Iterature.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2203, 21 August 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

Iterature.

—The Edinburgh Daily Keview, which was started, in 1801, as tin advanced Liberal journal, Imh ceased to exist. — The sale of the drawings of the late Rnndolph Caldecott placed no less than £0,77") at the disposal of his executors. —A prospectus of "A Course of Study for Young: M«n preparing for a Business Career " has been issued by the Senate of University College, Liverpool. The course offers a wide range of subject*, and extends over two years, from sixteen to eighteen. The fees are fixed at from £20 to £27. —Mr G. A. Sala will contribute an account of his recent journey from Melbourne homewards to Tinsley's Magazine, commencing in the next number. — A selection from the writing of Hax-litt and Hunt is being prepared by Mr Alexander Ireland, author of "The Book-Lover's Enchiridion,'' &c. —We are indebted to a Boston contemporary for the information that, while " Lord Tennyson lives absolutely out of the world, and associates only with a choice circle of special friends, Mr Browning lives in the world, and during ' the Season,' and indeed usually, dines in society every day." — Mr Alfred Cotgrcave has reprinted in pamphlet form a letter from him which appears in The National Review this month on the subject of " Free Libraries under the Act and their Promotion." He points out the advantages of such libraries to all classes of the community, and the best means of overcoming the prejudices against them in some quarters. — Although not, strictly speaking, a literary character, Mr Richard Hoe, I whose death we regret to announce, did more than most men for the extension ot journalism. His invention, in 1546, of the rotary machine removed enormous mechanical difficulties connected with newspaper printing, and enabled copies to be multiplied much more radidiy than had been dreamed of up to that time. Further improvements were subsequently introduced by Mr Hoe, and machines of the type invented by him have been adopted by more than one of the great London dailies, besides being in use in many other newspaper offices throughout this country, the United States, and the colonies. — The latest number of Mr Buskin's Pro?terita brings his autobiography up to the important time when he was first introduced to J. M. W. Turner in the flesh, which was on June 22nd, 1810. He had known him in his works since very e.irly boyhood. The entry in Mr Ruskin's diary connected with this incident is as follows :—": — " Introduced today to the man who, beyond all doubt, is the greatest of the age— greatest in every faculty in the imagination, in every branch of scenic knowledge, at once the painter and poet of the day, J. M. \V. Turner. Everybody had ilf-sciib^d him to me as coarse, boorish, unintclli'ctual, vulgar. This I knew to be impossible. I found in him a somewh.it eccentric, keen-mannered inatter-of*faut, Englishminded gentleman, cood-natureti evidently, bad-tempered evidently, hating humbug of all sorts, shrewd, perhaps a little selfish, highly intellectual, the powers of the mind not brought out with any delight in their manifestation or intention of display, but flashing out occasionally in a work or a look." — The interview was not so satisfactory has had been hoped. Beyond wishing him good-night kindly, Turner paid little heed to his youthful admirer. Moralising upon the event, Mr Ruskin writes: — "If he had but asked me to come and see him the next day, shown me a pencil sketch, and let me see him lay a wash ! he would have saved me ten years of life, and would not have been less happy in the close of his own. One can only say: "Such things are never to be; every soul of us has to do its fight with the Untoward, and for itself discover the Unseen." '

TllK oriioin.il police of Berlin, a special body, have now been armed with revolvers. I'kinck Bhmvtick, with an eye to future German acquisitions in the Ea»t, has founded in JSurlin a school for the teaching of living Oriental languages. Tin; Metropolitan Board of Works is seriously taking into consideration the expediency of dealing with the London sewage by means of separating the "kludge" from the water, returning the latter deodorised into the river, and conveying the former to the sea in boats specially constructed for this purpose. Thk ignorance of London work-girls and, very likely, of work-girls everywhere, is colossal ; it passcth understanding. They have no books in their rooms, not one single book, not even a Bible or a Prayer-book or a hymn-book — singleroom lodgers never have any books ; they read nothing at all, neither books, nor newspapers, nor journals, nor magazines, nor tracts. They have no knowledge of literature in any form. A German Journalist Hit. — The German papers publish the following "hit" on the Socialists. Social Democrat, to soldier : " I say you are one of the people. You wouldn't fire on your countrymen, would you ?" Soldier : "No; catch me shooting at anybody!" Social Democrat : • That's the way I like to hear a soldier talk. Sit down and have some beer." The soldier does so. "Now take a smoke," says the Social Democrat, after the repast is over. Once more the soldier complies. "Are there many soldiers in your regiment who would refuse to fire on the people ?" asks the Suciahst. Soldier : " About 20. You see, I am a member of the band, and we members of the band have nothing to shoot with." It was only natural tkat under a Radical Government the British flag should have been contemned by the French in Grerk waters, a French corvette only a few days ago having refused to hoist her colours after two unallotted guns had been fired. An ironclad then was sent at full speed after her, and up came the tricolor, but a timely shot at her hull would have better reminded the impertinent jackanapes in command that England at sea takes the pan of all nations, more especially France. Not so Admiral de Horsey in the affair when the Shah, a wooden boat, brought the Huascar, a South American temporary Republic privateer ironclad, to grief, for which the Governj mentofa twopenny-halfpenny State had the impudence to try and get compensation from England, in which they would have probably succeeded had the Radicals been at the helnn. — Exchange. Notmin'o good bursts forth all at once. The lightening may dart out of a dark cloud, but the day sends his bright herald* before him to prepare the world for his coming.—Archdeacon Hare. Jlkavkn* be their resource who have no other but the charity of of the woild, the stock of which, 1 fear, is in no way suttioient for the many great claims which arc hourly made upon it.— Sterne. Tk a man is getting shaved in a barber's shop, and a fly alights on hi.-, nose, and he gives his head a twitch to remove the fly, during which the barber removes a shoo of the man's ear, who is to blame— the man, or the barber, or the fly, or the ear, or the razor ? A mrr.K boy visited his aunt in the country not long since. One day, at the dinnertable, the lady complained that a jar of favourite preserves had mysteriously disappeared from the pantry. Each one present disclaimed any knowledge of he fact, exempt the little boy, who remained studiously silent. Vt length, being asked if he knew u hat had become of the nuking fiuit, he ingenuously replied, "Papa doesn t allow me to talk at t.ible." Tin. Inpici^kmikm 1 Si-iitir.— '• Why ain't you sit \vurk,|.le,mmy 7" "Cause wero out on strike." "What's the trouble?'' "[ don't know."' " What are you stiiking for?"' •'For our right-.." "Who lms wronged M.ii'" "The company."' "What company?" " 1 don't know." "What has it done?" "I don't know." "Then how do you know what you are striking for?" "Well, we're sti iking for our riehts, and we're goin' to have "em. There ! Wero goin' to have 'cm 1"