MISCELLANEOUS.

LADY COMPANIONS FOR THE INSANE :-Dr. Rees Philipps in his reports on the Wonford Lunatic Asylum for the Insane at Exeter, strongly advocates the appointment of educated ladies as companions to the inmates of the female departments of asylums, for lunatics of the upper and middle classes. Every hour that he spends in the female wards of the hospital under his charge strengthens his conviction of the beneficial influence on lady patients of kindly companionship and the nursing of gentlewomen. A certain proportion of lady nurses has been introduced into that admirably conducted registered hospital, Barnwood House, at Gloucester, and the Medical Superintendent, Dr. Needham, is satisfied that he obtains more work from these lady nurses, and at no increased cost, than from nurses drawn from the domestic servant class. this opening for useful and meritorious work were more widely known than it is at present, many gentlewomen of suitable position and temperament would doubtless avail themselves of it. The emoluments offered are not large; but an honourable livelihood and interesting Occupation are not without their attractions.-Medical Press.

If

LANDSCAPE GARDENING.-There is one lady student at the landscape gardening class at the Crystal Palace. This is a study which many women might adopt with profit.

MISS WESTON AT CLIFTON.-On October 16th, Miss Weston, "the Sailor's Friend," gave an account of her work ashore and afloat, at the Victoria Rooms, Clifton. Miss Weston said there had been great alteration and improvement in the Royal Navy, and she felt they owed a great debt of gratitude to many who had laboured amongst them in the olden times. They sowed the seed, and she was quite certain they who were now working in the same way were reaping a great harvest from the seed so sown. The speaker then referred to the good done by the Seamen's Mission Society, which had its rise in Bristol, and was now working all over the world, and to the Naval Scripture

Readers' Society, more especially connected with the Royal Navy. Proceeding to describe the work in which she was engaged, Miss Weston said she had five Sailors' Rests, placed at the large ports, and last year 30,000 men slept in them, and very likely the number would be much larger this year. The men appreciated the efforts which were made for their advantage, and not only were their habits changed, but many of the men became earnest Christian men, what they all desired them to be. Temperance work was making great progress among the men, and she was able to state, upon the authority of the late Secretary of the Admiralty, who made the statement in the House of Commons, that there were 10,600 total abstainers in the navy-one out of every six. In the army the number of abstainers was one out of every ten, so that it would be some time before they would overtake the navy in this respect. She mentioned that a Sailor's Rest had been purchased for a place in Japan, and that the men in the American navy had desired to share in the advantages which the work offered. All her friends in the navy who assisted her were volunteers, and they all worked with great spirit and energy; Miss Weston gave several details of interest, and stated that the Gospel and temperance work all over the world cost £1,500 a year. There was a debt on the building fund connected with the Rests, and she appealed for funds towards its liquidation, reminding the audience that she and those associated with her were able to give their services gratuitously.

LADY TRICYCLISTS.-The Echo calls attention to the rapid increase of tricycling among ladies, and advocates it as a healthy and exhilarating pastime.

But

Until very recently it was only to young men that 'cycling really appealed; for, although Mr. Sparrow has been very persevering in endeavouring to perfect his "ladies' bicycle," he has not succeeded in converting the ladies to adopt it for general use. "necessity is the mother of invention," so the want has been supplied in another quarter, and now that the tricycle has been brought to such a perfection, there is really no excuse for the ladies holding back any longer from enjoying the pastime. True, ladies on tricycles are to be met with on some country roads, but they are few and far between, though did parents but know the real enjoyment and benefit there is to be derived from a quiet tricycle ride,

they would encourage their daughters to adopt this means of whiling away many an afternoon that is now spent in dulness. Lawn tennis, Badminton, and croquet are, we know, not to be got rid of in a word, and yet our mesdames may console themselves that if they resign these somewhat insipid pastimes over to their just fate and take to tricycling, the young curate will most surely follow their good example. The ladies cannot either complain that there is no mode of dress adapted to riding a three-wheeler, as the Rational Dress Association have devised a costume in every way suitable to the pastime. In some instances, though, it is the fault of Paterfamilias that the young ladies are still without a tricycle. He probably thinks the outlay too great, though £20, in our opinion, is not too much for a steady horse without vice that can be kept free of expense. Perhaps if his daughters promise to fetch the morning paper and go to post in the afternoon he would soon be brought round, and the iron horse would be bought. There is really little or no tuition required to learn to ride a tricycle, and a light rigid machine could be made to travel 50 miles a day by almost any young lady within a week of first learning. However, as there is no doubt that the three-wheeler, on account of its being so useful, will in time become a general mode of locomotion among our young ladies, there could be no harm if practical lessons were given in tricycling at our advanced schools; then the nervousness sometimes apparent in beginners would be got rid of by the time it was feasible to take an extended tour. Those ladies never having engaged in tricycling, and dubious of doing so, would do well to ask others who nave, for their opinions about its usefulness. This having been done, we will guarantee that a short time only elapses before the "recruits" set themselves wondering how it was they did not become tricyclists sooner.

THE death is announced, at the advanced age of ninety-two, of Mrs. Rathbone, mother of Mr. William Rathbone, Member for Carnarvonshire, and sister of the late Mr. William Rathbone Greig, author of "Enigmas of Life" and other well-known works. Mrs. Rathbone throughout her long life took a warm interest in education, and when Mr. Forster was about introducing the Education Act she forwarded some suggestions, in regard to which Mr. Forster said to Mr. Wm. Rathbone:— "I wish you to know that the suggestions you gave me from your mother were among the most useful and practical suggestions I received during the passage of the Act."

MOURNING REFORM UNION.-A meeting of this useful Association was held in the Temperance Hall, Leicester, on November 13th. Mr. Pell presided, and Miss Whitby, Hon. Sec. of the Association, and Viscountess Harberton were also on the platform.

MANCHESTER SCHOOL BOARD.-The result of the Manchester election was made known on November 14th. Miss Becker was elected for the fifth time on the Board. She was second on the poll (first of the unsectarian candidates) counting 27,368 votes.

WIFE MURDER.-Another brutal instance of cruelty and its miserably inadequate punishment is recorded. A man has been tried at Stafford, who has simply kicked his wife to death in a drunken rage. For this offence he has been sentenced, by Mr. Justice Lopes, to fifteen months' imprisonment with hard labour. This punishment is in glaring support of the prevalent notion that the most outrageous crimes of violence are of a venial nature, and that wives are little else than a kind of superior chattels, whom it is almost superfluous to treat with humanity. This sort of judgment could not last if women had representation.

"HE is more like a friend than a husband," said a poor woman, whose husband never beat her.

OXFORD LOCAL EXAMINATIONS, 1882.-The public distribution of the certificates and prizes awarded to successful candidates at the London and Streatham Hill centres took place in the theatre of the University of London, which was filled. Mr. Beresford Hope, M.P., who presided, expressed his sense of the value of the system of examinations to the pupils and the nation. The total number of senior candidates examined this year at the 35 local centres throughout the country was 711, boys and girls. Of these, 160 (65 boys and 95 girls) were entered at London, and 18 (13 boys and 5 girls) at Streatham Hill. So that about one-fourth of the aggregate belonged to the metropolitan district. In the first division of seniors in order of merit for the whole country there were 21 names, two of which were supplied by London and one by Streatham Hill. In the second division in order of merit, out of a total of 31, eight belonged to London, three of these being girls. In the third senior division 90 candidates belonging to the two centres passed. Of the total of juniors examined at the 35 local centres, namely, 1,426, 216 were entered at London-14 boys and 82 girls-and 55 at Streatham Hill-36 boys and

November 15th, 1882.

19 girls. In the first division a total of 79 candidates, in order of merit, included 6 from London, one being a girl; while in the second division a total of 153 included 13 from London and Streatham Hill, there being two girls from each. About 120 candidates passed in the third junior division.

LONDON UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS.

The following are the names of the women candidates who have passed the recent examinations:

B.SC. EXAMINATION. FIRST DIVISION: Charlotte Angus Scott, Girton College, Cambridge. SECOND DIVISION: Sophie Elise Marshall, Bedford and Firth Colleges.

B.A. EXAMINATION.-FIRST DIVISION: Kate Alden, Bedford College; Selina D. Bostock, Ladies' College, Cheltenham; Henrietta E. Clay, Ladies' College, Cheltenham; Mary Collin, Notting Hill High School and Bedford College; Olivia Dymond, Ladies' College, Cheltenham; Mary Louisa Heppel, private tuition, Hilda C. Miall, University and Queen's Colleges; Annie Page, Ladies' College, Cheltenham; Mary L. G. Petrie, University College; Elizabeth H. Sturge, Ladies' College, Cheltenham; Edith Mary Thompson, Queen's and University Colleges; Edith Maude Thompson, Bedford College; Margaret R. Topham, Queen's and University Colleges; Annie Townsend, Bedford College; Edith Rosa Williams, University College.

SECOND DIVISION; Mary Leonora Johnson, private tuition.

Miss Scott who passed in the First Division of the B.Sc., and whose academical successes we have often had to record is the daughter of Principal Scott, of the Lancashire Independent College.

REVIEWS.

Genji Monogatari. Translated by SUYEMATZ KENCHIO. Trübner & Co.

THIS amusing and unique book, which is described as the most celebrated of the classical Japanese romances,