NOTES OF THE MONTH. 227 



COMPARISONS OP MURDER. Few nations have acquired such a 

 taste for the marvellous and the horrible as the English. The 

 guillotine in its best days never possessed half the attraction amongst 

 the Parisians that the j new drop at Debtors' door does at the 

 present moment in this enlightened capital. A murder of any interest 

 is, beyond comparison, the most fascinating announcement of modern 

 days. How many stony hearts of newspaper proprietors does it not 

 soften with the pleasure of expected profit ! To them, even a good 

 fire, provided it be attended with loos of life, is a great relief; but a 

 murder of unexampled atrocity at once increases their property twenty 

 per cent. It is then that the abilities of the editor are brought into 

 equal play with the fire engines. All the atrocities of the case are 

 dressed up in his choicest style. All the " further particulars," 

 tf additional particulars," and " latest particulars" are insinuated 

 under the choicest and most seductive variety of type. The Sunday 

 placards appeal directly to the imagination, and many a reluctant 

 sevenpence is elicited by their eloquence. Who could resist the 

 following specimens ? 



Horrible Murder at Paisley ! 



Ditto ditto, under atrocious circumstances, at Gosport ! ! 

 Ditto ditto, peculiarly atrocious, at Enfield ! ! ! 

 Ditto ditto, under circumstances of the most aggravated nature, 

 at Manchester ! ! ! ! 



The relative enormity of each is further aggravated by the in- 

 genuity of typical illustration. Thus, Egyptian designates a case of 

 rare ferocity ; but few arrive at the dignity of black letter. Plain 

 ROMAN CAPITALS convey a specimen little beyond child's play. Man- 

 slaughter sneaks in the most unobtrusive form; except during a 

 great scarcity, when the appetite of the murder-loving public is 

 whetted by a long fast, then inferior cases are magnified, and the 

 amateur on his Sunday-morning's walk, deluded by the typical im- 

 portance of some vaunted atrocity, rushes forward with his tendered 

 sevenpence, and finds to his inexpressible indignition that he has 

 been cajoled of his coin by the mere murder of an obscure Irish tithe 

 proctor ! an event, in his opinion, totally unworthy of commiseration 



or large type. 



THE SCHOOLMASTER AT BOTANY BAY. Botany Bay is making 

 rapid strides in the great march of improvement. The establishment 

 of schools, improvement of roads, and facilities for conveyance are 

 among the leading features of advance. In the article of wives, the 

 colonists have lately received so abundant a supply from the mother 

 country that it is calculated even widows will be shortly no rarity. 

 Notwithstanding such promising appearances, the ancient habits of the 

 settlers are not entirely relinquished, we cling to the associations of 

 our youth with a fond tenacity hence, the gazette of New Sidney 

 announces numerous convictions for <e stealing in a dwelling-house." 

 In some points, however, the colonists have improved. Intimation is 

 benignantly afforded as to the fares for travelling by the mail, and a 

 curious notification ensues : '< Evil-disposed persons are cautioned 

 against crossing the road in front of said coach, which circumstance 

 has several times occurred, to the great danger and annoyance of his 



