^m THE ATTEMPT A LITEEAEY MAGAZINE CONDUCTED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE LADIES' EDINBUEGH LITEEAET SOCIETY « VOLUME X. "AUSPICIUM MELIORIS JEW PRINTED FOR THE LADIES' EDINBURGH LITERARY SOCIETY BY COLSTON & SOX, EDINBTJEGH k MDCCCLXXIV. D >w 1936 ■§> '^^i;?. ;o'\^ CONTENTS. FACE Aurora, by Melensa, .... 316 Beyond, by Semper Eadem, 312 Blind, by Martyn Hay, 302 Chant of the Bells, The, by Naomi S. Smith, . 22 Church Congress, The Recent, by Irene, 191 Concerning a Vexed Question, by Frucara, 136 Duty and Art in Dress, bj- Procla, 225 Duty of Woman to pay Great Attention to Dress ? Is it the, by Aliquae, 177 Early Epics of Germany, The, by Proola, 169, 201, 233, 269, 305 Euterpe, by E. J. O., 239 Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy, by E. J. ()., 129, 153 Fair Anna, by Helfene Muller, 337, 369 Freedom of the Will, On the, by E. J. O., 33 From Kirkwall to Tobermory, by Omicron, 262 George Eliot's Characters, by Lutea Reseda, . 73, OE 158 Haunted Rocks, The, by E. V. Lynne, 163 How do I know the Bible to be the Word of God ? by Jeanie Morison, 240 Industrial Training for Ladies, by Eta, 52 Inspiration, by Procla, .... 104 In the P3rrenees, by E. J. O., . 330, 360 Isle of Man, The, by E. V. Lynne, 317 " Jesus called a Little Child unto Him," by Naomi S. Smith, 157 Jottings from an Old Maid's Experiences, by Semper Eadem, 246 " Le Roi est mort, Vive le Roi," by Martyn Hay, 395 Labour and Love, by Erica, .... 359 Leonor de Cisneros, by Jeanie Morison, 278 Maiden's Philosophy of Dress, A, by Procla, . 261 Memories, by Gratia, .... 352 Memory of the North Wind, A, by Omicron, 311 Milla Forres, by Jeanie Morison, 9, 58, 88, 121, 137 IV CONTENTS. PAGE Miss Hyslop, by Sara, . .210 Murillo's Holy Family, by Lutea Eeseda, . .175 Napoleon III., by E. J. 0., 16 Nature and Love, by Noli-me-Tangere, . .72 Notes in Church, by Frueara, ..... 8 Nothing, Lines on, by Jane B. Ballantyne, .... 292 Novel and the Novelist, The, by Lutea Reseda, . .17, 42 On the Heights, by E. J. 0., 293 Our Library Table, 31, 367 Pensees, by Naomi S. Smith, . .344 Poverty of Wealth, The, by M. A. Palmer, . .146 Railway Bob, by E. V. Lynne, . .197 Recent Researches in Roman History, by Procla, . 345, 380 Sea-drop and the Pearl, The, by Melensa, .... 62 Some Defects in Education, by Noli-me-Tangere, . 389 Sonnet, by Enna, . .146 St. Andi-ews, by S., . .29 Suppose, by R., . .329 Swedish Licensing Laws, a Few Remarks on the, by Des Eaux, . 93 Tears in God's House, by Frucara, ..... 245 Turn of the Night, The, by R., . .51 Umbrellas, by Semper Eadem, ..... 166 Unknown Saint, The, by E. J. O., . 82, 114 Use of Songs and other Popular Poetry to an Historian, The, by Aliquae, 63 Valedictory Address to 1873, by Elfie, . ] "Winter Story, A, by Enna, ...... 23 Ye Tryste of Ye Erie's Dochter, by Melensa, . .379 Youth the Happiest Time of Life ? Is, by Des Eaux, . 185 INDEX TO CONTRIBUTORS' N 0 M S D E PLUME. Aliquae, 63, 177 Des Eaux, 93, 185 K J. O, 16, 33, 82, 1 4, 129, 153, 239, 293, 330, 360 Elfie, 1 Enna, 23, 146 Erica, 359 Eta, 52 E. V. Lynne, 163, 197, 317 Frucara, 8, 136, 245 Gratia, 352 Helfene MiiUer, 337, 369 Irene, 191 Jane B. Ballantyne, 292 Jeanie Morison, 9, 58, 88, 121, 137, 240, 278 Lutea Reseda, ; 17, 42, 73, 105, 158, 175 }ii. A. Palmer, . 146 Martyn Hay, . 302, 395 Melensa, , 62, 316 Naomi S. Smith, . 22, 157, 344 Noli-me-Tangere, 72, 389 Omicron, . 262, 311 Procla, 104, 169, 201,2 5, 233, 261, 269, 305, 345, 377 R. 51, 329 S. 29 Sara, . 210 Semper Eadem, , 166, 246, 312 THE ATTEMPT. Datitdittorg to 1873. " The years that were, the dim, the grey, Receive to-night, with choral hymn, A sister shade as lost as they. And soon to be as grey and dim. Fill high : she brought us both of weal and woe, And nearer lies the land to which we go." NCE more the darkening sha- dows of December close round the fleeting vision of another year, drawing the veil of the irrevocable across the life-path which each weary pilgrim's foot shall know no more. So mark we the stealthy strides of the Great Enemy on his unwearied march, carrying all captive towards that bom-ne of his dominions " whence no traveller e'er returns." Scanning the meaning of these solemn footprints, too quickly do they seem erased to our short-sighted gaze. Living reahties, how soon they become dim phantoms! and the present merges in the past with the steady certainty of silent action. It must, therefore, ever be vnth a sense of missing much in one glance of retrospection, that the events of the year are reviewed in our pages. Thinking of Time's reverses in years gone by, the patriot's first remembrance of the last twelve months should be one of thankfulness for a period of much JANOAHT 1874. A The Attempt. national prosperity, uninjured either agriculturally by a euccession of rainy seasons, or commercially by the , i-ii monetary panic in New York, which overthrew the usually ' ' = "tvell-balanced American equilibrium. Grave cause for anxiety is ever increasingly evident in the turmoil of class legislation, out of which have arisen those giant spectres of trades unions and strikes, which keep up an unfailing antagonism between capital and labour, and by the propa- gation of a spirit of moral cannibalism,—which so recognises selfishness as the law of humanity, that men must live by preying on each other,—threatens the disintegration of that national and Christian unity which has been Britam's bulwark for centuries. The course of poHtics before and Bince the Government defeat in spring, when an appeal to the country was refused by both parties, has been marked by signs of preparaMon for the working of prin- ciples favoured by 4. Conservative reaction, as expressed in numerous elections, and the receptions accorded Jto Mr Disraeh's admirable appearances in Lancashire and Glasgow. * ^ *^ '^ ' British charity has not lacked its call to the fields of India, wasted by drought and famine ; and British courage now stands the brunt of savage warfare, for the mainte- nance of national honour, injuredjby treachery to a foreign power. This is the only explanation we have been able to hear of this mysterious Ashantee war, which, as if to keep up the interest in the wonders of African travel, whetted by 8u- Samuel and Lady Baker's successful ex- plorations, discloses revelations of aboriginal man, which hardly justify his title of " fighting animal," unless behind a flying enemy. General Wolseley would therefore need supplies of soldiers, as well as stores, to bring out the retiring qualities of this questionable Fantee valour. The great peaceful celebration of the year has been the Vienna International Exhibition, to which, as in Jacques' golden world, all varieties of strange motley came flocking as if another flood were toward, and they were all coming to the Ark. These modern Fairs, which are held on such a scale as to bring the ends of the earth together to buy, and sell, and learn of each other, form an important part in the tecl^cal programme of tho^ducation of the age, etimulating^a love of travel, gratifyiiig curiosity, revealing ingenuity, glorifying industry, widening appreciation, and removing prejudice, with all other landmarks that may llie Attempt. interfere with the bird's-eye view, which it is the wish of civilization to take of the world as a vast level plain of human equality. Under these conditions, it has become the fashion for eastern potentates to travel, and we have had succes- sively the Turkish Porte, the Egyptian Viceroy, and Indian, Japanese, and China magnates starring it like foreign comets in our western sphere, finally illuminated by the appearance of Nasur-ed-din, the modern representa- tive of Haroun-al-raschid, round whose steps the glories of the Arabian nights seemed to revive as by magic, till the "^vorld was dazed with their splendour. In his triumphal march from one stronghold of w^estern civiliza- tion to another, the Shah must have experienced a series of surprises to stir even his mental stolidity, crowned by a revelation of womanhood gracing every sphere of life. I An impression of the imperative value of Christianity and womanly influence in the scheme of civilization, might prove of more avail to Persia's oppressed millions, than Baron Renter's mechanical programme of modern in- ventions. In fulfilment of the duty of royal personages to cement national friendships, a grand alliance has been negotiated, in which the Duke of Edinburgh is to wed the Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna, daughter of the Emperor of all the Russias. In honour of the prince of the royal house in whom Edinburgh can claim special interest, it becomes a duty to express the best wishes f r the happiness of his union with a princess of whom fame speaks so kindly; and the heartiness of the municipal resolve to celebrate the event by an illumination, such as makes the occasion of the Prince of Wales' marriage a brilliant memory in our > fair city, leads to expectation of such another unforget- able display m January. Prince Arthur's marriage, talked of as likely to follow his brother's, will bring to our shores another of that interesting family, whose virtues seem to make their fortunes, since the "first modest gem, its ray concealed," was discovered for our heir-apparent.