MUSICAL NOTES.

(Specially Wiuttkn foe the Star by IMIOFfISSvH F. 0. CAILLIAU.)

NO. IK-MUSICAL INSTRUCTION ON iHE CuNTINENT. If schools have not actually been the pedestal on which art has been built up, they arc at least the causa of the height to which it has attained. Ait ciiunot exist under pressure ; It must hire freedom uud plenty of air, without which it will not only not advance, but on the contrary it will retrograde until it reaches the point of complete extinction This is what has happened among all the nations wliore tyranny has had its disastrous sway. Therefore, let us proceed to describe the manner in which music in tnught in the Kussinn Empire,tho only European nation that does not possnss a representative Government, and in which tyranny strangles with its bloody talons tho innßt sacred aspirations cf a youthful and courageous generation. I cannot do bettor in ordor to glva an idea of ths confusion which prevails iv Kussia in all dopaitmmts evidently, but, above all, in that of of luiichiiig.tlian to relate an nnecdoto whose truthfulness is above sua picioD, inasmuch as the original narrator was well-known in Puris during a period of fully twenty years. At the Kussinn Im perial Conservatoire, teaching does not take place under exactly the same condi tions us in the conservatoires of other nations. Tho little moujicks (Slavchildren) are Deceived there at ages ranging from 7 to 10 yours and upward,uud their propensities, (heir aptitude?, their tastes, are never thonght to be Avorth consulting, and cer tainly not their parents' wishes. AH this is calmly ignored as of no concern what ever. They are selected at random for Bomo cl»9s or other, in which they have to remain until they reach the ago of 18 years, It often happens that a little fel low with very little natural activity or nimbloncss, but having a decided inclina tion and aptitude for singing, is mado ft dancer, while another, perhaps, who with a little training would surpass the niOft famous dancer, is obliged to give his entire attention to sinying. One little unfor tuuato who would have preferred to learn to pluy the piano is olten obliged to practise how to discourse music from a reed, while another whoso physical organisation will enable him to blow like a blacksmith's bellows has perforce to scrape away upon a violin. Everything is srrauged capriciously and at hazard. A.t the nge of 18 years, singers, dancers, tragic and comic actors, instrumentalists, and mimics—all the students in fact, male and female—quit their respective classes in order to enter a theatre where they mmt give ten years of their lives and their talonto in exchanges tor tho art that has been taught thorn nt tin- expoiue of the Mate. At the end oi these ten yrars they ore free to contract friendly engagements, but there is a rule which prohibits them from charging a higher salary than 4,000 roubles (assißnats) or 1,100 roubles (silver), it is true that this rule may be sot aside in favour of artistes of very Rreat talent, bat then, iv such cases, it is tho Kmperor who gives the balance of the money. Want of aptitude for learning to play on particular instruments is noi the only cause ot these stranßo variances with natural tait'J or inherent propensity; I wilgive one example from a thousand : A young lad—a little moujick—bad been designed by bis master* for the clarionette class (for the Conservatoire has to famish the Imperial theatres with musicians for the orchestra as well as actors for tbo stage). This young ster, Ivan by name, accordingly joined thn class referred to und first of all passed a certain time in learning the art of sol-fa-ing, and when he was sufficiently instructed,;,e., wbort he had completed the prescribed term — for rate cr exienr of progress does not enter into the official calculation—he was promoted to the cUrionette class. Oa the day of the first lesson,after having taken his place among his comrades, who were drawn ap in military style, aud having also learnt the martini step, Ivan entered upon his course of instruction. For him the first lesson consisted simply in maintaining a rigid attitude whilst the clarionettes with which his comrades were armed were giving forth the most unearthly and heartrending sounds, to the great consternation of the feathered population oi the neighbourhood. The second lesson was a repetition of the firs'jind oa tl C day of the third lesson the Professor for the first time discovered that he had one pupil in excess of the number of instru ments. In order, therefore, to fulfil his duty, he sent in an application for the prico of an additional clarionette to the official whose duty it was to submit such claims to higher quarters. But in Russia the con trol of the expenses is managed after a tho roughly^i.-cumlocutory method, and as the f undo pass through a multitude of hands they very often find a destination quite dif ferent from that intended for them. At any i ate, the price of the required clarionettc di(l not compto hand. Ivun waited patiently, every morning being drawn up in line with his companions, and every morning almost deafened by the noise of their instrument?, but naver having the oppoitunity to per form ou one himself. Thus the regulated period of eight yeais passed away. At the end of that time Ivan, according to the usase of tho institution, was despatched to a theatrical orchestra iv oi der to fill the rOle of a second clarionette. In attending at th<3 theatre he found a stool and desk pro vided for him tut no clarionettc, for accord ing to the rules the instrument had to be furnished with theinstrumentalist. In fino, Ivai", repeating his school experience, had to preecut himself regularly at the.Theatre at the fixed hours', take his seat before his desk aud remain with the orchestra till the end of tho performance, but never having a chance to play his part. Six. years stoic away for Ivan in the discharge of these purely honorary functions, at the end ol which time, in accordance with the unalter able official regulation, he advanced to the dignity of a first clarionettist. After having filled this office for eight more years, at ways without the necessary clarionette, and therefore never having occasion to play c single note, he received his discharge, legt timately gained by good conduce and punc tual attendance upon the theatrical perfor mances. This may be accepted as an apt illustra tion of the efficency of the manner of in struction adopted in Russia, Let us sup pose that the little Slav enters the Con servatoire at ten years of age. Then the la* obliges him to remain for newly 30 years i bondman, so that he dies as he was born.i.c ■without having had the opportunity t< breathe free air, and perhaps not evenailbr ded the chance of learning the art of whicl he is nominally an exponent or student Thus it happens that there are no nativi musicians of real talent in isussia, and tba in its theatres, the musical arrangement have always been under the direction o foreign artistes, Cimarosa, J'tesiello, Sarti Bcleldieu, Adolphe Adam, Berlioz,etc, al sojourned for years in Russia. All the re nowned arti-stes of France and Italy minis ter to the wants of the lyric and histrionic stage of this autocratic empire, which wit continue, I hope, to collapse under the weight of its grevious iniquities, so that something more stable ana noble may be reared ia its stead, '

Religious Services in Public Malls.

How is it that in the recent discussion of the causoa which lead so large a proportion of our fellow countrymen to absent them selves from public worship, not a single complaint of inability to .secure an audience has been mnde on the part of thoao who con duct religious services in the public halls and theatres of our large towns ? Whilo in what are called "places of worship "the gospel is often preached to handfuls, these men speak to huiidrtdß, or even thousands, and to an audience, moreover, which shows only too clearly tbat to it worship is a novel csporienco. Tho difference is not one of men alone; for a clergyman or minister may fail in tho one placeaud succoed in tbeother. Indeed, a change from pulpit to platform rarely f nils to react upon the preacher. He is brought face to face with the very men lie wishes to reacli; ho is driveu back upon his own methods, and ventures to speak simply and naturally tho very feelings of his heart. He discards stereotyped phrase and formula, conscious only or tho deep human pity which fills his heart. Hero he understands the mission of Christ's servants —to seek and to save " that which was lost;" and one who goes into work of this kind with any of the Spirit of Ciirist in him comes out of it with experience enriched and sympathy deepened. But this ia not all. The poor will go iv crowds to the theatre or the hall, but will not cross the threshold of church or chapel. Whe ther it is the pride of poverty, or an unwil lingness to compromise themselves with their neighbours as " religious" people that produces,this spirit, we cannot tell. The only certain fact is that they will Dot come to the churches, aod the churches therefore must go to them. The Roy. T. C. Udall, in a paper read before the National Club, has stated tho whole case boldly and clearly. Eleven great buildings have been utilised for this work during the past winter in London, besides maDy mission halls ; and experience baa shown '' that popular places of resort on week days become the most popular preaching places on Sundays, and that the people gathered there on the Lord's day at such services arc the people frequent ing these places on other days." Attor a man has been touched by those services he will unite himself in fellowship with the I Church of Christ readily enough, but until lie haa learned to believe in tho love of man—the faint symbol, but surest pledge, ;of the love of God—he either reels himself a stranger and an outcast from the religious communities, or is completely indifferent, perhaps apparently alien, to the revelation ot divine truth,—" Sunday Magazine,"

A Curious Application.

The London correspondent of the "Argus" contributes the following to that paper :— "I have been favoured with the copy of an application for a piece of Government patronage which seems to me unique. There are, of course, depreciative persons, whose mission it is to say ' How old!' to a good joke, or ' How impossible !' to an in teresting fact, who will deny its authen ticity, but I have the matter on the best authority. It was one of the last letters addressed officially to the late Lord Bea coosfield, and ran as follows :—'Applica tion for position of hangman. It arrived at Osborne when tha Court was there— (Dr Marshall,) Directed to Rt. Honble. Mr Disraeli Beaconsfield, Premior, Down ing-street. Most reverent sir, heatin as ow Mr Marwood is a goin to giv up is appoint, ment, I writes askm for the job. I believes I shall give satisfaction to the queen and all the royle Family. I believes in the long drop bl*o in exclusin- of the press and the black flog hoibtmg. I gtands 6 feets aDdama local preacher in the new Con nexion which i,hows I am of an exllent caracter. I have attended many exusa tions nntil late years. Lord Wilton an his missus knows me for I lived near is stablcn at; Leister. 1 feel sura I shall give satis faction to your onerable ouse, likewise save much money to the nation by not charging art ag much, and remain your umble and obliged eurvent, Patrick Mahony,"

Mow Editors Love Each Other.

There were several men clustered around the stove iv the back room of a Galveston saloon, and somehow or other the subject of newspapers came up for discussion. One man said that editors were more jealous of each other than any other class, that they never had a good word for each other, &c. A long-haired youth, with solemn look, spoke up, aud heaving a sigh, said he had had some experience with editors and he found them tho reverse of jealous of each other; that a Texas editor was always will ing to deny himself comforts for the benefit of a brother editor. 11 Where did it happen t' " It happened ia a' Western Texas town where I lived," sighed tho young man. " I dashed off a little poem oi ten or fifteen stanzas about ' Beautiful Spring.' There were two rival papers iv the place—the 'Bugle' and the 'Trombone.' I bad heard that the editors were deadly enemies aud sighed to sited each other's gore, and I was afraid if I let the ' Trombone' pub lish my poem first there would be a deadly encounter. I finally resolved to have it appear simultaneously in both papers. When I called on the editor of the ' Trom bone,1 he said the editor of the ' Bugle,' .had a large family, and that he would prefer it to appear in the 'Bugle,' as personally he loved the editor oi the 'bugle.' I went then to the ' Bugle' man, and he said that the editor of tho ' Trombone' was his warmest personal friend, and he would bo glud if I would let him have the poem, as it would be putting bread in his mouth and clothes on his back. So owing to the love the two editors had for each other I couldn't get my poem into either of their papers, and it hasn't been published yet. 1 never saw men so anxious to help each other out of distress," and once more the long-haired poet sighed like a bellows. There was a pause, and an old man with a frost-bitten nose drawled out: " Yer never tried thorn editors with a cash adveitisement, did yer!" The poet answered in the negative, whereat the audience significantly nodded their heads and winked at each other,

Leaf From the Czar's Diary.

Got up at 7 a.m., and ordered my bath. Found four gallons of vittiol in it, and did not take it, Went to breakfast. The Nihilists had placed two torpedoes on the stairs,-but 1 did not step on them. The coffee swelled so strongly of prussic acid that I was afraid to drink it. Found a scorpion iv my left slipper, but fortunately shook it out before putting it on. Just be fore stepping into the oairiage to go fornw morning diive, it was blown into the air, killing the coachman and the horses in stantly. Took a light lunch ot hermeti cally-sealed American canned goods. They can't fool me there. Found a poisoned dagger in my favourite chair,' with the point sticking out. Did not sit down on it. Had dinner at C p.m., and made Barcn Laischouuowonski taste every dish. He died before the soiip was cleared away, Consumed some Baltimore oysters and some London stout that I have had locked up for five years. Went to the theatre, and was shot at three times in the first act. Had the entire audience bagged. Went home to bed, and slept all night on the roof of the palace.

Printing Press, Pulpit, Petticoats.

These are the three great levers that govern the world. Without them the bot tom would fall out, and society would be come chaos again. The Press patriotic, the Pulpit^religious, but women answerall things. There would be no going to church if there wore no girls there. Neither would there be any going to war were the soldiers to meet with no applause but from the masculines. Without the sunshine shed by women, the rosebud of affection would never grow, nor the flowers of eloquence germinate. In short she is the steam-engine of life—the great motive power of Lite, Valour, and Civilisation.

Obsolete Theories of the Earth's Interior.

Various theories have been from time to time advanced as to the interior condition of the globe, many of them of a purely fanciful cheracter. The great astronomer Kepler, for instance, in seeking fro account for the ebb and flow of the ocean tides, de picted the earth as [a living monster, the earth-animal, whoso whale-like mode of breathing occasioned the rise and fall of the ocean in recurring periods of sleeping and waking, dependent on solar time. He even, in his ilight of fancy, attributed to this earth-animal the possession of a soul, having the faculties of memory and imagi nation. Another great astronomer, Halley, was opposed to the idea of the globe being solid, " regarding, it as more worthy of the Creator that the earth, like a house of several stories, should be inhabited both without and within." For light, too, in the hollow sphere, he thought provision might in some measure be contrived. So recently, indeed, as within the last hundred and fifty years, equally singular notions have been entertained regarding the earth's interior. Sir John Leslie, like Hallay, conceives the nucleus of the world to be a hollow sphere, but thought it filled, not with inhabitants, but with an assumed "imponderable matter, haviDg an enormous force of ex pansion." Other scientists by degrees peopled this hollow sphere with plants and animals—two email subterranean planets, named Pluto and Proserpine, being sup- Sesed to shed over this central world their im and mysterious light. Others sup posed that the central air was rendered self-luminous by compression, and hence the two planets were not required. A cer tain Captain Symmes, who lived in the present century, was strongly convinced of the truth of Leslie's theory. He held that near the North Pole, whence the polar light emanates, was an enormous opening, through which a descent might be made into tne hollow sphere, and sent frequent and pressing invitations to A, yon Hum boldt and Sir Humphry Davy to undertake this subterranean expedition ! But these imaginative conceptions must one and all be eet aside, and the subject treated on more prosaic though not less iuteresting lines.— Chambers's Journal.

Undergraduates' Ignorance.

Judicious selections from Little Go papers are a favourite Eource of laughter. Mr. Don mentions the unpublished addition to the parable of the Good Sanihritan. After repeating the Samaritan's saying to the innkeeper, "When I come again, I will repay thee," the unlucky examinee added, "This he said knowing that he should see his face no more." Our author gives us a candidate for his degree statinc the sob stance of St. Paul's sermon at Athens to be cr.ving out for the space of two hours, " Great is Diana of the Ephesians," and another when called upon to trace a connection between the Old and New Testaments referred to the circumstance that Peter with his sword cut off the ear of the prophet Malachi. But of those which we heard tell ourselves one of the neatest for its conception in this plain style of uu •heniatinfr faith ia the description of the ascent of Elijah into heaven :—" And there came two she bears out of the wood and said unto Elijah, Go up, thou bald-head, and he went up." The f uUest development of the combination of a good memory with an inferior sense of the traditional order is the account of the death of Jeztbel. The examinee, feeling sure of his ground, pre faced the account with the statement—" It is moat important to preserve tha exact words of the sacred narrative," and pro ceeded:—"And as he passed throDgh the pate of the city, there looked out unto him two persona appointed for that purpose. And he said.unto them. ' Throw her down.' So tiey threw her down. And he said 'Doit a second tims.' And they did it a second time. And he said 'Do it a third time.' Ami they did it a third time; and they did it unto seven times ; yea, even unto seventy times seven. Laist all of the woman died also. And they took up the broken fragments that remained, seven basketfuls."

AGENCIES.

We are Sole Agents and Importers of the undermentioned, viz.:— Read Bros. Dog's Head Ale and Stout Bisquit, Dubouche & Co.'s Brandies. Wolfe's Schnapps liounde's Key Rum Taylor's Irish Whisky " - Tattersall & Campbell's Scotch do. Robt. Burnett & Co.'a Vinegar Hudson's Extract of Soap Goodall's Yorkshire .Relish Lanman & Kemp's Florida Water Perry Davis & Sou's Painkiller Bristol's Pills aud Sarsaparilla Kitchen's Blood Restorer Allen's Lung Balsam The Kaipara(N.Z.) Canning Co. Mullet Kirkpatrick& Co., Nelson (N,Z.) Jams Steedman's Preserved Peaches, Thames The Swiss Milk and Food Co.'s Goods L. D. NATHAN & CO.

STAR SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT, JULY 2% 1883.

Printed and Published by the 'Proprietor, Hi..hi?C?'; Brett, of Symonds-atreet, at his G^pi-nll •' Printing Office, Wmdham-streefc, in thepJol Vince of AuoklandTNow Zealand! I I Batubday'JciiY 32, 882, II

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J. COSGRAVE & CO. Beg to inform the inhabitants of Auckland that they are GIVING UP BUSINESS IN NEW ZEALAND. THEIR STOCK IS TOO LARGE TO CALL FOR TENDERS, And to realise as quickly as possible they find it imperative to hold a SALE OF THEIE KEW GOODS. E&-THE STOCK CONSISTS OF sir PURCHASED PRINCIPALLY IN THE HOME MARKETS. *®a & o -si MS I v> B A O s-< *7" O & OWi/ fit* ""^^ w *Ti o I I 11 2| $WmS^ § ? ALL ACCOUNTS OWING TO THE FIRM ARE REQUESTED TO BE PAID IMMEDIATELY. No Goods tvill be entered for the future. THE SALE COMMENCED ON FRIDAY, JULY 21.



FTUIE want of a reliable remedy for Rheu- JL matism, Sciatica, Gout, Lumbago, &c, has long been felt as one of the greatest calamities of the age. While other means and medicines having Leon proving them selves vain and delusive, this remedy has been silently and steadily unloosing the ' cruel fingers (if disease, and freeing captive men from their deadly embrace. The people are now requested to give BLOOD- Restorer a fair and impartial trial. And the Proprietor would bavo it distinctly understood that the cures of Rheumatism, &c, are due entirely to his Medicine's Wonderful Effect upon the Blood, by its- Cleansing, Purifying, and Invigorating power. -4lmpurity and Inactivity of the Blood is the cause of mpst sickness and pain. After a course of this medicine, blood-vessels— which have become, as it were, choked up with unhealthy matter—become cxhilarant with pure scarlet life-blood, flowing na» turally along, and imparting in its course vigour and strength to the entire system.^ HITCHENS' CELEBRATED T> L 0 0 D TJESTOEEE' The Renovator of the Human Blood. No more Physical Degeneration if the Laws of Health are observed, ordinary care exorcised, and BLOOD RESTORER freely taken. TTITCHENS' /IORDIALISED • jjL Kj "DLOOD T> E STOKER, (Price, £2 per case net), Is a healthy and palatable summer drink ! when mixed with Lemonade or similar beverages. Without the great remedial properties of the MEDICINAL Blood Restorer, it is still ! of like character in its action on the human. system, and is specially manufactured for HOTEL USE. To be had Wholesale of L. D. NATHAN & Co., Sole Agents. TTITCHENS' BLOOD RESTORER. We have received the following Tcsti- -; monial anent thia remedy, and publish it' 1' %r general information. L. D. NATHAN & CO. ' '• "Auckland, January 12, ISB2. ' "•Messrs L. D. Nathan & Co., Auckland. " Sirs,—lam fulfilling an urgent request of Mrs Andrews, of Lord1 Howe's Island, in the PaciQc, in stating' to you and to Mr Hitchens the extraordinary cure made in '. her cose by the use of Hitch ens' Medichal Blood Restorer. laving on the Island, I am an eye-witness «of the fact, and feel it a duty both to Mr Hitchens and to the ■ general public to testify to the really won derful effect of that medicine. " Mrs Andrews was for four or five years a martyr to agonising pains in her hip ; medical meu calling it sciatica. Sh« bad been treated for it by the several doctors of the British meu-o'-war visiting the Island from time to time, without the slightest relief to the intense pain. 'She . was afterwards taken to Sydney, hoping for .some relief, if not a permanent care, ' from treatment of the medical men of that city. _ She was told she was suffering from the hip disease, and her case was incurable. , Without a ray of hope to lighten her future life ; pain and despair her constant attendants, her case was really deplorable. Mr C. E. Ponder, the Manager of the Guano Company at Lord Howe's Island, one day recommended ber to try Hitchens' . Blood Restorer, as the remedy was just becoming known at the Islands, through the advertisement of Oppenuane's cure, testified toj the German Consul. Mrs , Andrews readily yielded to the recomrnen- • dation, and sent for two bottles to Mr Hitcbcns, Auckland. . Within three weeks after using it she was able to rise and . walk with the use of the crutch, and the painip the hip was entirely gone. The j medicinal action vas truly marvellous, and her gratitude to Mr Hitchens is expressed ' daily in her prayers thanking God for her i relief. . .y, ..'■ "It is my firm belief that another two j or three bottles—unfortunately not ob- jj tamable without long delay—would have wrought such a complete cure as to make >i crutches unnecessary. On my return to- > Lord Howe's Island, I shall take a stock of this wonderful medicine, so that a supply will never be quite out; for no words of mine can adequately express my, faith in its curative properties, after seeing the result of it in Mis Andrews' case. . " I am, dear Sirs, "Yours faithfully, "Thos. Geo."Chas. Nichols, "Master Mariner." I certify to the correctness of the above in every particular, Charles C. Ponder. Declared before me this 13th day ofr January, 1882. P. A. Phillips, J.P.