88 
POPULAR science review. 
agreeable alternative of tramping half a mile or so in the rain and now, and 
sitting two hours in a damp, ill-ventilated school-room, listening to the 
crotchets of some gentleman who has probably pirated no inconsiderable 
portion of his lecture from one of the very publications referred to, and now 
retails it second-hand in his own improved phraseology. 
To us, it augurs well for the “ lecture movement ” that so many persons 
are foimd willing to sacrifice the comforts of home for the purpose of 
encouraging a well-intended effort to educate their benighted comrades. As 
to the last-named, they do not hesitate to turn their backs upon such enter- 
tainments, which they consider “ dry work ” compared with the “ snug ” 
and its excitements, found in the records of the police or divorce courts, or 
in the arguments and wise saws of the pot-house politician. 
Again, we say, our readers must not suppose that we are decrying those 
excellent institutions which spring up, here and there, in opposition to the 
public-house. We are well aware that it is a matter of life and death with 
which we are dealing, and are determined not to regard it, as do many well- 
intentioned persons, as one of mere sentiment ; but when, on the one hand, 
we observe, with dismay (as we have unfortunately good opportunities of 
doing), how the palaces of sin and misery multiply, like gaudy and soil- 
exhausting weeds in the midst of the young corn, or like great gilt cars of 
Juggernaut, under whose wheels the infatuated victims cast themselves by 
thousands ; whilst, on the othex - , we see how ineffectual is the antidote pro- 
vided against such evils, — the ever-growing strength and stability of the one, 
and the feeble counteracting influence of the other, — we deem it incumbent 
upon us to proclaim the causes of failure, even if we are unable to supply a 
more efficient remedy. 
Concerning this, we may have more to say on some future occasion ; mean- 
while, we can suggest what appears to us a slight improvement upon the 
system with which we have cause to find fault ; namely, the substitution of 
readings for lectures where suitable lecturers are xiot obtainable. If the 
gentleman whose original effusions result only in the production of so much 
waste-paper, would retire cpxietly to his study, and, taking up some work of 
acknowledged merit, — it matters not of what description — poetical, historical, 
philosophical, or scientific, — nay, even a weekly journal ; if he would read and 
rehearse this carefully twice or thrice, so as to avoid errors in public, he 
could not fail to afford pleasure to his hearers, for it is always agreeable to 
listen to a well-read and well-written composition ; and he would, moreover, 
be diffusing a taste for sound standard literature. We believe that, wherever 
pleasing readers have coxne forward to provide such entertainments for their 
neighbours, the movement has proved successful. 
And, again, irrespective of those clever professional lecturers who can at all 
times attract a goodly number of listeners, rivet their attentioix and send 
them home thinking and determined to learn something more than they knew 
before, there are nxany persons who, if they would take the troxxble to 
prepare themselves carefully , might entertain and instruct a large audience 
(provided, of course, that they are fitted by education to appear as lecturers) 
by simply speaking about what they thoroughly understand, or ought to 
understand ; namely, their own business. 
Let the engineer explain the principles of “Steam Navigation the lapidary 
