PENNY READINGS.

Southland Times, Issue 993, 27 July 1868, Page 2

PENNY READINGS.

Notwithstanding that Friday evening was anything but fine, the Penny Beadings Entertainineut again drew a full house, in fact, we do not remember ever to have seen the Theatre Eoyal better filled, upstairs being literally packed. On this occasion the judiciousness of the recent alteration in the terms of admission was particularly conspicuous, the lower part of tho house being to a great extent crowded with boys, who, although, as a rule, tendering the lowest possible payment at the door, would otherwise, no doubt, have appropriated the best seats in tho house, to the exclusion and annoyance of ladies and others having a better right to comfortable accommodation. It would still further promote general enjoyment of the entertainments if the Committee could devise and enforce measures yet more restrictive with regard to the said youths. Their deinonstrativeness requires suppression, or, at least, considerable modification. Uowover much they themselves may enjoy the stamping, whistling, and thumping of an uncouth accompaniment to an orchestral performance, they are certainly not entitled to the rough indulgence at the expense both of the performers and the greater portion of an appreciative and refined audience. It were better that such noisy propensities were checked vigoroi*^ , at : once than that, through mistaken forbearan^ they should be

flowed to develope into habitual rowdyism. The s programme for the evening was arran E ed with o ■hat regard to variety, oider, and taste which has c narked all previous onea, and was carriod out s (nth the usual Mat. It was noticeable, however, c throughout the evening that success was mainly a dependent on those ladies and gentlemen whom we may almost denominate the permanent « staff of "the Society— several of those who have < recently rendered most affective assistance having i been unavoidably prevented from contributing on 1 this occasion. It would also serve to maintain public interest in the movement could a few ] more ladies be iaduced to come forward and tender their services, whether as vocalists or pianists, as however proficient those may be who have hitherto taken part in the performances » it is absolutely necessary to continued success, and in accordance with the idea of the movement, that there should be frequent changes in the personelle of the performers as well as in the character of ■ the performances, besides, it is altogether too much to expect any given number of amateurs to undertake for any great number of weeks consecutively to carry out the very heavy programmes which are regularly brought forward. Punctually at eight o'clock Mr C. D. Irvine commenced his fourth lecture on chemistry, the section of the science selected for tho occasion being combustion. The shortness of the time allowed the lecturer i j r-j^«nti - hniniir .'made., wEjcTL greatly disappointed some of the audience, who were heard loudly demanding practical illustrations. Regarding the musical part of the programme, suffice it to say that every piece was well done, and gained unquallified approbation at the hands of the audience. A sweet duet, "The Light in the East," sung most expressively by two young ladies, being especially applauded. Of Readings and Recitations there were four, the first, Tom Moore's "The Tale of the Ring," being a recitation by Mr Hanan, who introduced his subject in a rather lengthy lecture on ballad poetry ancient and modern. The recitation itself, however, was gone through very creditably. "The Adventures of a Walking Model," read by Mr T. Perkins, was exquisite in its way, and afforded the audience great amusement. A selection from "The Caxtons" Bhould have been next, but owing to the indisposition of the intended reader " The Tale of a Chemist " was substituted, and read by Mr Buchanan. The length of "The Tale," a wild extravaganza, induced the reader to go through i£ rather hurriedly, which considerably marred its effect. The Committee and the public are, however, indebted to him for stepping forward to fill up a vacancy at only a few minutes I notice. The next reading, or more properly speaking, recitation, was Southey's serio comic German legend •' Bishop Hatto," in the delivery ! of which Mr Colquhoun displayed elecutionary abilities of a high order. Something more worthy of his talents should be selected by him on his next appearance. " Dick Swiveller's Dillema" was very well read by Mr Longuet, who, however, spoke rather low to be destinctly heard throughout, but the principle points and situations of the story being given audibly enough, the reading was very well received. The Queen's Anthem, brought proceedings to a close. We append a condensation of the Lecture on Chemistry. Mr Irvine said : — Combustion is the liberation of heat out of, or movement of heat from, the atoms of two ele mentary bodies during the time that they are engaged in the act of uniting with each other to form a compound. Thus, when the elementary atoma of oxygen unite with those of iron to form the atoms of the compound substance oxide of iron, hest is liberated. The experiment (exhibited at the previous lecture) of the iron wire burning in a glass jar of oxygen gas wa3 an illustration of combustion. The glass jar contained nothing but the two substances, oxygen aud iron, and yet whilst they were engaged in the act of combining, heat was liberated. Where did the heat come from ? It is obvious that it must have existed in tha oxygen and iron (or one of them) previous to the time that combustion began to take place — so that we see that when atoms of oxygen and atoms of iron unite with each other to form atoms of a compound or new kind of matter, heat which was before stationary or quiescent is liberated and becomes perceptible. In other words, atoms of oxygen and atoms of iron are capable of containing in their original and uncombined state a greater quantity of heat than they are able to contain after they have entered into combination with each other. Every new atom of oxide of iron that is formed differs from the original atoms of oxygen and iron of which it. is composed in this simple consideration, that it contains less heat in a stationary or quiescent form ; than tltey contained in their original or uncomb'ned state. This quiescent or stationary heat is called " latent " (from the latin word latio, to lie hid). It is also sometimes called " heat of combination ; " but whatever it is called, its presence in a fixed quautity for each kind of atom is constant, and seems to point 'out that one of the essential properties of an atom is that it contains a certaiu definite quantity of heat which is necbssary for its very existence, and that an atom can only be deprived of, or loose, any portion of this heat peculiar to itself, by causing it to enter into combination with one or more atoms of another kind. Combustion then is that conversion of latent into sensible heat, which takes place when the atoms of one body unite with the atoms of another body to form the atoms of a third body. I cannot help advancing the opinion here that the foregoing remarks with respect to heat are in a great measure also applicable to light, and that another of the essential proporties of an atom is that it contains a certain definite amount of light dwelling in it, which is necessary for its very existence, and that a3 the various kinds of atoms differ more or less in their essential quantities of heat, so do they also differ in their essential quantities of light. The burning of a coal fire is another illustration of combustion, the atoms of oxygen in the air unite with those of carbon in the coal to form a compound called carbonic acid gas, and as this process of combination liberates or sets free a quantity of heat which wa; previously stored up in the atoms of oxygon -vid carbon, combustion is said to tako placi. Vhe heat produced by respiration is anotli ■ ■ 'amiliar illustration ; carbonic acid gas is fo :i id by the carbon of the blood combining with the oxygen of the air through the medium of the lungs, and we have already seen that when these two elements combine, heat is liberated, so that every animal contains a little furnace in its breast kept constantly burning by the agency of food and respiration. When the converse of combination, i.e. re,-

olution, takes place a quantity of heat is absorbed a »r rendered latent; thus when an atom of r. arbonic acid gas is resolved into its component t items of carbon and oxygen, the very Bame J tuantity of heat which was liberated during tha t ict of combination is necessarily absorbed during £ .he act of resolution. The resolution of carbonic 1 ictd gas by the leaves of plants during the day- t :ime is an illustration of this. Plant 3 are for the { most part composed of carbon, and they obtain this carbon from the carbonic acid gas in" the air. The sun supplies the heat necessary for the process. Light seems to move in the same circle as heat. It will be seen from our advertising columns that Madame Carandini and Company will commence a seriea of musical entertainments at the Theatre Royal, on Tuesday evening next (to-morrow). They will no doubt receive a mot t hearty welcome.