[jack] ACADIAN MAGAZINES 177 



devour, Neville Parker, Master of the Eolls in New Brunswick, used to 

 'write poetry, some of it very clever, and Cecil and Atticus in The Acadian 

 Magazine may have been written by either Neville Parker or his brother 

 Robert, as they were students at college at Windsor, N.S., about that 

 date. This is merely a surmise, but the solution offered is one that is 

 by no means improbable. 



In January, 1827, the following address, which is self-explanatory 

 appeared in The Acadian Magazine. 



ADDEESS, 



At the opening of a new year it is usual for the managers of periodical 

 publications to address their readers with compllmen'ts and thanks. We have 

 now iprioceeded in our undertaking as far as the seventh numiber, and having 

 received a very generous support from the puibl'ic, it would be ungrateful in 

 us to overlook am occasion of the kind. 



When we commenced the magazine, it was not undtt the moSt favourablei 

 auspices. A magazine has 'been tried an an earlier periiod of our provincial 

 history. It was a compilation of extracted matter from English works. 

 Although the selections it contained were very judicious, ye't the period hadl 

 not then arrived for the establishment of such a work, and it was after a 

 fair trial reluctantly abandoned. We were told it was ^till a premature and. 

 rash speculation, that the country still depended upon casual foreign sup- 

 plies for its men of talent and genius, and that it could noit afford such con- 

 tributions of original writings as would insure success, or even a lasting 

 existence to a magaziine. Under this cloud of discouragement we ventured 

 on our perilous fl'ig'ht, and although we may not have soared to the empyrean 

 heights of literature on newly fledged pinions, we trust we have not yet sunk 

 to the earth, or approached the ibathos. ^ Our progress in gaining subscrip- 

 tions and oommuniicationa to the work, has not fallen short of the expecta- 

 tions we formed at the outset, and we find the number of friends progress'ively 

 increasing. While this continues to be our situation, we shall not flinch 

 from our ipost. We are decidedly of opinion, that the character, wealth and, 

 happiness of Nova Scotia, will receive material improvement by the growth 

 and extension of our literature. It is not to be concealed, that an opinion 

 is disseminated iby soime, 'that we can hope but little from the exertions of 

 the ipen ; but it is the duty of every Nova Scotian Uo join with ardor in 

 wiping off the reproach that attaches to us. 



We return our warmest thanks to our many correspondents, both in this 

 province, and the sister colony, iNew^ Brunswick. We shall endeavour to 

 make our work generally interesting to readers residing in New Brunswick 

 and Prince lEdward Island as well as in this province. 



We have the greater pleasure in giving the present numiber to the press, 

 because we have not found it necessary to make amy selections, the original 

 communications admitted having entirely filled it. We will endeavour to 

 add still further to the interest of the work in the course of a month or two, 

 as we have the promise of additional assistance from literary friends. 



Wishing the reader a happy New Year, we take our leave for the present. 



Sec. II., 1903. 12. 



