STORIES FOR SUMMER DAYS AND WINTER NIGHTS: The Self Helpers: Uncle Tom's Cabin for Children:— BUDS AND BLOSSOMS: The Child's Search for Fairies: The Fisherman's Children.-— (Groombridge and Sons.)-These are excellent additions to the juvenile library. "The Self Helpers" is an interesting narrative of the struggles of an orphan family; and "Uncle Tom's Cabin for Children" is a very clever condensed adaptation of Mrs. Stowe's famous work. "The Child's Search for Fairies," is a fanciful illustration of the well-known fairy tale, in which the amiable heroine drops flowers and diamonds when she speaks; the fairy story being told, and the moral worked out. "The Fisherman's Children" is a simple, pathetic history, that will touch many a tender little heart. It is impossible to give the Messrs. Groombridge too much praise for the judicious manner in which they cater for the young. NEW MUSIC. THE CHRISTMAS FAIRIES: a Glee for four Voices; the Words by Charles H. Hitchings, Esq., the Music by Charles Goodban.-(Novello and Co., 69, Dean Street, Soho.)-This very pretty glee is singularly appropriate to the season, and in those social circles where singing is cultivated will be an acquisition of some moment. The words and music are so well suited to each other, that we cannot divine whether the melody or the poetry were written first. The song is founded on the poetical superstition that the houses were decked with evergreens at Christmas, so that the sylvan spirits might repair to them, and remain unnipped by frost and 66 cold winds until a milder season had renewed the foliage of their abodes." This romantic idea is illustrated by Mr. Hitchings in the following charming lines: "Brave spirits of the woods are we, Blithe dwellers both by fount and tree; THERE'S NOTHING LIKE ONE'S OWN HOME. Written by Charles Swain; Music composed by Fanny H. Henslowe. — (John Shepherd, Newgate Street.)-A pleasing ballad, set to flowing and elegant music, and within the compass of the generality of voices. BRITAIN MOURNS HER HERO GONE. — (Cocks and Co.)-We suppose this song is about equal in merit to the rest of the musical tributes offered to the memory of the Great Duke; to say which, is not, indeed, to bestow any extravagant encomium. AMUSEMENTS OF THEATRES. The success which we predicted for the comedy, "Masks and Faces," which appeared at the Haymarket just before our last number went to press, has been amply justified in the event. We scarcely ever saw a character which was better calculated to give scope for Mr. Webster's most life-like acting than this triple one of poor Triplet, the Poet, Painter, and Actor. There is a degree of Nature about it which is almost painful. The scene where he receives back his rejected tragedies-the hope which, in spite of all his previous bad fortune, animates him, until he opens the parcel, and finds all his treasured compositions returned, was a piece of acting so life-like, at least to those who have any practical experience of the misery of rejected M.SS., that it at once absorbed the interest of the spectators, and rivetted their attention. And from the first scene to the last this interest is maintained. His interview with Peg, where, after some good-natured bantering, which, yet in his depressed state, strikes daggers into his heart, THE MONTH. she recognizes him as one who has been kind to her in her days of poverty, and promises to act in a comedy, if he will write one, and to give him a sitting for the portrait which he has sketched from memory, was admirably played by both Webster and Mrs. Stirling. The Portrait scene, where she substitutes the living face for the canvas one, and the artist is condemned by all the great critics of the day, Colly Cibber, Quin, and others, is not indeed new in idea, but is so well managed, and the speeches are so full of point and wit, that it has all the charm of novelty; and in the interview with the wife of Ernest, who implores the portrait of her rival to give her back her husband's heart, Mrs. Stirling's powerful yet womanly acting charmed the audience completely. To speak of Webster's delineation of the character he represented as a piece of acting, would be hardly true-it seemed to us to be Nature itself. Mrs. Stirling's portraiture of Peg was not less excellentan angel still, though a fallen one, full of all sorts of womanly sympathies, and with a heart so instinctively good, that it redeemed a thou sand errors of the head. Miss Rosa Bennett's acting of the young country wife greatly pleased the audience; and the piece, which is written throughout in the peculiarly neat and pointed manner which distinguish the productions of Messrs. Taylor and Reed, has been played nightly to excellent houses. THE ADELPHI.-At the Adelphi, "Uncle Tom's Cabin " has been brought out, and excited great interest. The authors of the drama have aimed rather at maintaining the spirit of Mrs. Stowe's work than of closely following each particular delineation of character: and thus there is in the Adelphi version a blending of the personages of the book which was necessary for dramatic unity. The characters of Shelby and St. Clair, of Eliza and Emmeline, of Legree and Haley, are thus united; in fact, the three stories of Mrs. Stowe are united into one continuous tale; Topsy, too, is in the concluding acts dressed as a boy, and accompanies George Harris in his escape and his search for Eliza. Eva is omitted altogether; and Uncle Tom, whose character, dependent in a great measure on the expression of his religious sentiments, is hardly suitable for dramatic representation, becomes one of the minor personages of the play. Whilst these great alterations are made in the text, the spirit of that wonderful book is thoroughly preserved, and the interest it excites is universal. Mrs. Keeley, as Topsy, was greeted with shouts of applause, and Miss Woolgar's acting as Eliza was in a style that showed she thoroughly appreciated the absorbing sentiment of maternal love which pervades the character in the original. Alfred Wigan's versatile powers were well displayed in George Harris, whose ad ventures are continued up to the closing scenes; and Madame Celeste, as Cassy, was powerful and impressive as ever. That lady's recent visit to the United States has enabled her to direct the scenic and other accessaries to the play with excellent effect. BURFORD'S PANORAMA, LEICESTERSQUARE. THE BERNESE ALPS is the title of the last of Mr. Burford's unique exhibitions, and truly it is one of the most sublime representations of natural scenery that we have ever witnessed. We should far exceed our limits were we to dwell at length upon the varied beauties of this incomparable work. Commencing with the chief icy pinnacle the eye wanders over a vast chain of mountains, rocks, glaciers, torrents, lakes, and valleys, such as does not exist in any other country than Switzerland. A tree is not to be seen, and the desolation of the scene is therefore more startling; huge crags and profound precipices, relieved by here and there a tempting pathway, a herd of cattle drinking at a stream, or a solitary tourist, just sufficient to make the observer feel that he has something living, or some trace of humanity with which to commune, while in the very farthest distance may be faintly discovered the first indications of civilization. The various colours of the rocks, the lights and shadows of the ravines, the tints of the sky and the spectral white of the snow-capped mountains make up a variety of effect which must charm every beholder. The pictorial treatment of the subject is most masterly, and entitles the artist to be ranked among the greatest of modern painters. There is very little alteration in the mode since I last wrote to you. The Talma cloak is certainly the one preferred, particularly for pedestrians; its form, which is that of a large pelerine, renders it as cononvenient as it is graceful. Beaver bonnets are still in high favour; the variety I notice in them this year is that the hair is long; the colours most worn are black, grey, dark blue, maroon, and green. I saw a very pretty white one the other day, lined with white satin and trimmed with plaid plush. Generally, the only trimming on the outside is a little crisp curled feather of the same colour as the bonnet on each side; the bavolet in velvet, or else velours épinglé. All the bonnets have the crowns very low, are very open, and short at the sides; the inside trimmed excessively with blonde and flowers and velvet, or ribbon and velvet: long ends peeping out beyond the brim, and coming down below it, look very pretty, and are generally becoming. Evening caps are literally covered with flowers; they have also bows of ribbon placed at each side with very long ends falling. For soirées dansantes transparent muslin gowns with embroidered flounces will be much worn; three, and even four flounces are worn: the petticoat must be quite hidden by them; the embroidery on each flounce must be placed so as to come immediately over the top of the one which it sur mounts: sometimes the effect of a double skirt is produced by putting two flounces very high; as the skirts are very full, the flounces are not gathered full, but merely held by a fine braid, on which they are mounted, and which it is well even to sew to the flounce itself first, as being more convenient for placing them afterwards on the gown. For the corsage it is well to make two, one for négligé, the form of which is a sort of canezou froncé, open before and trimmed like the flounces: the sleeves called manches pagodas are suited to this corsage: the second, which may be worn on more dressed occasions, will have short sleeves; the body is tight, with a point; and is worn with a berthe embroidered like the flounces; the sleeves also have the same embroidery: they are double; the top one, formed of a piece of trimming, will fall carelessly on the arm instead of being tight. The last flounce of the petticoat beginning rom Le bottom must come to the waist. The berthe should be about ten or eleven inches deep behind, and about eight before. Of course the height of the person must be consulted in these proportions. The trimmings of gowns are composed of deep flounces, trimmed with one band of velvet as deep as your little finger, and another narrower: this is Very pretty, but it is expensive. A very nice triming may be made of the narrow galons which they make, and which are much less expensive. I see also bands of velvet découpées, some in little rosettes, but generally with dents, very large: these bands are placed on the dress to suit the taste of the wearer, some round the skirt and some down the froat; but these bands are dear. They may also he placed on satin bonnets: the satin appearing between the dents looks very well. The waists are not shorter; basques are still worn, and almost all the skirts are made separate from the bodies; some people, when at home, wear a tight-fitting corsage, with basques different from the skirt; but this is Lot considered in good taste; it is only with a caraco that this may be done, or with a corsage caraco; that is to say a corsage which is not tight to the shape, and which is trimmed with lace or fringe: the plainest are those with rows of velvet or galon. The sleeves of dress gowns are made in the pagoda, form, trimmed like the skirt, with rich lace undersleeves; those for ordinary occasions are sometimes square, laced from the bottom, or closed with an ornamental trimming; I have seen some which are called Amadis; they have two hems; the lower part is rounded and laced; they do not quite reach the wrist, and leave visible the under-sleeves, which arc bouillonnées; a very pretty under-sleeve is made of one large bouillon, which surmounts the lace, and in which is placed a ribbon finished by a bow. Fichus à châle in lace are much worn with open gowns; sometimes the corps de fichu, or habit-shirt, is suppressed altogether, and the lace is tacked on the wrong side, round the top of the gown; being thus as it were fitted to it, it sits much better; a ribbon may be placed plain under the lace, and tied in a pretty bow in front. White canezous are a good deal in vogue, particularly for young ladies. The patterns, whether in stripes, checks, or bouquets, are immense-to such a degree that they seem more fit to furnish apartments than to dress women. The robes à dispositions, in silk and in woollen, are seen everywhere. Taffetas plain, glaces in black, iron grey, gros bleu, and bottle-green, made with deep flounces trimmed with bands of black velvet, are charming for demi-toilette. In light colours, such for instance as pearl grey, sky blue, pink, or white, for toilettes dansantes du soir for young ladies, to whom they are much better suited than materials with large patterns. Young ladies' cloaks are frequently made of pearl grey flannel trimmed with rows of black velvet. Jet trimmings are worn on gowns; in the hair; in coiffures, on bonnets. Capotes of black lace are covered with it, and also those in velvet; sometimes jet flowers are worn under them; the effect is very good. The hair is dressed in a variety of ways: the double bandeaux, with a tress of hair or ribbon dividing them, is one; then another way is turning the front hair back over a ribbon; behind, it is worn in a plait or twist, or sometimes in bows, always with a good deal of ribbon or flowers: velvet plaited is sometimes made to represent the plaited tress of hair worn round the head, and looks very well. THE GARDEN.JANUARY. The fowls of heaven, Tamed by the cruel season, crowd around PLANT-HOUSES. Pelargoniums.—The air for the last two months has been so abundantly charged with moisture, and generally so dull and stagnant as to render the keeping of these plants in a perfectly healthy state a difficult matter. Still much may have been done by judicious management, such as keeping the plants tied out thin, giving all the air possible, and withholding water to the roots, even to the flagging point. This system must still be followed out in the present the most critical period of their manageKeep them as near the glass as possible, but avoid letting cold draughts of wind play directly on them. The above directions, however, are principaily applicable to plants thoroughly dormant, and required for the main and late flowering purposes ment. THOMSON'S SEASONS. next year. Such as are required for forcing, and also large specimens, should be in a partially excitable state, and will require more water, and a closer and warmer atmosphere. Those for forcing may be topdressed and favoured with good situations near the light, and they will soon begin to show the trusses for bloom. Observe that these must not be shifted, as that would only cause renewed attempts at wood growth, and spoil the early blooming. On the contrary, plants required to make large specimens may, for the same reasons, be shifted into larger pots, using a tolerably rich compost, in a rough state, with plenty of sand intermixed, and paying the most particular attention to the drainage, because they must have more water; and if this does not pass off freely, you may expect a good portion of the old foliage to decay and fall off, besides creating too |