felt little in leaving persons for whom their actions, an affected reformer of she had the most sovereign contempt, their manners, and a constant bugshe did feel much annoyed in having bear to all their enjoyments: but to begin the world again, and, as a Mrs. Drowzier shed torrents of briny dependent, subject to many caprices, tears at her departure, lamenting to be obliged to give up the whole how hard it was that her own flesh of her time to please another. Still and blood should be compelled to she indulged in many prospective appeal to strangers for support, for pleasures which could never be re- which she met with nothing but realized; and she little dreamed, when viling from her hopeful progeny. Inshe formed the resolution of becoming deed she led her husband such a dependent on the world, that those life, that nothing but the hope of a blandishinents which are showered speedy riddance of the cause of all on us as strangers would be exchang- this turmoil reconciled him to existed for much rougher treatment as ence. acquaintance ripened. Among the At length the time arrived when many customers of Mr. Drowzier's Miss Micklethwaite decainped from was a Mrs. Blandish, a lady who co- lier worthy relatives, leaving her aunt vered the most deceitful manners in all the agonies of affected sorrow. with the most plausible tongue. She Suspense and disappointment are was the widow of a tradesman, yclept the lot of woman as well as of man. merchant, who dying and leaving On her arrival at the house of Mrs. her a large fortune, she commenced Blandish, she beheld the door exsuch a mode of living as gained her hibit those signs which it commonly the style of your ladyship from all wears on an increase of family; a sign those with whom she dealt. With | which, however delightful to medical a rather masculine frame and boister- men, was the contrary to my poor ous manners, she was hypochondriac aunt. To add to the certainty that and an imaginary invalid, never hap- all was not right, a quantity of straw py unless surrounded by medical men was strewed in the front of the manand “ poor soulers.” She had af- || sion. Alarmed lest some unhappy fected to take a great fancy to my accident should again oblige her to aunt, invited her once or twice to return to her relations, her heart make tea for her parties; and finding | palpitated with agitation as she venher a useful assenter to all hints of tured to lift up the knocker, and robberies and ingratitude of servants, when it fell dull and heavy, she fidshe was at length induced, on hear geted with the fingers of her glove, ing that she was a poor gentlewoman, || scarcely able to endure the suspense to offer my aunt a few pounds a which she suffered until the door year to become her toad-eater, which, opened. At length a domestic, dou. under the idea of being emancipated bled with age, in no very gracious from a vulgar family, my aunt readily manner, answered her inquiries by accepted. The family of the Drow- saying that her mistress was at home; ziers, except indeed the good wo- and to her astonishment she desired man of the house, hailed her de- || her to walk up, while she cast the parture with unfeigned joy; they most scrutinizing as well as the most were about to be rid of a spy upon compassionate look on my aunt. She

sained blander arriva

went before her, exhibiting, however, which had at length resolved itself more the appearance of a quadruped into the usual tone of confabulation, than a biped, and shewing her into when a ring at the door-bell sent an ante-room, retired. The cham- Mrs. Blandish prostrate on the sofa. ber into which my aunt proceeded | The white handkerchief was reached, was darkened by half-shut windows, a shawl thrown over her head, and all and at the end of this room, though the theatrical properties of sickness scarcely visible, reclined Mrs. Bland given to her, when she composed ish, one arm supporting her head, herself into something like a Dido, which leaned on a table nearly co- or Iphigenia of the French school, vered with nostrums. She beckoned and in this manner awaited another her new friend forward, and signing introduction. A friend now enterher to sit down, seemed about to ed, whom she also treated with a pour a recital of all her troubles into dreadful account of the state of her the ear of her new attendant, when nerves, called up an affected feeble my aunt incautiously speaking in cough, declared she was not long for her usual tone, the lady clapped her this world, and finished by sitting up hands to her ears, and begged her, to enter into a dissertation on a new as a dear creature, to speak in a cap, quite losing sight of her illness, whisper, since her poor head was in till her guest was ready to depart, such a state that the smallest noise and then indeed her malady returned was death to her. She then carried in its full force. She, however, got on a conversation in something of better after her friend had retired; that kind of tone which nurses and but again a ring at the bell plunged doctors use when their patients are her into a more distressing lassitude; no inore; and their colloquy bore a | but as this ring was occasioned only resemblance to a conversation be- | by the boy who brought the newstween two persons, not dead indeed, paper, she soon recovered, nor had but who had sought the next world she again to perform for that day, for an interchange of sentiments. except now and then, to keep her Mrs. Blandish, however, being inter hand in against the morrow. rupted by the entrance of the afore- Mrs. Blandish was a consummate said attendant, with a message which actress; she was also a most ingenidispleased her mistress, she burst in- ous tormentor: she would talk of the to so violent a rage, and was so loud blessings of a faithful companion; in her indignation, that my aunt was lament how irritable her temper had fain to change sides, and stop her become from illness; declare that her ears against so violent a hurly-burly. I circumstances were too straitened to This was followed by somewhat like reward services as she ought whilst an attempt at hysteric seizure, acted she lived, but that those who convery badly, but which restored the ducted themselves properly until her lady to her former repose, and again death would find themselves amply another whispering conference was recompensed in her will. At the resorted to; not but that the recol- same time she would ring all the lection of the message which the ser changes of irritation and tormenting, vant had so lately delivered caused and instead of assisting her compasome break in this level speaking, || nions to add to her comforts, seem

only anxious to make misery for her- sorrows for many cool and cutting self and all about her. My aunt flat- | returns for her courteous but intertered herself with the hope that she esteil attentions. Fond of fashion, might survive her plague: Hope told style, and dress, no misfortune could her flattering tales from day to day, \| teach, no experience reform her. till at length she determined to leave Thirty, fifty, and sixty years found her situation to some more indefati- her alike frivolous and vain. Though gable person. She retired to the she saw hundreds of friends falling house of an acquaintance till some- at her feet, she never deemed that thing should present itself, when in she was growing old. False locks, a little week Mrs. Blandish died, false teeth, and rouge had long been leaving the whole of her property to | resorted to; and even at seventy, a Methodist teacher. To make some Time saw her old without respectaamends for this disappointment, a dis- || bility, and proud without the means tant relation of my aunt's died, and of supporting independence. The left her an annuity of thirty pounds. last new fashion and the last gossip

Tired of toad-eating, and situation alone occupied her thoughts. At after situation, after being present at the theatre she was only anxious to the reading of will after will without | see the company, and at church, for hearing her name mentioned, she the same reason," she never slumeventually took a boarding-house, bered in her pew.” At length, at the where, for a certain remuneration, i age of seventy-two, a dangerous illbachelors and spinsters were allowed iness seized her, in consequence of a to grumble day after day at her ar. i cold caught in coming from a cardrangements. The consolation, how- party, when a lady, who expected ever, of being called in by her bet that she would send for her to reters to make up a rubber seemed to ceive her last words, at length heard repay her for all this, save and ex- || from her in a note couched in the cept indeed when she pushed her- | following terms: self forward and met with a rebuff: Ny deur Mrs. P. this, however, she soon recovered,

I have been very ill, and am not and again became one of the party. much better; but if you go by LeicesterShe sought, it is true, to mend her

square, be so good as to buy me a cheap state by entering into the holy one of

Leghorn hat, at about thirty shillings, of matrimony; but here, like an unskil

the last fashion. Miss Fitup said she ful trader, she either drove too hard

saw one at twenty-five quite as fine as a bargain, or shewed such an over

hers; but they are rather small at Mrs.

Chapeau's, and I know you will get me anxiety to attain her end, that swain

one as cheap as you can; and for the after swain retired, and left her at

trimming, which is the cheapest, broad the age of fifty-five entirely hopeless ribbon or silk? This I must leave to you. of the success of this scheme. With

But possibly you will take tea with me her boarders she assumed an ease and on Friday, and I dare say by that time familiarity not quite agreeable to ma- I shall be well enough to make a pool at ny who were themselves climbing for quadrille. Miss Wiseman has invited me notice and preferment; and she pour-for Friday, by which time I hope to get ed into the bosoms of her friends her my green gown dyed brown. I wish I l'ol. VI. No. XXXV.

RR

could see you, for I am quite perplexed, to be enough; it was made up, and about my yellow gown: there are only the rose-coloured ribbon for her cap, five breadths in the whole, besides pie- “ But instead of roses gay-she in the grave ces, and I am afraid this will not be

was laid." enough, so that I want your advice very

And poor aunt Micklethwaite breathmuch.

Yours, &c. &c. led her last, while viewing this new

gown, as it hung for that purpose Alas! the yellow gown was found on a chair by her bed-side.

MUSICAL REVIEW, J.B. Cramer's Twenty-fire new cha- || No. 14. Le Sombre; practice for uniting the racteristic Diversions, composed ||

fingers in a legato style.

- 21. Contentment; practice for acquiring for the Piano-forte, and dedicated ||

the means of playing readily in to his Pupils. Op. 71. Pr. 14s.

four parts. (Cramer, Addison, and Beale, l - 23. The gilded Toy ; practice for the mo

dern style of adagio performance, Regent-street.)

and slide of double notes. The name of the author, the ob- 1 - 24. I pensieri dolenti; practice for exject of the publication, and the ad

pression and feeling.

- 25. The Author's Dream ; practice for us. mirable manner in which he has en

ing the fingers nearly all together. deavoured to fulfil that object, render this a work of primary interest | We have already stated our opito the zealous student of the piano. | nion of the high value of these exforte. The twenty-five " Diversions" ercises, and this opinion is not foundcomprised in the book consist of soled on the apt and excellent digital inany exercises for practice; and the practice alone which they afford, but epithet“ characteristic" is applicable also on their intrinsic compositorial to many of them, inasmuch as their

merits. Many of tbe pieces present difference partly consists in the vari- | melodic ideas and harmonic combiety of styles of playing which these | nations of exquisite beauty, so that, studies are more or less calculated to independently of th

independently of their immediate obexemplify; while the greater number ject, they cannot fail to gratify the of them are more immediately devot ear and improve the taste of the ed to manual practice, of various l performer. kinds, but in all cases defined as to While thus doing justice to the its particular aim, and mentioned in | full accomplishment of the author's inthe title of each piece. We have tentions, the present occasion prompts not room for inserting the whole of || us to add a bint or two on the subject these titles, but as they will best ex- !| of an undertaking of a still higher plain the author's views, it may be aim, which has long appeared to us proper to subjoin a few of them:

to be a desideratum in musical lite

rature. We allude to a work entirely No. 2. Les Deux Amis ; practice for equaliz- || devoted to the exemplification of writers of established celebrity, or | sages of slight effect, not without even composed for the purpose; each | their use, as they relieve the mind, piece to be introduced with a prefa- which cannot be at all times in a tory illustration of its general cha- state of musical tension, and as they racter, indicating the tempo, the style tend to set off, by contrast, other of playing required in its perform-ideas of more forcible import. A ance, presenting a brief analysis of vocal composition would perhaps prethe successive periods as to import sent less difficulties to begin with, as and expression; notices of the chan-being of greater simplicity, and, if ges in the melody and harmony, so I judiciously suited to the text, offer. far at least as such changes may af- ing greater facilities for illustrating fect the expression; general direc- the feeling and expression infused tions regarding the musical decla- into the melody. But we have almation (if we may be allowed the ready dwelt long enough on a subterm) of particular portions, illustra- ject which some will perhaps view tive of special traits of empbasis and with a smile, others with decided feeling, &c.

doubts as to practicability. Were it Enough has already been said to not from a mistrust of our own comconvey our meaning, and we are petency, we should ourselves have sufficiently aware of the difficulty of made the attempt long ago; but rasuch a task, not to wish its execution ther than forego altogether the acto be consigned to any but the most complishment of such an undertakable hands, particularly when we ing, we would take the consequence consider the discrimination, the cor- of abandouing our personal scruple rect taste and feeling, and the power for the sake of setting an example, of expressing that feeling in ade- however imperfect in its execution. quate language, which the undertak- Impromptu pour le Piano-forte; deing would necessarily require. We dié à Mademoiselle Marie Baare equally aware of the difficulty ronne d'Eskeles, par J. Moscheles. of expressing in words the sensations 1 Op. 62.-(J. B. Cramer and Co. which are excited by some of the | Regent-street.) combinations of melody and harmo Published impromptus, although ny; we know that some of these sen- not unfrequent of late, still puzzle sations are not always strictly within our matter-of-fact faculties quite as the power of definition or descrip much as the extempore voluntaries tion, and that their more delicate of one of our great organists, anhues of impression are different with nounced in the oratorio-bills a week different individuals. Still we are or so before the performance. These convinced, that even in such cases, impromptus, we must suppose, are where the mark may not precisely meant to imply off-hand composibe struck, an approach to it, suffi- tions, without any fixed design, olla cient for the object in view, would podridas of all sorts of good things, always be practicable. Nor would just what comes uppermost ; interwe expect a catalogue raisonné of esting confusion of odds and ends; every bar in the piece, sensible as not absolutely a Dutch medley, but we are that the compositions of the something very much like it, only best masters occasionally present pas- superior in texture and effect, espe