Our Library Cable.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 365, 7 April 1866, Page 3

Our Library Cable.

GOOD WORDS. —January and February. With the January part of this valuable periodical commences the new volume for IS6G, and in it the first chapter of a new serial tale from the pen of Mrs Oliphant, the well-known authoress of several valuable and deservedly popular works. Our limits will barely admit of our indicating the contents of the two parts received by the last mail. That for January has in addition to the above, “ My Dervish Life,” by Armiaius Vainbery,” an account of the adventures of the writer, disguised as a pilgrim, during a journey from Tehara to Sari, giving ns an insight into some of the customs of the Orientals, There is also an interesting paper by H. Eodgers, entitled “ The Story of John Huss,” the Great Bohemian Reformer and Martyr of the early part of the 15th century. The “ Children’s Carols," a simple tale of a village poet instructing the little children to sing the good news of the season in simple and affecting words adapted to the various states of their auditors—first to a rich hardhearted old man, who drives them away with curses; next to the poor inmates of a cottage, where they are welcomed on account of their glad tidings; then to the ale house, bearing the news to its votaries; and, lastly, to a house of a dying Christian girl, who, “ victor in Death’s mortal strfe,” lingered but a little, and then “peace on earth” melted with her into the peace of Ileaven. This is followed by a very strange paper, “ The Dreadful Four Minutes,” by William Gilbert. The writer had, it seems, his mind deeply impressed by reading Victor Hugo’s “ Last Hour of a Condemned,” and determined to discover, if possible, the mental state of a criminal while being executed, and believing the most ready means of doing so would be by assisting at an execution, gets introduced to the hangman, and for a bribe of five pounds arranges the matter in respect of an execution shortly to come eff at Lewes, in Sussex. So, disguised as a rough, lie sets out by rail on the morning previous to the execution. While travelling, his mind dwells upon the subject, and he becomes anxious to appreciate the amount and quality of the thoughts that could pass through the mind of a criminal from the time that the bolt is withdrawn until life was extinct; and remembering that there was a tunnel at hand through which he would have to travel, and which would take some time to get through, he decided on testing the question by reproducing to himself so much of the events of a recent journey as he could during that time. All arranged, and watch in hand, at precisely a quarter-past threo he enters , the tunnel, and in imagination sets out on the journey referred to, following out all the incidents of that journey as they occurred in regular order, even to the very words spoken in lengthy conversations, the whole occupying about eight columns of printed matter, and suddenly breaking off in the midst of a sentence as the train emerges into daylight—just two minutes and a half—the result being such a disgust at the idea of being present at the execution that he decided upon breaking faith with Mr Calcraft, and leaving him to find another assistant as best he could. We have said it is a strange paper; it is so in more than one sense, but particularly in the attempt to measure thought by time. We have no doubt all he describes passed through his mind while in the tunnel, and very much more which ho could not put in print if he would ; that it passed as he has given i; we doubt. There would bo with the recollection of each circumstance a train of thought connected which would break the chain. After all, it dees not seem to throw any light upon the question, unless we suppose that a person suddenly plunged into the darkness of a railway tunnel is in a similar state to that of a criminal upon whom the fatal bolt has been drawn that launches him info eternity. The lesson we would teach W. Gilbert may be given in few words— “lt does kot take time to THINK.” Under the title of “Distinguished Settlers from Abroad:” we have a very interesting zoological paper, describing recent additions to the treasures of Regent’s Park, including beavers, new specimens of the bear and wolf tribe, with sundry birds and fishes, new and strange to the untravelled inhabitant of Britain, and which well repays perusal; then a phisiological paper on the “ Health of body and mind,” which is continued into the part for Feburary ; another on the “ Enforced pauses of life,” or the soothing effects of rest, and especially that rest that is as it were forced upon us at times by circumstances when, of our own wills, we should not take it. There is a vein of serious drollery running through this paper which makes it very entertaining. “ A Visit to the Capital of Montenegro” is interesting, as describing a region but little known to the general reader; and a theological paper upon the “Religious Life in Palestine when Christ appeared, and how he dealt with it,” concludes the January part. Of poetry and illustrations, there is the usual proportion and of the usual gcod quality; and we may say the same of the part for February, in which the tale “ Madona Mary” begins to show a fair outline of its plot, and promises so far to be more successful than its predecessor, “Hereward,” was. The remaining papers of this part are also full of interest; but our space will not permit of our noticing them in detail • *. ; ..... .

THE SUNDAY. MAGAZINE.—Jasuahy

This is the fourth part of the second volume, it having commenced in October. Ur Guthrie, the editor, evinces sound judgment in the selection of articles suitable for the Sabbath reading of the general public. This part opens with the continuation of a narrative hj “The Vicar,” called “ Annals of a Quiet Neighborhood,” which describes a variety of interesting experiences of a clergyman in visiting his parislinuers. As might be supposed, he sometimes comes across some curious characters, and one of them is introduced to us hero under the name of Mr Stoddart. It must be premised that the vicar had been struck with the skill displayed by the organist, whom, strangely enough, ho had not come across in his visits amongst the parishoners ; but by accident he saw a door in the tower of the church open, ard a tall, grey-headed, military-looking gentleman come out, and finds from enquiry of the sexton that it is the organist, brother-in-law of the old lady at the hall, and a military man from India. “ A military man from India ! —a brother-in-law of Sirs Oldcastle, choosing to live with her!—an entrancing performer upon an old asthmatic, dry-throated church organ!—taking no trouble to make the cldrgt man’s acquaintance, and passing him in the churchyard with a courteous bow. I could not help thinking all this strange.” He resolves to call upon him, and dqes to, greatly to the surprise of the butler at the hall, who answers his enquiries by informing him that Mr Stoddard never calls upon any one, and nobody calls upon him; and further, that he does not want anybody to do so. However, in answer to the clergyman’s message, he was requested to follow the butler, and at length found himself admitted through a wall into an hexagonal room, of which all the sides were crowded with books from floor to ceiling ; besides which, the beams (as they seemed to be) which radrated from the centre and supported the ceiling., wore in reality hook-shelves, aud, like the walls, filled on both sides with books. While looking round, one of the nests of shelves revolves, and Mr Stoddart appears in the opening, ami is glad to see him. Mr Sioddarl proves to be a genius who encourages reports of his unsociability to prevent intrusion. To show his workshop, he takes his visitor into a small closet (behind a nest of book-sht-lves), and the closet immediately ascends by mechanical age"cy, carrying t:;cm both to an upper storey, and 1 Iris, it seems, is the ov.ly method of reaching tiic sanctum. In this workshop, invented and built by Mr T. he is undisturbed, binds books, invents machines, reads his favorite authors, writes, or generally amuses himself. It was surrounded with benenes, lathes, carpenters’ and smiths’ tools, chemical apparatus, Ac., &0., and its occupant had been trying to invent a perpetual motion upon a metaphysical principle, wincii wo cannot explain here. Mr Stoddart proves to bo a thinking person, and keeps his visitor in conversation and discussion for some time, and we suppose ho wiii turn up again in the course of these annals. Of the Sunday Papers (properly so-called) there are several. These are, “ Our ifather’s Business, or Methods to do Good,” in which our chief end, “ the glory of God,” is explained and enforced ; “ King David as the I’rophet of Christ,” in which the life of the Jewish King is shown to be a type of that of the Christian’s head—so much so, as to merit the title of “The Christ of the Old Testament “ When our Children are about us,” a discourse on the educating, Ac., of families ; “On an Afternoon at Home, spoken from a City Pulpit *’ In the Life of Our Lord—the Calling to the Apostolale “ Two festival Addresses;” “ The Last Day of the Year aud New Year’s Day,” and “ A Word to Sailors,"

lii a paper bearing the rather singular title, “ A House that beat the i’ublic house,” we have described a method of holding out counter attractions to the youth of t!.c town of Colye, in Lancashire, that should rival the public-house, and which has proved eminently successful. It consists primarily of a school and reading-room, with lavatory, aquarium ferneries, and penny bank, with ample amusements and entertainments. The latter is given on Saturday evenings, and consists of performances by brass bands, singing at intervals by the members of the singing class, with refreshments. This was intended lor those for whom the “tap” has almost irresistible attractions, and is so far successful that tho room is crowded by the very class it was hoped to allure, and it is from that class many whoeometoSaturday evening entertainments come again to Sunday evening service. The plan, it seems, is a great success. We have already devoted more space than wa intended to this review, but we cannot close it without calling attention to the plates, of which wo have three; that given in illustration of “A Word to Sailers,” and consisting of a burning ship (“already the ship is in a blaze”), being particularly good. As a whole, we cau cordially recommend the Sunday Magazine to our readers as one of the cheapest and best of the publications of the day.