344 Absenteeism, and the Edinburgh Revietv. [April, 



in their own little limit, and upon their own narrow path ; to accompany 

 these grander intellects in their soarings (with the weight of earth 

 hanging about us) is impossible. As it might seem trifling and pitifiii, 

 in proving that the world had made a mistake, not to prove that the 

 mistake was a very sad mistake indeed, our Reviewer, after shewing 

 through his whole paper that " absenteeism cannot be in the least degree 

 injurious to the wealth of a country," absolutely throws a kind of double- 

 somerset of triumph at the conclusion, and declares that, so far from 

 being hurtful, it is a state of things, " in the great majority of cases, 

 decidedly advantageous /" And, as his demonstration of this " advantage" 

 is rather better than any point we have given yet ; and also because we 

 have no more room left, we shall make use of it to take our leave of 

 him with. — " It is certain, too," says the writer (speaking of English 

 absentees at Paris or Brussels), " that many of these have gone abroad, 

 in order, by living in a more frugal manner than they could have done 

 at home, to repair shattered fortunes, and to make a provision for 

 younger children." Now, according to this argument, the reason why 

 England is not hurt by absenteeism is, because her absentees do not spend 

 their wealth out of the kingdom ; while Ireland is held to sustain no 

 injury, because her absentees rfo spend in foreign countries (so increasing 

 Irish exports) every shilling of it. But the next is the crowning para- 

 graph — because we had been accustomed to believe that two and two 

 made four, and that even Edinburgh could not make five of them : — " As 

 the savings," our friend goes on, " of all these persons" (the English 

 absentees, who are living frugally,) " will ultimately centre in England, 

 it is plain that, while the wealth of the country sustains no diminutio7i 

 in the mean time, it will ultimately be augmented by their non-residence." 

 Then, as England must retain the xvhole wealth of these persons, whether 

 they hoarded or expended it, if they were present — and, by the way, 

 this Reviewer is at least one of the first who have declared the hoarder 

 of wealth to be more beneficial to a country than the dispenser of it — 

 as England must have the xvhole wealth of these proprietors, saved, or 

 spent, within herself, if they were resident, how she is to get more than 

 the whole by their absence ? — this is a point which, freely avowing our 

 own incapacity, we must leave the Edinburgh Review, in some future 

 Number, to explain. 



SONG FROM ESTELLE. 



FAREwni.L, sweet idol of m)' heart ! 



Stem fate compels to sever ; 

 Again farewell, though thus we part, 



Yet will I love thee ever. 



For ever banish'd from the plain. 



Where thou wilt lonely stray, 

 Th( u ne'er can'st hear my voice complain, 



Or heed my plaintive lay. 



Weep not for me, beloved friend, 



I have not long to sigh. 

 For with my life all grief mnst end, 



And far from thee I die. 



