- , '.'"."i.
ig!iri
00 T HE R M; W OS It Y P'OgT
202
full ! and he died, perfectly eonTmced at par
ad itself would b g'ad . commg. .
The celebrated Danger, was f hef to . the
celebrated financier Grlmode laKe
i . nrv. Grimaud died a martyr to his
we las wju v ,. .
eoicurean tastes. He aimng ou
lies grat, when he allowed his appetite to
digestion, and be died of the ex-
ces; Bartbe, the author of " aiw? -
fidelites," also fell on the field of the dining-
room. He was extremely snori-eiguu,
ate of every thing o. the table. He did not
consult hi appetite, but his servant, asking him,
Have I eaten of that !" 44 Have I had any of
vthisT It was afier partaking too freely, both
of tt this " and. " that," that poor M. Bartbe let
his temper get the better of bim in an argument,
and atroke of apoplexy sent him under the
table. ; His cook deplored in him the loss of a
. man of taste.
The cook of the Count de Tease, Master of
the Horse to Marie Antoinette, was famous tor
dressing artichokes. The great Monll.an sur,
rA him. however; but this feat did not save
.. e A.rr la lava in noVertV. The
elder Robert was, perhaps, equal to either of
II H H.rLlL 11 UIU SlViC j
tbem in tbia or in any other respect connected
with hia art. The great Careme, ignorant of
inv ftverv thine else, was at least an accomplished
..... .... " 7
table, were sold, like tie second-hand pies from
the royal table at Versailles, for fabulous prices.
As I have before intimated, it was for Leo X.
the Careme the -Krst invented those succlent,
but orthodox, dishes, which pleased the pontifical
palate at a season when gratification by gravy
would have been scandalous! It, was in ibe
Baron Rothschild's household that Careme the
Second invented his famous sauce piquante, the
result of his studies under Richaut, Asne, and
the elder Robert. It was in and for France that
Careme published the learned and curious work
of which he is the reputed author, and which
lie may have dictated, but which he could not
have written. It is marked by philosophical in
quiry, instruction and pleasant trifling ; and
neither book nor-reputed author has be:n excel
led by. any artist, or any example of kitchen lit
erature, thai has appeared since that period.
Before the age of Careme, the popular kitch
en in France, was not very superior to our own ;
and the patrons of tavernes and traiteurs were
as coarsely fed as our frequenters of ordinaries.
But as royalty fell, the restaurateur rose ; and
when, in 1 786, the cooks of Louis XVI. begun
to augur badly of their prospects, three provin
cial brothers, BartbeLemy, Mannielles and Simon,
opened their famous restaurant, " Les Trois
I teres Provencaux" iu the Palais Roval. and
constituted themselves the cooks of a not h' r
"King, -the sovereign people. The neiv esiab
l i . ..
iisiiment created an era in the h.s'.ory of v oke ,
' an1 m a n sf all alt n A ln . . 1 i . ......... I .
- oi Hit graues oi reputation, n-sorieu to Hi lai k's
of the Brothers. General Bonapavt and iarr.s
were to be seen there dady, before ih-y.tok'
their cheap pleasure at the theatre f .ld!! .
Montausier. During the wars of the Empire it
was the chosen stage for the farewell banquets
of. brethren in firms, and t thisnerio tij're
ceipts amountedr?ro lioTtlesrfhlih &Da criij j
daily. Ibe triumvirate f proprietors. endurtd
longer than any such union in the politica.
world; and H was not till the reigu of Louis
Phillippe that the establishment of " Lts Trois
Freres" descended, under a new propriety, into
a more unpretending position than that which
it had proudly sustained during half a century.
The casseroles of the savoury brothers had re
mained ' unshaken, while Kings and constitu
tions had alien around them.
The fortune of the Provincial Brothers tempt
ed another country cook from his obscurity ;
and some four years after the formerhad set up
their tables in the Palais Royal, the immortal
Very thrust his feet iuto wooden clogs, au i
trudged from a village on the Meuse up to the
capital, to give it a taste of his quality. He n
chanted Marshal Duroc with some of his ptiis,
and-henceforth his fortune was secure. He
married a beautiful woman, whose pen kept his
books, whose face attracted customers, and
whose heart was devoted to her husband. A
quarter of a century sufficed to enable Very to
die immensely rich, after working excessively
hard, and to be magnificently entombed in i lie
Cimetiere Montmartre, under a marble column.
which bore the engraved assurance that " his
whole life was devoted to the useful arts "
Beauvilliers appeared in Paris about ties une
lime as "the Three Brothers;" he m id' i
unmade his fortune three or four times, und U e l
poor, three years after Very died so rich. iVau
villiers was the author of "X' Art du C ut.er,"
a book almost as interesting as "The Art f
Dining;'' and one cannot. name either without
standing mentally chapeau has! before the
author.
Beauvilliers was famous for his splendid wines
and heavy bill. The Veau qui tette was renown
ed for its sheep-trotters. The reputation of oth
ers was built upon kidneys ; that of Very, on
his entrees truffees. The " Three Provincial
Brothers" enjoyed a wide esteem for the way
in which they dressed cod with garlic. Baleiue
kept a house that was crowded by the admirers
of fish ; while that of Robert was distinguished
for the 'graceful attention with which previously
ordered dinners were served ; and that of Hen
neveu for the splendid boudoirs iu which shy
couples, too modest to encounter the public gaze
could dine in private, and cease to find ilie.ir
modesty oppressive. Beauvilliers', as I have in
timated, was -a costly house; but it was not
therefore the mosc excellent in Paris. The ex
cellence of a dinner is not to be determin d la
its price. Four years ago an illustrious party
dined at Philippe's, in the Rae Montorgut-il, at
a far lower cost, and after a fa more equisite
fashion, than if they had joined the Epicuteans
of the Clarendon, at 5 per head. The party
consisted of Lords Brougham and Dufferin the
Honourable W. Stuart, two other " Britishers,"
andCouat D'Orsay and M. Alexandre Dumas.
The dinner on this occasion was a recherchee af
fair. ; It had been as anxiously meditated upon
as an epic poem ; and it was a far pleasanter
thing. "The most successful dishes," says the
author of " The Art of Dining," " were the
bisques the fritures a T Italionnt, and the gigot
a la Bretannt, out of compliment to the world
wide fame of Lord Brougham Alexandre Dumas,
M. Philippe produced some Clot de Vougeot
(like his namesake in High life Below
Stairs,) he vowed should never go down the
throat of a man whom he did not esteem and
admire ; and it waa voted nrat-rate by acclam-
ation. , ,
The French 'repast are not always good,
even when they are rather costly.; In 1807, a
party of twenty two sat down to a repast at the
vouner "Robert's" in Paris. The Amphitrvon
of the feast was M. Daolouis
elusive of wine, amount
were but three or foijrat dishes, and two tTj
three sauces. The djtent of the guests was 1
general, and the give the feast allowed that
the dinner was- not good as that ot the
44 SocieU des Metf? at Le Gacque's,
which cost only ev4DC9 Per head, ordinary
wine, liaueurs. arid included. " Mats, a
..diner, Messieurs, p,M
Nw whether it be
Deitial obliviome cwen scruple
Of thinking tooelT on event,
, i ' no know
Why yet I IiveJ. ' this thing's to do I' "
SBAKSPKASt.
' It is sometimef that great men are made
so by the force'umstances. It' by great
ness we mean IP'bitiou of great and bril
liant qualities'p'ds true, only so far as it
furnishes apajiltnwxor rtneffujfactj
fiere are three reauisites lo Greatness : the
x.
possession of great qualities, the determination
to exercise them, and a trainvof favorable circum
stances. Of these the latter is least requisite.
The second, which implies decision of character,
is absolutely 'indispensable' to success of any
kind. Those who, through want of it, meet
with d sappoinlnifcut, rarely attribute their failure
to the right cause, but almost always charge it
upon circumstances. This is attributing to them
an amount of influence over our destiny, greater
thau they really posses. We may, in some
cases we' must, be guided by them : it depends
upon ourselves whether they shall control us.
He who sits still, and waits for success to
come to him, will never attain it. The moun
tain will not come to Mahomet; Mahomet must
rise and go to the mountain. He who is bent
upon achieving success of any kind, will not be
intimidated by adverse circumstances, but will
wrest them to hi own advantage. He will
turn aside the stream of events into a channel,
which, with'- much labor, he has excavated,
and, trusting himse'f to the current, will be
borne onward 'to the accomplishment of bis
wishes: yet not without labor. Skill and at
tention will still be requisite to enable him to
steer clear of the obstruction which threaten to
retard his progress, or stop it altogether.
Tue passage which I liave placed at thediead
of this article, discloses the two chief causes of
o'ir trimming inactive, when an unaccomplish
ed '.i.jc t i-, calling upon us for exertion. Bestial
o'. iv;: n, w hen" interpreted, means, I suppose,
th;it .'oipid insensibility which nothing but the
si'oi.g. i inducements can move to exertion
w hi. h
" Will not stir without great argument"
and . jn then, will seize upon any pretence
v. hu'lr s re as an excuse for relapsing iqto its
ftjrWT- J.kJJ"--f-no.mqr strik
VrK- y.e-v oi -no. mqr striit
CarVTC&,
: evan is contained in
the character? so WrjbVy sketched by Scott,
of the Saxon prince, Athelsane. Possessed of
great personal strength and skill in arms, be
needed some motive sufficiently strong, to rouse
him from his apathy, and'prevent hi.ni from re
lapsing into it. His exploits-at the storming of
Front de Beeuf's-castle, show what he could d
when sufficiently roused. Such a motive was
wanting, and so lie lived on.
" And the chief good and market of his time
Was but to eat and loep."
Undue precipitation, every one must see, is
daugerous to the accomplishment of any (object
we may have in view. Too great precaution, or
thinking too precisely on the event," is not
leSS :0.
" There is wtide in the affairs ot men.
Which, taken at the flod, leads on to greatness."
But it is essential that it should be taken at the
flood. If we waste time in idle apprehensions
up n the biink, the flood will subside, and with
it our hop. of advantage. Nothing de.-irable
is gained without sornetak. But if the risk is
small, and the advantageimportant, we ought
not to liedtata. He who at this day would
scruple to iross the Atlantic, though earnestly
de-.rou.s --f o doing, becausa of the remote pos
sit. Iny of being drowned. wouU be thought to
carry his fears to an absurd extent. The mer
chant ho acted upon this principle woufd'.suf
fer his bales to remain in warehouse, not daring
to,c.tuiiiK them to the possible dangers of the
Sea.
r It is well to count the cost of an undertaking
before deciding to carry it into execution. But
by dwelling too much upon the unfavorable
side ot the picture, it will apper.r to be darker
jthan it really is, till" we are induced to remain
idle, or, if not,-to decide upon active measures,
when the time foi carrying them into tflVct has
gone by.
We cannot set limits to the strength of a de
teriniiied resolution, or to the effects which may
result from it. It is qnfortunate that it has
been s- often exerted in a bad cause. Yet,
even here we cannot help admiring while we
condemn. Who is not struck with the indomit
able will of Marios, who, as he satjarnid the
ruins of Carthage, an quteast from human socie
iy, unmoved by the desolation which surround
ed him, formed the daring resolution that he
would ag tiu enter Rome as a victor. Success
cro ud his efforts, and a few months after saw
bim for the evehth time invested with the con
sular d guity.
There is no difficulty in forming resoluiions;
unfortunately it is much more difficult to abide
by thorn. The only gravitating principle which
can bring down the magnificent air-castles of
the imagination, to a place upon the solid earth,
is labor, well directed and unremitting. With
out this, the most promising resolves and the
most lofty aspirations are alike ineffectual.
" The flighty purpose never ia o'ertook,
Unless the deed go with it.":
IL A.
Tas Bklls and thk Sttmnt.- At a cer
tain evening party, a haughty young beauty
turned to a student who stood near her, and
aid , " ?
"Cousin Joh, I understood your eccentric
I have agreateuriosi-
V TO'"rnging on the sofa.
: fr-titZ
said he. "mv beautiful
Newiahes to be introduced to
you., .. . v
nn, .qrawiea tr
Wy(-ELDOSyawn.
fchreturnejLto his cousin and advised her
toaster the iutrtfducticn till s more favorable
time repeating the answer he had received.
The.beauty bit her lips ; but the- next
ment'sfieaid, "Well, never fear. I shall
mo-
iuist
off beingMnxroductd
;,After borne delay, L was led up and
the ceremony of introduction performed. Agree
ably surprised by th beauty and commanding
appearance of Catjiarine, L made a pro
foundly low bow ; but instead of returning it,
she raised hereyeglass, surveyed him from head
to foot, and then waving the back of her hand
towards h?m, drawledmt, "trot him off, John !
that's enough !"
A TUBKISH LADY BATHING. x
....
Her attire is aUfirst removed. An attersdarit
takes a glove everyday it is a new glove of
undressed silk. $$5 disengaged band she
pours over her mistiwV.suitker basin of warm
water. Thus, byJ " f rle friction with
purities wTiich are deposited on the skin." -This
finished the attendant covers the lady from head
to foot,-by means of a mop of downy silk, with
a lather made of a particular emollient soap, pe
culiar. I believe, to Turkey. Upon this soap
depends much of that poach-like softness, and
snowy whiteness of the skin for which Eastern
women always are so remarkable. It has the
reputation of removing stains, spots and freckles
that are not deeply marked, in the cuticle. This
part of .the matter having been carefully per
formed, the lady is again deluged with water,
heated to 110 or 120 deg., and poured from a
taus (basin) of silver. Large towels we might
call them sheets, of the finest white muslin, rich
lyembroidered with flowers and gold, are wrap
ped around her ; and she is led into a saloon,
where, reclining upon a heap of cushions, she
sinks into a soft, dream-like languor, that might
become faintness, were it not for the assiduity
with which a slave fans her. As soon as she is
sufficiently recovered to bear it, another slave
combs, perfumes and disposes her hair in orna
mental braids. The hour after the bath is one
of gentle, sleepy loveliness.
Colloquy between an English Lady axd
a "i ankee Officer. Soon alter the revolution
ary war, Capt. P., a brave Yankee ofii er, was
at St. Petersburg, in Russia, and while there,
accepted an invitation to dine ; there was a
large number at table, and among the rest an
English lady, who wished to appear one of the
knowing ones.
This lady, on understanding that an Ameri
can was one of the guests, expressed to one of
her friends a deiermination to quiz him. She
fastened on him like a tigress, making many in
quiries repecting our habits, customs, dress,
manners, and mode of life, education, amuse-
jnejjts&c., &c.
inena jj
- - 'vvi t-p iWWNNi.y - I
,hWr comfeany, except' the lady ;
she was determined not to be satisfied, and the
following short dialogue took place.
Lady. Have the rich people in your country
any carriages ? For I suppose there are some
that call themselves rich.
Capt. P. My residence is in a small town
upon an island where there are but few carria
ges kept but in the larger towns and cities on
the main land there are a number kept in a
style suited to our republican mauners.
Lady. I can't think" where you find drivers
I should not think the Americaus knew bow
to drive a coach.
Capt. P. We find no difficulty on that ac
count, madam ; we can have a plenty of drivers
by sendir-g to England for them.
Lady (speaking very quick) I think the
Americans ought tdrive the English, instead
of the English driving the Americans.
Cipt. P. We did, madam, in the last war ;
but since peace we permit the English to diive
us!
The lady, half choked with anger, stood mute
a minute, and then left the room, whispering to
her friend The Yankees are too much for us
in the cabinet, as well as in the field.
Incident of the Qck en's Visit to Paris.
At the bail at the Hotel de Vi He an incident oc
curred to the Q teen which, not-withstandinc
her well known self-possession, was near discon
certing her. After the quadrille, in which her
Majesty took part, she resumed her seat
in the chair of state, when the Emperor a
vailed himself of the opportunity to dis-patch au
aid-de camp for one of the Arab chiefs who was
present on the occasion. On his approach his
Majesty took him by the hand and formally pre
sented him to the Queen of England, when oc
cured a truly graphic scene. The chief imme
ately prostrated himself on the floor, and em
braced the knees of her Majesty. The act was
so instantaneous that, there was no possibility of
preventing it, a.nd all that can be sai l is, that it
was lucky the Queen of England and Mo. r were
not found in such a position behind a curtain in
swap of before such a blaze of 1 'gbts. The
chief dressed-in his burncose, his extraordinary
corded cap, buried Ids face in her majesty's lap,
and spread his arms and hands on either side of
her knees. The Queen bore it with great dig
nity, though when the ceremony was over she
turt.eu upon the Emperor a meauing smile,
which afterwards broke out a good humored
laugh. Another chief was afterwards presented,
but his majesty took- the precaution of saying a
few word to the dark son of the desert previ
ously, and it was observed that he simply bowed
after the European fashion. Paris Cor. N.T.
Herald.
Drying Pumpkins and Making Pies. Cut
them up and stew them till they are soft and
dry; pound and strain them through a colan
der ; then grease pie-pans, and spread it on a
quarter of an inch thick and dry it ; roll it up,
and put it away in a tight box or bag, from the
insects. Each one of these roils will make a
pie. It is rery easy now to make a pie. Put
it in sweet milk, and let it soak about two
hours ; put in an egg, tablespoonful of sugar,
a teaspoonful of ginger, and one of allspice ; and
if you are lovers of pumpkin pie, as we are, you
will pronounce it good. Ohio Farmer.
' , 7
Fried ApplebA dish of fried apples is
quickly prepared for the table, which is often a
consideration of jio small importance. Wash
them cut them in two, take out the stem, core
and calyx, and, unpeeled, put into a tin pan
with butter, or the gravy of baked pork, with
some water, in proportion to the quantity to be
fried, cover them with a lid, set them on the
stove, stir them occasionally until they become
soft and be careful not to burn them. Ro
manites, which are often almost worthless, baked
or raw, "disappear with good gusto when fried.."
We may truthfully pronounce despicable Pen
( ics, when fried, good ; but the Porters, Bellflow
ers, Tall man sweets, and a long list which we
might name, when fried, are really a luxury.
Sour apples do not fry well ; they fry to pieces
too much. Country Gentleman.
Receipt fob.Sealing Cans. A Baltimore
druggist sends us the following:
; Being frequently asked by heads of families
what they will use for sealing cans and bottles,
in which to f eenre prepared fruits and vegeta
bles, I send youl the following recipe for publi
cation : Take cam m on rosin 4 ounces, common.
1 ounce, corraon Vermillion 1-8 ounce. Put
the whole tojvther in a common bowl, and heat
by means ofan ethereal oil lamp filled with al
cohol. Keel it fluid with the lamp as above
directed whit the- bottles are b-ing dipped or
the cans beife sealed. Should this composition
get sticky act a little more turpentine. Sloan's
Garden City
The Resuit of Kissing the Butcher. "My
dear," said anaffectionate wife, "what shall we
have for dinar to day,?"
"One of yar smiles," replied the husband.
"I can dim on that every day.'' -
"But I can?," replied the wife.
"Then take this," and he gav her a kiss, and
went to his bisins.
He returnel to dinner.
"This is aa excellent steak," sai l l.e; "what
did you paySNr it ?'
"Why, whit you gave me this morning, to
be sure," repied his wfe.
"The deuce you.'id'" exclaimed he ; "then
you shall have money tie next time you go to
market.
A fashionable doctor ktely informed his
friends, in a large company, that he has been
pa-sing eight days in the country.
11 Yes," said one of the party, "it has been
announced in one of the journaU."
" Ai," said the doctor, stretching his neck
very important, " pray, in what terms ?"
" In what terms ? Whv. as well as I ran re
member, in nearly the following: "There
were last week seventy-seven interments1 less
than the week before." '
The doctor's neck was seen suddenly to shrink
down, till his head nearly touched his shoulders ;
and shortly after he was missed from the saloon.
fWWQ-o? the company.'
l ickles. "An excellent way to make pick
les which will keep a year or more is drop
them. into boiling hot water, but do not boii
them; let Uiem stay ten minutes, wipe them
dry, then drop them into cold, spiced vinegar.
Tbey will not need to be put into salt and wa-ter.'-
The Missing Aeronaut. The Cleveland Her
ald, of October 17th, says :
It makes one shudder to think of the probable
fue of M-.. Winchester, who went up in a balloon
from JS'orwalk, Huron county, Ohio, on the 2d inst.
Over two weeks have elapsed, and no tidings have
as yet reached his family at Milan of his fate
Whether frozen to death in upper air and thus dash
fed to earth, or buried in the deep bosom of the
Lake, no word has come to tell. While we won
der at his temerity, we must pity his probably sad
late, ret there hope still, as the last seen of
him his airy vessel was wafted towards the north
sufficiently inflated, as we are told by the Norwalk
papers, for a voyage of from two or three days.
Maybe he landed in Canada, so far from railroads
and telegraphs as to prevent tidings yet reaching
his home. It is but a hope, however.
The Norwalk Reflector says :
"It is generally believed here that he is lost.
As to the precise manner, if so, there are various
opinions- Many suppose that he may have ascen
ded so high that he became insensible and perished
from cold. His fate, whatever it may be, is a mat
ter of speculation. . We conversed with a gentle
man from Milan a few days since, who told u- that
Mr. W. h::d, for some time past, manifested a
strong desire for ballooning, and that he bad ex
pressed his intention of ascending higher and to
make a longer jerial voyage than any other asro
naut had ever accomplished. We are told he took
only twenty five pounds of ballast with him, vvhich
was about half as much as he took when he made
his ascent from Milan a short time previous."
The Norwalk Experiment expresses a hope that
the press everywhere, and especially east of us,
will speak of the ascension, and if it should be that
he has landed safely, information may be sent to
his family in Milan.
Royal Courting. The London correspondent
of the Boston Post, speaking of the rumored matri
monial alliance on the tapif between the young
Prince Frederick William, of Prussia, says : .
'The Times pounces down with unusual bitter
ness upon young Prince Frederick William, of
Prussia, the nephew of the King and heir-apparent
of the throne, who is at Balmoral for the last few
days, having come for the purpose of improving his
acquaintance with the princess royal. It is now
understood that a preliminary understanding was
entered into, in 1851, that she was one day to be
come the bride of this young prince, himself now
about nineteen years old, and so far as character, in
telligence, and personal appearance are concerned,
her royal highness could not do better. But it is
the misfortune of royal personages ihat these things
cannot be divested of their political aspects when
they are concerned, inasmuch as they involve ques
tions of policy and alliance important to kingdoms,
and the Times thinks that those most forward in
promoting this match are not consulting the hap
piness of the princess or the welfare of England.
The connexion of Prussia with Russia is the great
hindrance put forward ; and upon "this the Times
bears with all its powers."
lw Full Rig. A Cincinnatti (Ohio) paper con
tains an advertisement of bonnets and petticoats for
young men' wear, to correspond with the shawls,
now so universally worn.
COMMUNICATION.
METROPOLITAN CORRESPONDENCE
letter chi.
New York, Nov. 3, 1855.
Arrival of the Baltic Important news Decline in Cot
ton Rise in Breadstuff A money crisU Successes of
ifie Allies Russian Repulse ColvmUa College Anni
otrsary Australia Steam Communication Thackeray
in New Tori An entertaining book of Table Talk
Two anecdotes from it A romantic piece of royal biog
raphy The Japan expedition A discarded book by De
Quincy A surreptitious re-print of it Cora and the
Doctor Little & Brown's Series of the British Poets
j Spencer's Poetical Worko 7 wo more volumes of Ma
' cav&ey'sHistoy of Englanrd Harper' Magazine.
Mv Dear Post : There was some solicitude
this morning at our breakfast Rabies, to know
why the steamship Baltic had not arrived,, but
that is all happily terminated by ljhe intelligence
that she is "below". She brings late and rather
important intelligence from Europe, the princi
pal items of which are a money crisis in Lon
don, the decline of cottou, the advance of bread
stuffs, advances andsucceses of the Allies in Rus
sia, and the prospect of a great battle in the Cri
mea. I have not the details of all this intelli
gence before me and cannot therefore lay them
before your readers. I may expand these bare
outlines a little, it is true, by adding, that the
Bank of England has advanced its rate of inter
est to ircs.per cent a .startling fact to moneyed
men and one which presages nra panic in the
charmed circle of gold. The decline in cotton
of one-eighth, following close on the heels of a
still greater decline in the price of that great
staple is ominous of difficulties upon this side in
paying our foreign debt, and the advance of
breadstuffs is not a counterbalance to his draw
back. The Allies are, reporting very favorably
and have organised advances from Eupatoria.
They have had a series of successful operations
on the straits of Kartell, capturing one town and
beleaguering others. The Russians had attcked
Kars but suffered a bloody repulse and a loss of
four thousand men. They are reported to be
entrenched with great strength in the northern
part of Sevastopol and expect there to bid defi
ance for the winter to the assaults of the Allies.
The genera! tone of the dispatches from the seat
of war is iud'eative of sanguine expecta;i'ns on
the part of tht3 Western Powers, and of waning
energies on the p rt of Russia.
Of merely local news there is little to interest
your readers. The annua! commencement fes
tival of Columbia College in this city, was cele
brated on Wedne-day evening with the u-ual
eclat. There were public exercises of a literary
naiure at Hope Chapel, and there were more
private ones, of a gastronomic nature at Peteler's
Restaurant on Broadway. Professor Anderson
Mtiot the magician of that name !) entertained
the audience at Hope Chapel, with an amusing j
retrospect of Alma Mater, in which fun; fancy
and philosophy (the three fs you know':) were
amusingly blended. An alumnus of the Col
lege Roosevelt by name lecited a somewhat I
clever Sax(t)on. oemon the are of Pros id cat
the present age, of which the poet sr id some
caustic tilings vv no .-ha ains tv hi-s .eh
's taai sre
against us, that we
VVa-yJ.eiphu"r lores young dream
" '"1ve-fty mueUiuery, and Oirtifril
Columbia College, thus claims a modicum of
the public notice once in every year !
A scheme of steam communication with Aus
tralia is the subject of much talk and some ex
pectation in our- commercial circles. The col
onists have a "Steam Postal Communication
Bill," which contemplates one of two great
routes between Australia and the Motherland
One of these is au overland route through the
British East Indian possessions and by the Med
iteranean Sea to England, a route advocated by
ultra loyalists, and the other an oceanic route,
via Tahiti, Panama and New York. This lat
ter course will in all probability be the one re
solved upon, and if so, it will rn ike our metrop
olis a great commercial as well as postal entre
pol between Australia and Europe, bringing
Melbourne and New York within forty dayl
distance of each other. Surely this is an age
of speed.
I must not forget to notice Mr.. Thackeray's
debut in our city as the chronicle of the Geor
ges which took place on Thursday night at
the Universalist Chapel of Mr. Chapin.3 The
building was pretty well filled, and the audiance
received the speaker with very hearty, if not
very boisterous applause. There were many
thee familiar with his face and they at least
feltjia good degree of pleasure in seeing once
niofe its kindly beaming smile. His eyes were
visible only through his spectacles but I am
sure they were bright with gladness, and his til-verv-head
was bowed many times with sincere
emqtion. The author of "the Newcomes" was
evidently welcome and sure of it. I cannot here
anayze his speech, which was delivered with his
usul ease of mannner, and abounded with the
keep, yet delicate satiric humour of his mind
It was both bright and strong bright with ni
grammatic sparkle, and strong with genuine
Saxon energy. I shall have more t-j say of this
course of Lectures in another letter.
" Table Traits with something on them" is
the quaint title of a new book which R-dfield
has jjust republished from the London Edition.
It U from the inlustrious and equally ingenious
pen jof Dr. Doran, whose " Habits and Men" I
notiped only a few week's since. The present
book is crammed as full of entertaining anec
dotes about the tble and those who love it as
an egg is full of meat. Its bill efface, m other
words its table of contents is enough to- pro
voke an appetite iu the most satiated reader.
Every page has its bonne bouche, and might
serve for a dessert of itself. Dr. Doran has col-lectd-a
vast amount of -curious and Amusing
'tabje talk" from which I select a braee of an
ecdotes as a sample of the' book. The first is
about
GREAT ME3T ASD THEIR COOKS.
There are some men for whom cooks toil in
vaini The Duke of Wellington's cook had se
rious doubts as to his master being a great man
lie so loved simple faie. Suwarrow was an
other General who was the despair of cooks.
His biographer says of him, that he was at din
ner when Col. Hamilton appeared before him to
announce an Austrian victory over the French.
The General had one huge plate before him, a
sort of Irish stew, with every thing for sauce,
from which he ate greedily, spitting out the
bones, "as was his custom." He was so delight-
j ea with the message and the messenger that he
received him as Galba did Icelus, the announcer
of - Nero's death : with his un wiped mouth, he
began kissing the latter, (as the half-shaven
Duke of Newcastle once did the bearer of some
welcome intelligence.) and insisted on his sitting
down, and eating from the General's plate,
""without ceremony.- The great Coligny Was,
like Suwarrow, a rapid eater; but he was more
nice in his diet. The characteristic of Coliggy
was, that he always used to eat his tooth
picks !
i
The second will make your readers acquaint
ed with
A QUEER EATER.
"Among eccentric gastronomists,' I do not re
cellect one mote remarkable than Mrs. Jeffreys,
the sister of Wilkes. At Bath she slept through
out the year beneath an open window, and the
, snow? sometimes lent her bed an additional
counterpane. She never allowed a fire to be
kindled in this room the chief adornment of
which a a dozen clocks, no two of which
struck the hour at the same moment. She
breakfasted frugally enough on chocolate and
dry tjast, but proceeded daily in a sedan chair,
with a bottle of Madeira at her side, to a board-ing-hpuse
to dine. S ie invariably sat between
two gentlemen, "men having more sinew in
mind and body than women," and with these
she shared her "London Particular' Warner.J
TCTtsfcirtirjriv,ecouections, says that some
mighty joint that was especial! well covered
witli fat, was always prepared for her. She. was
served with slices of this fat, which she swallow
ed alternately with pieces of chalk, procured
for her especial enjoyment. Neutralizing the
subacid of the fat with the alkaline principle of
the chalk, she "amalgamated, diluted, and as
similated the delicious compound with half-a-dozen
glasses of her delicious wine." The diet
agreed well with the old lady, and she maintain
ed that such a test authorized use."
In addition to these picquant paragraphs from
the Doctor's book I send you a chapter entitled
"Pen and Ink Sketch of Careme" which you
may possibly find entertaining enough to serve
up to your readers in jour weekly miscella
ny. There is a vast deal of the humorous and
marvellous in another book recently published
bv Redfield entitled uThe Private Life of an
Eastern King." This is a picture drawn by an
eye-witness of the manners aud customs of roy
alty in the petty Sovereignties of British India.
The subject of this narrative is Prince Nussir-u-deen,
King of Oude of whom there is a famous
couplet which by the bye, determines i he way
iu which the name of his country shouid be pro
nounced "The Kind of Oude
Was mighty proud t '
As I have already intimated there is bo;h
mirth and marvel in this extraordinary piece of
r.yai biography. Its hunting adventures are
not surpassed by those of Nuurod Cummino-s of
South African memory. Nassir-u-deen was a
good de.-d of a wag himself, and his personal ad
ventures are full of fun. In a graven point of
viewy his book is rather a melancholy picture of
men auri Tworare in t!1 ETSUf' T . mi
The Japan Expedition has prove a fruitful
theme for book wrights. Among the various
works which it has brought forth there is one
of more than common interest from the press
of J. S. Redfield. It is from the pen of J. W.
Spalding, the Secretary of Commander Lee of
the U. S. Frigate Mississippi the Flag ship of
the Japan Expedition. The book is embellish
ed with several beautiful engravings ' tint.
It is a very graphic and entertaining narrative
of what the writer saw during the Expedition.
If there is one feature of ihe book more promi
nent thau others it is he daguarreoiype minute
ness of its observation 'which contributes great
ly to aid the reader's coucepti -us of the scenes
and characters described. The author does not
lavish any praise on Commodore Perry, but on
the contrary has not a little to say to the dis
paragement of that officer whom he evident
ly regards as an impersonation of eg tism and
assumption.
Thomas DeQuincy in the early part of his
career as an author wrote and published a ro
mance entitled "Kloster heini" which be has
subsequently regarded with disfavor and regret
so much so that he interdicted bis American
publishers Messrs. Ticknor and Fields of Bos
ton from embracing it in their collection of
his works. Like honorable gentlemen as they
are they forebore to republi-h it here; but an
other Boston house, Messrs. Whittemore, Niles,
and Hail, not having the fear of DeQuincy
nor I fear, the courtesy of propriety before
their eyes have issued it in a style nearly
identical with Ticknor and Fields' series' of De
Quincy 's works. It is an unnatural sort of sto
ry somewhat of the Radcliff-an school and
might well be consigned where its author wish
ed it to go to oblivion.
Cora and the Doctor popular story from
the press of Messrs. Jewettand Co. of Boston, is
finding a large number of interested .readers. It.
is not like many of the tales of the day a
flash, story but a narrative of social lite at once
true and unpretending leaving on the mind of
the reader nounhannir i
1 XV M"vuw.
It is some time since I have mentioned Lit
tle and Brown's beautiful series of the British
Poets a reproduction and extension cf the fa
mous Aldine edition of Pickering. I must not
omit therefore to chronicle the issue of five ad
ditional volumes very recently. 'I hey contain
the complete poetical works of Edmund Speu
sar." This edition has been carefully and labo
riously ediu d by Professor Chddsof Camb idge
University -who has also prefixed an admirable
memoir of the distinguished poet. There are
nlready beautiful and valuable editions of this
rare and subtle poet extant, but the palm of su
perio.ify for form annotation and cheap
ness no less must be assigned to this edition.
Messrs. Little and Brown announce their inten
tion of carrying ti,e series forward to complete
ness wuh rapidity. They have issued already
nearly Uty volumes, and have twenty more in
press. There is no edition of the British potts
at all tobe compared with this. ,
Messrs. Harper and Brothers have received
the advance proof sheets of the third and fourth
rolumes of Macauley's History of England, and
will speedily produce them in exact correspon
dence to the three various editions published by.
them of the first instalment of this moat v--'
and fascinating chronicle the
thin Western World
greau
Harper's Magazine has just comply (l
immense circulation of nearlv Uiun
monthly. In all the elements of rpopuarjt;
UIUCIOCTt ivv it wuoniuca LU SUrpasg
UlUUI my I" iuw nun
Yours, driven quite to a corner
a evv
WILLIAM D. COOKE, i
JAMES A. WADDELL, M. ,D. e ditor5
RALlUOllTtrT
SATURDAY NOVEMBEE lfj77855,
Terms-rWO DOLLARS PES AOTnnt ifff
Three Copies,,..
Eight Copies,. . .
" .n i , o
? Ml Price
l en Uopies .15
i wenty L-opies, so a
(Payment in all case, in advance i "
JOf Where a club of eight, ten or t won.,-
sent, the oerson makimr nn ,h. ,.i.,u 5 sutA.
o r c viuy Wlii DP Antiii
copy extra. lliueentnjec
the Southern Weeklv P. t0 aot 48 Aln
Sto?ALs
DISCONTINUANCE
According to a purpose long entertained
"Southern Weekly Post" will afWti...
issue, which completes the fourth v Inm
its history. Two very gnod reasons will w
tor an explanation. First, the Post has t
oeeu profitable to the Proprietor. Sn0!
since the publication of the " Carolina (
ivatok" was commenced, it has been hii
to confine his editorial care to that paper,,
but for certain cireumstnnees-that need
specified, the Post would for this reason
been discontinued at an earlier day. W
leave rf the public in our present capacity,
some reg.et, on account of the iimh
courtesy shown us in various quarters- )U;
StrVPPS -.iilfl n-t l.n .i..n.l 1 ,
w " "c uiueu, witi justice
our patrons or onrsevles.
THE POLAR SEA.
Since the return of the adventurous Dr Jv
and the confirmation by his testimony of
theory of an open ocean near the North!
some efforts have been made to account f.
on philosophical principles. It appears to
simple comprehension very unnecessary tor
to imaginary theories for theSsoltition c!
question. The geographical conformatic:
the globe is sufficient for the purpose. If;
is no land at or near the pole, that porik
the earth's surface must necessarily beoccs
by an ocean unbroken by ice. b.-e does
form in an open ocean. The northern coa-Ameiica,-
Greenland, Europe and Asia,
their numerous islands and indented s!
where the prevailing winds and currents
rested and confined, offer peculiar facilttit
the formation of iee-bevg. The e are I
At .i. l . -. i , ,
aiom; tniougn straits ana cianneis, tiil tin
way of egress into the open sea toward
South, they are exposed to a warmer c
and gradually melt away.
In all this we see no mystery wh
There are no obstacles from ice formal
tho Polar Ocean, simply because there s:
projecting headlands, to form a basis fir
obstacles. It must be remembered tooiLs
earth is an oblate spher ed, flattened a
poles. The expanse of wat r therefore, sun
lDg the pole, must be like a revolving
and the water, ltaving a. direct lentrifu:?
dency, would prevent any lasting accuiut
of ice-leigs iu its c utre near the po e.
WHAT IS SPACE?
We once hea-id read au in enioa essari
Nothing. The properties and relations
impoitant element of the universe, weie u
of with scientific precision aud great .ton:
of langu tge. The nat ure of space is a ki
subject, but Strang.? fci say, though 'd
nothing" in its essence,- ih re is no olj
contemplation in the whole lanse of h
i c-
thought, more positive, independent, an
structable. In a general sense, space is univ
limited in our comprehension by no imag:
boundaries, but co-extensive with the prcl
of God. But we may for special pui poses.
of a portion of space, and assign to it sue
metrical limits and forms as we choose.
space occupied by a book, for example, re j
.after the book is removed, a far moreen;
and unchangeable thing than the matt
ject itself. You may call it xwibwg '
please, but it is a nothing which dimeit-
figure, and divisibility, and which will cl
your edbrts to obliterate its image from
OWn mmd. ' You cannot think o! it a 8 '
or a nothing, merely of the past. Its pr
existence forces itself upon you, and if y
fJnno Jnnr to Stndv ita rirnnertieS. it 1
o j - t t '
you like a spec re !
Piecisely such are some of the q"e"
which divide sects and parties at the pi
day. "Viewed in themselves they are ne"
thing, when comoared with those princip
'6 "men couLiiuie i ic
ncss of all. But these minute differences'
constantly contemplated as to acquire,
well known law of the human mind, a de:
importance which does not belong to tb
rea:itv. Their insijrninVai.ee seems, most a
ly indeed, to give them ;i greater fK"H
The zeal with which some men will
..: :t i ,iir ... ' i .. ...; in cli U1
t iMuie uiJiereuoes ueiwem p" '
state, is absolutely astonishing, ti" we
that in their eyes those differences Ji'ei
as wide and deep as the gulf bet
een
and Divt-s. The exaggerations
0f -error
boundless and as barren ofiall profit
ment. as undefined nd unoccupied sPace'
Judicial Bigotrv. The Asbevilje (
dprctaUr. says ihat recintly, at Jac
rior Couit, Judre Manly 'decided thai
professing th- docuiues of Universal lf'
incompetent witness in the Courts ot
and, in consequence, two or three
that peouasi.-n were ruled out.
witn1
liet1'
Wis are at a los to perceive
Judicial Bigotry " of Judge
consisted.
of la.
ii- was a qiiw" , i
)ur opinion his Honor, rauou'v
. 1