Notes On Literature, Science And Art.

at any rate she was dressed in a ' dark drab suit ; ' Avhilst tbe ' Herald' as usual distinguishes itself from its competitors by saying that the dress Avas a' suit of gray . ' There ' s variety for you ; and if these fiA'e witnesses could not decide the colour of a dress , AVIIO

shall Avonder if one opinion becomes five from five standpoints 1 " To Avhich I will only add , that if five eye-witnessss cannot agree one Avith another on the colour of a lady ' s dress , at the very time of seeing it , but each publish different accounts to be

immediately read by numerous people who have also seen the said dress , how can Ave poor historians help falling into numerous errors , however anxious Ave may search for the truth , when we are compelled to take most of our facts from others 1 Who after

this can wonder that Sir Walter Raleigh , Avriting his " History of tbe World , " Avhen a prisoner in the Tower , should be unable to unravel the cause of the quarrel which had just taken j > lace under the windoAV of his cell 1 Should a nainter ever Avish to

portray the female advocate of free' love iu any of his pictures , he will have the advantage of being able to represent her in a kirtle of black , dark blue , dark purple , dark drab , or gray , as may best suit his fancy , and to appeal to the press for a proof of his strict historical correctness .

"An Account of the Old Streets and Homesteads of England , " illustrated by numerous examples , selected and draAvn on Avood , by Mr . Alfred Riinmer , of Chester , and with an introduction from the pen of Dean Howsonis about to be published

, , AVe hear much in England of every village of any importance in the United States of America having one or more newspapers , but little as to IIOAV many of them are losses either to those who

commence them , or those who unfortunately give them credit . We learn from " RoAvell ' s American NeAvspaper Directory for 1875 , " that upAvards of a thousand of of them failed during last year . Onr Transatlantic cousins evidently need to stud

y one of the rudimentary lessons of political economy , that of simply and demand . It mi ght help to save them from some other errors which it is not necessary here to enter on . Sir Michael CostaSir JBenedictSir

, . , R . Elvey , Professor Ella , Professor Hullab , and Herr Halle , have been nominated as examiners for the new National Training School for Music

" Under Heaven there never was such a smith , " is the boast of the Japanese Avhen speaking of their celebrated countryman of the sixteenth century , Myochin Muneharu . The visitors to that real educator of the people , South Kensington Museum , can

UOAV judge for themselves , by examining Ms large bronze sculpture of the Sea-Eagle , Avhich has been added to the South Court . The " Athenamm" describes "this statue of the bird of jney in the act of departing on the Aving , as it seems to us , from the verge

of a rock ; the neck is thrust outwards , the beak slightly opened , as if to emit a scream before descent is begun . Tbe neck feathers are bristling , ancl , this we do not understand , they appear to have become concave , tbe tibeing elevated ; the crest is raised ;

ps the expanded Avings seem to vibrate in every quill ; the tail is spread like a fan . The execution is elaborate and careful , but not merely minute—it is marked by something like largeness of style , and a fine feeling for the differing textures and forms

of tbe various kinds of feathers is distinct . " One Avould scarcely p ick a rural policeman at a venture as the likeliest man in the parish to be a poet ; yet tbe occupation , humble

though it may be , Avhen honestly performed is as honourable as anyother . NOAV , as in the days of the ancient Roman , the head of the body politic Avould be useless Avithout the too-often despised humbler members . And Freemasons , of every clime and creed ,

gladly accept , that sublime conservativedemocracy of PAUIJ , in his first Epistle to the Corinthians , where he says : — "The eye cannot say unto the hand , 1 have no need of thee : nor again the head to the feet , I have no need of you . Nay , much more

those members of the body Avbieb seem to be more feeble , are necessary . " And why should not the poor rural policeman , going his lonely beat at untimely hours , through villages and past farmsteads Avhere nothing is to be heard save " the Avatchdog ' s honest

bark , " ancl along highways and byeAvays Avhere nothing crosses his path except the hungry fox prowling for his poultry prey , unless a human thief should unhappily be on tbe same unholy errand , —Avby should not this manAvith the silver moon and

, myriads of beauteous stars spangling the bright blue immensity of sky above him ; with the most gorgeous sunrises , or most brilliant sunsets constantly exposed to bis vieAv , as he may happen to be upon