sinner in the woman, that penetrated The author of "Studies in English, the dishonorable thoughts of the fully alive to the importance of our haughty self-idolator, and pronoun- mother tongue, has thought these ends ced the contrite woman forgiven, may be best attained, and especially comes before the world with claims the spirit or inner life of the language which God only could sustain. In be most fully understood, by placing the presence of such an incident, all its study on a historical basis. He verbal criticism becomes contempti- finds that "words consist, like ourble; the stormed and grateful heart selves, of a body and soul, the outexclaims, Ecce Homo! Ecce Deus!" ward form and the inner meaning;" We commend the book to the at- that they "have a physical history tention of our readers; not, however, which explains the growth of their with any expectation that they will form, and a mental history belonging endorse all it contains. There may to the idea they represent; " that be imperfections in it-there may be, "both go, of course, hand in hand, and there probably are, some errors- though but too often the clumsy objectionable passages will be found awkward body remains far behind here and there-more by some read- the subtle idea, and is not unfrequenters than by others-(we may instance ly left in the end an empty shell, a the following on Predestination which is so strong in its utterance of a sentiment which contains much truth-that it becomes irreverent, and we could have wished it modified or softened, viz: "If God can sit on His judgment seat and see men going down to hell because He determined from all eternity that they should not go to Heaven, if, when He says 'whosoever,' he means but a few,-then let all honest and noble men leave Him alone in His hateful heaven, and go down to hell in company with poor injured creatures, who have deserved better at His hands.") But, after all, few, if any, uninspired books are totally free from defects -and we shall be quite disappointed if those who give Ecce Deus a careful perusal do not derive both pleasure and instruction from its pages. "STUDIES IN ENGLISH; or Glimpses of the Inner Life of our Language. By M. Schele De Vere, LL. D., Professor of Modern Languages in the University of Virginia. 1 vol., crown 8 vo., 365 pp. New York: Charles Scribner & Co., 1867. For sale by Nicholson & Bro., Richmond, Ind. EVERY lover of our noble English will hail with pleasure the appearance of any new work calculated to promote a more thorough and scientific study of our language, and a finer perception of its spirit and meaning. mere sign and symbol." To understand the whole idea, this "sign and symbol" represents, he would have us not only go back to the early word and trace it through its various changes to its present form, but also acquaint ourselves with the spirit and character of the people by whom these changes were effected, and the circumstances under which each particular one was made, and the expansion of, or addition to, the earlier idea thereby superinduced upon the word. The history of its meaning being thus developed along with its changes of form, the inner life, the soul of the word, would be intelligible to the thorough student, and to him the words in themselves would not be arbitrary and unmeaning symbols, but living representatives of thought, and the spoken language would constantly suggest the true history of the nation. Such we understand to be the author's theory of a profitable method of studying English; but as to how far he has succeeded in showing its practicability in his work, there is room for a difference of opinion. Many words of arbitrary signification will, no doubt, still be found; and in the shaking off of nearly all the restrictions of declension and conjugation from the forms of our language, all will not see simply an expression of the unfettered freedom of spirit which we so proudly claim; but some will find a reason for the absence of these grammatical forms, in the that will entertain and instruct, and mingling of tribes, the introduction we should be glad to see it in the of one language after another into the hands of the thousands that are starvunsettled, unspelt speech of an ignor- ing for such reading. ant people, who used their mingled dialect as best they could, and finding they could make themselves understood by the simple forms of the words, they dropped the flexible endings which they did not know how to use properly, and indicated nice distinctions of meaning by an intonation or a gesture. METEOROLOGICAL REPORT FOR FEB- PREPARED BY JOHN VALENTINE, RICHMOND. Least height of the thermometer, 10th.—11° ..... 18th.560.5 .670.5 .20.5 .290.5 .340.20 .490.2 .10.5 ..14 in. .3.73 in. Mean temperature of month 66 of rain... of water.......5.09 in. Number of days it rained.. .12 ..5 280055 .290618 .10563 .050 .563 .28°196 .290527 Besides a careful division into chapters, and a general index, the book contains an index of the words whose etymologies are given, which makes it a convenient work of reference, and to such use rather than to consecutive reading, the work seems especially adapted. In tracing some of these etymologies, we felt constrained to believe the author had made a somewhat free use of a principle he thus expresses: "Guesses in themselves are interesting, and in a majority of cases the only means of sifting out of much chaff the precious grain of truth." But whoever examines the work will find meaning infused into many There are several points of interest in this names and common expressions for month, amongst which are the great fluctuawhose appearance and use in our language he may before have been puzzled to account; and no one, we think, can read the book carefully without being profited thereby. Monthly range... 66 The weather was clear 3 days; nearly entirely clear 2; cloudy 10; nearly entirely cloudy 3; and variable 10. tions of the barometer, as may be seen in the summary. On the 2nd, it fell .124 lower than I ever saw, but this great depression was attended with very little storm. The mean temperature was 5032 above the average, the changes very great, though not so sudden as we sometimes have. The month THE "RIVERSIDE MAGAZINE" for set in cold, with a very rapid thaw. On the young people, is an illustrated month- 2nd the ice was completely broken up and ly which aims to satisfy the taste of carried off. It then turned a little cold till the younger public with wholesome the 7th, when it again began to thaw rapidand genial literature, to represent the ly. On the 8th the Mercury ran to 500 with world in which children live, and to a very stormy appearance in the evening, enlarge the boundaries of that world for them. It is ably edited, beautifully printed and published by Hurd & Houghton, New York, at $2,50 per annum, and sold by book-sellers generally. What a change there has been in the reading offered young folks in the last quarter of a century, and what new avenues of enjoyment and improvement are thus opened to them! In this Magazine there seems to be a happy combination of the varieties the wind soon changed to the N. W., and an and it commenced raining at 10 P. M., but unusually severe snowstorm set in, during which the thermometer fell very fast, the storm ceased at 3 P. M. on the 9th, and at sunrise on the 10th, the Mercury was---110. It then turned warm, regularly, till the 13th, when the Mercury rose to 530, making a change down of 610, and up of 640 in 5 days, of the month, the Mercury ranging from 220 the weather continued changeable the rest to 560.5. Lastly, the depth of water has only been equalled and exceeded once in 15 years, being 2.32 inches above, or nearly double the average. THE FRIENDS' EXAMINER: A Religious, Social and Miscellaneous Review, CONDUCTED BY MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. THE object of this serial volume will be, not to subserve any private interests or sectional opinions, but to promote the well being of the religious Society of Friends, the advancement of its Christian doctrines, and its religious, social and national influence. Several copies of the first number have been forwarded to the publishers of the American Friend, and are for sale at our office, price 75c. CASCADE GARDEN & NURSERY. A VERY LARGE STOCK OF DAHLIAS, VERBENAS, GERAN- ROSES of three hundred varieties; all colors; blooming all Summer. Plants per mail prepaid. Dahlias, $2,00 per dozen; $12 per 100. Verbenas, $1,50 per dozen; $8 per 100). Geraniums, Fuschias, Heliotropes, Lantanus, Salvias, &c., $1,50 per doz; $10 per 100. ADDRESS, FOR A GREAT BARGAIN. OR SALE,-About 900 acres of Land, lying in James City County, adjoining the College Tract at Williamsburg, in lots to suit purchasers. It has on it a fine young growth of chestnut and other timber. For further particulars, address, JOHN B. CRENSHAW, YOUNG THE LADIES INSTITUTE. HE YOUNG LADIES INSTITUTE has a full corps of ten thoroughly qualified teachers, and an unrivalled set of apparatus, for the illustration of Natural History, Philosophy, and Chemistry. A limited number of boarders can be received in this family. The sessions begin the first Fifth-day of the week (Thursday,) in the First, Fourth and Ninth months. For Circular, apply to DR. Z. TEST, or R. B. HOWLAND, UNION SPRINGS, Cayuga Lake, New York. CASH DIVIDENDS FOR THE PRESENT YEAR, $2,124,000 75. NEW BUSINESS OF THE PAST YEAR. NUMBER OF PERSONS INSURED. .... .15,672 $54,875,430 This business has never been equalled in a single year by any other Life Company. CASH ASSETS TWENTY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. All being the property of the POLICY HOLDERS, and securely and profitably invested for their benefit. EVERY ONE receives annually in cash, (from date of policy,) his equitable share of the net earnings of the Company. THESE DIVIDENDS INCREASE REGULARLY AS THE POLICY GROWS OLDER, soon paying up in full a LIFE POLICY,-and continuing as a Cash Income for old age. On Endowment Policies, the Dividends have paid a liberal interest on the money invested, over and above the cost of Insurance. Showing that it is a profitable, as well as an entirely safe investment for capital. This is further manifested by the large amounts thus employed by Bankers, Active Capitalists, and Business Men. More than one-third of the entire business of the Company the past year consisted in issuing this class of Policies. All Life Policies are practically non-forfeiting after payment of two annual premiums. Life Policies, premiums payable in five or ten payments, and all endowment policies are uon forfeiting, and the premiums from TEN TỎ THIRTY PER CENT. less than charged by "NOTE COMPANIES. All premiums payable annually, semi-annually or quarterly. DR. W. P. WARING, Agent, H. B. MERRELL, Detroit, Mich., General Agent FOR INDIANA, MICHIGAN, ILLINOIS, WISCONSIN AND IOWA. THEO. R. WETMORE, Vice Prest. Dr. STEPHEN WOOD, Med. Ex. JAMES H. KNAPP, CHICAGO, GENERAL AGENT. Of this Company, "The New York Insurance Monitor and Wall Street Review,' thus "The Security is 'marching on' in the front, with the best. 3,076 are the number of policies it granted during the year preceding November last. These insured $7,253,405, and the premium brought in sums up to $541,709, which nearly amounts to a multiplicatiou of the business of 1865, showing an addition to it of 1,276 policies, $3,241,505 in sum assured, and $280,814 in premium receipts. The Assured can participate in the profits or not, as may be desired. For rates and WILLIAM BELL, General Ag't., Richmond, Ind. |