21 



corruption. It is a positive relief to turn from the erotic chan- 

 sons and wearisome iterating ringing of the changes on the text, 

 " Let us eat and drink for to-morrow we die," of many latter day 

 singers, to songs and verses pure in conception and healthy in 

 sentiment, and which, from title page to colophon, do not contain 

 an obscure sentence or laboured conceit. These poems have a 

 witchery all their own, and owe httle or nothing to borrowed 

 beauties from other poets : here and there we find a faint 

 reminiscence of Herrick and Sir Philip Sydney, but it only adds 

 to the fine flavour of originahty which characterises the whole of 

 Miss Probyn's work. The liquid purity of style and simphcity 

 of language may lead a cursory reader to imagine a shallowness 

 of thought ; no greater mistake could be made. Limpidly beau- 

 tiful many of these poems are ; but then* beauty is the clearness 

 of an unruf&ed mountain lake, not the transparency of a brawl- 

 ing brook. English literature is richer in possessing these two 

 volumes : and, although recognition appears to be slow, and 

 Miss Pr'^'^^'^m may never in the ordinary sense of the term become 

 popular . the few who love and admire the idyllic picturesque- 

 ness of old fashioned English country life with all its humour and 

 pathos, will take these poems to their heart of hearts, and place 

 them amonjjst their dearest literary treasures. 



HEALTHY DWELLINGS. 



By T. N. BALL. January 25th, 1887. 



In the present age when epidemics of various diseases are so 

 prevalent it becomes the duty of each to consider what is best to 

 be done to stop the spread of those diseases. And more especially 

 is this the duty of the builder and property owner, as badly built 

 houses, bad drains, &c., are amongst the worst evils which con- 

 duce to the spread of fevers and other diseases. 



The first thing to be obtained is a healthy site, that is, one of 

 natural ground, and not land filled up with nightsoil or ashpit 

 refuse. Having obtained this healthy site, then comes the ques- 

 tion of the building. Airy, well- ventilated rooms should be con- 

 structed, so as to supply pure air, and draw off all bad gas and 

 vitiated air. In ordinary cases, doors, windows, and chimneys 

 wiU prove sufficient, but when not sufficient, invention has sup- 

 plied the want, there being many artificial forms of inlet ventila- 

 tion, one only of which may here be noted, viz. Tobin's. Fig. 1 

 gives a sketch of this form — A is an aperture, with opening to 

 outer air at lower end B, and a second opening into the room at 

 C with a lid which may be opened and closed at will. It will 



