NOTICES. NOTICES. THE NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE; by the Rev. Gilbert White, A. M. Harper & Brothers: New York. 1841.-The author of this work graduated at Oxford, in 1743. Consequently, he was but a few years the junior of the Wesleys, and must have been familiar with the reputation of the "godly club," as the Wesleys, and Hervey, and their associates were called. Being of an unambitious temper, Mr. White "fixed his residence in his native village, and spent his life in literary occupations, especially in the study of nature." In this sphere of life he produced a "Natural History" of his own parish-a very limited field, one would think, from which to glean the materials for a volume of Harpers' Library. Yet this Natural History is full of interest and instruction. It gives details of parish history and incidents, especially such as relate to the soils, aspect, original productions, and instincts and habits of beasts, birds and insects; and from these, branches out to general inductions and remarks, which belong not to the parish, but to the world. We will offer two extracts. The first is in verse: "THE NATURALIST'S SUMMER EVENING WALK. "While deep'ning shades obscure the face of day, method. 159 without making any alteration in the air. The sun at noon looked as blank as a clouded moon, and shed a rust-colored, ferruginous light on the ground and floors of rooms, but was the time the heat was so intense that butchers' meat could particularly lurid and blood-colored at rising and setting. All hardly be eaten the day after it was killed, and the flies swarmhalf frantic, and riding irksome. The country people began to look with a superstitious awe at the red, lowering aspect of the sun; and, indeed, there was reason for the most enlightened of the Isle of Sicily were torn and convulsed with earthquakes, person to be apprehensive, for all the while Calabria and part and about that juncture a volcano sprung out of the sea on the coast of Norway. On this occasion Milton's noble simile of the sun, in his first book of Paradise Lost, frequently occurred towards the end it alludes to a superstitious kind of dread, with to my mind; and it is indeed particularly applicable, because which the minds of men are always impressed by such strange and unusual phenomena: ed so in the lanes and hedges that they rendered the horses "As when the sun, new risen, Looks through the horizontal misty air Shorn of his beams; or from behind the moon, On half the nations, and with fear of change NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION TO THE POLAR SEA. By Admiral Ferdinand Wrangell, of the Russian Imperial Navy. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1841.-Sketches of voyages and travels are interesting and useful, forming a substitute in some measure for actual travel and personal observation. This is a work of merit as a source of information to the reader. It relates to almost unknown regions. The reader's geographical knowledge will be much improved by its perusal. THE MISSIONARY HERALD.-This excellent work, which has now for almost one-half of a century faithfully reported the enterprises of the Church and of its self-denying laborers, in the missionary fields of Europe, Asia, Africa and America, increases in interest as the work of God becomes more manifest and powerful among the heathen. The March number contains an account of the death of Mrs. Wolcott, wife of one of the missionaries at Beyroot. Mr. Wolcott gives the following account of her last hours: "She expressed the deepest sense of personal unworthiness, renounced all self-dependence, and said that she never before had such an unspeakable sense of the awful evil of sin. She recognized these sentiments in her prayers, and frequently asked that she might be made a monument of grace, of free and sovereign grace. To be received into the lowest place in the heavenly kingdom, was all that she ventured to hope for. This hope, through the merits of her merciful Savior, she did entertain. She said that the character of Jesus had to her an appearance of ineffable loveliness--a beauty on which her soul dwelt with delight; that she felt a peculiar pleasure in reflecting that he was not like man, not vindictive in his feelings, but truly pitied and loved the guilty and the miserable, and wished to save and to bless them. "The morning of October 26th she was evidently sinking, and she commended her soul to Christ. Of her prayers, which were many, and expressed, as it seemed to me, in very simple and appropriate language, I have recorded but this one. Perceiving the indications of her approaching end, she observed, This is death; I shall soon be in eternity.' Then turning her treme sufferings would permit, the following sentences, very As fancy warms, a pleasing kind of pain Steals o'er the cheek, and thrills the creeping vein! "Each rural sight, each sound, each smell combine; The tinkling sheep-bell, or the breath of kine; The new-mown hay, that scents the swelling breeze, Or cottage-chimney smoking through the trees." The second is in prose, and affords a better idea of the author's face gently upwards, she uttered, at such intervals as her ex"The summer of the year 1783 was an amazing and porten-deliberately and distinctly, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. I tous one, and full of horrible phenomena; for, besides the alarming meteors and tremendous thunder-storms that affrighted and distressed the different counties of this kingdom, the peculiar haze or smoky fog that prevailed for many weeks in this island, and in every part of Europe, and even beyond its limits, was a most extraordinary appearance, unlike any thing known within the memory of man. By my journal I find that I had noticed this strange occurrence from June 23 to July 20 inclusive, during which period the wind varied to every quarter, lay my soul at thy feet. Grant it some humble place before thee. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. I give thee this soul in all its pollution: I can make it no better. It is all that I can do. Conduct me through the valley of the shadow of death. May thy rod and thy staff comfort me. Pain, and distress, and anguish-but may I soon be with Jesus!' "Although her voice failed and we thought her dying, she rallied a little, and to one of the brethren who came in an hour after and inquired her state, she replied, 'I feel this morning THE VALLEY OF THE MISSISSIPPI ILLUSTRATED.-This is a new work, issued monthly from the St. Louis press. It is pictorial, or contains lithographic views of various prominent objects which it describes-such as cities, towns, and public buildings, with ancient works, and striking scenery. It expatiates over a vast field; and surely with editorial industry and talent, must be made a most interesting work. when I am able to think at all, that Jesus Christ is the portion || of it. The claims of common citizenship back and enforce the of my soul. There is none other for me.' These were the last || claims of Christian obligation in this matter." expressions of her mind, while it was perfectly clear. It became necessary to administer strong opiates, and during the remaining four or five hours that she lingered, her mental exercises were of the same general character, but with evidence of a wandering occasioned by the medicine. Just before the final struggle, she uttered clearly the following remark, 'And now may the Lord give me grace to live for him; to say what I ought to say, and do what I ought to do.' These were her last words." LADIES' CABINET MAGAZINE.-This is a union of three different periodicals, and will take a respectable rank with other monthlies of light, entertaining matter. J. Mansell, Albany. THE LADIES' GARLAND.-This is an unpretending monthly, without embellishments, and is liable to as few objections in regard to its matter as almost any publication which is not strictly religious. It is in its ninth volume. A DISCOURSE ON CHURCH EXTENSION: delivered on Sunday evening, Dec. 11, 1841, being the Sunday next succeeding the day on which the corner-stone of the edifice of Grace Church was laid. By Rev. Chauncey Colton, D. D., Rector of the Church. This discourse is founded on Ezra iii, 10, 11. It dwells on the importance of "Church extension in great and rapidly populating cities." It presents in plain, but forcible language, the necessity of making adequate provision for the religious instruction and training of the various classes which compose a city population. It speaks thus of the indigent: "The dispensation of the Gospel is especially to the poor: If we will not place in our own hands or the hands of others, the means of preaching the Gospel to the poor, with all its appliances of spiritual and temporal blessing, making its spirit and voice to sound out into all that world of suffering and want, in every suburb and every alley; and in the fulfillment of its divine mission, going out into the streets and lanes of the city,' and 'compelling them to come in,' and take a 'good place with us in our places of Christian worship-if, in a word, we will not lay aside utterly, all limited and narrow views of the duty of Church extension, and in obedience to the calls of Providence, 'give of our ability unto the treasurers and masons and carpenters' of such good works-shall we not, with our eyes open, incur the guilt of shutting up the kingdom of heaven against the poor-and perhaps not even be suffered to go in ourselves! * "I repeat it, brethren, the subject of Church extension has solemn claims of duty which cannot be set aside, till we have done, and till we do, year by year, all that lieth in us, to provide places of Christian worship, and the living and laboring ministry, for all sorts and conditions of men,' in every ward and suburb of our city. We cannot, without guilt, put aside * * * * these claims of Christ's poor, and leave them, under all the necessities of their condition, uncared for. We cannot leave their children to grow up exposed to all the positively vicious and demoralizing influences by which they are surrounded, and the Proteus forms of error to which they are exposed on every side, without neglecting the most obvious and solemn claims of duty to God and our neighbor. * "This duty of Church extension for the poor of every great city, viewed with candor, and a disposition to know and do our duty, cannot fail to appear as plain as it is solemn and binding upon all calling themselves Christians, and living under the responsibilities of Christian citizenship in the midst of such a population. * * "We deal with the facts before you, of a spiritually destitute population, swelling in the new wards and suburbs, in a most rapid ratio of yearly increase. We do but urge the old and time-honored obligation of preaching the Gospel to every creature-a theory of Church extension or of missions, certainly as applicable to the destitute portions of a great city, as to the remotest and most isolated family or tribe of heathenis:n-a plain home theory, having indeed, little of the romance of distance to lend it enchantment or attraction; but nevertheless, much of the instant and pressing claim of home duty, of neighborhood charity. The time has come, not for speculating coldly upon it, but entering earnestly and vigorously upon the doing PROCEEDINGS of the Physiological Temperance Society of the Medical Institute of Louisville.-This is a pamphlet of 16 pages, and states the origin and progress of a temperance association of the above name. A physiological temperance society, composed of medical professors, practitioners and students, is likely to be extensively useful, not only by the conservative virtue of the pledge upon its members, but by its influence abroad. The temperance reform owes much to a portion of the medical faculty. In this city, the friends of the cause will hold in grateful remembrance the services of Dr. Muzzy, and other professors of the Ohio Medical College. We rejoice that Louisville will be blessed with similar influences through its medical professors. The following is the form of a diploma, or certificate of membership of the Physiological Temperance Society of Louisville: "CERTIFICATE OF MEMBERSHIP. Physiological Temperance Society of the Medical Institute of Louisville. Organized December 23d, 1841.-Be it known by all to whom these presents may come, greeting: That, of the state of , on the day of, 18, was elected a member of the Physiological Temperance Society of the Medical Institute of Louisville, established to investigate the causes, consequences, and remedies of intemperance in the use of alcoholic drinks and other narcotic stimulants; and that every member is bound to refrain from intoxicating beverages for five years after subscribing this Constitution. "In testimony whereof, the seal of said society is hereunto annexed, in the city of Louisville, and state of Kentucky, this -of 18-. President. -, Recording Secretary." EDITOR'S TABLE. ELIZABETH FEMALE ACADEMY, Washington, Mississippi: This institution is under the supervisal of Mrs. Sybile R. under the patronage of the Mississippi Annual Conference.Campbell, as principal Governess; whose qualifications are spoken of in terms of the highest commendation. The Rev. L. Campbell holds the offices of Treasurer and Steward. The Academic year is divided into two sessions of five months each. The first commencing on the first Monday in October, and closing on the first Friday in March. The second comMarch, and terminates the first Friday in August. mences on the Monday next succeeding the first Friday in ber is vacation. There will always be a few days of recess at From the first Friday in August to the first Monday in Octo Christmas. A Visiting Committee, composed of three highly respectable matrons, has been appointed, whose privilege it is to visit the school as often as they may deem advisable; and inspect the sleeping rooms, dress, and general deportment of the pupils; and report to the principal Governess and Board of Trustees any impropriety or negligence which may come to their notice. TO CORRESPONDENTS.-The poetry from M. B. H., and the articles on the "Resurrection of Christ," and "Fairford and its Church," will appear in June. The article on Novel Reading has merit, but is too long, and the theme has been treated at length already. We will consider further. The long poem on the deceased missionaries contains many good passages, and it may appear hereafter. Some other articles are under examination, and may yet be adopted. We hope to hear from E. 'T. and J. S. T. soon. E. H. H. has almost forgotten us. |