a charge in administration accounts for the price of strong drink, furnished avowedly to stimulate the bidders at the sale of the decedent's effects." — Per Gibson, C. J., in Pennock's Appeal, 14 Penn. State, 450, A. D. 1850.
William H. Seward, while at the bar, before his wonderful political career began, often re ferred to his first case at the Cayuga County bar in his native State of New York. " I appeared for the plaintiff before a rural jury in a simple action of debt, where the facts in my favor were as clear as summer noon-day. I made therefore only a short summing up, and was followed by the defendant's counsel, who was from a near vil lage, and well known for years in all the justices' courts. This was about all he said : ' Now, gentle men and neighbors, are you going to let a young Auburn lawyer come down here to mystify and confuse the minds of plain people like us? And after all he didn't have much to say. Now, I shan't say nothing. I know, and you know, that the common law he has prated about isn't after all as good as common sense. The young man didn't think you knew I had it. Ha! ha! I guess as how he'll find he is mistaken. I leave the whole thing to you; and noon dinner-time has come, so I guess you needn't deliberate long before coming to a decision.' Our Judge charged strongly in my favor, but the verdict was against me, and I necessarily had no exceptions for a bill and writ of error. Ever afterwards I used to be careful about what kind of jurors I selected." LITERARY NOTES. An article of great contemporary interest in Scribner's for June is Henry Norman's vivid picture of the present condition of affairs in the most crucial point in all European politics. — the Balkan Peninsu la, where a half-dozen little principalities are the buffer between the great powers of Europe. A few months ago Mr. Norman made a visit to this region, and this article is the first presentation of the impres sions then gathered of Roumania, Servia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Bulgaria and Montenegro.
The BOSTONIAN for June is a remarkable example of what a magazine conducted upon the best princi ples can furnish for the popular price of ten cents. It is rapidly securing for itself a deserved place in the
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foremost rank of to-day's magazine field. The rank ing article in importance still continues to be Lieut. James A. Frye's exposition on " Our Coast Defence." The fourth paper, which appears in the current issue, is accompanied by beautiful illustrations of the largest and most powerful ships of war belonging to the United States Navy. The two most timely articles, however, in the table of contents, are those entitled "The Growth of La Fiesta in California," by Mabel C. Crafts; and " San Antonio; Its Battle of Flowers and Its Missions," by James D. Whelpley.
The metric system, which has recently been be fore both Congress and the British Parliament, is dis cussed by Herbert Spencer in a series of letters in Appleton's Popular Science Monthly for June. Mr. Spencer vigorously opposes the further spread of the system, and points out the advantages of one based on the number twelve.
The complete novel in the June issue of Lippincott's is " From Clue to Climax," by Will N. Harben. It is a tale of murder and hypnotism, in which an extremely able detective and a physician of the new school join forces to clear the innocent and run the guilty to earth.
Charles Dudley Warner, in the " Editor's Study" of Harper's Magazine for June, discusses the question of common-school education in the United States, reaching a conclusion not very com plimentary to the public-school system. Mr. War ner's obvious comment upon the situation is, •' School education should be in the hands of experts, not of politicians, not of reformers, not of men and women elected by popular vote."
The Lincoln paper in McClure's Magazine for June describes Lincoln in his familiar, every-day re lations with his family, friends and neighbors, at the time of his return to Springfield after serving a term in Congress. It contains a number of new facts and anecdotes, and presents Lincoln in one of his most attractive aspects. The paper is fully illustrated.
The necessity for a court of criminal appeals in the United States is, in the opinion of the Hon. I. C. Parker, Judge of the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, of the most urgent character, his reasons being clearly and forcibly pre sented under the title of " How to Arrest the In
