and the locality of any catastrophe, but merely in the cause of science but to also its exact date from twenty-four to the practical benefit of mankind. twenty-eight days in advance." The The earthquake areas have long been “professor" must have improved since known, but duriug periods of relative the time when a thorough examination quiet men grow careless. Now, from of his methods was made at Kew Gar- a succession of catastrophes, they seem dens, with the result that his predic- likely to be over-afraid. They see, as tions were almost invariably found to they think, the foundations of the earth be falsified by the event. Setting such tottering and the stability of all things wonders aside, it may be definitely as- shaken. serted that our knowledge is not as There have been before now peyet enough to enable us to foretell riods of unrest in the history of our any earthquake. Even the wind that globe; may it not be that we are enpreceded the Jamaican shock was no tering on another? There does not sign, for every attempt to connect dis- seem to be any good reason for these turbances of the atmosphere with fears. Our earth is always groaning those of the crust has broken down. and travailing. The seismograph "After the wind an earthquake ... and knows "nulla dies sine linea." Turn after the earthquake a fire"; but if the to Whitaker and read the lists of the fire is the result of the earthquake, we more obvious earthquakes and erupcannot say the earthquake is the result tions for each year. You will be asof the wind. The most that we can tonished to find how many, and great do is to mark out certain areas as lia- ones too, you have never heard of. A ble to shock, and to be on our guard shock in Turkestan is registered on the so long as their equilibrium appears seismographs. of the world; but who unsettled.

cares? The Arabs fold their tents and Possibly, as we acquire more certain no one is the worse. A slighter shock knowledge of the earth's interior, when in Lima, and walls are shattered to we have mapped all lines of faulting dust. Still, even Lima is not much to with greater exactness, and when we But when by chance the earthhave placed on a surer basis our theo- quake centre is near a Charlestown, a retical explanations of the changes San Francisco, or a Kingston, then a that have taken place in the shape of

world throbs in sympathy. Nowthe globe, then we may attempt predic- adays, too, we learn of much that tion with more confidence.

We are

formerly was spared to our intellibeginning to understand the factors gence. There are

more centres of that control the situation, but they are population to be shaken, and in eacb 80 numerous that as yet we can strike of them special correspondents ready no balance between them. None the to seize on every ghastly detail. The less the enormous advance in seismol. true conclusion then may be, not that ogy effected of late years can but en- the world gets more tottery as it concourage to further efforts, not tracts, but that it grows smaller.

The Saturday Review.

us.

us

THE CHARM OF BAD WEATHER.

Bad weather has a charm of its own, day or night, whether of wild wind or provided it is only bad enough. To down-pouring rain or dense fog, is an reach this standard it must be so bad exhibition of how far these aspects of as to give to our favorite refuge from Nature may be carried, is in fact what it that added zest which makes the last may be called a very thorough per. touch of perfection. To have a well- formance of this or that kind. Was laid fire of logs burning up to its it not on some such day as this that proper climax, to have in your hands Charles Kingsley was stirred to take a long-coveted book just arrived by his pen and begin: post and still uncut, to sit down at your writing-table with your mind

Welcome, wild North-easter? clear but full and at the true psycho

On some such days of storm and hurri. logical moment for unburdening-these

cape have not most of us, ere now, things are good and pleasant on almost

buttoned up our coat, donned the closany winter day, but they touch the

est-fitting cap we could find and, stick high-water mark of pleasure on a day

in hand, sallied forth along the cliffs when to lift your eyes to the window

to see what the waves were doing? is to get a shock of disgust. John

A man has had bad luck in life if Milton knew how to get his effect

he has never chanced to be by the sea when, in asking his friend to luncheon,

at a time when one of the highest he wrote:

spring tides occurs simultaneously Lawrence, of virtuous father virtuous with a hurricane. For there is no parBon,

allel spectacle to this in the world. It Now that the fields are dank, and

is not necessary to have a shipwreck ways are mire,

in the foreground-that is too much of Where shall we sometimes meet, and by the fire

a distraction, appeals too much to our Help waste a sullen day, what may be sense of pain and fear, but without the won

shipwreck the storm is magnificent From the hard season gaining?

enough in itself; and when no fellowSuch effect is the operation of the law man is in danger of being sbattered of contrast, the gold mount in the under our eyes, we can be free to black frame, the oasis in the desert; fancy there is a certain furious mirth the jewel, as Shakespeare notes it, the in the noise and onrush of the flood. shining jewel in the head of the ugly There was this element of comedy in and venomous toad. But it is some- such a storm not many years ago off thing more than the effect of the law the Cumberland coast, where the comof contrast; it is also the release from bination of burricane with the spring distraction, the suspending of all tide brought the billows dashing up counter-charm.

into the fields so far above the normal And if this sense of contrast and re- tide line that they reached ground lease from distraction are the scholar's where a large rabbit-warren had had charm in bad weather, there are other time to get established; and as the charms for other men and moods. salt water poured down the holes, the There is a pleasure in seeing any kind terrified tenants crept out at the openof thoroughness, and a thoroughly bad ings furthest away and in the driving spray and wind they betook themselves issued that Authority has had to own to sitting each one behind a withered itself beaten, and they must go home thistỊe, which presented about the most to save their lives. Think how preludicrous picture of inadequate protec- cious is every inch of water when it tion which it was possible to conceive. gets anywhere near such a standard of If there were elves or spirits of the emancipation. Think of the prospects vasty deep at that particular quarter of cutting in for the November pheasthey must indeed have been lacking in ants, and of the eager glances of anthe sense of mischief and humor if ticipation looking from the schoolroom they did not chuckle to themselves at windows at home, if only the rain will the odd spectacle presented by Brer go on for another day, if only the Rabbit and all his house squatting water flowing under the bridge will there, wet to the skin, and wondering touch the top of the arch. how long this kind of thing was going Perhaps the kind of bad weather the to last.

charm of which is hardest to appreci“Heavy fall of snow in Scotland!” ate, is a fog; but, in the country at any When such a headline greets the morn- rate, it has a charm of its own, if only ing reader he knows it will be followed it is dense enough and white. It is by accounts of how the line was like the charm of blind-man's buff. blocked by drifts here or there, and It is a sudden reversal of ordinary the night mail delayed five or six conditions, and an inauguration of new hours, with consequences of much ir- experiments, in motion and the sense ritation to travellers, and the letters of locality. To sensitive minds overnot being delivered till half a day late. worried with the presence of their But what does not get into the papers fellow-men, it brings a welcome priis the good turn done to the school- vacy and sense of seclusion. The high children of half a countryside in their road becomes as private as a thick obtaining an unlooked for holiday, and wood, and the open field like a hidden one of the best playthings in the glen. world without spending a half-penny; As you go from one place to another not to mention the equally good by the customary path, you go without turn to the parish schoolmaster who any sense of distance, for all the familalso gets the holiday and time to finish iar landmarks are hidden and everythat immortal work which would have thing is new. The look of trees and been done weeks ago but for the ever- buildings as they loom out of the mist, lasting invasion of all his time and close to you, is itself a change of menstrength by the hard necessity of hav- tal impression, as great as that which ing to teach "wee Willie Gray, and his the body itself enjoys when it enters leather wallet," with Master Gavin deep water and feels that in a mnoment Hamilton and Peggy Macpherson, and it will be lifted off the ground and be all the rest of the punctual little troop

upborne by something more akin to that nothing short of five feet of snow its own nature than the thin air.

In a will deter.

white mist or fog the trees seem to “Great Floods in the Thames Val- lose their rooted firmness, and look Here also is the suggestion of

like great flowers that you might apsuffering farmers and drowning sheep proach to gather; the buildings seem and floating haystacks and impassable shadowy forms that might presently roads, but then if only the flood is change and dissolve as a cloud, and great enough there is also the possibil- you yourself are hardly the same as at ity of those Eton boys finding a decree other times, and imagine that

ley."

can

everything solid is melting into a thinner element with which you also might blend, and in which you and the things of the earth might enter on some new mode of existence.

When you come home from your walk you will find that the woodman and keeper, the shepherd and waterman bave found their own ways of turning the bad weather to account. They trouble not about speculation, but they know how to improve the hours that do not shine; and they generally have some corner where they can make a fire and do some repairs to their respective kinds of gear. The Outlook.

"Mending their nets" is not a fisherman's job only; making a new bandle or "stale" for an axe or rakie, and do ing it leisurely with much use of the pocket knife or spokeshave; sharpening the knives of the turnip-cutter, splicing a broken oar or punt pole, or retixing a damaged rowlock-all these and half a hundred more by-works are ready to hand to make up the charm of bad weather, and prove that to the wise man there is no such thing at all, but that everything is good in its season and it is merely a question of knowing how to use whatever weather the clerk of this department ordains.

POOKS AND AUTHORS.

Major-General Sir Henry Colvile Two London publishing houses have has written a book on the Anglo-Jap- announced their intention of abandonanese alliance, which Messrs. Hutchin- ing the custom of publishing novels at son will publish this month under the six shillings, and they promise to istitle of “The Allies." The author deals sue them in as good style at half a with the institutions of England and crown as formerly at the larger price. Japan and traces them back to a com- The Academy thinks that it will be mon origin.

interesting to see whether this blow

will be fatal to the six-shilling novel The next volume in Mr. Fisher Un- as the six-shilling novel was to the old win's “Library of Literary History" three-volume, and it adds: will be "A Literary History of France,” by the French Academician, Unfortunately it is to be feared that M. Emile Faguet. This will be fol

the change will work badly for the

Joung and unknown author. Probably lowed by "A Literary History of the

novelists with a reputation will gain Arabs," by R. A. Nicholson, M.A., Lec

rather than suffer, because when they turer in Persian in the University of

have adopted the principle of small Cambridge.

profits and quick returus the publish

ers will take care that the number of Books of travel with colored illustra- copies of a book sold will recompense

them for the diminution of profit on tions appear to be the rage in England.

the individual copy. But it will be Mr. Francis Gribble has undertaken to

come even more difficult than formerly write the text of three of them, to be

for the young and budding author to published by Messrs. A. & C. Black, on find a market. Geneva, Lausanne and Montreux. The Methuens have four of these books in their list: on Florence and Northern Messrs. Longman have in the press Tuscany, The Naples Riviera, Days in a work by Mr. Henry W. Macrosty, enCornwall, and Round About Wiltshire. titled “The Trust Movement in British

E. P. Dutton & Co. have just published in their "Library of Early English Novelists," "The Monk," by M. G. Lewis, edited, and with an Introduction by E. A. Baker, M.A.; in the same "Library" a volume of "Early English Prose Romances," edited by Wm. J. Thomas, with Introduction by Henry Morley. The volume contains, among others, "The History of Reynard the & Co.