyers might wish they were so; in fact, we
don't understand the name, but suppose it an accidental
misnomer in the first instance, and now kept up because
it is not so. The sky is not blue ; how then could the wa-
ter be ? and we defy all the powers of Prussian blue to
make it so, A little further on we did see some "red"
cloth hanging out to dry, and it was the most pictorial
thing in the district ; but we are ready to go before a ma-
gistrate and aver, that blue was a scarce commodity, ex-
cept inside our carriage, and that of a flashing order in the
" bonnie blue e'en" of the little school-girl in the rail arm-
chair opposite to us, whose merry pranks and laughter
often quickened our own dull circulation.
There were sheep, too, further on, but they should have
been white, and yet they were not " black sheep," that
Orthodox variety, we mean, of " ovis," but they were bor.
&ring on black—the best iron-grey we ever saw, and as
such we should have set them down in our " notes of
rails," but the lambs at their sides frisked about in such
Italie little jackets as at the same time to puzzle and
please ourselves, and to discredit their dams somehow or
other !

What means " Shut off your steam," unless it signifies
" bottle up your courage" paraphrastically ; it will be
very likely wanted anyhow; for you are approaching the
L. tunnel, and there is no escape, so it's no use wishing it.
Bottle up your courage, then, and " keep your powder
dry." We were sitting reading our newspaper, when all
at onceascream from our invisible courier bird alarmed our
weak nerves and presaged—what! darkness—and coldness,
and horrors! The lettered page remained in our rivetted
lands a blank page—the sides of our carriage were obli-
terated in our vision, and the region beyond the
window shot past into darkness, and the stone sleepers
jarred and rattled, and the disembowelled tones rung
from the vaulted tunnel's roof, and pressed down ruth-
lessly on our ear, even through the roof of our carriages,
until those two organs of sense, eye and ear, gave up in
despair their straining contest with din and darkness, and
we sat captive and mute, astonished and dumbfounded—
rattle and jar from the awakened sleepers—roar of the en-
gine condensed in the arched domain—chill from the im-
isoned damp air trickling from the weeping sides—casual
fits of shriek from the unseen friend—palpable darkness to
the hand outstretched from the windows—silence within,
not a foot or hand stirring from where each traveller last
Isad them—scarcely a breath drawn. and when taken
drawn inaudibly for certain—the heart recoiled back upon
itself, the bottled-up courage flagged and fainted—mo-
ments extended their ordinary brief length into prolix mi-
nutes, and still on we went, and rattled and whizzed with
fearful rapidity, till thought lost its elasticity of wonder-
gent, and sullenly retired within its cell, to try and sleep
Vat the rest of this plunge into darkness, but in vain.
Lo ! the angry/it/re of a burning torch upheld by one solitary
denizen of this awful gutting, stretched out at arm's length,
and waved to and fro, seemed like a welcome to our arri-
val at the dark gates themselves which usher into Ache_
rontic regions ! Not a question but now we were ushering
into the postern-gate of Pluto's stale-prison and citadel;
seen—the next moment probably—earth and its busy
scenes would have been left behind for ever, and the irre-
vocable plunge made into the depths of the lake from
whence no mortal had ever been suffered to upspring back
again to earth. Here joys sublunary and griefs terrestrial
were to be drowned alike in the molten elements below,
where even oblivion of the past was to be denied—the last
aolacedeniedtothewicked—and every past was tobe rivetted
and chained in the brazen mirror of immortality Father
Time seemed to be niggardly counting out his last sands,
whilst we recounted them over too, lest he should serve us
eut with short allowance of our seconds. Boz would
have "declined" our position with "ghostly" skill into
past, present, and future tenses ! We begun roundly
with the
perfect past— Acoavi ;" we tried the present,
" Amo," but it faltered on our tongue • and the future
" Amabo," stuck in our throat as a fiction of diseased
imagination ; and the echoing sounds of " Peccavi,"
s' Miserere mei," seemed to fit alone the region we aP-
"smooched so moodily.
" Half of our heavy task was done,"

however, and that " by the light of the torch so fitfully
burning." Onwards still rolled our rapid wheels, and
other pangs of suspense screwed up our very vitals into
nothing; and when minutes of Agopy has drawn out
their laggard length alone, and the ninpl had made it_
self up for the worst, and had given up all idea of doing its
lest, even if it were to realise a calamity—a flare of ligi t

laughed upon our dark path, and again the dark curtain
fell, ju-t as in the time-annihilating power of thought,
" hope" was beginning to tell "a fl rttr ring tale" !
Another round swell of soft light beamed with a be-
nigh witchery on our benighted eves, and hope &owed
again, and sent a warmer pulsation from our heart,. Again
a dark period, and then—the angel of light waved its wings
at the tunnel's mouth, and %visaed us joy, and grric:lnily
unfolded its celestial robe around itselt and ourself, end
the breath of Heaven again played its refreshing and
thrice-welcome truancy on our cheek.
Our heart grew reassurred—our fears, retreating, lost
their colossal magnitude, and receded into midges and
imps of darkness; and our organ of veneration grew ex-
cited to bursting, on once more beholding the April sun-
shine around us; and we kissed our hand to that sun, and
would have done so to the moon as well, had there been a
moon visible at the same time, so that in intention of such
idolatry, performed actually, i. e. constructively, as Lord
Abinger lays down, we have incurred by this time the cen-
sure of Job for heathenish practices, and yet who could
resist the passage of so natural a theology ? Heaven forgive
us, in pity ! Our reluctance to leave this world was a
proper feeling, especially when we considered ourselves
booked for another and not altogether the most agreeable
change from this. The Sun was a type of Heaver, and
as Heaven's ambassador we doubted not the credentials
of light and love, so we made our salaam to the viceroy,
in token of our loyalty to the viceroy's king ! Was there
anything wrong in this? If there was, gentle reader, we
are glad to find ourselves in the company of poets of all
nations and Persian magi. But it is no use reasoning on
the matter; it was a matter of pure feeling, and—so--we
did it in our innocence.

On regaining the light, we turned to one of our near-
seated travelling companions ; expressing our own horror
at the nature of our route, we enquired if she had been
alarmed, expecting that what had given us alarm would
in all probability have disturbed the equilibrium of a wo-
man's mind. She calmly replied, that she had not felt
terrified. We then ventured to ask, if she had been this
way before. Her reply was in the negative, and we felt
ashamed of our lesser courage. Waiting a while, think-
ing of our own humbler standing, in being frightened
when a woman could be courageous—we took the liberty
of enquiring if she enjoyed vision in common with my-
self. Judge of our surprise and relief; our self-respect
rose up again, for she told us—she was blind
This L. tunnel is a mortal queer place, and a queer
part of the story is that, as Miss Edgeworth remarks,
asyou enter Ireland, in sailing to Dublin, between two bulls
and a blunder, so you enter this tunnel in the teeth of
contradiction and irony, and you leave it in a witticism.
Thus the village at the mouth is called Litt/eborough,
which is a lie, for we think nearly two miles of tunnelling
is a great burrow, and the village at the other side is called
Tod-morden, which means, it its radicle be German,
Death-Murder.

But we have done with the tunnel, and its dangers are
iescaped. We have been on board ship in a gale, when
" sails never bent before were torn to rags," but this tun-
nel bangs a storm hollow. We don't intend to go down
it again without, Esop-like, taking a lantern in our hand,
if they wont give us the consolation of one in the roof.
On returning on this route the trains have two engines,
one to push up the inclines, as if the carriages themselves,
as well as passengers, felt some degree of reluctrnce to
proceed up hill or down hill to such a " horrid bore"!
Down these inclines we now gladly rattled, " shutting off
your steam" being the war-hawk placard on the road-side
for the engineer. Then the country acquired a romantic
and bold character, and the hills and vvolds of Yorkshire,
on to Normanton, would repay any tourist ; but he must
not forget to " bottle up his courage," whenever " Shut
off your steam" meets his eye. After all, the incline on
the Gloucester and Birmingham line is the greatest of any
in England, we believe. 'L'o bestride a town or city or
river or valley, or turnpike, is as easy to those railroads
as to creep like a mole under a hill, or disembowel a
mountain !

Whilst pausing at Normanton, a bumble bee whizzed
past our ear, a train arrived in the central line, with its
whiz of a whistle lasting for a second or two. We endea-
voured to discriminate between the sound of the bee al
our ear and the more distant whistle of the screamer. We
were not a little surprised to find how very difficult it was
to detect one sound from another, as, a priori, one would
have thought would have been quite easy to do. By the
duration of the sound only could we tell. The whistle
came suddenly, so did the sweeping flight of the insect ;
but the noise ceased too smartly, and this cleared up the
doubtful sound, for the hum of the bee we reckoned
should have died faintly away as the insect got more and
more remote from the ear. It was a trifle, but it was a
fact, presenting itself to us ; and it was not a trifle, inas-
much as it led to a train of reflection upon the unjustify.
able and unphilosophical scepticism about facts in nature,
which we doubt because we have never studied them
analogically, and because the guage we test them by is
narrower than the field of the subject to be tested.