bers of the family, he says, had partially he was completely master of all the details entered into that life, but somehow, when those who had, as it were, initiated the family into it, disappeared, the charm of it disappeared too, and it no longer became possible to recover the attitude of mind in which the old reminiscences appeared so quaint and so delightfully ludicrous. The truth is, no doubt, that in the enjoyment derived by Macaulay and his sisters from the admirable stiffnesses and pedantries of a bygone day, full and vivid memory was everything. Macaulay could chronicle the number of fainting-fits recorded of each particular person in the silly old novels of the romantic-gallant period. He had calculated, in relation to "Sir Charles Grandison," that Miss Byron's letters must have brought to the post-office of Ashby Canons, and consequently cost her Uncle Selby, a revenue exceeding the annual interest of her fifteen thousand pounds; every little bow and scrape in the book was evidently impressed on his mind, and when he refers in his letters to "the venerable circle" who so much delighted in Miss Byron's epistles, you feel that in fact, though he was not one of it, of its old-fashioned punctiliousness; and this, or something like this, is necessary to give to these quaint reminiscences their full fascination as humour. These reminiscences had, too, evidently become a special tradition in the Macaulay family. They had acquired all sorts of additional flavour from the references to family acquaintances and newer scenes with which the old manners had been associated. It was no longer the mere quaintness of the old books, it was the charm of the association between the old books and the youthful merriment, which threw so much life into this tradition. And all this was due originally, of course, to the wonderful accuracy, tenacity, and faithfulness of the memory which was at the root of all this enjoyment. No one can read Macaulay's life without feeling that a great memory, so far from overbalancing an ordinary mind, supplies it with all kinds of new life, strengthens the judgment, quickens the imagination, and feeds with a hundred streamlets of rich and delightful associa tion any sense of humour which the owner of that memory may boast. edges of the fabric. A little push forward again brings the sharp rear edges of the needle-eye against the threads, cutting them all at once. This is repeated until the darn is finished, and beautifully finished it is. The cost of the machine is but ten dollars." A MACHINE FOR DARNING STOCKINGS. We have had sewing and knitting machines for some time, but the latest addition to our stock is that of a darning-machine, which is described by the Scientific American as follows:-"Two small plates, one stationary and the other movable, are placed one above the other. The plates are corrugated, and between them the 'holy' portion of the stocking is laid. Twelve long-eyed pointed needles are arranged side by side in a frame, which CLIMATE OF SOUTHERN BRAZIL.- Inforlast is carried forward so that the needles pen-mation as to the meteorology of South Ameretrate opposite edges of the hole, passing in the corrugations between the plates. Hinged just in front of the plates is an upright bar, and on this is a cross-piece carrying twelve knobs. The yarn is secured to an end-knob, and then, with a bit of flat wire, pushed through the needle-eyes. Then the loop between each two needles is caught by the hand and hooked over the opposite knob, so that each needle carries really two threads. Now the needles are carried back to their first position, and, in so doing, they draw the threads, which slip off the knobs through the ica is always precious, so that we are glad to He From The London Quarterly Review. CHRISTIAN POPULATIONS IN TURKEY.* Ja political significance in the eyes of the simple peasantry, who hoped that he had come to see how best to help them against their oppressors. He probably had no such aim, but his visit encouraged them nevertheless. The gendarmes arrived in rebellious Nevesinje at the end of April; the Christians fled to the mountains, their chiefs to Montenegro. The gendarmes went on to Bilec; but here the peasantry offered only a passive resistance to their entering the villages, ånd refused to appear before the local authority. The flame broke out here on a Christian woman suffering insult at the hands of a gendarme. A pasha, Vali Selim, had already been despatched by the governor of Bosnia to inquire into the result of the emperor of Austria's visit to Dalmatia, and was instructed to give the discontented population the alternative of returning submissively to their homes or of emigrating to Montenegro. They refused to deal with any but an envoy direct from the sultan ; being not rebellious against his authority, but compelled to defend themselves, their IN Herzegovina the harvest of 1874 was a bad one, and the peasantry foresaw a hard winter before them. The tax-collectors, agents of the officials who farm the taxes, require the agriculturists to keep the crops standing until it suits their convenience to come and levy the tithe due to the sultan, estimating the crops as standing damaged there to be worth the highest Constantinople market - prices. But in one district the tax-gatherer did not come till January, 1875, when hunger had compelled the sale and the eating of parts of the crops. The tax-gatherer estimated the tax at an enormous sum; the people resisted his demands; they were robbed, beaten, imprisoned, and their chiefs threatened with arrest when they complained. Some fled to the mountains of the neighbouring independent state of Montenegro, secure to find shelter among people of the same faith and race. They found the leading Montenegrins at the capital, Cettinje, consulting how to act with reference to a Turkish infraction of boundary rights, and were welcomed as fellow-families, and their property, from his Mussufferers. During their absence another sulman officials of the same race as themdistrict of Herzegovina was roused to dis- selves. content and resistance by the arbitrary conduct of the police and by the way in which forced labour was imposed by them. The district authorities reported to their superior, and gendarmes were sent to compel submission. Other neighbouring districts were quiet; but the clergy of some Roman Catholic districts, whose ancient privileges had never been confirmed by the present sultan, stirred their flocks to support the dignity of their religion against threatened inroads on the part of the local authorities. Just then the emperor of Austria visited his province of Dalmatia, which is peopled by Slavs, the near kinsmen of the Herzegovinians, and borders on Herzegovina to the south-west. His visit had 1. The History of Servia and the Servian Revolution, with a Sketch of the Insurrection in Bosnia. By LEOPOLD RANKE. Bohn. 1853. 2. Travels in the Slavonic Provinces of Turkey in Europe. By G. MUIR MACKENZIE and A. P. IRBY. Bell and Daldy. 1867. 3. Consular Blue-Books. 1867. It was as yet two small districts only that were involved; few were even interested in their affairs. But the refugee chieftains were inconvenient to Montenegro, and safe-conducts were procured by Prince Nicholas for their return. The Turkish frontier-guards attacked them in spite of their passports, and a second application was necessary to get them across the border. On their return home they were left comparatively unmolested, merely having some of their houses burned, one being assaulted in the bazaar, another killed as he left the court in which he had complained of the assault, another being murdered in his field, and an innkeeper who had entertained them paying for his hospitality with his life. The authorities made no sign of any intention to punish these outrages, but still there was no general outbreak. Isolated attacks were made on single Turks, and the matter became grave enough to attract the attention of the Porte. Accordingly the mufti of the Slavic Mussulmans was re- rising, because the people felt sure that moved, but not punished, and a very ob- the Porte would now consider them as renoxious bishop, with Turkish leanings, bellious against its authority rather than as was transferred to a better post. The discontented because its authority did not neighbouring villagers armed themselves, suffice to guarantee them security of life but remained quiet, waiting to see what and property. They applied for help to would happen, doing their ordinary Montenegro, but were told that it could work all day, but guarding the roads at not be afforded. The truth is that Monnight against any surprise on the part of tenegro cannot venture to help Herzegogovernment. This was about midsummer. vina again as she did in 1862-3, unless At last a conference was held between she is sure that the stronger state of Free representatives of the sultan and the peo- Servia will also take the field, and that the ple, who also insisted upon the presence rising is more general than has frequently of an envoy from Montenegro. The de- proved to be the case of late years. Dismands made by the peasants were for contents and small rebellions are almost things promised them by the famous de- perennial, and have never yet been sufficree or hattisherif of 1857: that Christian ciently carefully prepared to be successful. women and girls should be safe from The Mussulman inhabitants of the Turkish insult; that they should have lib- towns began to be alarmed when all the erty to exercise their religion; that Chris-Herzegovina was in tumult, except one tians and Mahometans should be equal little district round Trebinje on the Monbefore the law; that the excesses of the tenegrin frontier, and set guards to prevent police should be restrained; that the taxes communication along the Austrian fronshould be justly and seasonably levied. tier. But the insurgents were not united; The Mahometans thought these demands no leader had yet appeared among them; exhorbitant, and endeavoured to brow- and an "advanced radical" agent of a beat the Christians into some abatement Servian republican society who aspired to of them, but in vain; and when Dervish the leadership met with only scant courtPasha, governor of Bosnia, came to add esy from the native chiefs. The Roman his wisdom to the council, the people de- Catholic districts, which had risen in obemanded further the long-promised free-dience to the Franciscan monks domiciled dom from forced labour without payment. among them, were persuaded to lay down The pasha promised to do his utmost to their arms; the government having been obtain for them their rights if they would convinced of the power of the clergy, who lay down their arms, but they said that here, as elsewhere, were anxious rather to could only be if they and their Mussul- maintain their own authority in obedience man neighbours were meanwhile separated. to Rome than to help forward any moveThe pasha retired to Bosna Serai (or Se- ment for the good of their people. Their rayevo), his capital, and the Christians fled quiescence divides Herzegovina along the with their families and goods to the mount-course of the river Narenta into disturbed ains. The Mussulmans broke into the gov- and pacified districts, the turbulent and ernment store, and armed themselves with larger portion being that towards Montebreechloaders; the neighbouring districts negro. Towards the end of the month of still holding themselves quietly in readi-July it appeared that a Greek-Church ness. On the first of July some Chris- official was unwilling to allow his people tians who had been driven from their to join the insurgents, and asked the gov rough mountain refuges by illness were killed at Nevesinje by the armed Mussulmans; the Christians revenged themselves, and then seized on a band of frontier-guards escorting provisions. The small engagements were repeated, and in one of them a body of Turkish troops took part. This precipitated a general ernment for soldiers to help him; but the Mussulmans said that for them and Christians to fight, fall, and possibly be buried together, was an intolerable thing, and so the Christians of that district swelled the numbers of the insurgent army. This was a great blunder on the part of the Turks, as the archimandrite had wide |