LITERARY GOSSIP.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 253, 7 May 1866, Page 3

LITERARY GOSSIP.

(From the Home News, 26th Feb.) Eenian literature has been enriched by . a volume of lyric poetry, under the title j of "Street Balads, Popular Poetry, and Household Songs of Ireland," published ' m America, which contains several - ballads of considerable merit. Erom one . by Charles J. Kickham, of -Mullinahone, . one of the prisoners arrested with the l great Head Centre Stephens, and subsequently tried and convicted, we give one 1 verse by way of specimen : — ; My father died : I closed his eyes ' Outside' brix cabin door j ; • \ The.hmdlord^dthdshei-iff,'too,*.. ' f Were there the day before ! And then my loving mother,, „.„,... \ And sisters three, also, v Were : forced -"to go with broken hearts From the Glen q£ Aherlow. The English translation of the first volume of the Imperial 1 . " Vie de Jules 7 Cesar," has been a commercial success, l and the publishers : have forwarded to the i agents of the emperdr a sum much beyond i the amount originally stipulated for the i' exclusive right of translation into English. The translation of the second volume is approaching completion/ ' ** Woman's Rights -' will have an organ, in Paris. A new journal is announced under the title of the. "Columbine," the editor of which is Mdlle. Suzanne Lagier, with Mdme. de Chabrillan: for sub-editing, which is to advocate, the equality of the; sexes. * It seems that Mr Bentley paid £2800 for the " Temple Bar Magizine," H that be so, . shilling magazines are not such, hazardous enterprises as most people haye 1 supposed. . : y There is a rumour that Miss Braddon is coming out in a new character, that of editor of a new magazine^ ** Polynesian Reminiscences," by Mr W. T.;Pritehard, late -,H.M='s? Consul at: Eiji, is about to be published. The work is a narrative of Mr Pritichard's adventures and experiences in the Pacific, both in his private and official capacities. Modern slang words are not always so modern as we imagine. Eor instance/ the word jolly, in the sense of very extremely, is at least two hundred years old, for we find it in a serious theological work,- John Trapp's ■** Commentary? oii the Old and New Testament," London, 1656-57. It occurs '"" in 7 "the following sentence : " All was jolly quiet at Ephesus before St ; Paul came thither.". r Trapp's Commentary, we may add, is 'a 1 great favorite of Mr Spurgeon's. - ---•■ The Athenaeum hea£s from Pisa that our countryman, Mr Eairman, has discovered several petroleum - deposits in Italy ; they occur in places as far apart as Modena and the Abruzzi. Now that geologists are put on the right scent, petroleum will probably be found in many parts of Europe. " The Leaders of English Politics" is the title of a volume announced for publication, containing the series of sketches of living statesmen which has appeared on the front page of the Pall . Mall Gazette. They are written by Mr Hutton. The first number of Every Saturday, a new weekly journal issued by Messrs Ticknor and iields, of Boston, United States, consists of a selection from the lighter departments of the current literature of Great Britain and Ireland, including stories, personal and biographical sketches and popular renderings of modern science. It has been confidently stated by our contemporaries that Mr Tennyson is engaged, on the composition of a new poem of considerable length, some say on a classical subject. We have it in our power, from the best authority, to state that there is no foundation whatever for the report. - Mrs Alfred Gatty is said to contemplate a new sixpenny magazine, to be edited by herself and to be illustrated byherself and daughters. It would appear that the sixpenny Argosy is under the editorship of Isa Craig. "Table Talk," in the Guardian, leads us to expect an autobiography of the late Mr Gibson, E.A. The writer of the paragraph fixes the date of the sculptor's birth, as communicated to him by the latter, as due to the year 1791, and not to 1793, as has been surmised. A review in the Times of a life of President Johnson, contains the following amusing extract:— "lt, is almost needless to say that, like Mr; Lincoln, hew/as and is, proud of his origin, and fond of reverting; to it. An anecdote is often told of - him which humorously shows his peculiarly American pride of origin. While Governor of Tennessee, Mr Johnson, betaking himself for a season to the exercise of his old craft, turned out -_t , splendid suit of clothing in the latest fashion, which he sent aas present to his friend Governor M'Goffin, of Kentucky. The Kentucky Governor, who had once been a blacksmith of no mean skill, at once returned the compliment by forging with his own hands, and sending to Mr Johnston, a very serviceable shovel and pair of tongs, which he hoped would serve to keep alive the flame of their old friendship. Mr Johnson has always payed marked attention to men of his own trade, and can hardly pass a tailor's shop without going in and exchanging com-" ' pliments with the knights of the goose . '. and needle with whom he once wrought. In the heat of a hard-fought political champaign, a friend asked him what he should do if by chance he were defeated. * Open a tailor's shop, and go to work,' :' was the prompt reply. In person, Mr ■ Johnson is a little above the average . height, compactly framed, and capable of i of great and protracted exertion, either of i mind or body. He is abstemious in his ■ personal habits, and indifferent to the pie: ;•■: urea of the senses. The first impres-" ? sion his presence gives - , is that his extrac-, l tion is plebian, and that he is largely eadow§d with roggefrend hardy^3," >

People who love to live well and cheaply should go to Antioch. Mr. Neale tried to be extravagant there, but found it to be almost impossible, house rent,* board and wine included, to spend more than £40 per year. Fancy, 7ilb. of good mutton for Is., fat /owls, 2d. each ; 70I_» of fish for Is. ; and every description of vegetable and fruit, sufficient for a family for a week, v fdr72d.— Leisure Hour. \ Mrs Watts, a daughter of Mary Howitt, is preparing for publication " A Year in Sweden with Eredrica Bremer." "A Practical Handbook to the Art of Wood Engraving*'" -with Elus-rations,; by Mr-Thpmas f jGilkf, is in the press.