The Courant

196 THE COURANT A SOUTHERN LITERARY JOURNAL. For the Courant.

A VISION. Folded arms o'er a clay-cold heart, Stiff and chilly; Long lashes o'er a bloodless cheek, Resting stilly; Marbly brow 'mid raven hair, Gleaming strangely; Whited lips close together pressed— Never change they. For in this weary world again Ne'er shall I see Aught of life in this statue cold, That haunteth me. In haunts of deepest solitude, 'Mid ball-room's glare; In hours of wildest gayety, Of calmest prayer; 'Mid dearest friends and direst foes, Every where, It silently follows, yet sees My dark despair. SUSAN M. BRADFORD.

Literary Women of the South. LETTER FROM BARRY GRAY. DEAR "EDITOR·IN·CIIIEF" :—I will not be positive, but it seems to me that one day, during your visit to Gotham, just after we had partaken of a modest dinner, and while yet the "Widow Clicquot:' was beading in the glasses, I was insane enough to promise to contribute either a poem, an essay, or a story—I have forgotten which—to the columns of The Courant. I am aware, now, how very rash it was of me to make such a promise; for, after numerous trials, I have come to the conclusion that I can accomplish nothing in either of the above-named walks of literature, and, consequently, you ought to release me from my obligation. The most pleasing incident that has occurred to me recently, was an interview with Miss EVANS, author of "Beulah." My interest in her dates from the time when, at your suggestion, I read "My Cousin Blanche," from her pen, published in The Courant. Although it did not impress me as possessing much merit as a story, still, I recognized in it the germ of genius, and was astonished at the metaphysical learning displayed in it. Therefore, when "Beulah " appeared, I was led to read it with more than usual attention, and though perceiving faults in it, such as are common to all young writers, and which a judicious pruning, especially in the early portions of the book, would in a great merisure remedy,—found sufficient to convince me, not only of the wonderful powers of its author, but to clearly establish the fact, in my mind, that Miss EVANS, as a writer of fiction, took precedence over any of her sex in this country. After having read "Beulah," my desire to become acquainted with a young lady who so ably discussed the most important and philosophical questions of life, though great, was tempered by a feeling that I would not be able to come up quite to her standard in the matter of conversation. Possessing a decided affinity for simpletons, I feared I could not harmonize, mentally, with so scholarly a being as Miss EVANS; but, nevertheless, I ventured, one pleasant afternoon in September, to enter the St. Nicholas, where the author of" Beulah" was staying. Yielding my somewhat modest card into the hands of a servant in waiting, I desired him to convey it to the lady I named. That. little bit of posterboard, 0 Chief, accomplished its mission, and I soon had the plensure of meeting one whose genial greeting favournbly impressed me, and whose acquaintance, thus formed, ripened, I trust, during the brief hour I passed with her, into a friendship which time can not destroy. Miss EVANS converses well—better, indeed, thah the generality of women. In good sooth, her conversation often reminded me of th:1t of her heroine—Beulah—who, I judged, was, in some particulars, modelled after her own proper self—which will account for the naturalness and truthfulness of the character as pourtrayed. Miss EVANS possesses a most interesting countenance, clrnracterized by thoughtfulness and repose. Her carriage is dignified and graceful, and her manners cordial and unaffected. Like Beulah, Miss EVANS, if I mistake not, has large, expressive, grey eyes, full of a "brave, glad, hopeful light." Mrs. GRAY and myself, unfortunately, were able to call upon her only a day or two previous to her departure for the South, when her remaining time in the city was much occupied, so that we were unable to pay her those a tentions which were her due. Quite different from Miss EVANS, in many respects, is another Southern authoress and belle, charming, lively, coquettish LIZZIE PETIT, of Virginia petted child of fashion, though, singularly enough, unspoiled by the praise and flattery lavished upon her. She has given to the literary world two delightful volumes-" Light and Darkness," a story of fashionable life, and "Household Mysteries," a romance of the South—besides having another one, entitled " Stars of the Crowd," ready for the press. Miss PETIT's first book, as you may, perhaps, be aware, was written when the author was only eighteen, and, work of one thus youthful, certainly evinces much real genius. Lizzrn is a brunette, with the brilliant complexion, sparkling dark eyes and glossy hair, emblematic of many of your Southern belles; and, like my own little Southern Maid—for an account of whom see past Home Journals —she delights in pearls and orange-flowers. But LIZZIE, not satisfied with being an authoress, is even now on the point of carrying out a long-cherished clesign, that of appearing upon the stage—and one for which inclination, natural talent, and study have, to a certain extent, prepared her—but which, I fear, will not, after all, fill that craving of her nature ; that desire for the unattained; a something—she scarcely knows what—that a woman of genius invariably hopes for, but which neither fame, nor position, nor wealth can ever supply; and which is only attained when her life, blessed with the love of husband and children, is crowned at last by that perfect "peace which passeth all understanding." I am fully satisfied that you have as much, if not more talent at the South than there exists in the North. Certainly, among the female writers of the day, there is none who surpasses Miss EVANS. Then you have Madame LE VERT, whose "Souvenirs of Travel" are household volumes among us, Miss PETIT, Miss MARTHA HAINES BUTT, the author of a number of pleasant tales ancl sketches, Mrs. JACOBS, of Augusta, whose story of "The Second Wife," which appeared in the Home Journal, created a marked sensation, and who has a novel— "Dorset "—in MS. almost ready for the publisher, and last, though not least, Mrs. ANNA CORA RITCHIE, who, if not a Southerner by birth, is one at least by adoption. Then, there is Mrs. KING, of Charleston, whose "Busy Moments of an Idle Woman," "Lily," and "Sylvia's World," are so much esteemed by the lovers or' society-pictures, and all who like piquant and sparkling stories. Mrs. CAROLINE GLOVER, also of Charleston, won for herself many friends by her admirable "Vernon Grove," a book of very uncommon merit. Then there is Mrs. MARTIN, of Columbia, from whose poems you have quoted to me passages of such merit that she must be enumerated amongst the gifted women of the South. I, however, only know her through you. Then there is the young and highly promising Miss REEDY, who must one day make her mark in the world of letters. Then the strong, clear thinker, Mrs: McCORD, for whom no quest.ion is too abstruse, and the gifted Mrs. M., of Wilmington, who wrote "Edith Trevor," one of the most noteworthy of the productions of the Southern mind. In the catalogue let not the name of SUSAN ARCHER TALLEY, of Virginia, be omitted ; her praise was sung by the great POE himself, and our only wonder is that her works are not collected in a volume; and your favourite correspondent, Mrs. STRATTON, several of whose poems are beautiful. So you see the ladies of the South have not kept behind her literary men, although you have MEEK and SIMMS, BARRON HOPE and HAYNE, TIMROD and REQUIER, OVERALL, THOMPSON, COOKE, GRAYSON, ROQUETTE, and ALBERT PIKE and yourself, and doubtless there are others, whose names I do not now recal. But as my letter, O Chief, is quite long enough for a first one, I will bring it to a close with the wish that The Courant, and all connected with it, may meet with success and long life. BARRY GRAY.

Letter for the Courant. NO. I. HORSE-BACK AMONG THE MOUNTAINS. Bulwer and the Horse—A Tour on Horse—The Nantihala Basin—Grand-Father Mountain—Extent and Geographical Features of the Basin—Inhabitants—Products—The Grape Culture—A Phenomenon. MY DEAR CALDWELL:—Do you not think that the shades of McDONALD's "Selim," and HORSE-SHOE's "Captain Peter," haunt BULWER LYTTON for speaking so unbecomingly of their race in "My Novel?" Trickey, faithless, he styles them, and puts any old maid's poodle above them. A bridle-rein never soiled his kid-skin. Well, I must confess, I have a fondness for the animal myself. To mount. upon his back and gallop briskly over hill and dale, across stream and by cottage, in the buoyant air of the morning; to wind along pathless mountain- ranges at noon; to drop down a thousand feet into the deep valleys as the sun sets, and move leisurely on to the Inn that sleeps under the up-curling smoke a mile ahead ; did you ever try this for asthma—any thing? It is a panacea. It has triumphantly cured me of the fever this summer. I have just returned from a tour on horse through the Switzerland of America. I call it Switzerland by common consent of all European travellers who have quenched their thirst at the fountain-heads of Savannah, Tennessee and French Broad rivers. It requires only the eye, the energy, the adventure, of a WILLIS; to convert this lovely region into ten thousand Idle-wilds, It is endlessly the beautiful; and I use the term in that broad sense which embraces all BURKE says in his splendid essay on the Sublime and Beautiful—and more. I have seen Toccoa, Tallulah, Cullasaga, Skiguskeh and White-Water, Falls; Whiteside, Black-Rock, Hog-Back, Chimney-Top, Table-Rock and Cresar's Head, mountains; I have passed beyond the limits of wagon-roads, and pursued "trails" as they led their "many-winding way" along the loveliest streams and most romantic dells; aye, and I must say, if Switzerland, or Scotland, or Italy, or Greece, or the land of Crow-Nest, Hudson and .. Storm-King fill the soul any fuller with pictures any more life. giving and ethereal, I long to see them. The loveliness of these scenes is all their own. They borrow but little from association. There are here no lakes, sleeping in the tranquil bosom of rock-ribbed mountains, where a Mary Stuart pined; no glaciered peaks, that half-conquered a Hannibal or a Napoleon; no ruined castle on toppling cliff, gloomy and grand in the hues of old romance; no Ætna or Vesuvius, burying cities in its lava-tide: no Rome, with its crumbling arches and domes, and world of renown; no moon-lit Adriatic, serenading its "Bride of the Sea;" no murmur of Ægean waves; no Athens, sitting in her weeds and lamenting the decay of a once preeminently glorious people. There are no dykes of history or tradition to stop the tide of fancy as it washes the unlegended shores of their dim and sublime past. They have the seal of God upon them, and "They tell of a season when man was not." The geological and geographical features of this region are exceedingly interesting. The Alleghany and Blue Ridge ranges, after running parallel several hundred miles, come together in Burke county, N. C., at Grand-Father Mountain. The Alleghanies, called southward of this point the Smoky mountains, from their intense blueness, shoot off in a straight line to the south-west. The Blue Ridge deflects to the south, and then winds, like a great serpent, westward, till it meets the other range at Ducktown, thus forming an immense basin or valley in the bosom of th!l mountains. This valley, which I have taken the liberty to dub the Nantihala Basin, is from two hundred to three hundred miles long, and from fifty to one hundred miles wide. Nantihala, or Nantiyalée, some say, means "maiden's breast;" others say, "between the rocks." "Nanti," according to all, means milk. This is the name of a lofty belt, extending across the Basin, and connecting the Blue Ridge with the Alleghanies. There are several other belts of this kind, with the most beautiful streams running between them, all collecting in the valley of the Tennessee or "Spoon" river, as it flows on to the mighty Mississippi. On all of these streams, and the brooklets forming them, as they sing and dance and leap down the mountain-sides, there are hundreds of the loveliest cascades imaginable, making this region the seat of immense mechanical power, as well as the temple and throne of the beautiful. On the southern side of the Blue Ridge, a range now and then radiates, or a peak, standing in solitary grandeur apart, commands the view of the whole country. As the head waters of the Savannah and Broad river break through their mountain barriers, they form the falls of Tallulah, Toccoa, White-Water and Suckling, or Slicking. The eye may rest upon these scenes for a whole life-time, and never weary with contemplating their [?upernal] loveliness. This is shewn by the attachment of our highlanders to their homes. Their stirring life, their hardihood, and their general want of a high culture, are beautifully relieved by their hospitality, their love of freedom, and their love of nature. Indeed, I am inclined to retract the assertion that they are uncultivated, when I reflect that they possess so fully these three noble virtues of the truly educated man. Nor must my reader imagine that they have no learned men among them. But their great teacher is Nature, to whom they listen as she utters her most soothing and peaceful, as well as grandest homilies. It is a very common thing to hear them use such expressions as these :— "You might stay here a month, and see new beauty in these Falls every day;" "I have been living here near thirty years, and even now I catch myself sometimes standing in the fields and gazing at that mountain ; " " If we had railroads and turnpikes through our country, all the Southern people would come to see us of a summer;" etc., etc. The valley lands of this section are extremely fertile—producing corn, oats, rye, buck-wheat, apples, peaches, etc., in great abundance. The mountain-sides are very rich, also, and well adapted to the grape. I was informed by an old gentleman— by-the-way, a good poet and geologist, as well as experienced fruit and grape grower—that some of these lands would yield a thousand gallons per acre, if the seasons were favourable and frost did not interfere. I say, "Look not upon the wine when it is red, when i.t giveth its colour in the cup;" but let us have the fresh grape, the dried grape, and the sweet, exhilarating, though not intoxicating, wine which the Bible recommends, and I will say, "Eat, drink, and be merry, for to-morrow we die." There is a space of about three hundred feet on these mountain-sides where frost never occurs at all. Above and below is dew, and consequently frost in cold weather. This thermal belt begins three hundred feet above the valley of the Little Tennessee, near Franklin. It is thought to be caused by a warm stratum of air, which rises to this point and no higher. Whatever may be the cause, there is no doubt as to the fact of this remarkable phenomenon. During many late frosts in spring, this belt has invariably remained green. Here grapes and fruits of every variety may grow as they once did in the garden of Paradise. More at the leisure of your hurried-to-death WILLIE EAST.

SAMUEL LOVER has a volume of original poetry in press.

THE COURANT ; A SOUTHERN LITERARY JOURNAL 197

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The Courant.

COLUMBIA, S. C., THURSDAY, OCT. 20, 1859.

THE COURANT. Subscriptions for the Courant will be received at the Bookstore of Mr. P. B. GLASS, in this City, where single copies can be obtained every week. The office of the Courant has been removed to No. 144 Richardson Street, over Flanigan's Shoe-Store. WM. W. WALKER, JR., & Co.

The Mobile Tribune Complains that the credit for two of its articles has been given to some of its comtemporaries, by the Courant. Very likely, as both editors of this paper were absent at one time, and the Editor-in-Chief had hardly any thing to do with the selections, or even the editorial department, until the issue of September 29, when he resumed his duties. The Tribune, is one of our most valuable exchanges, and we regret extremely that our pro tems have not "rendered unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's." We shall see to it that such a thing does not occur again.

Oysters. We are indebted to our friends, D. P. McDONALD & Co., for a keg of "bivalves" furnished us last week. They were the first of the season, and tasted remarkably well. Messrs. McDONALD & Co. will, we understand, receive regular daily supplies of these delicacies during the winter, and we hope they may be well patronized. Speaking of oysters, we are reminded that a new Restaurant has been opened in our city by Messrs. STORK & HUSSUNG, whose advertisement appears in to-day's Courant. Our tasting reporter says that fine Lager Beer (he drinks nothing stronger) can be had at this establishment, as well as excellent Oysters, Game, etc.

Oscar Dugue. We see by the New Orleans paper that OSCAR DUGUE, a poet of great power, called by the Abbé ROUQUETTE "Le cygne de la Lousianne," has taken charge of Jefferson College, in St. James' Parish, La. Under his care it ought to prosper, for from what we know of him, he must be a man of great enthusiasm, and of equally high gifts of mind.

Appleton's Cyclopaedia. We learn, from the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, that our many-sided friend, CHARLES G. LELAND, has been added to the list of editors of Appleton's Cyclopaedia. Heretofore, this work has contained about as many errors as any of the very cheapest Yankee "compendiums." Its blunders are often shameful, and we wondered how the editors could let such stupid mistakes—some of them evidently the result of sheer ignorance—get into the work. Happily, they are only at the seventh volume now, and we shall trust to the comprehensive and really profound learning of Mr. LELAND for more correct issues in future. He is truly a most valuable accession to the corps of editors, for he is not only learned, but he is exact, careful, scrupulous, no one of which adjectives could be applied to the late administration. Ignorance, or prejudice caused many of the errors in the articles—poor, noisy politicians and political preachers occupy a great deal of space, and in twenty years they will exist only in those volumes; miserable ephemera, they will be utterly forgotten after their brief strutting on this stage is over. This has been one of the worst faults of the Cyclopaedia, up to this time. Man whose names cannot be forgotten, because they belong to the literature of the English language, are mentioned in the briefest possible way, while the "Hon." or "Rev." John Smith Jones occupies a column or two. Mr. LELAND will have the sense to mend this, we are sure. On condition that the first volumes are so full of errors of all sorts; and we would suggest to the Messrs. APPLETON to get out immediately a volume of errata. The Pearl Bible had six thousand errata—APPLETON's six volumes must have ten thousand, at least.

Illustrations of Cooper's Novels. The Home Journal says : ---" TOWNSEND & Co., the publishers of COOPER'S works, are about to bring out the sixty-four illustrations by DARLEY, drawn for the works of the great novelist, in a new form. Such has been the demand for proofs of these drawings, that they are about to produce them in eight folios, each folio containing eight of the engravings. Each plate will be faced with a page of letter-press descriptive of the scene illustrated by DARLEY. Each illustration will be an artist's proof, printed before lettering the plate, on India paper. The folios will be published by subscription, at three dollars each, and as the number is necessarily limited to five hundred copies, the lover of American art will do well to secure an early copy. These illustrations are engraved by the best talen in the country-- ALFRED JONES, THE SMILIES, RICE, HINSHELWOOD, PHILLIBROWN, GIRSCH, MARSHALL, PARADISE, and others--in line, the purest style of the art of engraving."

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The History of "Dum Spiro Spero." "Quelqu'un" writes to us saying that he knows that one of the legends on our State arms, "animis, opibusque parati," is taken from the second book of Virgil's Aeniad; "but," says he, "I can find no clue to the history of the other legend." If our correspondent will look in vol. 1, p. 37, of BELOE'S"Ancedotes of Literature," he will find the following statement: "King Charles the First, on the night before his execution, wrote in a copy of Shakespeare, which was in his room, 'Dum spiro spero'— this book he gave to Sir THOMAS HERBERT, says BELOW. Reverence for his memory probably caused this State to be named for him (CAROLUS), and for the same reason his motto may have been adopted. (As to the derivation of the name, see Carroll's Catechism, ¶ 115, p. 38.)

Allibone's "Dictionary of English and American Authors." What does our friend of the Home Journal mean by saying that the first volume of ALLIBONE'S Dictionary has just been published by CHILDS & PETERSON? It was out, to our certain knowledge, last May. The praises of the Home Journal are very justly expressed in the following : "This work is a complete encyclopaedia of British and American authors, living and deceased, from the earliest accounts to the middle of the nineteenth centuery, and contains thirty thousand biographies and literary notices, with forty indexes of subjects. The importance and value of such a work to the great mass of the people are beyond estimation. The present volume comprises more than one thousand pages ; the authors' names are alphabetically arranged, and include all of any note, the initial letters of which come before K. No work has ever been published in this country so arduous in its undertaking, and which has been crowned with such perfect success. The author has evidently spared no efforts to make it the greatest book of the age."

A Poor Creature. The New York Tribune has a charming and brilliant correspondent, who writes in the following exveedingly smart style about the great WEBSTER. Be it remembered that WEBSTER favoured the Fugitive Slave Law, and therefore incurred the hatred of all the negro-worshippers. When are they going to pull down his statue at Boston? After all that has been said, they surely ought to crown their work by an achievement like this:

"He was a first-rate judge of chowder, the English classics and old otard. He was an expert fisherman, though timid in a boat, a poor shot, and had the best hogs in Plymouth county. He attended church with considerable regularity, and his respect for the Methodist clergy was great. He hated a lean ox, an unfilled can and Abbott Lawerence. He loved brook trout, Peter Harvey, and his country. He left to his family a splendid legacy of unpaid debts, and a sincere love of good liquor. He was a good-looking man, Powers to the contrary notwithstanding."

Moreover, immortality is assured to him who will strike off the head of POWERS' magnificent statue: "Wendell Phillips, in a recent lecture in Boston, is reported to have said that 'the man who would strike the head from the statue recently erected to Webster, would do a great service, and his name would be immortalized.' If Mr. Phillips was as patriotic as he wishes to be considered, or as ambitious as he seems, he would undertake the 'service' himself."

THE Providence Journal recounts the following incidents respecting the late Professor GEORGE BUSH, of New York city :-- "The Professor was twice married, the second time ten or twelve years ago, when his circumstances were somewhat improved. For several years he occupied a very small room in the fourth or fifth story of a building on the corner of Beekman and Nassau streets, in New York, the walls of which were lined with old books— Hebrew, Greek, Latin and German preponderating. On the floor, were piles of huge volumes in vellum ; Bibles, commentaries and lexicons in the Oriental languages. A pine table, two or three wooden charis, a small stove, which retained its place the year round, and a cot-bed, constituted his furniture. For years neither brush nor broom distrubed the accumulated dust of this secluded retreat, and here the Professor wrote those translations of, and learned commentaries on, several books of the Old Testament, which have made his name widely known among theologians of Europe and America. On his second marriage, this sanctum was abandoned, and he removed his books to his dwelling-house in Howard street, where he lived many years. Professor BUSH was particulary fond of attending book auctions. It gave him a little harmless excitement, brought him in contact with literary men, who, like himself, were ever mousing about for rare and choice books, and enabled him to procure the books he wanted at low prices. Indeed, it may be said that nine-tenths of his books were purchased at auction; besides, as there were few competitors for the literature he sought, he often got old Latin, Hebrew, German, and various Oriental books, for a mere song. After using his books a few years, and getting from them all he required, he would send them to auction, to make way for others."

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LITERARY NOTICE. — SYLVIA'S WORLD-CROMES WHICH THE LAW DOES NOT REACH. By the author of "Busy Moments of an Idle Woman," "Lily," etc. New York : Derby & Jackson. M D CCC LIX.

In writing books, as in almost every thing else, women have a method which is very different, and characteristically different, from that of the male writers. The reasons are obvious : they are profoundly ignorant of many matters which come under the daily observation of men; they are, of necessity, excluded from much which every man must encounter in the every-day friction of the world of business; they spend the chief part of their time at home, with cares and duties of such description that it would be absurd to except even the most observant and astute of the sex to conform in feeling or opinion to the received ideas of men of the world. In "society," the feminine quickness of perception shews itself most remarkably ; and yet, how very often does it occur that some utterly worthless fellow is the universal favourite, while young men of real merit, but of great modesty--the mark of the true gentleman— are looked upon as dull and uninteresting! It is our settled conviction that no unmarried woman is any sort of judge of the characters of men. Married woman learn so much from their husbands that they become the most wonderfully accurate judges of character in a very short time. The darker shades of the male character, "the mixed motives by which important affairs are controlled" to a particular result, ability to form a just estimate of the probabilities in cases in which men with any prominent passion are aroused--these are matters which very few married women comprehend fully, and, we think, no single woman in the world. But, as Lord Jeffrey has it, "in perception of grace, propriety, ridicule; in detection of artifice, hypocrisy and affectation," they are very far our superiors. It is for these reasons that many women of great mental endowments have no proper conception of the very works which are the glory of our literature, and which are admired by all men of culture. We know of sensible women who have no sort of appreciation of Dickens ; others who can not be made to read Bulwer, while the glory of their sex, Charlotte Bronte, is not, we believe, at all popular amongst them. Miss Bronte is far more admired by men, we have observed, which probably is owing to the fact that she had a masculine mind : for, "There is a sex in souls," as may very well be seen by comparing Madame DeStaël, or the Countess Hahn-Hahn, with Mrs. Hemans and Mrs. Osgood. MRS. KING is altogether feminine in her views of society, and her ideas of life. "Society" is the great theme of all her stories, and in "Silvia's World," as in all of her other writings, the incidents are those which might occur at any large ball, or in any mixed company. These stories, in the volume before us, are of precisely the same stamp as the "Busy Moments" and "Lily;" always the follies of young people, the usual adventures in courtship, lovers' quarrels and estrangements; and all containing a demi-semi moral lesson or two. What is the use? Young people will read these books, and will straightway go and perpetrate the very piece of folly which has been so well described in these most graphic stories: and that, too, when the consequences of such a course of action have been traced out with the skill of one who knows how to reason a priori in all such cases.

MRS. KING has a very rare knack of describing the conflict of characters, which are brought, as it were by Nature, to cross and vex each other. Unsuitable matches, engagements between persons who do not sympathize, the auction of Beauty for Gold, the ill-starred love of a true heart for some one who does not deserve it, false friends, deceit of society in general,—all these she touches with great power. It seems to us, while we are reading Mrs. KING's stories, that we are listening to some clever woman who is telling us, from her own observation, occurances which illustrate some point under discussion. The descriptions are all so natural, the sympathy always so manifest, that we are invariably impressed with the subjectiveness of the narratives, to such a degree, that we scarcely remember them as stories which are "printed in a book."

Now we are going to find fault : and our first charge is, that these stories are over-run with French, and the worst of it is, that it is the nomenclature of the boudoir, which no dictionary contains. Then, there is not yet a proper appreciation of male character; of course, women judge by what they know—but surely our author knows that there are men who are not fops, not drunkards, not flirts, not one-half fool and other villain. Do let us see how she would pourtray one of the noble men whom she must have seen. Of course, there are many wicked men, as there are abominable women—but why must an author always choose the darker side?

The style is clear, simple, and usually very conversational. There is a description in the volume which we will quore as a sample of her power of language:

"The beach of Curlew Island? Did you ever visit this patriotics spot! Did you ever take a plunge in the surf which rolls up twenty yards from the very steps of the Ocean House? Did you ever try to shoot a curlew as it came circling over the ground? Did you ever go out at daylight after a spring-tide, furnished with a stick, and knock over marsh-hens by the

198 THE COURANT; A SOUTHERN LITERARY JOURNAL. dozen, as they hop, disconsolately through the flooded fields, which lately afforded them shelter? Did you ever fish all the day long from a 'break-water,' with your legs dangling seaward, and get nothing but a crab or two, and a very red face, for all your pains and heat? Did you ever go out patrolling 'properly armed and accoutered,' with—an umbrella, and if you were green at the business, find yourself, at the end of a half-hour, the only man protecting the public peace, the others having slipped round corners and gone home to their beds, after answering to their names? Did you ever bowl along the beach with a 2.40 thorough-goer (or even a pacing nag as gentle as the Prior's palfrey which he lent King Richard), and see the sun set in a glory of dissolving clouds—purple, gold, pink, blue, orange and grey—see it finally disappear, leaving a myriad of faintly-shooting rays, pointing upwards like giant fingers, and then watch the 'crescent in the sky' as the sea ripples and dances in its holy light? and lift up your hat to passing crowds of white-robed Nereids, making the sands merry with their unchecked laughter? or exchange smiles with barefooted children, gathering health, strength and shells by this intimate acquaintance with mother earth?

"Did you ever enjoy your 'tea' heartily after all this and think shrimp salad and deviled crabs 'great inventions?'"

For the Courant. NATURAL AND MORAL LAW.

MR. EDITOR:—The editor of the Boston Post makes the following comments upon the essays of Mr. GRAYSON (of Tennessee), which have lately appeared in the National Intelligencer, and in which the anthor maintains that "National Law" is opposed to the "Moral Law;" so that, as far as they form rules of human action, the one cannot. be obeyed without violating the other:

"W. S. Grayson, in the National Intelligence, is labouring hard to upset the principles of the Declaration of Independence. It is too late in the day. The Tories of 1776 tried their hand at, it, but made poor work, and Mr. Grayson does not get on any better. The soundest thinkers hold that Truth is one and the same, every where; that one truth cannot blot, out or be against, or contradict another truth; while Mr. Grayson lays down the following basis, or starting point:

" 'All that I contend for is, simply, that natural philosophy opposes moral philosophy. But man is a free agent, and hence he may obey either. lf he follow the developments of nature, that rise by natural law, he thereby opposes moral plnlosophy: if, on the other hand, he obeys the latter, he opposes natural disposition.' "

"Mr. Grayson holds, that nature 1s very defective, and hence Jefferson was in error in writing the proposition about the laws of Nature and of Nature's God!"

The moral questions here renewed by Mr. GRAYSON were discussed more than two thousand years ago, between Socrates and the Sophists of Athens—and were satisfactorily and for ever settled, even at that early day, (as far, at least, as the convictions of the right-minded, or of all the sincere searchers after truth, are concemed,) by that Prince of dialecticians and most, athletic of logicians, whose teachings have been preserved as on written gold, in the eloquent pages of his immortal scholars— Plato, Xenophon, and Aristotle. In the "Gorgias" of Plato, three diologists are introduced*—Gorgias himself, Polus and Callicles. Polus, who commences the discussion, soon turns over the management of the argument to Callicles, who, as Mr. GROTE states, is represented as laying down doctrines openly and avowedly anti-social. He distinguishes between the law of nature, and the law—both written and unwritten—of society. According to the law of Nature, Callicles says, the strong man —the better or more capable man—puts forth his strength to the full for his own advantage, without limit or restraint; overcomes the resistance which weaker men are able to offer, and seizes for himself as much as he pleases of the matter of enjoyment. The many, who have the misfortune to be weak, must be content with that which he leaves them, and submit to it as best they can. This, Callicles says, is what actually happens in a stale of nature; this is what is accounted just, as is evident by the practice of independent communities, not included in one common political society, towards each other; this is justice by nature, or according to the law of nature. But, when men come into society, all this is reversed. The majority of individuals know very well, that they are weak, and that their only chance of security or comfort consists in establishing laws to restrain this strong man, reinforced by a moral sanction of praise or blame, devoted to the same general end. They catch him, like a young lion, whilst his mind is yet tender, and fascinate him, by talk and training, into a disposition comformable to that measure and equality which the law enjoins. Here, then, is justice, according to the laws of society: a factitious system, built llp by the many, for their own protection and happiness, to the subversion of thof nature, which arms the strong man with a right to encroachment and license. Justice by nature, and justice by law and society, are thus, according to Callicles, not only distinct, but mutually contradictory. He accuses Socrates of having jumbled the two together in his argument." ϯ

Socrates, in his reply to these specious but shallow rhetors, who thus give a priority to the lower law of nature, and assign a mere second place and factitious character to that of conscience and moral restraint, vindicates the truth and validity of moral distinctions, and of those great ethical principles which are still further and so splendidly illustrated in the other works of his great disciple, Plato, who has left to the world a body of doctrines so pure and spiritual—so nearly approaching to those derived from a higher source—as to have been termed, with an allowable hyperbole, anticipated Christianity. We deem it, therefore, unnecessary to reproduce here the opinions and arguments of either of these great masters of reason, or of those more modern ethieists and deeper instructed teachers, who have shewn that the light of nature, which thus guided their heathen predecessors, like an earlier "Star in the East," to the cradle of Truth, and enabled them to trace the lineaments of the infant Divinity, over whom they bowed with a pure and, as we must believe, with a not unaccepted homage, was a "holy light," and flowed from the same sources as that subsequently shed down for the salvation of mankind on a longlost, sin-soiled, and error-darkened world. If the principles of justice, morality and right were not at least as eternal and as true as those by which the Universe is upheld, and its order and stability has been preserved through all revolving time, it is obvious that society would necessarily fall into confusion; violence would prevail over law, and vice over virtue, and that the whole system, both social and political, would

"Go to rack, with ruin over-spread."

If the principles of morality, and of justice and civil right, were merely conventional, they could neither have borne the wear and tear, the perpetual strain, if we may so phrase it, to which they have been exposed, from the very genesis of society to the present moment; nor would their authority and sway have been illustrated, as they now are, by the glories of an ever-advancing civilization, the irradiance of liberty, and the ever-spreading light of knowledge, that now glance into all "the dark places of the earth,'' and by which, it, has been prophecied—" the veil will be taken off of the nations." Bad as things are, justice retains a superior position over injustice; virtue over vice, right over wrong; and law and order still keep their giant feet planted on the necks of the reluctantes Dracones —the writhing monsters of violence, revolution and anarchy, that are ever struggling up from the abyss, and seeking to "rule or ruin," or to obtain the mastery.

lt is obvious, that as the possession of the high attributes of reason and the moral sense furnish man with means of rising above the state of nature, or the abased condition in which might makes right, and in which he is governed merely by his animal appetite and passions—it is obvious, we say, that he was not intended by his Creator to be ruled by the latter, but by those superior qualities with which He bas so gloriously endowed, and so solemnly crowned him. Hence— "By his proper motion, he ascends"— and always has ascended, wherever free scope or a fair opportunity has been afforded him for the exercise and display of moral energies, and almost boundless intellectual powers. If we had the leisure, or were this the proper place to enter into so deep a subject, we should endeavour to shew that the moral sense is the real source of the reasoning power, and is, properly, the highest and most distinguishing attribute of man. The first efforts of an infant mind are those by which it learns to distinguish between right and wrong, and all children sooner acquire moral than any other class of ideas. A close analysis of the operations of the mind, would serve to shew that every argument or process of reasoning is, in fact, an appeal to the moral sense, or to that nice perception of the distinction between right and wrong, truth and justice, which we acquire through this, the most deep-lying, the subtlest and most unerring of all those faculties by which man has been made an intellectual and accountable being.

But, to return to the subject more immediately before us. We should state, that Mr. GROTE thinks that the accounts given by Plato of the sentiments or philosophy of Callicles, is to be received with some distrust, or, at any rate, with some allowances for the prejudices entertained by the great Academician against the Sophists of the day, whom he considered as masters, indeed, of the weapons of rhetoric and eloquence, but as indifferent to, and ignorant of, moral truth. "Of all places in the world," says Mr. GROTE, "democratical Athens was the last in which the doctrines advocated by Callicles could possibly have been professed by a public teacher.'' It is unnecessary to remind the reader how profoundly democratical was the sentiment and morality of the Athenians—how much they loved their laws, how jealous they were of any nascent or threatening tyranny. Socrates, in this dialogue, (Gorgias), seeks to establish against Callicles, and against the Sophists, that they courted, flattered and truckled to the sentiment of the Athenian people, with degrading subserviency; that they looked to the immediate gratification, solely, and not to the permanent moral improvement, of the people; that they had not courage to address to them any unpalatable truths. etc., etc. That no man who put himself prominently forward at Athens had any chance of success, unless he became moulded and assimilated to the people, and their type of sentiment. How is it conceivable that any Sophist or any rhetor would venture to enforce upon an Athenian public audience the doctrine laid clown by Calliclcs? To tell such an audience "your laws and institutions are all violations of the laws of nature, contrived to disappoint the Alcibiades or Napoleon among you of his natural right to become your master, and deal with you petty men as his slaves. All your unnatural precautions and conventional talk about equal and legal dealings, will turn out, to be nothing better than pitiful impotence, as soon as he finds an opportunity of standing forward in his full might and energy, so as to put you in your proper place, and shew you what Nature intends for her favourites! Conceive such a doctrine propounded by a lecturer to assembled Athenians! That Sophists, whom Plato accuses of flattery to the democratical ear, should gratuitously insult it by the proposition of such tenets, is an assertion not merely untrue, but utterly absurd.'' The only untrue and utterly absurd assertion in the above quotation is, as we humbly think, that made b Mr. GROTE himself, who so hardily accuses Plato and Socrates of misyepresenting and belying the Sophists, who were their contemporaries and their rivals as the teachers of the Athenian youth, to whom they would certainly have set the worst of all possible examples, by calumniating the characters and mis-describing the ethical systems of their popular and well-paid instructors, whom we can more easily believe to have been quacks or specious impostors, than that the son of Sophroniscus, he whom the Oracle pronounced the "wisest of men," or the "Prince of Philosophers "—men who devoted their lives to the study, the development, and inculcation of truth—were the slanderers and envious maligners of the writers and great philosophical lecturers of their day. We do not, at any rate, believe that the task of unmasking or exposing such illustrious fautors or offenders, had they indeed been guilty, would have been left to be now performed, or to such a hand as the "chiel" who had been "takin' notes" of their alleged malpractices and misdoings; or to a punning sage from John o'Grote's house," who falls a-telling against Plato, Xenophon, and Socrates, with as little fear and the same headlong zeal that Don Quixot attacked the flock of sheep, whom he mistook for a host of enemies, and Paynim foes. His ideas of the effect which the teachings ascribed to the Sophists were calculated to produce upon the people of Athens, we regard as no less preposterous and absurd than his attempt to impelLch the account given by Plato, Xenophon, and Socrates, of the character of these teachings, and their authors, whom they personally knew, and frequently disquoted with.* The views and doctrines of these mere rhetors and plausible reasoners, would have been received— whatever may have been their tendency—as mere speculative opinions, at the most: precisely in the same manner as the theories, still so often broached on these subjects, are at the present day, both by the public and the learned. It is, at any rate, evident that the reproduction of these alleged anti-democratic and demoralizing doctrines by Mr. GRAYSON, has, as yet, produced no disturbing effect upon the minds of American Republicans, and have excited no alarm, nor elicited any other remarks than those we have quoted from the Boston Post and ventured make upon them ourselves, in the present communication. CHION.

* What scholars were these! the first, great as the master, of when he humbled himself to be the interpreter. The second, a philosopher, a fine writer, and a leader of armies; and the third, a ruler, for near two thousand years, of the human mind; of whom it was sublimely said, that "He was the Secretary of Nature, and dipped his pen in mind."

ϯ Schleiermacher represents that Plato intended to refute Aristippus, in the person of Callicles; which supposition he sustains, by remarking that Aristippus affirmded that there was no such thing as justice in nature, but only by law and convention. But the affirmation of Callicles is the direct contrary of that which Schleiermacher ascribes to Aristippus. Callicles but only does not deny justice by nature, but affirms it in the most direct manner—explains what it is, that it consists in the right of the strongest man to make use of his strength, without any regard to others—and puts it above the justice of law and society, in respect to authority.

GIANTS.—The bed of Og was twenty-seven feet long and seven feet broad. The height of Goliah was eleven feet ; his coat weighed one hundred and fifty and spear nineteen pounds. The body of Orestes, son of Agamemnon, leader of the Grecian expedition against Troy, was eleven and a half feet high. Maximus, a native of Spain, the Roman Emperor, was nine feet high. Maximus, originally of France, another Roman Emperor, was eight and a half feet high. His wife's bracelets served him for finger rings. His strength was such that he could draw a loaded wagon, break a horse's jaw with his fist, crush the hardest stone with his fingers, and cleave trees with his hand. His voracity was equal to his strength, eating fortytwo pounds of flesh, and drinking nineteen* bottles of wine daily. Byrne and O'Brien, Irish giants, were eight feet high. A Tennessee giant, who died recently, was seven feet high, weighing more than one thousand pounds. The Kentucky giant was seven feet ten inches high.

"Mr. GROTE's style is often as slovenly and incorrect as his classical criticisms are presumptuous and rash and unsound. In the very page from which wo have drawn tho above quotations, we meet with the following figurative sentence: "It is one of the main points of Socrates, in the dialogue, to make out that the practice of Sophists, as well as rhetors, aims at nothing but the immediate gratification of the people, without any regard to their ultimate or durable interest—that they were branches of the widely-extended knack of flattery." The italics in the above arc ours. The practice of the Sophists and rhetors is thus spoken of in the plural, as branches of the knack, or widely-extendetl art, of flattery. Whether it is the knack or its branches that are so widely-extended, is not very clearly made out.

• .. THE COURANT A SOUTHERN LITERARY JOURNAL. 199

For the Courant.

UNIVERSAL MUSIC.

BY MAUD IRVING, I. Music on the hill-tops, In the coming breeze-- Music in the rivulet. Music in the trees, Music in the flowers, Music in the brake-- Where the birds sweet echoes 'Mid the beauty wake. II. Music in the rain-drops, Music in the brook-- Music in the sun-shine of a pleasant look-- Music in the ocean Dashing on the shore-- Music in the thunder's Deep, terrific roar. III. Music in the tempest Husting on with speed; Music in the whirlwind Bending down the reed; Music in the twilight Written in the sky Music in young laughter, And in benuty's eye. IV. Oh, there is gentle music, All around the earth Music full of joyousness, Music full of mirth. Nature teems with melody, All sweet and heavenly fair-- There's music, softest music, In the vocal Everywhere.

INTERESTING ITEMS. NOVEL AND USEFUL INVENTION. We experienced a feeling akin to regret, when, a few days since, the fact was made apparent to us that one of the chieftest and lightest employments of our grandmothers was, in a measure, gone, and that the old ladies to whom the knitting of stockings, while seated in the chimney corner of a winter's evening, was really a source of enjoyment as well as a pleasant task, were henceforth to be debarred the sole privilege of performing the knitting for the family. Goffe's patent knitting machines do away with the necessity of grandmothers or at least so far as they are wanted for their knitting abilities. Like the sewing machine, they are destined to become family institutions ; and hereafter the knitting, for an entire year, of any household may be accomplished in a day or two at most. The machine itself is exceedingly simple in its structure; is easily managed, and scarcely liable to get out of order. It is ornamental in appearance, and occupies but little space. It will knit plain or ribbed work, and by changing the needles, & great variety of styles and stitches can be produced. It may be adapted to very elastic open work, or that which is compact and close. It will knit stockings of any required sizes, for children or adults, and also tight or lose under-sleeves, tippets, ties, and other useful of fancy articles. Either woolen, cotton or silk yarn may be used upon it. The time occupied in knitting a pair of half-hose is about ten minutes. and for a pair of ladies' long hose, eighteen or twenty minutes. These are some of its qualifications, and when we add that its work is performed mainly by simply turning a crank, requiring little skill or judgment on the part of the operator, we think we have said that which is sufficient to induce our city readers at least to visit the sales-room, at 514 Broadway, opposite the St. Nicholas Hotel, where these machines may be seen in operation. Home Journal.

THE BOOK OF JOB.- The book of Job is generally regarded as the most perfect specimen of the poutry of the Hebrews. It is alike picturesque in the delineation of individual phenomena and artistically skilful in the didactic arrangement of the whole work. In all the modern languages in which the book of Job has been translated, its images, drawn from the natural scenery of the East, leave a deep impression on the mind. " The Lord walketh on the heights of the waters, on the ridges of the wave towering high beneath the force of the wind." " The morning red has coloured the margin of the earth, and variously formed the covering of the clouds, as the hand of man. holds the yielding clay." The habits of animals are described--as, for instance, those of the wild ass, the horse, the buffalo, the rhinoceros, and the crocodile, the eagle and the ostrich. We see "the pure ether spread during the heat of the South wind, as a melted mirror over a parched desert."

The poetic literature of the Hebrews is not deficient in variety of form, for, while the Hebrew poetry breathes a war-like enthusiasm from Joshua to Sumuel, the little book of the gleaner Ruth presents us with a charming and exquisite picture of nature. Goethe, at the period of his enthusiasm for the East, spoke of it "as the loveliest specimen of epic and idyl poetry which we possess."-Humboldl's Cosmos.

INCREASE OF NOVELS. --In 1820 there were only twenty-six volumes of novels on the shelves of the British Museum, but there are now seven thousand four hundred, and all these have been written since "Waverly" was begun.

Did you See "Ary Schaffer ?" inquired an artist of a traveller who had just returned from Paris. Nary Schaffer, was the reply.

HIGH-TONED CRITICISM. - Mr. Bartlett, in his Dictionary of mericanisms," refers to the exaggerated style of the newspaer critics: Thus, a Western critic, speaking of the acting of liss Logan, says the way in which she chaunted the Marselise was terrible in its intensity,' and that the impression ade must, create her a name that will never die. This, owever, does not begin with Miss Wyatt, whose performances Springfield, Illinois, are thus described in a criticism in one the papers in that city, •Illumed by the lyric muse, she is magnificent. All nerve, all palpitation, her rounded form is ie fittest setting for her diamond soul! She has grace, which more than beauty, and distinction, which adorns still more an grace. She appears the incarnation of genius!-it strugles within her--inspiration quivers down her snow-white rms; and trembles on her fingers' ends -passion wrestles in er quivering frame, and shudders through her limbs. Her bul flickers in every accent, and looms up in very pantomime, thile serene smiles play about her mouth. Her drapery follows her gestures her gestures her passions. Every atritude a model, every pose is a classic statue.' "

THE New Orleans Picayune rejoices in the beautiful weather: "How graphically does William Howitt describe our June weather, in his enchanting Book of the Seasons! 'It is the very carnival of Nature, and she is prodigal of her luxuries. It is a luxury to walk abroad, indulging every sense with sweetness, loveliness and harmony. How delicious, too, are the evenings become! The frosts and damps of Spring are past: the earth is dry ; the night air is balmy and refreshing; the fragrant breath of flowers steals into our houses ; the rose with its blooms of delicate tint and odour, from the deepest red to the purest pearl; the wreathed and luscious honeysuckle embellish the wayside, and make brave the garden.' To all this our Southern clime adds the exquisite perfume of the orange blossom, the intoxicating incense of the magnolia grandiflora, and the voluptuous breath of the Cape Jessamine, and a thousand other scents and sights the Flora of England, under whose inspirations Howitt wrote, does not furnish.''

THE DOOM OF THE WORLD. The North British Review, discoursing upon the doom of the world, has the following remarks:

"What this change is we dare not even conjecture ; but we see in the heavens themselves some traces of destructive elements and some indications of their annihilative power. The fragments of broken planets; the descent of meteoric stones upon our globe the whirling comets wielding their loose material at the solar surface; the volcanic eruptions in our own satellite: the appearance of new stars, and the disappearance of others, are all foreshadows of that impending convulsion to which the world is doomed. Thus placed on a planet which is to be burnt up, and under heavens which are to pass away; thus residing, as it were, on the cemeteries and dwelling upon a mausoleum of former worlds, let us learn the lessons of humility and wisdom, if we have not already been taught in the school of revelation."

DEARER, YET DEARER, ART THOU, LOVE TO ME. Dear Lanra! when you were a flirting young miss, And I was your dutiful swain, Your smiles could exalt to the summit of bliss, Your frowns could o'erwhelm me with pain You were dear to me, then, love; but now you're my wife, It is strange the fond tie should be nearer, For when I am paying your bills, on my life, You seem to get dearer and dearer!

THE battle of Kohn, fought between the Austrians and Prussians, was lost by the latter. Their king, immediately after his defeat, meeting with a Prussian soldier who had received a wound in his face, inquired: "In what beer shop did you get that scar?" "In one," replied the soldier, "where your majesty paid the reckoning."

AN ENGLISH MUSSELMAN. The Madras (E. I.) Atheneum has heard from Cevlon the news that the Hon. Mr. Stanley, a son of Lord Stanley, of Alderney, has become a Musselman, and from the fact of its being mentioned in three local journals, the Atheneum entertains no doubt of the truth of the report.

A GERMAN writer observes that in the United States there is such a scarcity of thieves they are obliged to offer a reward for their discovery.

AN EDITOR closes his leader in this unhappy strain: "The sheriff's officer is waiting for us in the other room, so we have no opportunity to be pathetic; we are wanted, and must go. Delinquent subscribers, you have much to answer for! Heaven may forgive you, but we never can.''

MRS. MAIR,. a grand-daughter of Mrs. Siddons, is giving readings from Shakespeare's plays in London. At the invitation of Lady Noel Byron, a small party of private friends recently attended the reading of Macbeth.

SAMUEL BOYCE was a well-known literary author of the last century. Dr. Johnson, among other acts friendly sympathy, frequently solicited alms for Boyce; and having once received a guinea, he bought some roast beef and a bottle of port wine. But when Boyce sat down to enjoy this "manna in the wilderness,'' he commenced a serious quarrel with the doctor because he had not also added some mushrooms or catsup.

SELF-REPORTING.-A discovery has been made in England, by means of which sounds, either of the voice or of musical instruments, may be made to record themselves. The mark made on the paper by a particular note is , always the same. The inventor believes that his apparatus will be capable of reporting a speech, which may be written off verbatim.

ACCORDING to the Talmud, one party of the Rabbins allowed divorces, when a woman had only been so unfortunate as to suffer her husband's soup to be burnt. What a burning shame!

PUNNING SERMON.-The following curious string of puns is taken from a scarce work published in the reign of James I. A divine more willing to play with words than to be serious in expounding his text, spoke thus in his sermon: "This dial shows that we must die all; yet, notwithstandmg, all houses are turned into ale houses; our cares are turned into cates; our Paradise into a pair o' dice ; matrimony into a matter o' money; and marriage into a merry age. Our divines have become dry vines; it was not so in the days of Noah-ah no !"

OUR BEST PARLOURS.-DO not keep a solemn parlour, into which you go but once a month, with the parson or sewing society. Hang around your walls pictures which shall tell stories of mercy, hope, courage, faith, and charity. Make your living-room the largest and most cheerful in the house. Let the place be such that when your boy has gone to distant lands, or even when, perhaps, he clings to a single plank in the lone waters of the wide ocean, the thought of the still homestead shall come across the desolation, bringing always light, hope, and love. Have no dungeon about your house; no room you never open; no blinds that are always shut.

LEARNING AND WISDOM. --The learned man is only useful to the learned ; the wise man is equally useful to the wise and the simple. The merely learned man has not elevated his mind above that of others; his judgments are not more penetrating, his remarks not more delicate, nor his actions more beautiful than those of others. It is wholly different with the wise man; he moves far above the common level ; he observes every thing from a different point of view; in his employments there is always an aim, in his views always freedom, and all with him is above the common level.- Jean Paul Richter.

ARE these pure canaries? asked a gentleman of a birddealer, with whom he was negotiating for a "gift for his fair,' " Yes, sir," said the dealer, confidentially, "I raised them 'ere birds from canary seed." It was deemed sufficient proof of their purity.

A TRULY grateful heart may not be able to tell its gratitude, but it can feel, and love, and act.

CARL MARIA VON WEDER's works, with biographical notice, are soon to be published under the supervision of his son.

The books in the library belonging to the British Museum occupy twelve miles of shelf. The painting and sculpture galleries of the Palace of Versailles extend over six miles.

Half the secrets in the world are disclosed in order that those who possess them may let their friends know that they hold them.

There are few who know how to be idle, ancl innocent, and the very first step out of business is usually into vice and folly.

A TOUCHING story is related of a Zouave who had picked up a wounded Austrian and was carrying him out of the melee. As he was trudging along with the man upon his back, cautiously looking around, he perceived that the poor fellow, with a pair of scissors which he hnd contrived to draw from his pocket., was cutting off a lock of his preserver's hair to keep as a memento.

BEAUTIFUL PICTURE.-A mother teaching her child to pray, is an object at once the most sublime and tender the imagination can coneeive. Elevated above earthly things, she seems like one of those guardian angels, the companions of our earthly pilgrimage, through whose ministrations we are inclined to do good and turn from evil.

How IS IT," said a gentleman to Sheridan, "that your name has not O attached to it ?- -Your family is Irish, and no doubt illustrious." "No family has a better right to O than our family," said Sheridan, "for we owe every body."

LIFE, "O, World! so few the years we live, "Would that the life which thou dost give "Were life indeed ! "A1as ! thy sorrows fall so fast, "Our happiest hour is when at last "'The soul is freed."

From the "Stanzas by Don Jorge Manrique,'' which were found in the author's pocket, after his death on the field of battle, at Canavete, 1497.-Longfellow's Translation of same.

"THE law," said Judge Ashurst, in a charge, "is open to all men, to the poor as well as the rich." "And so is the London Tavern," added Horne Tooke, who was present.

LOVE OF POWER. Grattan said Edmund Burke was so fond of arbitrary power, he could not sleep upon his pillow, unless he thought the King had a right to take it from under him.

The sea is the largest cemetery, and its slumberers sleep without a monument. All grave-yards, in other lands, show some symbol of distinction between the great and the small, the rich and the poor; but in that ocean cemetery, the king, the clown, the prince, and the peasant, are alike undistinguished.

POLITE LOYALTY.--At the time Queen Elizabeth made her first public entry into Coventry, the mayor, attended by a numerous cavalcade, went out to receive her majesty in state. On their return, the weather being warm, as they passed through a small brook the mayor's horse attempted several times to drink, which was as often checked by his rider. which the queen observing, said: "Mr. Mayor, Mr. Mayor, pray let your horse drink, Mr. Mayor." But the good-mannered magistrate, veiling his bonnet, and at the same moment bowing very low, replied: "Nay, nay, may it please your most gracious majesty's horse to drink first.'

AMERICAN LOVE OF NOVELS. The people of the United States shOw a strong predeliction for a light and fictitious literature. Of two thousand old and new volumes issued in this country in a recent year, about one-half were works of fiction or imagination. In France only one-ninth are works of the same class, and England works of fancy constitute only one-seventh of the whole number published.

GEORGE the IV., when Prince of Wales, used to return the bows of all persous in the street, except beggars. He justified the omission by remarking, that to return a beggar's bow, without giving him any thing, would be mockery ; and to stop to give him a sixpence would seem ostentatious in a prince.

MISPLACED honours and titles are a splendid sign to a wretched inn ; an illuminated frontispiece to a contemptible book ; a lofty arch overshadowing a gutter.

A BURGLAR was once frightened out of his scheme of robbery by the sweet simplicily of a solitary spinster, who, putting her night-capped head out of the window exclaimed, "Go away ! aren't you ashamed?"

200 THE COURANT; A SOUTHERN LITERARY JOURNAL.

For the Courant.

LOW TIDE.

Low is the tide of life to-day, The rocks of woe loom far and high, And sea-gulls spring athwart the way, With wings that darken as they fly.

The very shells upon life's beach Sing songs of sadness and of woe, And white-topped waves of joy retreat. While darkened waters round me flow.

Life's sands, left naked to my gaze, Seem deep and treacherous sands of sin, And gaddened wails around me rise From those whose feet have sunk therein.

And sheeted ships seem bearing near, Then pase again beyond the sight; Thus hopes, when seeming near their crown, Are sunk in darkness and in blight.

And gazing, can see no land Beyond the blue waves' dash and roar; And so, beyond death's yawning sea, I cannot see the other shore.

"Tis low tide on life's beach to-dayThe beach by wearied feet oft trod ; When will high water come again The tide is rising -bless our God!

Wsconsin. HA'l'TIE 'l'YNO,

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Suitable Premiums will be given for the best specimens in Art, Mechanism and other branches of Inclnstry ; also for Cotton, Rice, Sugar, Tobacco, Corn, Wheat, Rye, Oats, Potatoes, and other Agricultural Products.

All Articles entered for Premiums, must be sent in on or before Friday, the eleventh day of November next, and directed to the care of Mr. Thomas Aimar, Clerk of the South Carolina Institute, Charleston. Articles may be sent after that day for EXHIBITION ONLY.

Contributors to the Fair are respectfully requested to send full descriptions of the articles, and such general information as may be of use to the Judges, and suitable for publication. Every attention will be paid to all articles sent for exhibition.

Aug. 1859. l6--tf.

LAGER BEER, (AT THE SIGN OF l'HE GOLDEN BUCK.) WE now inform tho citizens of Columbia and the surrounding country, that we are able to supply them with the healthiest LAGER BEER in the world. It is brewed out of malt ancl hops and mineral spring water. For sale by the barrel, dozen and gallon. Every two hours a small barrel put fresh on draught. JOHN SEEGERS & CO., No 101 Richardson Street. Aug. 11-59. 15-tf.

ALLEN & DIAL, IMPORTERS and Dealers in English and American Hardware and Cutlery, Iron, Steel, Nails, Castings, Mill-Stones, Bolting Cloths, Mill-Irons, Sugar Pans, India Rubber and Leather Belting, Carpenters', Placksmiths' and Tanners' Tools, Housekeepjng and Furnishing Hardware, Agricultural Implements, Lime, Cement, Plaster, Paints, Oils, French and American Window Glass, Guns, Rifles, Pistols, Shot-Belts, Powder-Flasks, Powder, Shot, &c.; wholesale or retail at tho sign of the Golden Pad-Lock, Columbia, S. C. J. M. ALLEN. J. C. DIAL. May 19, 1859 3--tf

WEARN & HIX, NO. 170 MAIN STREET, COLUMBIA, S. C., ARE prepared to execute Portraits, from Miniature to Life Size, in all departments of the Photographic Art. The public are invited to call and inspect specimens of the new and beautiful IVORYTYPE. May 5, 1859. 1--ff

THE FOURTH ANNUAL FAIR OF THE State Agricultural Society OF SOUTH CAROLINA, WILL BE HELD AT COLUMBIA, On the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th of November, 1859. PHE Executive Committee of the State Agricultural Society of South Carolina, beg leave to call the attention of the citizens of South Carolina, and the Southern States, to their approaching Annual Festival. The Premium List is a very comprehensive one, and Premiums will be awarded on every article of merit coming within the range of the AGRICULTURAL, HORTICULTURAL, and MECHANICAL Departments, as well as the FINE ARTS, LADIES' FANCY WORK, and DOMESTIC ECONOMY. In addition to the large and admirably-arranged Halls for the accommodation of Exhibitors, the Committee have made other very important improvements, which will add much to the comfort and enjoyment of visitors. SPACIOUS AMPHITHEATRE

will also be in readiness, to seat some thousands, and add to the interest of the Exhibition. The track for the exercise and display of " fast trotters' has been put in order, and the trotters already entered promise something exciting. Visitors will be passed over all the Railroads in the State, during the week of exhibition, for one fare. All articles and animals, intended expressly for exhibition, will be passed, (at the owners' risk) over all the Railroads in South Carolina without charge, except the South Carolina Railroad, and Cheraw and Darlington Ronds, which will demand one-half freight. Visitors should take the precaution to procure Return Tickets when they pay their fare, to avoid ombarrassment and delay. Exhibitors will please give the Railroad Officers timely notice of such animals and articles as they may wish transported, as well as the time and point of delivery, A. P. CALHOUN, J. A. METTS, R. HARLEE, W. R. ROBERTSON, D. W. RAY, R. J. GAGE, J. F. MARSHALL, Executive Committee. Oetober I 1859. 23

THE FORTH ANNUAL FAIR OF THE State Agricultural Society OF SOUTH CAROLINA, WILL BE HELD AT COLUMBIA, On the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th of November, 1859.

THE Executive Committee of the State Agricultural Society of South Carolina, beg leave to call the attention of the citizens of South Carolina, and the Southern States, to their approaching Annual Festival. The Premium List is a very comprehensive one, and Premiums will be awarded on every article of merit coming within the range of the AGRICULTURAL, HORTICULTURAL, and MECHANICAL Departments, as well as the FINE ARTS, LADIES' FANCY WORK, and DOMESTIC ECONOMY. In addition to the large and admirably-arranged Halls for the accommodation of Exhibitors, the Committee have made other very important improvements, which will add much to the comfort and enjoyment of visitors.

A SPACIOUS AMPHITHEATRE

will also be in readiness, to seat some thousands, and add to the interest of the Exhibition. The track for the exercise and display of fast trotters has been put in order, and the trotters already entered promise something exciting.

Visitors will be passed over all the Railronds in the State, during the week of exhibition, for one fare. All articles and animals, intended expressly for exhibition, will be passed, (at the owners' risk) over all the Railroads in South Carolina without charge, except the South Carolina Railroad, and Cheraw and Darlington Roads, which will demand one-half freight. Visitors should take the precaution to procure Return Tickets when they pay their fare, to avoid embarrassment and delay. Exhibitors will please give the Railroad Officers timely notice of such animals and articles as they may wish transported, as well as the time and point of delivery,

A. P. CALHOUN, J. A. METTS, R. HARLEE, W. R. ROBERTSON, D. W. RAY, R. J. GAGE. J. F. MARSHALL, Executive Committee.

October 6, 1859, 23--6

FAMILY GROCERIES. J. N. & T. D. FEASTER HAVE on hand, and are still receiving, a choice article of Sugar-Cured Hams, Bacon Strips, Sides and Shoulders, Lard, Goshen and Country Butter, Smoked and Pickled Beef, Pork and Tongues, Mackerel, Salmon, Shad and White Fish, Extra Family Flour, Rice, Potatoes, Beans, &c., Pickles, Preserves, Spice, Pepper, Ginger and many othor articles appertaining to the GROCERY business, which they offer at Low Prices for CASH.

A carefully selected assortment of the best Wines, Brandies, Ale, &c., kept constantly on hand, all of which we Warrant Pure.

Give us a trial, and we will endeavor to give satisfaction. Our terms are strictly CASH.

June 30, 1859. 9--ff

S. G. COURTENAY & CO., No. 9 BROAD STREET, BOOKSELLERS and Stationers, Cheap Publications, Magazines and Newspapers. Ch:trleston, S. C. [May 5, 1859 1-tf

URSULINE ACADEMY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, COLUMBIA, S. C. THIS Institute has resumed its Academic exercises, in the building lately known as the "AMERICAN HOTEL." It is hoped it will receive the patronage it merits.

TERMS PER SESSION: Board and Tuition, including washing, mending, etc., etc., $110 EXTERN PUPILS--Senior Class, $30 Junior Class, $20 Preparatory Class, $16 Languages, Music, Drawing, Painting, Postage, Books, Stationery and Embroidery, form extra charges. Further information may be obtained at the Academy. 22-4 Sept. 29

PAPER COMMISSION WAREHOUSE. AND PRINTERS' DEPOT, FOR the sale of Writing, Printing, Envelope, and Colored Papers, Cards, and Printing Materials of all kinds. Agent for L. JOHNSON & Co., Type Founders, R. HOE & Co., and other Printing Press makers. Printing Inks, of best quality, at Manufacturers' Prices.

TO MERCHANTS. The subscriber begs to call attention to his Large Stock of Writing and Wrapping Paper of all kinds, which he will sell very low for cash, or short credit on large sums.

JOSEPH WALKER, 120 Meeting Street, May, 5, 1859 1-f Charleston, S. C.

DR. M. GROSS & CO.'S UNRIVALLED. Vegetable Compound, the HYGIENE BITTERS. For sale, wholesale and retail, by

JOHN SEEGERS & CO., Agents, Oct. 6, 1859. 23--tf. Columbia, S. C.

TO TRAVELERS. SCHEDULE OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA RAILROAD.

Northern Route. Stations. D. Trains. N. Trains. Leave Charleston, 10.25 a. m. 8.30 p. m. Arrive at Kingsville, (Junction of the Wilmington and Manchester Railroad).. 4.50 p. m. 4.40 a. m. Arrive at Columbia, 6.30 p. m. 6.45 a. m. Arrive at Camden, 7.20 p. m. Leave Camden, 4.10 a. m. Leave Columbia, 5:00 a. m. 1.30 p. m. Leave Kingsville, 6.45 8. m. 3.30 p. m. Arrive at Charleston, 1.00 p. m. 11.00 p. m.

Western Route. Leave Charleston, 5.45 a. m. 2.30 p. m. Arrive at Augusta, 1.15 p. m. 11.15 p. in. Leave Augusta, 10.10 3. m. 8.15 p. m. Arrive at Charleston, 5.30 p. m. 5.20 a. m.

Through Travel Between Augusta and Kingsville. Leave Augusta, 10.10 a. m. 8.15 p. m. Arrive at Kingsville, 4.50 p. m. 4.40 a. m. Leave Kingsville, 6.45 a. m. 3.30 p. m. Arrive at Augusta, 1.15 p. m. 11.15 p. m. May 5, 1859 1--tf

P. W, HOADLEY. ATTORNEY AT LAW AND SOLICITOR IN CHANCERY, (Formerly of Columbia, S. C.,) LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

PARTICULAR attention given to the collection of claims in any part of the State, buying and selling of lands, locating swamp and overflowed lands, entering land at the General Land Offices and paying taxes on lands in any county in Arkansas. June 16, 1859 7--ly

F'. PATTERSON & CO., WHOLESALE and Retail Dealers in Books, Stationary, Faucy Goods, Daily and Weekly Newspapers, Magazinees, &c. Corner of King and Society Streets, Charleston, S. C.

N. B.--Miscellaneous and Mail Orders for Goods, whether in our line or not, promptly attended to. [May 5, l 859. 1--tf

COLUMBIA ATHENEUM, NO. 1944 RICHARDSON STREET, LIBRARY contains about 2,800 volumes. Reading Room has on file leading English and American magazines, and newspapers from the principal cities of the Union. Proprietorship--One Hundred Dollars. Annual Subseription Five Dollars per annum, payable in advance.

The Library and Reading Room are open, daily, from 9, A. M., to 1, P. M., from 3 to 5, and from 7 to 10, P. M. Hon. W. C. PRESTON, Pres't.

W. W. WALKER, Jr., Secretary. May 19, 1859 3--tf

WOOD, EDDY & co's SINGLE NUMBER LOTTERIES! (CHARTERED BY THE STATE OF GEORGIA.) CAPITAL PRIZE FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS! Tickets only Ten Dollars! WOOD, EDDY & Co., MANAGERS. (Successors to S. SWAN & Co.)

THE following Scheme will be drawn by Wood, Eddy & Co., Managers of the Sparta Academy Lottery, in each of their Single Number Lotteries for September, 1859, at Augusta, Georgia, in public, under the superintendence of Commissioners. Class 36 draws Saturday, September 3, 1859; Class 37 draws Saturday, September 10, 1859; Class 38 draws Saturday, September 17, 1859; Class 39 draws Saturday, September 24, 1859. On the plan of Single Numbers. 50,000 Tickets. Five Thousand Four Hundred and Eighty-Five Prizes! Nearly one prize to every nine Tickets.

Magnificent Scheme, to be Drawn each Sat'y in Sept'r. 1 Prize of $50,000 1 Prize of $1,500 1 20,000 50 Prizes of 1 46 500 1 10,000 100 6 400 1 5,000 100 300 1 4,000 100 4 150 1 3,000 100 100

Prizes of $400 Approximating to $50,000 Prizes are $1,600 4 300 20,000 1,200 4 250 10,000 1,000 4 46. 225 5,000 900 4 15 200 4,000 800 4 150 3,000 600 4 100 1,500 400 5,000 20 are 100,000 5,485 Prizes amounting to $320,000

WHOLE TICKETS $10; HALVES $5; QUARTERS $2 50. Remember that every prize in the above Scheme is drawn, and payable in full without deduction.

Certificates of Packages will be sold at the following rates, which is the risk:

Certificates of Packages of 10 Whole Tickets $80 Half 40 Quarter 20 Eighth 10

SPARTA ACADEMY LOTTERY. Class No. 513, draws Wednesday, September 28th, 1859, on the Three Number Plan. Seventy-eight Numbers Fourteen drawn ballots. Nearly one prize to every two Tickets.

ONE GRAND PRIZE OF $30,000! 1 Prize of $13,742 5Prizes of $1,500 5 Prize of 2,000 10 600

34,412 PRIZES AMOUNTING TO $567,962! Whole Tickets $10; Halves $5; Quarters $2 50.

In ordering Tickets or Certifieates, enclose the money to our address for the Tickets ordered, on receipt of which they will be forwarded by first mail.

The List of drawn Numbers and Prizes will be sent to purchasers immediatoly after drawing.

Purchasers will please write their signatures plain, and give their Post Office, County and State.

All prizes of $1,000 and under, paid immediately after the drawing; other prizes at the usual time of Forty Days.

Notice to Correspondents.

Those who prefer not sending money by mail, can uso the Adams Express Company, whereby money for Tickets, in sums of Ten Dollars, and upwards, can be sent us, at our risk and expense, from any city or town where they have an office. The money and order must be enclosed in a Government Post Office Stamped Envelope, or the Express Company cannot receive them.

All, communicat!ons strictly confidential. Orders for Tickets or Certificates, by mail or Express, to be directed to

WOOD, EDDY & CO., Augusta, Georgia, or WOOD, EDDY & CO., Atlanta, Georgia, or WOOD, EDDY &SPARTA ACADEMY LOTTERY.

A list of the numbers that are drawn from the wheel, with the amount of the prize that each one is entitled to, will be published af'.ter _every drawing, in the following papers :-Augusta (Ga.) Const1tut1onalist, Mobile Register, Nashville Gazette, Richmond Dispatch, Paulding (Miss.), Clarion, and New York Times. May 26 1859 4-ly

THE COURANT, A Southern Literary Journal.

Howard H. Caldwell, Editor] " Sic vos non vobis. " [Wm. W. WALKER, JR., & CO., PROPRIETORS

VOLUME I. COLUMBIA, S. C., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1859. NUMBER 29

For the Courant. GEMS FROM THE DEAD. BY LIZZIR CLARENDON.

Lines on the Death of a Young Girl, Cousin to the Writer.

Thy mortal life is ended, Isabel But where its stream has wended, Isabel, By memory's faithful light We wander thro' the night Which sorrow's clouds have closed around our world, To view it on its course, Flowing with gentle force, Until its spirit-barque her sails have furl'd !

Its margin glows with flowers, Isabel, Dropped by the rosy hours, Isabel, When, in that happy time, In childhood's sunny clime, The sky looked cloudless on a world so fair; When pleasures came in troops, And joys in close-linked groups, To gaze into its depths with vision clear.

But thorn begin to mingle, Isabel! Where flower-bells wont to tingle, Isabel! Youth brings us deeper life, But with it comes the strife That turns the sparkling waters into foam! The stream, tho' pure and clear, Throws back a shadow near, Whispering the spirit - "This is not thy home!"

That shadow fell on thee, fair Isabel! That whisper came to thee, dear Isabel! And now we see thee not In each familiar spot; The stream has merged its gentle, rippling tide In that unbounded sea, Where storm nor cloud may be, And safely there thy spirit-barque doth glide!

MUSIC AND POETRY. Who is there that, in logical words, can express the effect music has upon us kind of inarticulate, unfathomable speech, which leads us to the edge of the infinite, and lets us for moments gaze into that. Song seems, some how, the very central essence of us; as if all the rest were wrappers and hulls! All inmost things are melodious -naturally utter themselves in song The meaning of song goes deep. The Greeks fabled of sphere harmonies: it was the feeling they had of the inner structure of nature; that the soul of all her voices and utterances was perfect. The poet is he who thinks in that manner." It turns still on powers of intellect; it is a man's sincerity and depth of vision that makes him a poet. See deep enough, and you see musically; the heart of nature being every where music, if you can only reach it. Carlyle.

A RED-FACED GHOST, who was not quite sober, attempted to play in Hamlet at a country theatre. At length the curtain rose and the play commenced. Every thing passed off quietly enough till the ghost made his appearance, when there arose a continuous groar of laughter. A ghost with red face was a novel thing, and the said ghost keeping his legs with extreme diffculty. But the noise subsided, and the play progressed smoothly, till the scene in which Hamlet, Horatio and the officers appear.

Hamlet What ! looked he frowningly ? Horatio--A countenance more in sorrow than in anger. Hamlet--Pale or red ? Horatio -Nay, very red. "So red, indeed, that he looked as if he came from the very depths of the infernal regions, my lord."

MRS. PARTINGTON wants to know, If it were not intended that women should drive their husbands, why are they put through the bridle ceremony WHAT poet do miners most value? Coleridge.

[COLUMN 2]

THE LION IN THE TOILS. BY C. ASTOR BRlSTED. WHAT followed the events related in our last number gave Ashburner a lesson against making up his mind too hastily on any points of character, national or individual. A fortnight after his arrival at Oldport he would have said that the Americans were the most communicative people he had ever fallen in with, and particularly that the men of "our set" were utterly incapable of keeping secret any act or purpose of their lives, any thing that had happened, or was going to happen. Now he was surprised at the discretion shewn by the men cognizant of the late row (and they comprised all the fashionables left in the place, and some of the outsiders, like Simpson) ; their dexterity and careful management, first, to prevent the affair from coming to a fight, and then, if that were impossible, to keep it from publicity until the parties were safe over the border into Canada, where they might "shoot each other like gentlemen," as a young gentleman from Alabama expressed it. Sedly himself, whose officiousness had precipitated the quarrel, did all in his power to prevent any further mischief, and was as sedulous for the promotion of silencio and misterio, as if he had been leader of a chorus of Venetian Senators. The Sewer reporters, who, in their eagerness to collect every bit of gossip and scandal, would have given the ears which an outraged community had permitted them to retain for a knowledge of the fracas and its probable consequences, never had the least inkling of it. Indeed, so quietly was the whole managed, that Ashburner never made out the cause of the old feud, nor was able to form any opinion on the probability of its final issue. On the former point he could only come to the conclusion, from what he heard, that Hunter had been mythologizing, as his wont was, something to Benson's discredit several years before, and had been trying to make mischief between him and some of his friends or relations; but what the exact offence was, whether Sumner was involved in the quarrel from the first, and if so, to what extent; and whether the legend about the horse was a part of, or only an addition to the original grievance; on these particulars he remained in the dark. As to the latter, he knew that Hunter had not challenged Benson, and that he had left the place, but whether to look up a friend or not, no one seemed to know, or if they did, no one cared to tell. At any rate, he did not return for a week and more, during which time Ashburner had full opportunity of studying the behaviour and feelings of a man with a duel in prospect.

Those who defend and advocate the practice of dueling, if asked to explain the motives leading a gentleman to fight, would generally answer somewhat to this effect: in the first place, personal courage, which induces a man to despise danger and death, in comparison with any question affecting his own honour, or that of those connected with him; secondly, a respect for the opinion of the society in which he moves, which opinion, to a certain extent, supplies and fixes the definition of honour. Hence it would follow that, given a man who is neither physically brave, nor bound by any particular respect for the opinion of his dailY associates, and the world he moves in, such a man would not be

[COLUMN 3]

likely to give or accept a challenge. The case under Ashburner's observation afforded a palpable, contradiction to this conclusion.

Henry Benson was not personally valorous ; what courage he possessed was rather of a moral than a physical kind. Where he appeared to be daring and heedless, it proved on examination to be the result of previous knowledge and practice, which gave him confidence and armed him with impunity. Thus he would drive his trotters at any thing, and shave through " tight places on rough and crowded roads, his whiffle-trees tipping and his hubs grazing the surrounding wheels in 8 way that at first made Ashburner shudder in spite of himself; but it was because his experience in wagondriving enabled him to measure distances within halfan-inch, and to catch an available opening immediately. On the other hand, in their pedestrian trips across the country in Winchester, he was very chary of jumping fences or ditches till he had ascertained by careful practice his exact capacity for that sort of exercise. He would ride his black horse, Daredevil, who was the terror of all the servants and women in his neighbourhood, because he had made himself perfectly acquainted with all the animal's stock of tricks, and was fully prepared for them as they came ; but he never went the first trip in a new steamboat or railroad line. He ate and drank many things considered unhealthy, because he understood exactly from experience what and how much he could take without injury but you could not have bribed him to sit fifteen minutes in wet boots. In short, he was a man who took excellent care of himself, canny as a Scot or a New-Englander, loving the good things of life, and net disposed to hazard them on slight grounds. Then, as to the approbation or disapprobation of those about him, he was almost entirely careless of it. On any point beyond the cut of a coat, the decoration of a roOM, the concoction of a dish, or the merits of a horse, there were not ten people in his own set whose opinion he heeded. To the remarks of foreigners he was a little more sensitive, but even these he was more apt to retort upon by a fu quoque than to be influenced by. Add to all this, that he had the convenient excuse of being a communicant at church, which, in America, implies something like a formal profession of religion.- Yet at this time he was not only willing, but most eager to fight. The secret lay in his state of recklessness.- A moment of passion had overturned all his instincts, principles, and common sense, and inspired him with the feverish desire to pay off his old debts to Storey Hunter, at whatever cost. And as neither the possession of extraordinary personal courage, nor a high sense of conventional honour, nor a respect for the opinion of society, necessarily induces a feeling of recklessness, so neither does the absence of these qualities prevent the presence of this feeling, exactly the most favourable one to make man engage in duel. Moralists have called such a condition one of temporary madness, and it has probably as good grounds to be classed with insanity as many of the pleas known to medical and criminal jurisprudence.

Be this as it may, Ashburner had a good opportunity of observing and the example, it is to be hoped, was of service to him the demoralization induced upon man by the mere impending possibility of duel. Benson seemed careless what he did. He danced frantical

226 THE COURANT ; A SOUTHERN LITERARY JOURNAL

[COLUMN 1]

ly, and drank so much at all hours, that the Englishman, though pretty strong-headed himself, wondered how he could keep sober. He was openly seen reading The Blackguard's Own, a weekly of The Sewer species. He made up trotting-matches with every man in the place who owned a "fast crab," and with some acquaintances at a distance, by correspondence. He kept studiously out of the way of his wife and child, lest their influence might shake his determination. All this time he practiced pistol-shooting most religiously. Neither of the belligerents had ever given a public proof of skill in this line. Hunter's ability was not known, and Benson's shooting was so uncertain and vriable when any one looked on, that those in the secret suspected him of playing dark and disguising his hand. All which added to the interest of the affair.

But when eleven days had passed without signs or tidings of Hunter, and it seemed pretty clear that he had gone away "for good," Benson started up one morning, and went off himself to New York, at the same time with Harrison, whose brief and not very joyous holidays had come to a conclusion. He accompained the banker, in accordance with the true American principle, always to have a lion for your companion when you can; and as Harrison was still a man of note in Wall-street, however small might be his influence in his own household, Benson liked to be seen with him, and to talk any thing --even stocks-- to him, though he had no particular interest in the market at the time. But, whether an American is in business himself or not, the subject of business is generally an interesting one to him, and he is always ready to gossip about dollars. The unexampled material development of the United States is only maintained by a condition of society which requires every man to take a share in assisting that development, and the most frivolous and apparently idle men are found sharp enough in pecuniary matters. This trait of national character lies on the surface, and foreigners have not been slow to notice it, and to draw from it unfavourable conclusions. The supplementary and counterbalancing features of character to be observed in these very people,-- that it is rather the fun of making the money than the money itself, which they care for; that when it is made, they spend it freely; and part with it more readily than they earned it; that they are more liberal both in their public and private charities (considering the amount of their wealth, and of the claims upon it) than any nation in the world,--all these traits strangers have been less ready to dwell upon and do justice to.

Benson was gone and Ashburner stayed. Why? He had been at Oldport nearly a month; the place was not particularly beautiful, and the routine of amusements not at all to his taste. Why did he stay? He had his secret, too.

It is melancholy but indisputable fact, that even in the most religous and moral country in the world, the bulwark of evangelical faith, and the home of the domestic virtues (meaning, of course, England), a great many mothers who have daughters to marry, are not so anxious about the real welfare, temporal and eternal, of their young ladies, as solicitous that they should acquire riches, titles, and other vanities of the world,-- nay, that many of the daughters themselves act as if their everlasting happiness depended on their securing in matrimony a proper combination of the aforesaid vanities, and put out of account altogether the greatest prize a woman can gain-- the possession of a true and loving heart, joined to a wise head. Now, Ashburner being a very good parti at home, and having run the gauntlet of one or two London seasons, had become very skittish of mammas, and still more so of daughters. He regarded the unmarried female as a most dangerous and altogether-to-be-avoided animal, and when you offered to introduce him to a young lady, looked about as grateful as if you had invited him to go up in a balloon. He expected to be rather persecuted, if any thing, in America than he had been at home; and when he met Miss Vanderlyn at Ravenswood, if his first thought had found articulate expression, it would probably have been

[COLUMN 2]

something like this : -- "Now that young woman is going to set her cap at me; what a core it will be! " Never was a man more mistaken in his anticipations. He encountered many pretty girls, not a all timid, ready enough to talk, and flirtly enough among their own set, but not one of them threw herself at him, and least of all did Miss Vanderlyn. Not that the young lady was the victim of a romantic attachment, for she was perfectly fancy free and heart whole ; nor, on the other hand, that she was at all insensible to the advantages of matrimony, for she kept a very fair look-out in that direction, and had, if not absolutely down on her books, at least engraved on the recording tablets of her mind, four distinct young gentlemen, combining the proper requisites, any of whom would suit her pretty well, and one of whom-- she didn't much care which-- she was pretty well resolved to marry within the next two years. And as she was stylish, and rather handsome, clever enough, and tolerably provided with the root of all evil, besides having that fortunate good humour and accommodating disposition which go so far towards making a woman a belle and a favourite, there was a sufficient probability that beffore the expiration of that time, one of the four would offer himself. But all her calculations were founded on shrewd common sense; her imagination took no flights, and her aspirations only extended to the ordinary and possible. That this young and strange Englishman, travelling as a part of education, the son of a great man, and probably betrothed by proxy to some great man's daughter, or going into parliament to be a great man himself, and remain a bachelor for the best part of his life,-- that between him and herself there should be any thing in common, any point of union which could make even a flirtation feasible, never entered into her head. She would as soon have expected the King of Dahomey to send an embassy with ostrich feathers in their caps, and rings in their noses, formally to ask her hand in marriage. Nay, even if the incredible event had come to pass, and the young stranger had taken the initiative, even then she would not by any means jumped at the bait. For, in the first place, she was fully imbued with the idea that the Vanderlyns were quite as good as any other people in the world, and that (the ordinary conceit of an American belle) to whatever man she might give her hand, all the honour would come from her side, and all the gain be his; therefore she would not have cared to come into a family who might suspect her of having inveigled their heir, and look down upon her as something beneath them, because she came from a country where there were no noblemen. Secondly, there is a very general feeling among the best classes in America, that no European worth any thing at home comes to America to get married. The idea is evidently an imperfect generalization, and liable to exceptions; but the prevalence of its shews were modesty in the "Upper Ten's" appreciation of themselves than they usually have credit for. As soon, therefore, as a foreigner begins to pay attention to a young lady in good society, it is prima facie ground of suspicion against him. The reader will see from all this how little chance there was of Ashburner's running any danger from the unmarried women about him. With the married ones the case was somewhat different. It may be remembered, that at his first introduction to Mrs. Henry Benson, the startling contrast she exhibited to the adulation he had been accustomed to receive, totally put him down; and that afterwards she softened off the rough edge of her satire, and became very piquante and pleasing to him. And as she greatly amused him, so he began to suspect that she was rather proud of having such a lion to her train, as no doubt she was, notwithstanding the somewhat rough and cub-like stage of his existence. So he began to hang about her, and follow her around in his green, awkward way, and look large notes of admiration at her; and she was greatly diverted, and not at all displeased at his attentions. I don't know how far it might have gone; Ashburner was a very correct and moral young man, as the world goes, but rather because he had generally business enough on hand to keep him out of mischief,

[COLUMN 3]

than from any high religious principle; and I am afraid that in spite of the claims of propiety, and honour, and friendship, and the avenging Zeus of hospitality, and every other restraining motive, he would have fallen very much in love with Mrs. Benson, but for one thing. He was hopelessly in love with Mrs. Harrison. How or when it began he couldn't tell; but he found himself under the influence imperceptibly, as a man feels himself intoxicated. Sometimes he fancied that there had been a kind of love at first sight-- that with the first glimpse he had of her, something in his heart told him that that woman was destined to exert a mastery over him; yet his feelings must have undergone a change and growth, for he would now now have listened to any one speaking of her as Benson had done at that time. Why it was, he could still less divine. His was certainly not the blind admiration which sees no fault in its idol; he saw her faults plainly enough, and yet could not help himself. He often asked himself how it happened that if he was doomed to endure an illicit and unfortunate passion, it was not for Mrs. Benson rather than Mrs. Harrison; for the former was at least clever, certainly handsomer, palpably younger, indubitably more ladylike, and altogether a higher style of woman. Yet with this just appreciation of them, there was no comparion as to his feelings towards the two. The one amused and delighted him when present; the other, in her absense, was ever rising before his mind's eye, and drawing him after her ; and when they met, his heart beat quicker, and he was more than usually awkward and confused. Perhaps there had been, in the very origin of his entanglement and passion, some guiding impulse and honour, some sense that Benson had been his friend and entertainer, and that to Harrison he was under no personal obligations. For there are many shades of honour and dishonour in dishonourable thoughts, and a little principle goes a great way with some people, like the wind commemorated by Joe Miller's Irishman, of which there was not much, but what there was, was very high. Be this as it may, he was loving to perdition-- or thought so, at least; and it is hard to discriminate in a very young man's case between the conceit and the reality of love. His whole heart and mind were taken up with one great, all-pervading idea of Mrs. Harrison, and he was equally unable to smother and to express his flame. He was dying to make her a present of something, but he could send nothing without a fear of exciting suspicion, except bouquets; and of these floral luxuries, though they were only to be procured at Old-port with much trouble and expense, she had always a supply from other quarters. He did not like to be one of a number in his offerings; he wanted to pay her some peculiar tribute. He would have liked to fight some man for her, to pick a quarrel with some one who had said something against her. Proud and sensitive to ridicule as he was, he would have laid himself down in her way, and let her walk over him, could he have persuaded himself that she would be gratified by such a proof of devotion, and that it would help his cause with her.

[[CONCLUDED IN OUR NEXT.]]

"ONE BYRON."--The most contemptous taunt of insignificance has always been to call a man "one"-- as if a man could be more than one-- but it will be consolation, to those who are so reproachfully designated, that Byron was not only called "one Byron." but "this individual." The Paris correspondent of the London Globe has raked out from the papers of an old bookstand, a police report furnished to the Austrain Governor at Venice during Lord Byron's stay at Ravenna. It is dated from Rome, October 2, 1819, stating the poet Lord's departure from that place, and intention of visiting Venice :--- " On the twelth of this month an English peer, one Byron, starts from Rome ; he passes for a poet in his own country, and is suspected of affiliation with the society of Roma Antica-- at least, his style of writing has been described to me as of the 'romantic school', which I presume means carbonaro. He is known for the exaggeration of his liberalism. I have seen reason to keep an eye on this individual." ---------------------------------------------------------------- If you want an ignoramus to respect you, "dress to death," and wear watch-seals about the size of brickbats.

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THE COURANT A SOUTHERN LITERARY JOURNAL

A GRAND CONCERT--A LADY'S DESCRIPTION•

The Handel Centenary Concert took place in London, at the Crystal Palace, on the 25th ultimo. It was a very grand affair. The following is an extract from a letter describing it, written by a lady in London, to a musical friend in Richmond :

LONDON, June 28.-You ask after brother James. The last time I saw him he looked well, at least he seemed so, for he was at a great distance, although under the same roof; I do not think he saw me, though he appeared to be looking for me. It was at the Crystal Palace, in the great orchestra of the Handel Centenary Festival; he was in the band, and I in the chorus, perched--I will not venture to say how many feet from the floor. Oh, how I wish you had been here to have enjoyed it with us. I will not attempt to give you an adequate idea of the grandeur of this great event (musically speaking) of our country, but will, in a few days, send you some of our musical journals, that you may revel in the description, though so far away.

I assure you that it has gone beyond all that ever been done before, and the best musicians agree it was what they could not conceive of. You can have no idea of the power of such a sound, or its first effect on hearing it. Do not laugh when I tell you that, for the first two choruses, viz.: "God Save the King," and the " Hallelujah," I fairly cried, or must have fainted only fancy what four thousand (or nearly that number) of picked musicians could achieve ! all animated with & desire to do their utmost to make it go well. Oh! it was a glorious feast! The crispness with which the words came out, the oneness of the staccato passages, the subdued pianos, (like one 'tremendous whisper,) the steadiness of the mighty host, can only be described as marvelous. Fancy an organ occupying more space than most ordinary houses ! its width being forty feet, and its depth thirty ! and yet, from the magnitude of all around, it by no means appeared of such gigantic proportions. It contains eighty-four stops, and has twenty-eight pairs of bellows ! but you are not to suppose that its power (though thought of the expression, "the sound of mighty rushing waters,") was too much for us !

We ladies were on each side and in front of the organ, all in white and on each side were the tenors and the basses, the choruses reaching from the floor to the very roof. We must have been an imposing spectacle to the prodigious multitude assembled to listen ; and it is no less certain that they were to us a very splendid sight.

You remember that the audience always rise when the "Hallelujah" is sung, and I assure you, at that moment I involuntarily thought of the resurrection, but words fail to express the sublimity of the occasion.

The festival began on the 20th, with "The Messiah." The Duchess of Cambridge and the two daughters were in the royal box, but the Queen disappointed us. On Wednesday, the 22d, we did a selection from " Belshazzar," "Saul," "Samson," "Judas Maccabeus," with "The Dessingen Te Deum" On the 24th, the festival closed with that sublime and glorious work, "Israel in Egypt." You should have seen Costa's face of delight; you know of old how hard he is to please. I am told he said afterwards that if his nerves had not been tougher than copper wire, he could not have stood upright, and that he trembled so at first that he could scarcely beat steadily.

Prince Albert and the Princess Alice and Helena were present at the last performance; but no little Vic. It seems she had heard of the death of some old Grand Duchess or other, in Prussia, and the naughty little Queen stopped away in consequence, but we were very loval all the same, and roared out "Long Live the Queen," lustily, can assure you. She has missed her chance, as well as yourself, dear brother; for you will hardly either of you see the next Centenary; but come home and I will endeavour to bewilder you with my binid recollections of this splendid achievement, for it is too much for me with ink and paper.

The Queen sent some curious relics to be exhibited on the oecasion, among others the harpsichord Verdi used nearly all his life, and to which he composed his timehonoured work, the "Anvil of the Blacksmith," which produced the fine melody that has immortalized the worker in iron ; several of the original scores in his hand-writing, (rather hard to decipher, but plainer than those of Beethoven,) and some very curious caricatures of his quarrels with Buononcini, his great Italian rival, but whose works are now not esteemed.

Spare moments are the gold dust of time. the portions of our life, spare moments are the most fruitful in good or evil. They are the gaps through which temptations find the easiest access to the soul.

LIFE may be merry as well as useful. Every person that owns a mouth has always a good opening for a laugh.

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SCENERY OF JAPAN.-The scenery in Japan is grand and lovely ; at least that portion which I visited-the Southern-and it is said to be so throughout the whole Empire. It is, in fact, a grand garden, with here and there an indenture of some arm of the sea, dividing the terraced mountains and blooming valley into shining highways. There is not probably in the whole world another expanse of territory, the abiding place of any one nation or people, which possesses so much fine, grand, picturesque scenery as the Empire of Japan. Never did I see, in all my extended travels over the fair regions of the East, any series of views that would approximate in beauty to those of Southern Japan. The many-hued brightness of the terraced hills and mountains, spreading valleys and flashing waters, revealed pictures fairer by far than Claude ever painted on canvass. There is, I believe, no fairer scenery in the world than the Bay of Yeddo, few more picturesque than the environs of Simoda. One thing adds to the pleasure of the student of nature in gazing upon a landscape in Japan -- the spirit of peace seems to rest like a sacred thing upon its fair bosom. At the season of the year I was there -- August and September -- there was an almost unclouded sky all the time; a light blue haze rested ou sea and land, hill and dale, reminding me of Indian summer in my own land, lending its aid to beautify an already beautiful landscape, and every sound from a distance would come to the ear mellowed and soft, musieal and harmonizing with the wondrous beauties Niphon. Japan might consistently be called a land of stillness, for the harsh sounds incidental to the life of higher civilization are not heard. Life there seems to move on quietly and calmly even conversation is carried on a subsided tone ; the effort of a shout is not called for.

Doubtless, a further insight into the manners and customs of this strange people will reveal latent faults, of whose existence we are now ignorant. Their existence will be made manifest by contaet with foreigners. We now have, in this nineteenth century, the privilege of witnessing an experiment on grand scale. We shall see whether a people already high on the scale of humanity, are to be elevated higher by the process so peculiar known only to this utilitarian nineteenth century. Will they be hoisted to the seventh heaven of political corruption, or will they be cast back into the hell of their seclusion ? Will the vices of civilization bless them, even as their virtues have made them a peculiar and happy people? We shall see.

COSMO DE MEDICIS. Among the great men whom the era of the sixteenth century produced, none possessed more astonishing qualities than Cosmo de Medicis, son of the celebrated Giovanni de Medices, captain of the Black Band. At the early age of twenty he recovered, through his extrordinary perseverance and address alone, the Ducal seat of Florence, which had been founded by his ancestor, Cosmo, the father of his people, and Lorenzo, the parent of letters. In 1547 he became Duke of Florence ; in 1555, Duke of Sienna, and in 1569, Duke of Tuscany; and it was to his personal valour and energy alone, combined with a strong national love of country, that he owed his rapid progress in power. Constantly refusing an alliance with France, although the same was repeatedly offered by his relative, Catherine de Medicis, he united with the Emperor against the French nation. Great vices were, however, mingled with Cosmo's noble qualities, and history pronounces a severe judgment on his character, when she styles him crafty, cruel, and avaricious. In truth, this man, who freed himself from his personal enemies by means of the sword and poison -- who erected a gallows in each quarter of his splendid capital -- and who did not hesitate to lay heavy monopolies on the citizens for the purpose of contributing to his personal pleasures was yet indefatigable in erecting splendid buildings for public utility; became the patron of savans, painters, and poets ; founded the University of Pisa ; and was constantly watchful over the national honour and liberty of Italy.

ANTIQUITY OF SPIRIT RAPPINGS. -Dr. D. J. Magown says that spirit rapping and spirit mediums and circles for keeping up intercourse with Spirits, were common in Ningpo as early as 1344 Abbe Huc, a famous Catholic missionary to China, an author, in his last book, speaking of Ruburk, a Franciscan priest, born in Brabant ubout 1220, who went on a mission to Tartary, says: "It is rather curious, too, that table rapping and table turning were in use in the thirteenth century among the Mongols, in the wilds of Tartary. Ruburk himself witnessed an instance of the kind. On the eve of the ascension, the mother of Margon, feeling very ill, the first soothsayer was summoned for consultation, when he performed some magic by rapping on the table. [Agitator.

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AN OLD BIBLE:--Mr. John Symons exhibits to us a treasured volume, which is worthy of mention with others that have been lately reported in the Courier. It is a Bible, with Psalter, Music, Maps, Tables of Chronology and proper names, &c., &c. The cover contains the inscription : "John Broomhall, his book, 1799, the gift of Mr. William Whitehead."

The first title-page is wanting, as also a portion of an epistle to the "Most Gracious Queen," (Elizabeth.) We next find "a table containing the Cycle of the Sunne, Dominical Letter, Leape Yere, Easter, Rogation Sunday, &c., for 28 yeeres," including 1603.

The title-page of the New Testament reads as follows

"The newe testament of our lord Jesus Christ, conferred diligently with the Greeke and best approved translations in divers languages. Imprinted at London, by Christopher Barker, printer to the Queen's Most excellent majestie, 1582, cum privilegio."

To the New Testament is appended a Table of Proper Names with signification, a Table of Chronology, and an index of "the principal things" contained in the Bible, followed by "A perfit supputation of the yeres and times from Adam unto Christ, prooved by the scriptures and the collection of divers authors," and, as a final motto, the 8th verse of 1st Joshua.

The Psalter which follows, bears the following title: " The whole booke of Psalmes, collected into English meter, by Thomas Sternh, John Hopkins and others, conferred with the Hebrue, with apt notes to sing them withall. Imprinted at London by John Day, eum gratia and privilegio Regia Maiestatis Anan 1578"

This Psalter is now incomplete, closing with the 137th Psalm. - - Charleston Courier.

A CHERUB'S SMILE WILL TAME A SAVAGE.-- The houses of the Cabyle were all but deserted and empty ; the women and children were sent for protection to neighbouring tribes farther removed from the seat of war. In one, a Zouave, mad for plunder, was struck by observing a huge jar of rudely baked earthenware standing in a corner. To rush forward and dash it into pieces with his musket-but was the affair of a second, when, to his, surprise, out rolled a poor little Cabyle child who, forgotten amidst the general confusion and fight, had crept into the jar for shelter. The Zouave raised his musket, but the little cherub smiled on it as sailant as though perfectly at home. The rude Zouave's heart was touched. Perhaps he thought of some far-off home in France, where a brother or sister might be playing in the sunshine like the poor Cabyle child, who smiled unconscious of the threatening musket. Perhaps it was merely his better nature touched by that smile. know not how this was, but I do know that the Zouave, laying down his musket on the ground, secured the child on his back with his turban, and then rushed forward on his way. The poor baby was thus borne through the thickest of the fray, but it seemed to have a charmed life. The balls whistled harmlessly by it ; and though that night the brave Zouave was found lying on his face, with a ball through his brain, the child was asleep and unharmed. It was subsequently adopted by the officers of the regiment, and is yet alive. [ Sketches of Algeria.

"WE LIVE IN DEEDS, AND NOT IN YEARS." -- A pleasant, cheerful, lively, generous, charitable minded woman is never old. Her heart is as young at sixty or seventy as it was at eighteen or twenty ; and they who are old at sixty or seventy, are not made old by time. They are made old by the ravages of passion and feelings of an unsocial, and ungenerous nature, which have cankered their minds, wrinkled their spirits, and withered their souls. They are made old by envy, by jealousy, by hatred, by suspicions, by uncharitable feelings by slandering, scandalizing, ill-bred habits which, if they avoid, they preserve their youth to the very last, so that the child shall die, as the Scriptures say, a hundred years old. There are many old women who pride themselves on being eighteen or twenty. Pride is an old passion, and vanity is grey as the mountains. There are old women who have much of either. They are dry, heartless, dull, cold, indifferent. They want the woll spring of youthful affection, which is always cheerful, always active, always engaged in some labour of love which is calculated to promote and distribute enjoyment. There is an old age of the heart, which is possessed by many who have no suspicion that there is any thing old about them ; and there is a youth which never grows old, a Love who is ever a boy, a Psyche who is ever girl.

SHERIDAN beautifully said: "Women govern us, let us render them perfect the more they are enlightened, so much, the more shall we be. On the cultivation of the mind of women depends the wisdom of men. It is by women that nature writes on the hearts of men."

228 THE COURANT A SOUTHERN LITERARY JOURNAL.

[COLUMN 1] The Courant.

COLUMBIA, S. C., THURSDAY, NOV. 17, 1859.

THE COURANT.

Subscriptions for the Courant will be received at the Bookstore store of Mr. P. B. GLASS, in this City, where single copies can be obtained every week.

The office of the Courant has been removed to No. 144 Richardson Street, over Flanigan's Shoe-Store.

WM. W. WALKER, Jr., & Co.

Sad Accident.

On Saturday afternoon last, our Associate, Mr. W. W. Walker, Jr., accompanied by a young lady, was riding near the Cemetery grounds in a buggy, when the horse took a sudden start, pulling Mr. W. out over the front wheel, and dragging him some distance. He was severely, though not dangerously bruised and hurt, but no bones were broken. The young lady's injuries were more serious; her limb being fractured near the ankle.

"Sentimental Writing."

We have the pleasure of laying before our readers this week another essay from the graceful and vigorous pen of the writer who showed up the humbuggery of the "Autocrat of the Breakfast Table." Since that time, we have published a very noticeable article from the same writer, on "Natual and Moral Law." This production we were pleased to hear praised the other day by one of the best judges of such things about Columbia. Our distinguished friend pronounced the essay alluded to, as an extraordinary piece of writing, and expressed extreme gratification with all of our contributor's articles. We call attention to these points, because anonymous articles, unless spoken of by the editor, are only too apt to be passed by, for some inferior production which bears its author's name. The essay in this issue is an admirable thing, and as such we recommend our readers to give it their attention.

The Fair---Can a Literary Department be Added?

One of the most distinguished of our literary ladies suggested to us, the other day, that we should throw out the hint to the Direction of the Agricultural Society, that a place in the annual Fair be assigned to literary labours. All sorts and conditions of men and women find some prize, within, at least, imagination's grasp; except only the literary folks. The farmer, the planter, the merchant, the artist, the artizan, the mechanic, the industrious house-wife, the ingenious maker of those Penelope-thread-works, all have a place; but the poet, the historian, the essayist, the novelist (now as important as any), have no chance at the Fair, where all work, save written brain-work, finds a possibility for a prize.

Suppose they offer some such list of prizes as the following:

1. For the best poem on a national subject, a handsomely bound copy of Bancroft's History.

2. For the second best poem on a national subject, a copy of Prescott's works.

3. For the best Novel illustrating Southern life and history, one copy of Cooper's Novels.

4. For the best prose essay on the duties of Southern authors, a copy of Calhoun's works.

5. For the best essay on some national historical subject, a copy of Webster's works.

6. For the best essay for common schools, a copy of Sir William Hamilton's essays.

In order that the duties of the Committee might not be too onerous, let the first three be judged by one Committee, and the last three by another.

All this, of course, is merely suggestion, made with the hope that some one who can digest a plan for the Direction of the Fair, will do so; and we shall have not only the splendid architectural, sculptural and pictorial triumphs, not only the horse and chariot-races of the Olympic, Isthmean and Nemean games, but prizes for the rising Pindars, and the rhapsodists, for every Carolina Herodotus who shall awaken the soul of a listening Thuciclydes!

Extraordinary Poetry.

Our neighbour of the Edgefield Advertiser is singularly favoured in the way of poetry. He has not only published some of the sweetest verses that we ever saw in a newspaper—the compositions, we believe, of Edgefield ladies—but he has a correspondent who gets on the other extreme, and indulges in a very amazing bathos. Hear our contemporary:

"THE GREAT CRUSADE.—A correspondent, 'B.' sends an effusion on Temperance under the foregoing caption. Two or three of his stanzas are bearable, while the rest are altogether abominable, both in language and construction. As a specimen of his artistic skill in playing upon a name, we transcribe the concluding half of his last verse. Read and admire:

"Join, then, in our great crusade— Belt on the bright and lambent blade.— Oh! kneel and pledge eternal aid To the Great Cause."

The Knickerbocker for November contains a most pathetically beautiful poem by the great TENNYSON, called the "Grandmother's Apology." We shall reproduce it for our readers ere long.

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The Atlantic Monthly.

Our Veteran Bard.

By some mischance we omitted to say that the Atlantic had changed hands. After the death of Mr. PHILLIPS, it was sold to the well-know publishers, TICKNOR & FIELDS, of Boston. The November number comes to us freighted as usual with all the varieties of good thing. The new proprietors, in assuming the controul of the "Atlantic Monthly." state that "the Magazine will be conducted upon the same general plan as heretofore. It will be their aim that, under its new management, the Magazine shall not fall short of it present high standard of excellence; and they would bespeak a continuance of the liberal patronage which has hitherto been accorded to it, all which is the best proof of the public appreciation of its merits."

The Saturday Press says: "We are informed that a new American opera, founded upon Mr. Longfellow's Miles Standish, will soon be produced in this city. The music is by Mr. Kielblock, the libretto by Mr. C Congdon, of the Tribune."

What a foundation, to be sure! That wretched milk-and-water stuff "the foundation" of an opera! Surely the superstructure will have to be exceeding light and airy, or it must break down. Quaere, docs WHIPPLE consider "Miles Standish" a great epic poem, as he did Hiawatha?

"Out of Space and out of Time."

Our friend of the New York Freeman's Journal says:

"LECTURES ON POLITICS.—The celebrated Dr. Lieber is delivering a course of lectures on 'politics,' at Columbia, South Carolina. The Courant, published in that place, contains part of his first lecture in its last number, and promises the remainder. These lectures cannot fail to be of interest."

Now, my dear sir, that lecture was delivered in New York, printed there in the Century (which might very well be called the Eleventh century, if that was the darkest of dark ages), and copied by us from that journal. It is the first of Dr. LIEBER'S lectures before the students of Columbian College, in your great metropolis. We have lost the illustrious Doctor, and New York has the gain.

"The Diamond Wedding."

What a ridiculous affair the great excitement of the OVIEDO-BARTLETT marriage has come to be! A Mr. STEDMAN, with true Yankee, or, what is worse, New York impudence, got off a poem on the subject, and said many silly things, and a very few sharp ones. Now, old Mr. BARTLETT waxes furious, and sends STEDMAN a furious letter, which the latter, in his alarm, regarded as a challenge; when, lo! in the course of the correspondence it came out that it was no challenge at all, but simply intended to inform Mr. STEDMAN that he was going to be "taken to court" to pay old BARTLETT rare damages.

"But the farce does not end here. Bennett, the immaculate, the sainted Bennett, comes out in a riduculous article under the caption of 'Scurrilous Literature in the Metropolis,' recommending Bartlett to appeal to a Grand Jury, get Stedman indicted, have him tried at the Sessions, so that he may 'spend a few months in the penitentiary, employed in some honest labour, which could not fail to exert the most salutary effect on his diseased mind, and afford a healthy example to fellows of the same school, who disgrace our periodical and newspaper literature.' It takes your veteran offender, who systematically assists in 'disgracing our periodical and newspaper literature,' to recommend severe measures with honester men. If Bennett had been judged by the rule he lays down for the punishment of Stedman, Sing-Sing would not have yet delivered up the convict. Talk of 'scurrilous literature.' The files of his paper reek with scurrility."—N. O. True Delta.

American Women.

Below is an admirable slap at all of our female relations throughout this lazy South. The Yankee ladies, as a general rule, do not come under this ban: they buy provisions,—and drive "sharp bargains" at it, too,—but they do not allow them to be wasted by bad cooking; they superintend the work themselves. Our Southern women, it must be confessed, are not half so tidy and methodical in house-keeping; and, withal, they read far more, and enjoy life far better, at the North. It is astonishing how dyspepsia and its kindred ailments disappear when a woman gets to taking some exercise and some interest in her household.

The high culture joined with the admirable industry of the German women, is, however, a standing reproach to all our complaining, ease-loving women.

MOORE'S Rural New Yorker, commenting on this matter, says:

"In Germany, where, certainly, intellect and literary acquirement's are preeminent, the ladies, even among the noble, spend the early part of each day in their kitchens, which are fitted up with the most scrupulous order and elegance, so that they can allow a friend to see them so occupied. In France, every lady understands the mysteries of the cuisine, and with a small furnace filled with charcoal, a frying-pan and a skillet will perform miracles of cooking. In England, the servants are kept for years; a good servant considers her interest identified with that of the family with whom she resides, and seldom changes. This promotes an attachment between them which is frequently preserved for generations, and the families of the same domestics will, for successive generations, live with the same families. How is it with the United States? The young ladies are most generally brought up with no culture. Their habits are indolent, as regards bodily exertion, and they think making any exertion degrading. This being the case, they are thrown completely in the power of a class who are at once promoted to the office of regulators and arbiters at home."

[COLUMN 3]

Our Veteran Bard.

We are pleased to see the following high and well-merited compliment paid to our poet of "Chicora" and the "Hireling and Slave," in the Edgefield Advertiser's Charleston correspondence. "CLAUDE" is behaving vastly well:

"Mr. Grayson, after serving his constituency long and faithfully in Congress, and the government for twelve years as collector of this port, retired some years ago from public life, and has since devoted himself earnestly to studies and pursuits more adapted to his highly cultivated tastes and feelings. His able and powerful contributions to the 'Southern Quarterly Reiew,' long ago marked him as one of the most efficient champions of the South and her institutions ever enlisted in her defence; and his more recent essays have given him a high place in the affection and confidence of his fellow-citizens. Although at an advanced age, his ever-ready pen is still active in the field of literature, and from the seclusion of his study are continually coming forth fresh contributions to the literature of the day, which have added materially in dignifying and adorning its pages and elevating its standard of taste and purity. He will probably continue to write while life lasts—a genuine labour of love—for which the good he will confer upon society will be his only remuneration. He is still a hard student, and though not very robust-looking in body, enjoys a good share of health and spirit."

Eutaw Monument.

There seems to be a very general waking up on the subject of national monuments. All the glorious battle-fields of our war of Independence should have, not only a semi-occasional exercise of target-shooting, for a ''celebration," but ineffaceable monuments, to commemorate the event to all future times. Are not the battle-fields where our forefathers bled as holy as the place where were traced the world-known words

"'Ω' Ȩeiv' άγγeiλov."

We trust that the Eutaw Monument will be built. The Charleston Courier says:

"EUTAW MONUMENT ASSOCIATION .—General James Jones, of Columbia (Commissioner of the new State House, and formerly Adjutant-General), has presented two plans or designs for the consideration of the Eutaw Monument Association. Both plans have strong merits in adaptation to the end proposed, and it is probable that one will be adopted.

"Meanwhile we invite the attention and cooperation of our exchanges, and of the military, to the objects of this Association.

"lt is desired to ascertain a correct list of all the officers engaged at Eutaw, for the purpose of recording their names; and this is no easy matter, from the fact that many officers who did noble service there were partisans without continental commission, and consequently without technical rank. The conflicts and discrepancies of the historical accounts also increase the difficulty."

Carolina Female Artists.

We extract the following notices from MRS. ELLET'S new book —" Women Artists in all Ages and Countries." She mentions here some of the gifted artist-daughters of our State:

"Julia du Pré, a native of Charleston, South Carolina, was educated at Mrs. Willard's school in Troy, New York. On leaving the school, she accompanied her mother and sister to Paris. Mrs. du Pré wished to cultivate to the utmost her daughter's talents for music and painting, and gave her the advantage of the best foreign masters. They had been three years in France when a sudden reverse deprived them of their ample fortune: yet, with reduced means, they remained a year longer, that Julia might devote herself to the study of painting in oil. On their return to Charleston, Mrs. du Pré and her daughters opened a school for young ladies, which was attended with success. The continual occupation of teaching, however, deprived Julia of time and opportunity for the severe study necessary to perfect herself in the art to which she had wished to devote her life. Every hour of leisure she could command was given to portrait painting, and to making copies of admired works. Many of these were executed with great skill, and drew praise from Sully and other eminent critics. One of her best portraits is that of Count Alfred de Vigny, who had been intimate with her family during their residence in Paris. Miss du Pré also made a fine copy from Parmegiano, of a Virgin and Child, and a Dido on the Funeral Pile, from Giulio Romano. These, and other paintings, gained her considerable repute as an artist. She married Henry Bonnetheau, a miniature-painter of acknowledged merit, and continues to reside in Charleston. She spent the summer of 1859 in Paris, for the sake of improving herself in pastel-painting, and has lately finished some exquisite works in that style. "The Love-Letter," in the possession of her brother-in-law, Dr. Dickson, of Philadelphia, 'The Liasons,' and 'L'Espagnole,' have been highly praised among these. Mrs. Bonnetheau's gifts are crowned with the loveliest traits of woman's character. She is esteemed and beloved by a large circle of friends in Charleston, among whom are some of the best educated men in this country.

"The Misses Withers, of Charleston, South Carolina, paint in oil and water colours, and cut cameos with much ability and skill. They have also modeled groups and figures with success, and are devoted to these branches of art.

"Mrs. Charlotte Cheves is an amateur artist who might have gained celebrity had her life been given to the study of painting. She was Miss M'Cord, and was born in Columbia, South Carolina. She married Mr. Langdon Cheves, and resides on his rice plantation nearly opposite Savannah. She paints miniatures on ivory, some of them excellent likenesses, and finished with great delicacy. She has also painted pictures in oil, and excels in pastels and pencil-sketches. She is a musician, too, and possesses a very fine voice.

"Ellen Cooper, the youngest daughter of the celebrated Dr. Thomas Cooper, was a native of Columbia, South Carolina. She had a fine taste and much skill in painting and ornamental work, and was remarkable for intellectual culture and knowledge of general literature. She lived some years in Mobile, with her sister, and there married Mr. James Hanna, who took

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her to reside on his sugar plantation near Thibodeaux, in Louisiana. She died in October, 1958. Her sister is one of the most accomplished amateur artists in the Southern States."

Was Bunyan a Thief? A London writer says: "An extraordinary statement is in circulation respecting Bunyan's Pilfrim's Progress, which is neither more nor less than that this celebrated work was not written by John Bunyan, but that the entire story is made up from an ancient manuscript. Miss CATHERINE ISABELLA CURT has published a translation from a French manuscript in the British Museum, of the Pylegremage of the Sowle, by G. DE GUILEVILLE, a Churchman who flourished in the fifteenth century. A translation of the original work was printed by CAXTON in 1483, a Bunyan's Pilgrim's Porgress is said to be nearly a verbatim copy of this extremely rare book. A recent comparison of the two works, however, has been made, and the resemblance between the two books is not such that the charge can be proved—as might have been expected."

We take the following from the Philadelphia Bulletin. There are some points of interest in this controversy :

THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS. Attempts have frequently been made to rob Shakespeare, Scott, Coleridge, Jefferson, Washington and hundred of other great men of their reputation, but they invariably fail. Even American Vespucius, the most successful plagarist of whom we can think just now, did not succeed in robbing Columbus of a jot or title of his fame ; nor has De Quincey hurt Coleridge. The latest attempt at defacing a reputation is thus started in the Courier Des Etats Unis : "There is not in Great Britain a more remarkable book than 'Pilgrim's Progress.' It is a sort of Telemachus of Protestant religious literature, and is more highly esteemed by the English than Fenelon's chef d'oeuvre. Hitherto this work has been attributed to John Bunyan. But a young woman, named Catherine Isabella Curt, has just published in London a translation of an old French manuscript in the British Museum which is almost word for word, Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. The manuscript is the work of a clergyman, G. Guileville, who lived in the fifteenth century. Its title, in Norman English, is Pylegremage of the Sowle. The printer, Caxton, who occupied the same position in London as the Etiennes in Paris, published in 1483 a translation of this manuscript, of which the authenticity appears incontestible. It would seem, therefore, that the credit of this celebrated book belongs to France, although France hitherto has shewn less appreciation of the original than England has bestowed on the copy."

A correspondent of the Pittsburg Dispatch shews that the idea of the young lady of antiquarian tates is an old one, and that the breath ought long since to have left its body:

"The following extract from 'Johnson's Typographia, or Printer's Instructors,' (London, 1824,) will throw some light on the queries made in the Dispatch of October 26th, and will shew that it is not by any means a new idea, that Bunyan had probaby read, and perhaps, in some respects, borrowed hints from that rare old work, 'The Pilgrimage of the South.' But that the 'Pilgrim's Progress' is 'nearly a vertabtim copy' of that book, is rather a startling assertion, almost as startling and absurd as the late attempts to prove that Shakespeare did not write the plays that bear his name! And now they want to 'flich' from the glorious old Tinker all the honour due to his memory! Well might we protest against such baseless theories, and (slightly altering the language) exclaim, with a recent enthusiastic defender of 'Sweet Will,' I have seen him chipped mauled, befribbled and overdone, and I have heard shouts against his ignorance of Greek; but never thought that and Englishwoman would try to prove that eh was a swindler, a thief, a jackdaw, and died in the odour of sanctity, the pilferer of Guileville. Have we no literary police—no pen jealous of the honour of out immortal allegorist? Oh, for an hour of the giant Christopher North ! Oh, for some swashing blows of his rhetorical cudgel to crush this absurd theory.' But to the extract :

" 'The Pylegremage of the Sowle, translated out of the Frensche into the Englishe, &c. Emprynted at Westmestre, by William Caxton, &c. 1483. Folio.'

"This work is divided into five books : the first teateth of the soul from its departure out of the body to its being sentenced to purgatory. The second, of the soul being brought to purgatory : these contain sixty-five chapters. The third, of an angel shewing the soul hell, and describing the pains thereof by the causes ; ten chapters. The fourth, of the green treet and the dry, and by the other wonderful sights ; thirty-eight chapters. The fifth, of the soul taken out of purgatory, and led up through the Heavenly spheres, with a description thereof, and of the calendar of Heaven, &c. ; fourteen chapters. Mr. Dibdin is of opinion that this work, and not 'Bernard's Isle of Man,' laid the foundation of John Bunyan's 'Pilgrim's Progress.' It is a curious work, and full of devout matter touching the soul. Caxton has not given the name of the translator : his colophon begins thus ; 'Here endeth the dreme of pylgremage of the sowle,' &c. The work is comprised in one hundred and ten leaves, numbered with running titles, in which are twelve poems or songs, upon religious subjects. Vol. I., p. 174-5.

"In a table, or list of Caxton's books, at page 269 of the same volume, the work is said to be of the fourth degree of rarity (six being the highest degree). it will be seen by the above extract that Dibdin, 'Bibliomaniac' Dibdin, has altogether distance Miss Curt in the matter, at least so far as time is concerned. Allibone (article 'Bunyan') notices the fact that it has been surmised by some that Bunyan took a 'hint' from Bernard's 'Isle of Man ; or, legal proceedings in Manshire against Sin,' (1627), and by others tha some of his ideas were borrowed from 'Carthemany's Voyage of the Wandering Knight.' It seems from the accounts of Dibdin, Warton, and others, that Lydgate, the 'Monk of Bury,' translated the 'Pylegremage' into 'Englishe.'

"After all, the probability is that Bunyan never saw or heard of Guillaume de Guileville's quaint work ; or if we did, that he borrowed no more from it than Shakespeare did from the Italian

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and French authors, or than Defoe did from the narrative of 'Alexander Selkirk.' The skeleton, the 'dry bones,' may perhaps have been on hand, but it required a master spirit to 'breathe' upon them to make those dry bones ' live. J. G."

Good for J. G. Let us hold on to every thing we can prove true, though stern necessity forces us to allow such rude knvaes as Neibuhr to knocl our romances of the elder time about the sconce with their dirty shovels! Even if Shakespeare had read a thousand legands, would that make the tender purity of Miranda less his own divine creation, or the splendour of Coriolanus less emblazoned with gold from his own mint, or the imaginings of Hamlet the less his own expression of the equestionings which fillw the soul of universal humanity? To Bunyan was granted the pale poetic pearl, and its serene rays streamed from his lonely call. Had Providence granted the same genius to M. de Guileville, the light would have been traced to him direct as star-rays, and the world have praised his glorious imaginings even as they have honoured those of Bunyan.

LITERARY NOTICE. —

"POEMS : BY SUSAN ARCHER TALLEY. New York: Rudd & Carleton, 130 Grand Street. M D CCC LIX."

We have had occasion several times, of late, to mention the name, or the nominis umbra, rather, of MISS TALLEY. She has not, as far as we know, published any books before, but she was highly praised by Dr. GRISWOLD, in his "Female Poets of America," and received some very high compliments from the critic who, of all his race, was the last man to bestow an idle compliment : we mean EDGAR POE. Speaking of Dr. GRISWOLD'S taste, as well as courage in braving the cliques, when he assigned so high a place to several of our Female Poerts, POE says, "He has not, however, done one or two of them that full justice, which, ere long, the public will take upon itself the task of rendering them. We allude especially to the case of MISS TALLEY. MR. GRISWOLD praises her highly, and we would admit that it would be expecting of him too much, just at present, to hope for his avowing, of MISS TALEY, what we think of her, and what one of our best-known critics has distinctly avowed—that she already ranks with the best of American poetesses, and in time will surpeass them all—that her demerits are those of inexperience and exessive sensibility (betraying her unconsciously into imitation), while her merits are those of unmistakable genius." (The italics in the last paragraph of foregoing quotation are ours, except the last word.)

A little farther down, he says : "In point of actual merit— that is to say, of actual accomplishment, without reference to mere indications of the ability to accomplish—we would rank the first dozen or so in the order, (leaving out Mrs. Brooks for the present.) Miss Osgood—very decidedly first—then Mrs. Welby, Miss Carey (or the MISSES Carey), Miss TALLEY. Mrs. Whitman, Miss Osgood, Miss TALLEY, and Miss Fuller." (Vol. 3, 290, et seq.) This is certainly very high praise, and, as a matter of course, the world will expect something very rare and wonderful in Miss TALLEY'S volume of peoms. As it almost invariably happens, when we expect much, we are most apt to be most bitterly disappointed. We must confess that we have experienced a slight disappointment in reading of this volume : but it lasted only while we read with the recollection of POE'S somewhat extravagent praise; as soon as we divested ourself of that, and read the book as if we had never heard of the author, we found much to justify the opinion of the critics who had praised her so highly. Such a loud and continuous blast of trumpets in advance, kept up for years (for every body reads POE and the "Female Poets"), has been a serious disadvantage to the book : every body, instead of geeting ready to be pleased, touched, and made better by this unpretending book of songs, looked out for a miracle, and expected things wich, of course, could not be realized ; looking for flights higher than HEMANS, or BROWNING, or OSGOOD ever made.

POE, with his usual penetration, perceived very clearly the chief defect of MISS TALLEY's poetry, to wit: Imitation. He very charitably charges it to "inexperience and excessive sensibility." The first poem in this collection, exhibits in a very striking manner, all the peculiar powers of the author, and at the same time, the most noticeable of the defects of her style. "Ennerslie" is a dark, weirdly song of Doom ; and the poetess shews her strength in a remarkable manner, in the dreamy pictures of the grim old place where

"Never a boat doth pass that way, Never is heard a carol gay, Nor doth a weary pilgrim stray Down by haunted Ennerslie."

This horrible place contains a doom-stricken lord, who is very miserable there all alone. Then come the following lines, which speak for themselves :

"In a niche within the wall, Where the shadows deepest fall, Like a coffin and a pall,— Gloomily—gloomily— Sits a ghostly owl, and grey, That there hath sat for many a day, And motionless doth gaze alway Upon the Lord of Ennerslie.

"Gazeth with its spectral eyes Ever in a weird suprise, Like some demon in disguise Steadily—steadily :

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And close beside that haunted nook Bendeth o'er an open book With a wan and weary look, The pale young Lord of Ennerslie."

"Gildeth on by Ellesmaire, Where doth dwell a lady fair With violet eyes and golden hair, Lonesomely—lonesomely ; At the window's height alway, She weaves a scarf to colors gay, And in the distance, grim and gray, She seëth haunted Ennerslie.

"Sitting in her lonely room Once, amid the twilight gloom, Bending o'er her fairy loom, Wearily—wearily, She heareth music, sweet and low— It is a song she well doth know— She used to sing it long ago ; It cometh up from Ennerslie.

"Carelessly he passed along The drooping willow shades among, Singing still the plaintive son Mournfully—mournfully : Upon her hand she leant her head, She mused until day was dead, 'Oh he was pale and sad, she said, 'And it is lone at Ennerslie.' "

But the scenerty changes ; a beautiful lady at Ellesmair, much after the fashion of Tennyson's "Lady of Shallott," gets to pining for the pale lord of Ennerslie, and the last, having prevailed on her old nurse to tell her of the curse of Ennerslie, she discovers that the hereditary madness could be cured by a maiden who, for love's sake, would dare to risk her own life. The new "Lady of Shallott" goes floating down the stream, the young lord rushes out when he spies her ; but she was cold and dead, and the fated youth cries out, "Oh, God, the curse is on me!" and the curtain falls.

We have signled out this poem in order to call the attention of our readers to the very palpable, although perhaps entirely unconscious imitation of "the Raven" in the first part of the poem, and of the "Lady of Shallott" in the last part, with Mrs. BROWNING'S manner throughout. It is impossible, however, to read this singular production without a profound sentiment of the power of the writer. It shines every where, and although the resemblances to the two poems above mentioned are unpleasantly strong, still you cannot feel that it is plagarism, nor even wilful imitation. It seems rather like a coincidence in thoughts than a grand larceny of them.

The other poems of the book which are remarkable, are "Madonna," "The Lady of Lodee," (although this latter is much after Teenyson's "Sisters," with their "earl was fair to see.") " Cloistered " has some good points ; "Airley," which is a most beautiful Scotch Ballard, and not unworthy the pen of the Ettrick Shepherd ; "Guy de Mayne," which has many fine fancies; and "Rest," a very sweet, plantive dirge. We had made out a pretty long list of imitations in this volume, but as they do not mar the poems sufficiently to cause them to lose their effect, we shall not trouble our readers with the entire catalogue ; but will only call attention to a few to shew how utterly unconscious the author is of her having so closely followed others.

On page 20, she has taken entire Longfellow's "Like some old poet's rhyme." In the "Land of Dreams" we alost hear parts of Poe's "Valley of Unrest," and the lines on p. 39, beginning "Spirits of the long-departed," have the same ring as Longfellow's "Footsteps of Angels."— On page 119, "The Dying Year" is just a mixture of Tennyson's "Death of the old Year," and Longfellow's "Midnight Mass for the dying year." At p. 154, "Herondale" begins in a very original style, but lapses into striking resemblances to "Locksley Hall ;" as, for example, the two first lines on p. 160. It seems queer to use that Miss TALLEY should have allowed such a line as this (p. 149), "How soars the others to empyrean heights." The accent of empyrean is on the penult, and not as she has it, empyr-rean.

After so much fault-finding, we shall quote a few of the characteristics passages of the work :

"And slowly fading, melt away Into a twilight gleam— As softly glides a pleasant though That deepens to a dream."

"How beautiful thou art! How beautiful—as if in thee All we may deem of good and fair That woman hath been, and should be,— In mind and heart, in form and face, In outer charm and inner grace, In nature's pure simplicity,— Were brightly imaged there."