The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-02-06
LONDON, Eng, Jan. II, 1880.

ings in the Great English Mctropo-
/ hs.
LONDON, Eng, Jan. II, 1880.
The retrospects of men and nations
are seldom attended either with unal-
loyed pleasure or unrelieved pain; bat
II ever there was period over which
the English people could look back with
no mixture of feelings il is that of the
year past. A year of wars and rumors
of wars; of reverses abroad and dis
tresses at home; year of failing har.
vests and unkindly skies; of stagnating
trade and of declining revenue; year
of trouble and anxiety, from many
causes and of many kinds. From those
days of January, which were saddened
by the news of the disaster of Isandula.
down to the last hours of December,
there has been scarcely months clear
respite from suspense. Over the Con-
tinent of Europe the political horizon
has been overclouded throughout the
entire year. The sanguine hopes which
were for a time inspired by the Treaty
Of Berlin, have long since given. place
to feeling OF vague apprehension and
dependency. No signs of stability, no
promise of permanency are discovera-
BILE in the arrangements by which the
Great Powers were supposed to have
given repose to Europe; on the contra
ry, they seem more and more to dis
close themselves in their true character
as the temporary expedient of the
hour-as the armistice during which
the swords are whetted for renewal
OF the strife, not the peace which re-
turns them to their scabbards. The
provinces which were liberated from
Ottoman rule are not settling down to
the task of self-government; they are
negotiating confederacies, or intrigu-
ing for new alliances. Russia is in the
throes of q revolutionary struggle,
which may drive her at any moment to
fresh military enterprises. Germany
is engaged upon a combination, which
may or may not be merely defensive,
but which will, at any rate, confer up
on her power of offense too vast to be
contemplated without uneasiness by the
world. And the great armaments OF
the military Powers-the truest meas
ure of the unrest which prevails-re-
main undiminished where they are not
being actually increased.
The "exhibits" in the great ritual
case have been disposed of at last, and
in manner to satisfy the consciences
of those who "link a truth Divine'
with the consecrated wafer. The Arch
bishop of Canterbury, l read, himself
"reverently consumed them" j don't
know how much of it there was, but to
judge from what ice waters become,
after a day or two, they would neither
have been very palatable or very whole
some. OF course, from the high church
point of view, Clergyman has to do it.,
but why an Archbishop? And what
does he keep chaplain for if not for
little matters such as this? His Grace
of Canterbury is- however, an excellent
man, and takes all affinity of trouble
with the candidates who come to him
for ordination. He requires each OF
them to preach sermon, or rather the
beginning of one, just to see what sort
OF notion they have of the thing, before
himself and his chaplain. 1t is a little
embarrassing, of course, for the neo-
phite, but, on late occasion, the en-
barrassment was the other way. A
candidate being placed in the pulpit,
with his audience of two before him,
thus addressed them: "The congrega-
ton here present divides itself into two
parties, the evil and the good" Here
the Archbishop somewhat hurriedly in
terposed with "that will do, sir" and
prevented the preacher going INTO far
ther particulars.
The past week has been arctic, in
London, only fit for Polar bears. In
spite of every appliance conducive to
warmth, we shiver still, and suck
Browns bronchial troches all day.
Fur is in great request, and capes of
fur, which reach to the waist, are gen.
eral. To match these, have seen long
fur cuffs reaching to the elbows, which
must be comfortable. and protection
against frozen fingers, which are fur
ther protected by muffs and such won
derful muffs they are; made in all
kinds of material, and ornamented in
every way that ingenuity can execute.
The new muff suspenders are made
with fine silken cord, which passes
round the neck, and is connected by q
bar of fur which goes through the muff,
so that the hands are always at liberty
when required, and cumbersomness is
avoided, obviating likewise, the chances
there are of laying down your mutt up
on counter, and SO forgetting it.
Beads are as plentiful as the sands OF
Sahara; every article is more or less
trimmed with them. There was bead
mania some years ago, but the beads
now used are Of a superior make. One
popular ornament is velvet throatlet,
covered with beads of every hue.
ALPHA