The Hawaiian gazette., 1874-05-27

couraging growth and establishment as perma-
nent organization. An instructive paper on 1.-The
Fur Seal Millions on the Pribyov Islands y the
continuation Of Miss Mulock's interesting novel
my Mother and )" the conclusion of Tx
ley telling about that noble man and preacher,
Robert Collyer; John Of Barneveld :" continu-
alton Of " The Living Link" aud The Skeleton
in Modern Society" make up the remaining lead
ing features of an unusually attractive number Of
this popular magazine which closes, with an ex-
citing illustration of an awfuly jolly Pillow
Fight" bringing up most wildly our dishabille
combats Of small boyhood.
The Overland for May opens with the first of
a series of Studies in the Sierra" 1t is called
Mountain Sculpture and is a very interesting
account told in plain and simple language and il
Illustrated with numerous rough sketches of the
glacial history Of the Sierras We are told how
the varied and beautiful scenery Of that region is
not altogether due TO the tremendous force Of the
great ice rivers, but to their power of developing
and disiuterring forms already in the rocks. It.
will be pleasant study to follow these sketches
Of that famous region through the coming num-
bers Of the Overland Next comes the Shot
terry 1ryst by Stoddard which is an account Of
visit to the birthplace and tomb OF Shakes
peare but more particularly description of a
night spent in the ancient cottage of Anne Hath
away, where the author gets up very pretty It.
tie ghost story Of tryst between VIII and
Anne as he calls them. 1t is written in Stod-
dard's best style, which is slowly improving and
will perhaps continue to do So if he can only let
versifcation alone, and confne himself 10 solid
prose. No. II of the ' California Indians fol-
lows, and then the q Cape Horn Post Office"
story written apparently with great truthiulness
full Of murder and ghosts, and turning. upon the
fact Of the said Office which purports to be
little canvass and iron-bound cask hung by a
stout chain to an old spar set up between two
boulders. Here ships, mostly whaers, cruising
in that direction would stop, send a boat ashore
and deposit letters which perhaps might be taken
up by some homeward bound vessel and carried
to their destination. Rescuing a Central
American President is an exciting account of
the escape of one of the two American Presi-
dents, OF which Southern Republics always have
a number by the combined strategy of an English
and an American shIp-oi-war in the harbor of La
Union.
A suggestive piece on the art of conversation
is called Partisan ParIors from 1920 to 1890"
The author gives a quotation from John Stuart
Mills, excusing his retired mode of life thus
General Society now carried on in England
is so insipid an affair." even to the persons who
make it what it is, that it is kept up for any rea-
son rather than the pleasure it affords" He
goes on TO say that all serious discussion on mat
tiers which opinions differ Is considered Il- bred
and that as the English are as a nation deficient
in lyeliness and sociabilty they cannot talk
agreeably on triaes, in which art the French ex-
ceed. The author takes umbrage at this, which
he calls charge of social retrogresson," saying
that superiority Of the French of the last centu-
ry implies the inieriority of all nations of the
present" lie quotes De TocqueyiIle and Ma
dame de Stae as making in substance the same
statements as Mill He speaks in detail of the |
famous Partisan parlors, which for nearly two
centuries, were brilliant with the WIT and learn
ing Of the ablest men and women Of France, and |
it might almost be said of Europe. Then scarcely |
one man 10 ten could read. Newspapers we're at
a very low ebb there was no telegraph ana little .
commercial intercourse or foreign travel, and the
conversation Of authors, artists, statesmen dipo-
matists aud generals was reported abroad for the .
benefit of monarchs, mobiles and literary men.
The author goes on to say that as books and pa
pers were increased, and learning became more
general by these means, people talked less, and
that although they talked less, yet in proportion
as they became more highly educated and refined,
they talked better, and that, there Is not now so
much need of talking on account of the great
quantity Of reading matter. 1t seems to me that
the author almost proves the opposite of what he
intends, for how do we attain high degree of
culture in any art but by the constant exercise of
that art and, therefore, as people do not talk so
much it is fair to infer that they do not talk so
we'll When the statements of such writer as
John Stuart Mill man distinguished for acute
ness of perception aud depth Of thought, ale at
trhnted TO lack Of consideration it would
hardly be too severe criticism to say that the
writer himself Is guilty of the same fault. To
)ue who wishes to carry on still further his
studies of the Slerras, the Ascent of Mount
Shasta with which the number closes will be
interesting reading.