Current:

Leader (1850-1860), 18th December 1858, Edition 2 of 2, Page 13, II AN WORTH. Ilanworth. J- W. Parker and...

Page 13
Page 13
13 of 32

On this page

  • Departments (1)
    • $\\\t ^ ^ Ult ^liU..
  • Text (9)
  • Transcript

    • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

      Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

      No. 456, December 18,Jls58.] ._ _ T H E ...

      No . 456 , December 18 , JLS 58 . ] . _ _ T H E , '" _ . LJE A I ) JtTR . _ 1381

      The Post-Office Directory. The Post-Offi...

      THE POST-OFFICE DIRECTORY . The Post-office Directory for 1859 . Kelly and Co . One often hears it observed that if it were desirable to impress a foreigner or rustic with a proper idea of the vastness and importance of London , he should be taken a balloon journey over it , transported on to some pinnacle of St . Paul ' s , or set adrift , like a cork in " a torrent , at the confluence of dinner-bound citizens , who turn the Poultry and the Mansion , house into a human ant-hill about five p . m . Some ¦ would take the victim they patriotically desired to bewilder down the Thames , and oblivious of the hate-engendering filth and smoke , point triumphantly to the ships , the steamers , and the piles of

      warehouses . This last is perhaps the most ordinary method adopted by Cockneys in fine weather to put their country friends out o f conceit with everything but London ; but for dull , cold , murky December use , commend us to a new copy of the Post-office Directory . For might we not so prove to him , without risk of rheumatism , or much-dreaded . /? uafjctt depoitrifie , how our peop le are as the sands of the sea—how vast are the wants we supply for ourselves and for others—how many are our dwellings—how infinitely more various our merchandise than that of other cities . Might we not , if arithmetically bent , and out of a situation , nail that miserable stranger to the table , compel clouds over him with strong

      Virginia , instead of the mild cigarette of his predilection , and flashing Geneva through the gloom , instead of eau' sucree , show him how many girdles round the earth could be made out of the aggregate length of the people here—how many times they would reach to the moon—how much money they might be worth in a lump—how loud would be the conglomerate roar of the hecatombs they eat at Christmas—how deep the lake of beer they drank ? Should we not thus effectually stupify , stultify , and everlastingly shut up the said foreigner by aid of the Post-office Directory ? But again another use occurs to us . Kusticus , who in the course of a long railway ride from Cornwall or Caithness , low

      has been reduced to an apathetic or , nervous state by the constant perusal of Bradshaw and other railway influences , should , after the internal application of warm restorative steak and port , be supplied in a quiet corner of some coffee-room with this monster sedative . The painful sense of endless , hurried going and coming , shooting and shunting , to-ing and fro-ing over immense spaces , of great engines and trains dragging , comparatively speaking , a few little inconsiderable people , would soon , by its help , be sponged from the mirror of his brain , lie might then experience a gratifying consciousness of being embedded and cemented into a mass of humanity , of having people to lean upon in case of need , of having a position in the vastest sheaf of which

      arrows or fagot of sticks in . the world , from - , notwithstanding its size and the infinite number of its components , he could not , once implanted , be missed four-and-twenty hours without being inquired after . If , after thoroughly losing his way in the paradoxical maze of thought suggested , and tracing his route from Blackwall to Putney , so as to take in the Elephant and Castle and the British Museum , our traveller found that even the confusion made by Rowland Hill and D'Iffanger , jun ., in the King ' s-road , the New-road , and all the Albert , A him , and Victoria-streets of London was cleared up by the Leviftthan handbook , or armbook , before him , can we wonder that ho should drop his innocent head * upon its soothing pages and owe them happy slumber ?

      The Directory has now attained the bulk of 2370 pages : how many addresses it gives , for how many people , and how many for onoh , is , of course , a mystery ; but they arp ns the sands of tho son . It wns considered , a year or two ago , to bo perfect . It should he , by this time ;' preterplupcrfect ; but wo dare hardly say this , lest , perchanco , wo bo short of an expletive next year . It has , in truth , been difficult for the proprietors to invent now charms for the blushing annual , but they have succeeded . They have carefully sorted stockbrokers of the Stock Exchange from others ; have indicated , as much us possible , all chemists who nro members of tho Pharmacoutical Society , and all surgeons who are

      members of tho college ; and have detached the map from tho body of the work , which i * a notable convenience . In conclusion , we may briefly sum up tho merits of tho London Poat-qfflca Directory by calling it , not the vade mecttm by any monna , but tho Decua et Tutamcn of all Cooknoys at homo , country folks in town , and commercial people everywhere . It is onu of the jollioat of our Christmas visitors , always rosy and nlw . oya getting stouter . May its shadow never bo Ions , for that shadow is but a meusuro of tho increase and prosperity of Goiskaigno . May its viBits ncvor drop off , for wo regard thorn as an institution that wo could not oxpaut long to survive , and we huvo a particular interest in living to receive then ) .

      Almje Matres. Alma Afatres. By Megathym ...

      ALMJE MATRES . Alma Afatres . By Megathym Splene , Esq ., B . A . Edinburgh ; Hogg and Son . The writer of this book evidently knows his subject well and practically . We think , however , he has Keen more disposed to look for- spots on the sun rather than to fix his regards on the sun itself . The work has reference to one of the great questions of the day , the education system , arid it will do something towards helping forward that educational reform movement which is now in progress . The writer , we should infer , is evidently personally conversant with university life both at Oxford and Cambridge . He takes the reader step by step through first

      the whole of the university process , from the day of matriculation to the last , the training and the examination for the " great go . " W e have vividly placed before us all the varieties—and they are endless—of college inner life , and certainly the picture is not very bright or tempting , however faithful it may be , taken as it is from a particular point of view . One object of the work is to point out what reforms are still wanted to make our universities what they ought to be as the highest educational institutions in the kingdom . Among the minor reforms alleged to be needed are " a resident chancellor , a different class of visitors , and a power of appeal to undergraduates . " In the catalogue of graver reforms are to be found an entire remodelling of the educational system and of the examination routine . A comthe universities

      parison is drawn between German and the English to the disadvantage of tho latter . We cannot help thinking that the author has been somewhat biased in favour of the continental system . We'have heard those who have tested both , and who are well qualified to offer an authoritative opinion , give utterance to a decidedly opposite conclusion . But this kind of comparison has nothing to do with the question of whether our universities require further reforms . We trust the pictures of Oxford and Cambridge life given in this work are not to be received as rules but as exceptions . If we could put entire faith in them , we should at once call upon the Government to suppress the college system as a public nuisance . The book contains a good deal of useful information , and many of the suggestions are quite worthy of serious consideration .

      Struggles In Falling. Struggles In Falli...

      STRUGGLES IN FALLING . Struggles in Falling . By Henry J . Lester . Richard Bcntley . "Vv * e have been fairly perplexed with this novel . We find it difficult , if not impossible , to assign to it its proper plaue in works of fiction . It combines the romantic , the marvellous , the melodramatic * , and the prosaic , in a somewhat ultra and unusual way , and thus produces anomalies in situations , in persons , and incidents , that are sure to shock the sense of " fitness" in the minds of" the least disciplined reader . We have mesmerism pressed into the service . We have an individual familiarly introduced into Bociety who is a sort of bete noire ; he is

      gifted with an " evil eye , " by the aid of which he effects all sorts of diablerie ; he succeeds in killing by inches a veritable man-of-war ' s man , a lieutenant in the British Navy ; winning the heart of a beauty , and then killing her off in the way in which he disposed of the tar . The hero , Henry Vesci , is somewhat of a curiosity of his kind . He is inveiyled into a Scotch marriage " unbeknown * , " as tho Irish would say ; he will huvo nothing to say to hia Scotch wifu , but leaves Scotland after settling half his income on her . Ho then becomes acquainted with Agnes Delmivr , a beautiful little fairy . Ho becomes desperately in love with her , and this love is warmly reciprocated , A declaration of mutual attachment is made as they arc about to fall down a precipice together . Tho fall takes place , but tlio lady escapes comparatively unscathed , while the gentleman is all

      but smashed , lie recovers , and in a short tune is set upon his legs sound in wind and limb . He informs Agues of his misalliance , and a good deal of passionate but improbable sentiment is exchanged . Agnos , after many heart-trials , at last consents to mnrry a suitor . On tho night before tho wedding she is carried oiT by Vesci and seduced . She dies miserably , just at a time , however , when her seducer was in a condition to make an honest womitn of her , his Scotch wife having suddenly died . Mr . Lester tulb ua at tho conclusion that at soino future duy his pon will possibly resume the history hero broken off . Wo prefer to wait for tho conclusion , aa tho now contribution may , perhaps , induce us to say something different to what wo should say , did wo consider tho eccentric but talented production before us was all that wo should have .

      Ii An Worth. Ilanworth. J- W. Parker And...

      II AN WORTH . Ilanworth . J- W . Parker and Son , Tms talo originally appeared in Fraeer ' a Magazine . Its merit fully entitles it to be reproduced In its present complete form . Tho most prominent

      characters in the drama are Edith Somers , Margaret Ramsay ,, and Lord Hanworlh . Margaret Kauisay , beautiful and rich , is secretly attached to Lord Ilanworth . Lord Hamvorth is smitten with Edith Somers , handsome and portionless ; and Edith Somers has given her heart to Charles Stirling , a worthy man , holding only a small Government appointment . The interest of the story is concentrated round these personages , and is made to depend on the mistakes committed by each and all before the real state of hearts shall have developed themselves . There are

      other individuals introduced , who , though they produce no very strong action on the plot or catastrophe , serve to diversify very agreeably and naturally the various scenes , and to place the descriptive and discriminating powers of the author in a very favourable light . The character of the spiteful , but polished , Lady Allerton ^ -the witty a nd cynical , yet kind-hearted , Vernon—the author Charlton—the pompous Sir Simon Howell—have all individualities of their own , and display , on the part of the author , no mean insight into life and chara cter as found in what may be termed good society .

      The Two Mottoes. The Two Mottoes. By The...

      THE TWO MOTTOES . The Two Mottoes . By the Author of u Summerleigh Manor . " " J- "W * . Parker and Son . A domestic tale is covered by The Two Mottoes . Dr . Aytoun has two children , Hector and Emmeline . He is of violent temper , but not of bad disposition . His son is violent also , and misunderstands his father . The daughter is gentle and timid , and does not fully comprehend her father ' s true disposition until after domestic calamities have unveiled it .

      Hector , enraged at his father ' s violence , runs from home , and goes to sea . Dr . Aytoun is seized some time after with paralysis , and then it is that his daughter ' s lovins nature shines out , and at last subdues her afflicted parent to the exercise of fatherly love and confidence . Hector hears of his father ' s illness , and also of his changed nature . He hurries home , and receives his parent ' s blessing with his parent ' s dying breath . The tale is nicely told , and will excite a quiet interest to the end .

      Arithmetic For Beginners. By Cornwall An...

      Arithmetic for Beginners . By Cornwall and Fitch . ( Siinpkin , Marshall , and Co ) . —They are nothing less than-public benefactors who lighten the labours and terrors of childhood when first introduced to the mysteries of numbers . The great want of ordinary arithmetical works , however elementary in their pretensions , is the want of sufficiently clear explanations . This little work proposes to remedy that disadvantage by the aid of copious explanatory examples , and certainly a glance into its method and arrangement will show that the authors have done their best to ensure success . The Calamities and Quarrels of Authors . By I . D'lsracli . New Edition . ( Uoutledge and Co . )— A fit companion to the " Curiosities of Literature , " and a work that no library , public or private , ought to be without .

      $\\\T ^ ^ Ult ^Liu..

      fvxt Slrts .

      New Publications. Messijs. Rowney And Co...

      NEW PUBLICATIONS . Messijs . Rowney and Co ., whose colours in chroino-lithogrnphy have justly attained such a high reputation , have recently nddeil some admirable specimens to their scries , from works by Wolf , rickersgill , Fyne , Alfred Clint , Goodall , ami last , not loast , that lino old hand , David Cox ; the effects achieved in theso works , by means of successive paintings in various colours , arc truly marvellous ; and a srrcater test of tlieir sterling character could

      hardly be wished than is found in the versions produced in the " 0 } d Funernire , " the Ulysses and . the Syrens , urid others of Turner ' s masterpieces . Although the niceties of brush-handling , which we admire in great masters , are not to be obtained by tho process employed , all that results from the judicious combination of colours is successfully realised by it . Messrs . Itowney mid Co . have recently opened a gallery Tor the exhibition of a Jong scries of works after English artists produced by _ this method—and a most interesting display it is , creditable , in every respect , to tho nil nnd enter . where tins col

      prise of the country . In the room - lection is oxhibitod , the proprietors also show some specimens of their proeoss culled diajihttnie , or imitation of Btaiucd irfuss , which is now much used for the ornamentation of cliurcliau < l onol windows . The effect of this process is that of groat richness and fulness of tone , combined wil . li an admirably transparent ; medium . A . largo picture ot " Tho Immaculate Conception , " with the Virgin , hfo-sizo , surrounded by clouds , groups of cherubs , enriched with wreaths of llowors , at hor foot ,, is a striking objcot in tho now gallery just opened . , Messrs . Jb ' orcs , of Piccadilly , havo just published

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 18, 1858, page 13, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_18121858/page/13/