Read Ebook: Chambers's Edinburgh Journal No. 449 Volume 18 New Series August 7 1852 by Various Chambers Robert Editor Chambers William Editor

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'The cookery,' continued the Honourable John, 'was atrocious; everything half cold, and we rose hungry, to partake of watery coffee and lukewarm tea.'

I have forgotten in the above enumeration the crowning dish of all, the Braousa, which drew down applause from the company; the Mayonnaise, in short, which Madame Miau concocted with her own hands. Every one thinks they can make the Mayonnaise sauce, because they find the ingredients given in various treatises upon cookery; but there is a secret, gastronomic reader, a very simple one; and this small secret I shall now unfold, by which, if you try, you will see that oil, vinegar, and egg, end in a very different result than when the usual mode of mixing them is employed. But ere I enlighten you, let me suggest to the Mesdames Jones and Thompsons, who will persist in giving dinners with few servants and small means, that if they adopt the above plan, they will better content their company, to say nothing of saving their money, than by pursuing the accustomed mode of killing off their acquaintance--namely, a huge 'feed' dressed by a common cook, and served by hired waiters, who, scuffling amongst strange plates and glasses, invariably crack many and break some.

Madame Miau fried beautifully, and, under her nephew's directions, tried a pretty dish I had never before heard of--namely, the flower of the cucumber-plant, or vegetable mallow--which is usually, and, I believe, incorrectly, called marrow--nipped off with the little fruit attached to it. It was dipped in butter, fried lightly, and served quite hot.

Tomatoes are good skinned, the seeds taken out, and with a little butter and finely-chopped herbs, beaten into a paste with eggs, and fried in a light batter.

FOOTNOTES:

Nos. 388 and 416.

AMUSEMENTS FOR THE PEOPLE.

We have become so accustomed to the idea of a soul-and-body-ruining intemperance amongst the lower portion of the working-classes, that only some startling details connected with it make any great impression upon us. Yet it is verily a most awful thing to exist in the midst of enlightened, advancing England. There are 1300 beer-shops in the borough of Manchester, besides 200 dram-shops. Thirty-nine per cent. of the beer-shops are annually reported by the police as disorderly. One dram-shop receives 10,000 visits weekly. In those of Deansgate, which are 28 in number, 550 persons, including 235 women and 36 children, were found at one time on a Saturday night. Many of the beer-shops are a haunt of the young of both sexes among the factory people, 'the majority with faces unwashed and hair uncombed, dancing in their wooden clogs to the music of an organ, violin, or seraphine.'

A considerable number of the public-houses of Manchester have music continually going on as an attraction. Twenty-four such houses are open on Sunday evenings. Two of them received 5500 visitors per week last winter. The most innocent of the favourite haunts of the people are casinos, or music-saloons, where multitudes assemble to witness scenic representations, feats of jugglery, tumbling, &c. Twopence is paid for admission, and for this the value is given in refreshments, most frequently consisting of ginger-beer. These places are comparatively innocent, but still are far from being what is required in that respect.

We can pretend to nothing like a scheme, and perhaps so much the better. We can imagine, however, that in certain circumstances, the desideratum could be tolerably well supplied without much outlay or formality. We have coffee and reading rooms already. Say that to such an institution, we add a music and conversation room; this, as a beginning. There, when the newspaper or book had ceased to charm, let a group assemble, and, according as there might be power present, enjoy itself with a tune, a song, a chorus, a recital, an elocutionary reading, a debate on some question, or a scene from a play. Presuming that the house is under the care of an honest, well-meaning person, there could be little fear of impropriety of any kind as resulting from such amusements. The amateur spirit guarantees plenty of such volunteer effort. Let it simply be understood, as in ordinary society, that each should do his best to promote the hilarity of the evening. If a single room succeeded, let two be tried--one for conversation alone, or for such games as cards and draughts ; while the other served for music, and other entertainments not inferring silence. In the long-run, there might be further additions, allowing rooms for mutual instruction in various arts and accomplishments, sheds and courts for out-of-doors amusements, and so on.

If such establishments were ever to reach a public character, under what regulation should they be placed? We have no suggestion to make; but we embrace and maintain the principle, that the more they were understood to be under the protection of the public opinion of the class for whose benefit they are designed, the better. The patronising puritanism of another class would ruin everything. Let the other classes, if called on to assist, agree to view all that went on with a certain liberality of judgment, remembering that, although there may be some little possibilities of abuse, the whole project is, after all, an alternative from something infinitely worse; and in a fair course, improvement is to be expected. It is one unfortunate necessity of the case, that a very small abuse in a system under a responsible administration, makes a great scandal against the administration itself; the public not reflecting, that that administration may be all the time tending to the repression, not the promotion of such abuses: hence the difficulty of getting responsible administrations in such cases at all. These, however, are difficulties to be struggled with, not given way to.

FOOTNOTES:

CORINNA AT THE CAPITOL.

BY MARIE J. EWEN.

There were footsteps on the Corso in the morning twilight gray, And gatherings in the Forum ere the rosy blush of day; Loud voices round the Capitol, and on the marble stair, A breathless crowd assembled, as for a triumph there.

The chimes of San Giovanni, how merrily they ring! As if to all the city a soul of joy to bring: There's noise of many chariots, and sounds of trampling feet, Of horses with their trappings gay, and minstrels in the street.

And the balconies, what mean they with their tapestry so fine? And why are garlands wreathed around the arch of Constantine? What mean those banners streaming bright o'er tower and glittering dome, Ye ladies fair and gentlemen, that throng the streets of Rome?

It is a day of triumph, and the brightest of its kind; The victory of genius and the mastership of mind; Corinna, the pride of Italy, descends the flower-wreathed way, For at the proud old Capitol she will be crowned to-day.

Right nobly prance her snow-white steeds; behold the chariot come! Room, room for her, the star of all! ye citizens of Rome. Off with your hats, brave gentlemen! for genius is divine, And never hath she made her home in such a lovely shrine.

She comes! the fair Corinna comes! 'mid thunders of acclaim, That rush unto the lips of all at the murmur of her name. Scatter sweet roses all around; fling perfumes to the air; And strew her path with all that breathes of beautiful and fair.

Her car hath gained the Capitol--her foot is on the stair; She stands a form of matchless grace, the queen of thousands there. Bring forth the wreath that threw afresh a lustre round his name, Whose genius burned, a vestal fire, with never-dying flame.

Whose vision pierced the mantling mists that circle round the tomb, Where bitter groans resound for aye amid the starless gloom; Who saw the cities of the blest, and with as fearless tread Paced through the ebon halls of hell, the mansions of the dead.

The crown that might have cast a ray to light lone Tasso's gloom, But only drooped, a funeral wreath, to wither on his tomb; Ay, reach it down, that laurel crown, it never hath been given To one more rich in beauty's grace, and all the gifts of Heaven.

Oh, it is grand, a nation's love! a people's benison, The homage of ten thousand hearts flung at the feet of one; The rapturous glow that fires the soul, and thrills through every frame, At the mention of the worshipped one, the echo of her name.

Corinna at the Capitol! Oh, what a spell comes o'er me, As I view the gorgeous pageantry that passeth now before me; But I would I knew the meaning of the tears which like a stream In pearly drops are shining through the rapture of her dream.

And when the crowd is parted, and the festival is o'er, The many voices silent, and the music heard no more; She will think upon the triumph, the splendour that is gone, As the shadow of a dream, or the echo of a tone!

GOING AHEAD.

Printed and Published by W. and R. CHAMBERS, High Street, Edinburgh. Also sold by W. S. ORR, Amen Corner, London; D. N. CHAMBERS, 55 West Nile Street, Glasgow; and J. M'GLASHAN, 50 Upper Sackville Street, Dublin.--Advertisements for Monthly Parts are requested to be sent to MAXWELL & CO., 31 Nicholas Lane, Lombard Street, London, to whom all applications respecting their insertion must be made.

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