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Sel,
‘\son that these islands are soon to form a
Dodge's Literary Museum.
141
Literature and Art.
Sanpwrcy Sean? Notes. By A ILiolé. New
ork: Harper & Brothers. Boston: Burnham
Brothers.
A Hiiolé is “supposed to be” a native
of the Sandwioh Islands; whether he is or
not we don’t know.. We do know, however,
the Sandwich Island annexation question is
yet to be of great importance and interest
to the American public, as well as to certain
foreign cabinets who entertain a deep re-
gret at the inevitability of the annexation
to the American domain, and will doubtless
do all they safely can to put obstacles in the
way, to check the known predilection of
our Government for extension of the “area
of freedom ”—and territory. For the rea-
prominent subject of national debate, all
books which throw light on their history
and character, and their inhabitants, are
beginning to be sought with general avidity.
The volume before us is no catch-penny
affair. It is full of very useful and inter-
esting intelligence; every page is crowded
with facts obtained by tact and industry
from-many and the best sources. © Those
who would. talk understandingly upon the
great question of Sandwich Islands annex-
ation, will be ‘unqualified for their object if
they do not read this work.
Russra AND ENGLAND. Their Strength and Weak-
ness. By John Reynell Morell. New York: Rik-
er, Thorne & Co.
Tus is a ninety-page pamphlet upon the
following subjects: Russia’s weakness, Eng-
land’s strength, Circassian gallantry, Russian
injustice, Schamyl, his adventures, physical
and political geography and statistics of the
Caucasus, England’s weakness, Russia’s
strength, diplomacy, and illustrations of the
war with Caucasus. The author very prop-
-erly advocates speed_in-the. prosecution of
the war against Russia, and a liberal outlay
of British gold. Ife appears to think that
such a policy. would close the war and “seal
the doom of Russia” this summer. We
neither think that, nor that either of the
conditions he proposes ‘will be adopted.
There are no great generals in Europe
now, that is to say, generals of the first
class—and the. indispensable military mind
sufficient to grapple with the great question
does not exist.. Hence the war will be a
long one, or negotiated into an’ unsatisfac-
tory, ignominious close.
GaN-EpEN: or, Pictures of Cuba. 12mo., 236 pp.
Price 76 cents, Boston: John P. Jewett & Co.
Tue unique title of this work is bor-
rowed from an Oriental tale, and signifies a
“Garden of -Delight.” It is the author's
aim—so he declares in the’ preface—to ex-
press the sum of those bright memories, of
a genial nature, and of more genial human
friends, which he brought away from Cuba.
Therefore he did not attempt to write a his-
tory or compile a gazetteer of that lovely
island. This work is a series of poetic
sketches, drawn in simple style and with
refined taste, and gemmed by historic and
classic allusions» We guess that genuine
New England bard, James Russell Lowell,
“knows something” about the pen-artist of
these “ Pictures.”
The paper, print and binding are superb
as they should be, and the work will doubt-
less have a large sale.
Burnnam Broruers have received No
2 of.that valuable publication, to be com-
plete in ten numbers at 50 cents each,
Harpers? Gazetteer of the World.
Jenny Lixp Sones.—G. P. Reed & Co.,
No. 17 Tremont street, have published in
beautiful style all the songs sung in this
country by Jenny Lind. The music of this
house is published on heavy white paper,
that does not become easily soiled by hand-
ling—a very desirable feature to beginners.
Geo. P. Reed & Co. have also pub-
lished No. 4 of their “elegant caprices,”
entitled the Wiener-Kreutz Polka de
Strauss, for the piano; also The Lover’s
Prayer, words by Miss C. M. Young, music
by W. Thomas.
Snake Fascination.
Many persons doubt that there ever has
existed such a power as snake fascination
over the human system, physical and men-
tal; but we learn from the St. Louis Herald
that an instance of this kind occurred near
that city, a short time since, the particulars
of which the editor states he knows to be
true. ,
A man by the name of O’Mara had a
small child, a little girl about thirteen years
of age, who came to her death through the
influence of a snake, under the following
circumstances :—O’Mara resides on the Cop-
peras Creek, in Franklin county, and but a
short distance from the Pacific railroad de-
pot. Some nine months ago, early last fall,
his family noticed the little girl to be pining
away, and becoming very weak and pale, |.
although she had “been very fleshy and
hearty, and apparently without any cause
or complaint of sickness. By the time win-
ter had fairly set in, she was wasted away
to a mere skeleton, but as soon as the
weather became cold she again seemed to
revive. She never complained of being
unwell, and in reply to all their inquiries in
regard to her health, she invariably said she
felt very well, only a little weak. As soon
as spring arrived, she ‘could not be’ pre-
vailed upon to eat any victuals in her fa-
ther’s house, but would take a piece of
bread and butter, or a piece of meat, and
go out to the edge of the creek to eat it.
The family noticed her regularly, always
going precisely to the same place, and inva-
riably complaining of being hungry after
her return, when, if more victuals would be
given her, she would again return to the
creek, as they thought, to eat.
Finally, some of the neighbors having
heard of the circumstances of the child’s
extraordinary conduct, and also of her
wasted appearance, suggested to her father
to watch her movements, which he did.
The child had been sitting on the bank of
the ereek nearly all the forenoon, until near
dinner-time, when she got up and went to
her father’s house, asked for a ‘piece of
bread and butter, and again returned to the
same place she had been. Her father kept
behind her without making any noise. As
soon as the child was seated, the father saw
a huge snake slowly raise its head into her
lap and receive the bread and butter from
her hand; and when she would attempt to
take a bite of the bread, the snake would
commence hissing and become apparently
very angry, when the child, trembling like
a leaf, would promptly return the bread to
the monster.
The snake was between six and seven
feet in length, known as the common. black
snake, and generally pronounced harm-
. | less—that is, not poisonous.
The father was completely paralyzed, not
being able to move hand or foot; entertain-
ing, as most Irish persons do, a great dread
for snakes, he felt alarmed ‘for the safety of
Severat Literary items are omitted.
his child, net knowing the nature of the
snake or the extent of the influence on his
child. His blood became almost clogged in
his veins, and he groaned in perfect agony,
which caused the snake to become alarmed,
and glide away into the creek. The child
then immediately sprang to her feet and ran
home, apparently. much frightened... Her
father followed her, but she refused to an-
swer any questions, and he then resolved to
detain his child at home, but he was advised
to permit her to go again next day to the
creek, and to follow her and kill the snake.
Next morning she took a piece of bread and
again went out to the creek, her father fol-
lowed her with his gun in his hand, and as
soon as the snake made his appearance, shot
him through the head. » The child swooned ;
the snake squirmed and. worked himself
around awhile, and then died; the child in
the meantime recovered from her swoon,
but was immediately seized with spasms,
acting in a manner resembling the writhing
of the snake, and finally died at the same
moment the snake did, apparently in the
greatest agony.
fa> Mr. anp Mrs. Broomer_ have
sold out their newspaper at Mt. Vernon,
Ohio, the Western Home Visitor, and have
started to the far West in search of a home.
The newspaper speculation didn’t pay.
rag An advent preacher holding forth
in this city on Sunday evening, thus unbur-
dened himself upon the matter of a name
for his sect:
“T don’t keer a bit, I don’t keer a snap, I
don’t keer a single red copper what they
call us—it is God Almighty’s truth we
want.”
There was more force than beauty in the
remark.
BooK-KEEPING IN ee R.I—
A. G, Scholfield and David T. Martin have
opened a book-keeping and writing school
in Providence, for the benefit of themselves
generally and the rising generation particu-
larly.
Scholfield will teach them to eop ledgers right,
While Martin will teach them to handsomely write.
A new leaf the scholars will have to turn over,
With penmanship beautiful all the rest cover;
And as charges are light, they soon will be startin’
For A. and G. Scholfield and David T. Martin.
Plagiarism.
WE stated last week that the beautiful
verses entitled “ Anna’s Grave,” which ap-
peared in a late number of the Afuseum, as
original, from the pen of T. IH. Chivers,
had been claimed by J. R. Sneed, a con-
tributor to the Waverley Magazine. We
therefore called for an explanation—which
it scems was requested at the same time by
J. Starr Holloway, of Philadelphia.
The following letter from Dr. Chivers,
we publish in justice to him, though its ex-
treme severity we hardly think is called for
under the circumstances. We cannot think
that Mr. Holloway wished anything more
than information relative to the fenuine au-
thorship of the piece.
Jaly 23d, 1854.
To the Editor of the Literary Museum :
Dear Sir,—A friend has just pointed
out to me, in the last number of the Waverly
Magazine, a letter over the signature of J.
Starr Holloway, in which he affects to doubt
that I am the legitimate father of the pret-
ty little poem” which recently appeared in
the art-fostering arms of the Literary Mu-
seum,
Hlis only reason—if, in fact, he ever had
any—for presuming to question its pater-
nity, being, that it first made its appearance
in the swaddling-clothes of the Upas-leaves
of the aforesaid Beggarly Magazine ; which
would damn anybody.
My object, therefore, in writing this let-
ter, is merely to inform this ignoramus that
it was resurrected out of the sepulchre,
wherein it was so quietly inured, “about
one year ago,” by the same spirit which
gave it birth, to enjoy its present apotheosis
in the amber columns of the Literary Mu-
seum—(whose altitude appears to be so far
above his low-minded, buzzard-eyrie that he
does not even aspire to name it)—as the le-
gitimate heir, not only of my own inven-
tion, but as the cherished image of the pa-
thetical divine dove.
The balance of his letter touching Poe is
beneath contempt, because the roughly-
licked cub of an uneducated bear.
I disinterred it from that rotten sepul-
chre, wherein the divinest things would be
rendered wholly mortal, to enjoy its present
immortality in the fame-bestowing pyramid
of American Letters—for how could I let it
rot in such a grave ?
I hope, by this time, that the ‘ young
ne” begins to feel “sorry,” as he prom-
ised to, after he had found out that my own
is mine. This is the reason why it was not
published with my name; for, if a man’s
child should lie down with dogs, would it
not get up with fleas? -
It was re-written and re-published be-
cause it had been cruelly mutilated, by the
ungrateful fingers of old Daddy Longlegs,
who never touches anything that he does
not pollute.
Thus do I correct this greenhorn for his
obstreporous bellowing, when, he ought to
have remained silent—bridling the Onager
who seems to take such impertinent delight
in kicking up his hecle im the prairies of in-
tellectual platitude.
But I see that the Old Boy is determined
to have my name in his paper, whether I
am willing or not—stealing what I am not
willing to vouchsafe to him, just as this J.
Starr Hollow-Way did my refrain of Ah!
no, no, no/ in order the better to round off
the period of his effeminate billingsgate.
Yours, very truly,
T.H. Curvers.
P. S.—About one year ago, Moses A.
Dow most solemnly assured his readers that
he woyld never admit anything more into
his paper touching what he was pleased to
call “The Poe Controversy.” You can
judge what regard he has for his word, by
the appearance of the J. Starr Holloway
letter. THC
83> A FRIEND of ours, who’ travels ex-
tensively, knows well a good hotel when he
finds it, and boasts an acquaintance with the
most desirable summer resorts in New, Eng-
land, has just returned from a visit to Lynn-
field, in this State, ov: erflowing with lauda-
tions of the locality, and the accommodations
which it affords.to visitors- The town is
situated on the Boston and Salem railroad,
about ten miles from this city, and six from
Salem, and is characterized by pleasantness,
quietude, picturesque scenery, and a spa-
cious and elegant public house, over.which
presides the worthiest of hosts, Major C. E.
Rand. The denizens of Boston and Salem
are resorting hither in good numbers, and
from courteous attentions, ample accommo-
dations, and abundant means of rural en-
joyment, derive a degree of pleasure and
comfort which rarely a summer retreat af
fords. Wecommend the place to those who
intend to visit the country during dog-days.
> Poivaperrntans are taxed this,
year $1.50 on the hundred dollars,