LITERATURE.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 205, 19 January 1866, Page 3

LITERATURE.

SHADOWS ONvUHE SNOW, A CHRISTMAS brqRY. Br B. F. Fabo-eov esq. Wdliam Hay, Publisher, Dw, et jj n< Ifc would scarcely be reasonable to exp^ j n t |^ g utditarian age that literature should v.irigjj among colonial communities, oven to a small tent, like it does in old and settled countries. W». may say that the Australia's have no literature of it* own, calculated to be of more men ephemeral. The magazines which have been started in Austraiia and New Zealand although frequently possessing strong indications of ability have not gained a firm hold of the affections of the colonist, whde the few books which have been published are chiefly things budt up with statistics and newspaper facts — books useful in their way but too often far from entertaining. It is therefore w^h much pleasure that we welcome Mr. Fageons Christmas story. "Shadows on the Snow." It is intended as the commencement of series to be published annually — a literary Christmas offering to all who would desire to hallow the memory of youth, and track back for the moment the thoughts of the child, the school-boy or the man. The author states that the idea of the publication arose from a feeling that in this new country we were hi danger of allowing the most refined and elevating customs of the Home country to die out of our affections if not slip from our memory altogether. Such, thoughts must have flashed through the mind of many. We have Christmas sports and a few pic-nics are usually enjoyed in, but we miss the " Christmas carol" the family reunions and the pantomime of the past. " Shadows on the Snow " is a pretty and healthy Christmas tale. It's name has been well selected, and the plot is compact and well worked out. fhe style is terse, flowing, and pleasing. Notwithstanding that ifc bears on its every page the seal of a " Dickens' study ; " ifc is nofc without originality, an originality which, if carefully cultivated will, render the next production of the author of far more value than this first effort. Ifc is not void of matter for adverse criticism, but it wouid be ungenerous to attuck this first etiort of a writer who has unmistrkably given evidence of possessing ability of no mean character. The story is truthful, interesting natural— from the beginning to the end there is nothing which twinges the mind in reading it ; it is free from all attempts to bo sensational. There is no pandering to the vicious appetite or over-stretching of the imagination, ltis simply a healthy Christmas tale which we can recommend with confidence to the public. Our space is to limited to permit us to give extracts in the present notice, we niay hereafter give "' Cornish Toms Storey" which is perhaps fche gem ofthe book. The "Shadows on the Snow " are worth reading and we hope thafc Mr. JFargeon wili continue to present us annually with a similar story and that each may display an increased display ofthe originality of mind of which he has already given indications of possessing. Mb. ICafEBSo.N is preparing a series of essays orf fche Atlantic Monthly, l'rofessor Holmes and Mrs. Sto we are aiso occupied iv the preparation I of papers for the same periodical. Thb Female Medical Colleg-e ov Penssvlvaxia, now in the sixteenth year of its existence, has just graduated a ciassof twenty-three students; And, judging from the success that other lady physicians have had in America, there is little doubt that they wiil fiud enough to do. Tho Philadelphia North American sa^s there are some six or eight regular female physicians in that city, whose daiiy practice is equal to that ofthe average of male physicians. Hungary has hitherto had no literary journal of its own. We thereto welcome cordially five numbers received of Uj Korszak (the New Era), wliich commenced in July last. Amongst the contributors is the celebrated traveller, Hermann Vambery. The editor, Count Kolomau Lazar, is .veil kuown as an ornitholog st, and the proprietor Julius Schwarz, as a geologist. Other contrioutors, ill men of consiuerab.e literary standing, are MM, JYanz Toldy, Lutter, Ronay, Vadnay, ilenselniann, kc Amongst Oerman contributors and corrospouIdats is A. Brehm. who furnishes a paper on the masons of inner Africa. An .Euglisli lady, Miss ieluia Guye, gives a sketch of English lire in a jjuatry town ; aud Mr. Ulake discourses upon uithropoiogy. The paper is printed ou a douole sheet iv r »yal quarto, and iv texture and typography leaves nothing to be dasirod. The contents :ousist of reviews of new books, papers upon art mi sience, geography and travels, original correspondence, kc, literary and home gossip, biblio* graphy, and proceedings of scientific bodies, and a t'eu'dletoii. Uj Korszak has, as it deserves, our bjst wishes for its success. — Reader. The Appbabance oftheDavenpoet Beothebs in Paris has suggested anew theme for novel writers. M. Alfred de Caston is writing a tale, of wiiich the ueroes are spirites, who end their days, not by marriage, but at Charenton. Yictob Hueo is unquestionably one of the greatest French writers of the age (though periiaps also the most eccentric and unequal), but ac is also ohe ofthe mosfc successful in a pecuniary sense. He received 400,00J francs (£16,000) for " Les Miserables." He has sold a prose work, "Les Travailleurs de la Mer," to Lacroix, of Brussels, for, £6000, and five volumes of poems, •' Les Chansons des Rues et des Bois," the first of which is announced to appear next week, have been disposed of to the same firm for £3000. Thus, within five years, Victor Hugo has made £30,000 by his pen— a very handsome sum, but £ must say I cau hardly understand how such heavy prices can possibly pjy the publishers, fhe Eigaro, to which I am indebted for these details, adds some curious particulars abaut M. Hugo's mode of composition. It seems thab up to 'this time he has neve/ lilowed a single line of his writing to go the printer's. He has all his " slips " copied out by his wife or daughter, and forms a kiud of autographic museum of the original MSS. of all his works. From that rule, however, he has departed, as regards the new poems, which were dotted lown chiefly in pencil on an album; the slips were torn out of the book and taken directly to the printer's, at Brussels, where they are being set up under the author's owu eye. It is a curious fact that Victor Hugo should labor uuder the delusion that he had inistsken his vocation, aud tha* as a painter he would have achieved greater fame. — Paris Letter.

The Maize de dos Meses. — A correspondent of the Australasian says : — Tins is a variety or species of maize in ligenous to South America ; the name signifies that the grain ripens within two months after sowing the seed, and that four successive crops might be obtained in the same season. It has a very wide geographical range, and, although it is found plentifully "^ the hot and dry plains of the Orinoco, har<f\ S ° mefc Wifcil in the col<l an< * more of the ip iom of the p ampas. On account of Venezii 6 indole^ ee of t{i e inhabitants to its cult'wavy 6^^" l^^^^ 11 is P^d produce fifty <fr a * hou S h *» found *<> It is only pluckecT^ bushels P c ? acre, that no fair estimate*? 61 ? as required, so production, and it has^ 6 ,™^ 1 * <» its whether it is a distinct b^ decided variety of the common maSf* 38 ' ° r a different varieties are mingled vf* an y and the author has often noticed a^W^ r > ear with different coloured kernels, as N <j£ may have been fecundated by the other, N and assuming a very singular appearance. In order to obtain it pure, it would therefore be necessary to send intelligent natives into the forests, where it might be found uncontaminated, and in its single state. It i& sweet, nutritive, salutary, and restorative, and, could it be introduced into this country, would be a very valuable addition to our staple articlt s of life. Whilst other maize takes from four to five months to come to perfection, and the plantain six months, this only requires two. Besides this valuable grain, there are different kinds of legumes and grains which might be obtained from Africa, which the negroes greatly prefer to rice or any other kind of grain, and which it would be desirable to ascertain if they could be. introduced into this country. ' ' '