The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-09-27 00:00:00

VARIETIES

THE LITERARY CHARACTER.—Literature is apt to form
a dangerous and discontenting pursuit, even for an amateur.
but for him whose rank and worldly comfort depend on it,
who does not live to write, but writes to live, its difficulties
and perils are fearfully increased. Few spectacles are more
afflicting than that of such a man, so gifted and so fated, so
jostled and tossed to and fro in the rude bustle of life, the
buffetings of which he is so little fitted to endure. Cherish-
ing, it may be, the loftiest thoughts, and clogged with the
meanest wants : of pure and holy purposes, yet ever driven
from the straight path by the pressure of necessity or the im-
pulse of passion ; thirsting for glory, and frequently in want
of daily bread : hovering between the empyrean of his fancy
and the squalid desert of reality ;
.cramped and foiled in his
most strenuous exertions, dissatisfied with his best perfor-
mances, disgusted with his fortune—this man of letters too
often spends his weary days in conflicts with obscure misery ;
harrassed, chagrined, debased, or maddened—the victim at
once of tragedy and farce—the last forlorn outpost in the war
of mind against matter. Many are the noble souls that have
perished bitterly, with their tasks unfinished, under corrod-
ing woes! Some in utter famine, like Otway ; some in dark
insanity, like Cowper and Collins; some, like Chatterton,
have sought out a more stern quietus, and turning their indi-
gent steps away from a world which refused them welcome,
have taken refuge in that strong fortress, where poverty, and
cold neglect, and the " thousand natural shocks which flesh
is heir to," could not reach them any more.—Carlisle's Life
of Schiller.

PAPER MONEY.—A humorous illustration of the virtues
of a paper currency is the following, from the St. Louis
Mound, American paper :—" It seems that a party of gen-
tlemen were telling their experience,' whilst standing in
front of the Gas-light Office, when a well-known genius
came along, and breaking into the party,' told his story
something in this wise Hold your horse,' says he, and
if you want to hear the greatest shaving story that you ever
did hear, just keep cool. I never have, in all my life, had
much money on hand at any one time; but a short time be-
fore the suspension of specie payments by the Miners' Bank
of Dubuque, I had 200 dollars of her bills, and when I heard
the news of her failure, I thought she would rise again, so I
held on to the money. After a few weeks I saw it was going
to ruin, and I determined to get rid of it ; so I took it to a
broker's and exchanged it for Cairo, at 30 per cent. discount.
This I look on as paying pretty dear for a shave ; but the
next thing I heard was that the Cairo Bank had blown up ;
and I goes off to a broker instanter, and off comes 25 per
cent. more, and then I had the product of my speculation in
the State Bank of Illinois money. Next thing, away goes
the State Bank—busted all to pieces, and hang me if I
didn't loose 30 per cent. more in obtaining Shawneetown
money ; and then 1 thought I was safe with what little money
I had got—but alas for all worldly affairs !—down goes the
Shawneetown Bank—refused to resume—panic raised—and
to prevent the brokers from shaving me again, I went to a
private individual, and gave him all the Shawneetown money
I had for 20 dollars in Ohio money, and on offering to pass
it I was told that it was counterfeit. And now, whether you
believe it or not, I tell you, gentlemen, it is a fact, there is
the whole remains of my 200 dollars.' Upon this lie pro-
dubed two ten dollar bills on the Geauga Bank of Paines-
ville, exclaiming, Yes, them two cursed counterfeit notes
on the bank of Geauga are the whole remainder of my money
speculation.' "

HUMAN SACRIFICE.—From the Indian papers it appears
that a race known as the " Khouds" has been considered
sufficiently formidable for the government to depute an officer
for the express purpose of observing its peculiarities. This
officer (Lieut. Macpherson) has published a regular report
of his investigations, the inquiry being set on foot for the
ultimate purpose of abolishing the practice of human sacrifice,
to which the race is inveterately addicted. These Khouds,
it seems, occupy the mountainous region of the Gangam and
Cuttack districts. According to their theology, the " Bera
Pennoo," or earth-god, holds the pre-eminence among the
national deities. The earth having originally been an unstable
mass, unfit for cultivation, this earth-god ordered that hu-
man blood should be spilled before him. The soil then be-
came firm and productive, and the deity of the Khouds com-
manded the repetition of the sacrifice as necessary to exist-
ence. Carrying out the principles of this creed, the Khoud
thinks that every field must be enriched with human blood
when the principal crops are sowed ; another oblation of the
same kind is required at harvest time and in case of any in-
cidental calamity, such as an epidemic disorder, an attack of
wild beasts, &c., the wrath of the earth-god must be ap-
peased by this barbarous sacrifice. The victims are Hindoos
purchased for the purpose, and are treated as sacred persons
till their time of immolation comes, when, amid the most
elaborate ceremonies, they are torn to pieces, yet living, by
the crowd. To stop these barbarous proceedings the govern-
ment of India feels that it is morally bound, but the means
of effecting the desired reformation are not at all obvious, as
the Khouds consider the sacrifice as absolutely necessary
to their existence, and would struggle hard to maintain it,
while they are scattered over so wide an expanse of country,
and the climate is so unwholesome, that military occupation
would be almost impossible.

A. STORNI—CLOSING A PLEASURE EXCURSION.—WeII,
that is very extraordinary—Rain—rain—rain ! All the eyes
of heaven were bright as bright might be—the sky was blue
as violets—that braided whiteness, that here and there floated
like aaveil on the brow of night, was all that recalled the
beauty to em yof clouds—and as for the moon, no faintest halo
yellowedr round her orb, that seemed indeed " one perfect
chrysolite "'
w hhialese chainedallt
seemedhewinadllsa,eelements
laid
ianstloeeppeateilel
morn, and
—overcast in a
left it blank as mist—there moment is the firmament—an evanishing has
w toods—Yes, rain—rain—rain—an .there is a fast, thick, pattering on the
the party will be wet throughmore to their skins. Nay, matters
serious—for
lightning ! Ten seconds ' or there was lightning—yea,
der ! With all our wisdoMand hark, very respectable thun-
der
we should have known we have not been weather-wise
to' wwarhr
the west. There floats
we saw it, an electrical
sunset. Only look now
Noah's Ark—a magnificent spectacle; and now for the flood.
That far-off sullen sound proclaims
means that sighing and moaning and mutteringcataracts. And what
cliffs' See—see how the sheet lightning shows
up among the
shore all tumbling with foaming breakers. o;,,,,sstrong wind is
there—but here there is not a breath • But the woods
the lake are bowing their heads to the blast. Windermere
across
is in a tumult—the storm comes flying on wings all
abroad—
and now we are in the very heart of the hurricane. ee 'in
Bowness is hurrying many a light—for the people fear w
may be on the lake; and faithful Billy, depend on't, is launch!
ing his life-boat to go to our assistance. Well, this is an ad-
venture. But soft—what ails our argand lamp ! Our study
is in such darkness that we cannot see our paper—in the
midst of a thunder-storm we conclude, and retire to bed by
a flash of lightning.—Recreations of Cliriylopher North.