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One night the wanderer homeward came, But he saw not the glow-worm's ray: Some wild bird saw the neglected one, And flew with her far away.

-Then beware, ye Butterflies all, beware If to you such a time should come: Forsaken by wandering lights, you'll wish You had cherish'd the lamp at home.

THE LATEST LONDON FASHIONS.

Explanation of the Print of the Fashions.

WALKING DRESS.

A PELISSE of purple gros de Naples, fastened down the front of the skirt with strap-rosettes, notched at each end, and a small gilt buckle in the centre of each strap. The body is à la Circassienne; with lapels and collar turning back; the vacancy filled up by a fichu of fine India muslin with a double ruff of lace, and a cravatsautoir of celestial-blue silk. The sleeves are en gigot, with an ornament of shell-scalops at the wrists, and confined by a very broad bracelet of gold lace, fastened with a square antique brooch. A hat of purple velvet, lined with white satin, and trimmed with purple ribbon, on one side of which is a broad edge of white, painted over in flowers of various colors.

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EVENING DRESS.

A dress of pink gros de Naples, with a broad hem at the border, above which is a row of foliage, in separate leaves, standing erect, and wadded: to separate these ornaments from the hem is an entwined rouleau of satin ribbon. Corsage à la Sévigné, with sleeves very short and full; over which are mancherons formed of the same kind of wadded leaves as those on the skirt. The head-dress is a turban-toque of white satin and tulle; ornamented with braids of satin platted so tight together as to appear like rows of beads; of these a triple bandeau is formed, and placed across the forehead, while they are carried upwards, to the turban over which they wind, in various ways. White os trich feathers play gracefully over this truly-elegant coiffeure, and one feather touches the throat, as it droops over the left side. The ear-pendants are of wrought gold.

FULL DRESS EVENING COSTUME.

A DRESS of white satin, with a flounce beautifully painted or embroidered at the border with blue and yellow flowers: the flounce finished by a rich and elegant head, on which are spots of the same colors as those on the border of the flounce; over this is a full ruche of blond. The corsage is à la Sévigné, with a girandole brooch formed of valuable pearpearls, in the centre of the bouffent drapery across the top of the bust. The sleeves short, and their fulness confined by a string of pearls. A pointed zone of white satin, on which are colored flowers, corresponding with those on the trimming of the skirt. The hair is arranged on each side of the face in full curls; and over it is placed the elegant toque à la Psyche, composed of tulle and blond, the latter edging the papillon wings, which expand from the border. A beautiful plume of white feathers ornaments the left side of this truly graceful head-dress. The ear-pendants are of wrought gold, an article of jewellery now in peculiar favor. On entering an ante-room, or quitting a full dress party, a cloak is thrown over this dress, of velvet, the scarlet of the rock geranium blossom; it is tied round the neck with gold cordon, terminating with superb thistle tassels of the same rich material.

BALL DRESS.

A dress of figured gauze, trimmed with bows, and scrolls of white satin, painted in zig-zags, and bound with either blue or green. The corsage à la Grecque, and the sleeves short and full. The hair very much elevated on the summit of the head, the Apolloknot being entirely visible in front; this is made up of large bows or puffs of hair, corkscrew, and other ringlets.

The curls next the face are divided from the forehead, and arranged on each side, in very full curls. The

sapphires and gold, and beautifully formed in festoons; in the centre is a girandole ornament, consisting of

ear-pendants and necklace are of three valuable sapphires of a pear form.

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THE THERMOMETER.

THERE are three instruments in common use bearing the name of Thermometer, or Heatmeasurer, which, though all constructed on the same principle, viz. on the change of bulk which bodies undergo by alterations of temperature, differ materially from each other in the graduation of their respective scales.

1. Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, a native of Dantzic, its reputed inventor, has lent his name to that used in this country, in North America, and in Holland. The principle of division on which he proceeded in the graduation of his instrument, rested on the computation, that it contained, when cold was at its maximum in Iceland, 11,124 parts of Quicksilver, which when plunged into melting snow expanded to 11,156. The intermediate space thus obtained (11,156—11,124) he divided into 32 equal parts, taking the 32nd as the freezing point of Water. In the same manner, on its being found that when plunged into boiling water, the quicksilver was expanded to 11,336 parts, he marked 212 11,336-11,124, as the boiling point of that fluid.

2. Reaumur's Thermometer, though now not much used except in Spain and some other Continental States, is entitled to attention as supplying us with the terms in which numerous and very valuable observations and experiments are recorded. Its scale is simpler and seemingly more natural than that of Fahrenheit; Zero and 8.0 being taken as its freezing and boiling

points. It is however liable to the objections, that when minutely graduated, fractional parts of a degree are of frequent occurrence, and that in consequence of the altitude of 0°, the necessity often occurs, of using positive and negative degrees, even at common natural temperatures.

3. The Thermometer of Celsius-the Thermometre Centigrade of the French chemists, differs but little from that of Reaumur. Its freezing point is also Zero, but to obviate in some degree the inconvenience arising from the limited space between Reaumur's extremes, the boiling point is elevated to 100 deg. and the scale divided into centesimal parts. The necessity, however, of employing positive and negative degrees in computations at a natural temperature is as great as in Reaumur's.

The confusion and embarrassment, which are produced by this difference in the graduation of so popular an instrument, seem to render a universal Thermometer almost as desirable an object as a universal language.

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

If all bodies were transparent, so that light were never stopped in its course, light would not be perceived by us, nor apprehended to exist any more than the corpuscles, to the impulse of which M. Le Saya, of Geneva, ascribes the cause of gravity. Without the intervention of darkness, indeed, we might be induced, by reasoning, to believe that there was something necessary to vision

besides the eye and the object; the eggs until the water is about but we should have no proof of three inches above them, dust in a its existence from immediate percep- small quantity of quick-lime, and tion, any more than we now have of close the bocal. the cause of gravitation.

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DWARF PLANTS ON MOUNTAINS.

From experiments made by M. Dobereiner on the vegetation of plants in rarefied and condensed air, he is disposed to believe that the diminution in the size of plants, as they rise into higher regions on mountains, depends than of heat. The phenomenon of more on the diminution of pressure drops of water on the leaves which occurred in rarefied air, is illustrated by a fact observed on the high mountains of Spanish America, where the trees constantly transpire a quantity of water even in the driest weather, this water being sometimes so copious as to fall like rain.

MOUNTAINS

FORMED BY CRYSTAL-
LISATION.

If we suppose the original nucleus or kernel of the globe to be uniform, the deposition of crystals would soon produce inequalities in the same way as we see occur in forming crystals of alum, which take the form of pyramids, somewhat like the peaks of Alpine granite, called needles. It produces more sublime ideas of the power of God to conceive him thus working silently, by secondary causes in the mighty deep, than to vainly imagine him exerting his power to tear up the everlasting hills from their bases, and pile them up in all the wildness of ruin and desolation.

VARIETIES.

"Come, let us stray Where Chance or Fancy leads our roving walk."

MUCKLE AND LITTLE SANDY GORDON. BEFORE the Reformation in Scotland, a good old gentlewoman, who had seen better days, was reduced to the necessity of taking a small moorland farm under the Earl of Huntley, ancestor of the Dukes of Gordon. On this barren

spot the poor widow and her two sons, by their unwearied industry, contrived to glean a scanty subsistence. But miserable as this dependence was, they were likely soon to be deprived of it by the practices of a greedy, ruthless land-steward, or factor, as he is deno

"alloo me to answer ye in a hamely way; but by your favors no sae far I reckon frae the soobject in han'. Ye weel ken, ma lord, that I hae a sma' farm under yere lordship, and for some years hard hae we striven, my twa callants and mysel, to mak the twa ends meet. Few as our comforts hae been, they hae been seasoned wi' content, whilk is a pleasant, though uncommon, drap in the cup of poverty; but, alake, noo we're aboot to be turned oot of house and haddin by a factor, who shuts his ears to the widow's moan and the orphan's cry. I too hae made supplication to intercessors of weel-kent power and favor wi' your honorable lordship. I hae applied to little Sandy Gordon, and got neither solace nor satisfaction frae him. Syne I applied to muckle Sandy Gordon, but got still less frae him. In short, a's proved vanity and vexation o' speerit. Before I and my bairns gae forth, the sport of the winds of heaven, I noo do what I suld hae dune at the outset, I apply for remeid to the great Gordon himsel!" This most judicious and touching appeal produced an electrical effect on the noble persons to whom it was made.

minated in Scotland. This unfeeling scoundrel strained every nerve to dispossess the widow and her orphan children; and adopted an infallible method to obtain his diabolical object, viz. raising a rent already almost beyond their means of paying. In this emergency she applied to several persons who were said to possess the favor of the earl; but all in vain. Seeing ruin inevitable, she summoned up resolution to wait on his lordship himself. The earl, who was a man of a bluff, open, and generous disposition, received her with great kindness, and, after some conversation, found her to be a person of superior sense and worth, and expressed much surprise that the poorest of his cot-farms should be occupied by one who had once obviously moved in a higher sphere. “But,” quoth the worthy nobleman, "you must dine with me and my family to-day; I must let them see of what sicker stuff at least one of my tenants is made. The astounded widow was very reluctant to accept the invitation; but the earl would not be denied. She had the good fortune to make herself equally acceptable to th countess and all the family. After dinner she was shown over the castle, and finally was conducted into the chapel, where there was no lack of images. But fearfully scandalised were the feelings of the good woman, when, coming in front of one of the Virgin Mary, she saw her noble hostess and her children sink down before it, as if a signal had been given for their immediate prostration. When they had ended their devotions, they were equally astonished at the unbending posture and horrified looks of their heretical guest. The earl, who had been absent, now made his appearance; and seeing how matters stood, asked her how she could be so neglectful of her duty to the Holy Virgin. "Where could she find such an all-sufficient intercessor for sinful creatures as the blessed mother of our Lord ?" A stranger, on taking his seat lately "Please your honors," quoth she, in the pit of the Glasgow Theatre, ac

The widow and her sons obtained a long lease of an excellent farm, on a rent merely nominal; ́and it is believed that her descendants enjoy it to this very day.*

RAPIDITY OF SPEECH.

A short-hand writer of the House of Commons, on inquiry, informed me, that a rapid orator may pronounce from 7,000 to 7,500 words in an hour. The medium number is about 7,200, which will give 120 words in a minute, and 2 in a second. This, of course, relates to the English language, and will differ in other tongues according to the facility with which they may be pronounced.

THE SORE TOE.

* The common people in Aberdeenshire believe the conversion of the Gordon family from the Roman Catholic to the Protestant religion, to be in no small degree owing to the above pithy and seasonable address.

costed a gentleman who sat near him, with " Pray, Sir, have you a bill?" when, to the stranger's amazement, the gentleman, starting from a reverie in which he had been plunged, exclaimed, "No, Sir; but I have two next week, and both unprovided for !"

This is what the people who write for Drury-lane and Covent-garden would call "pitching it pretty strong."

A BAREFACED JOKE.

The facetious Jh G-n, one of the legal agents of the late Duke of B-cl-gh, having on a certain occa

CAFFRARIAN PUNISHMENT OF CONJU- sion a request to make to his grace,

RORS.

When the Caffres wish anything done supernaturally, such as an immediate fall of rain, they apply to a conjuror for his assistance. It would appear, however, that his profession is rather a ticklish one to practise in Caffraria; for, if his power fail, he is expelled the cominunity as a useless member; if he succeeds, he is put to death for having a compact with the devil.

NATIVE WIT.

An English lady on arriving at Calais, on her way to make the grand tour, was surprised, and somewhat indignant, at being termed, for the first time in her life, a-Foreigner. "You mistake, madam," said she to the libeller, with some pique,-"it is you who are foreigners-we are English."

SYMPATHY.

There is a tear, more sweet and soft

Than beauty's smiling lip of love;
By angel's eyes first wept, and oft
On earth by eyes like those above:

It flows for virtue in distress,

It soothes, like hope, our sufferings here; 'Twas given, and it is shed, to bless'Tis Sympathy's celestial tear.

ADVANTAGES OF CHEAP BOOKS.

When Goldsmith boasted of having seen a splendid copy of his poems in the cabinet of some great lord, saying emphatically, "This is fame, Dr. Johnson," the doctor told him that, for his part, he would have been more disposed to self-gratulation had he discovered any of the progeny of his mind thumbed and tattered in the cabin of a peasant.

CRICKET.

Miss Mitford, in one of her charming sketches, tells us of a cricket-ball being thrown five hundred yards.

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SUITING THE ACTION TO THE WORD.

The Bury Herald states that Mr. Macready, when playing Othello, the other day, very nearly slew Iago (Mr. J. Smith) in right earnest. He exhibited the same bloody intentions last year, in the character of Virginius, when Mrs. Hannam, as Virginia, discovered how extremely dangerous it is to play at edge-tools with a man of genius.

STATE OF PAUPERISM AND GRATUITOUS EDUCATION IN THE NETHERLANDS.

Nearly a seventh part of the whole population receives assistance from charity; to which purpose about a seventh part of the whole annual revenues of the state is applied. 147,000 children of poor parents receive gratuitous instruction, which number, compared with the average population, is as 24 to 1000.

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