Science, Art, And The Drama.

Science , Art , and the Drama .

ARTIFICIAL PAVING STONES IN GERMANY . Artificial paving stones are being successfully produced in Germany . The demand in all large cities is said to be so great , and the expense attached to their production under former methods so considerable , that any improvement on the older systems , whether in saving money or in producing a better kind of stone , will be welcomed by all countries . The newest process in Germany , is to mix coal tar with sulphur and warm thoroughly , to the resulting semi-liquid mass chlorate of lime is added . After cooling , the

mass is broken into small pieces and mixed with glass , or blast-furnace glass slag . This powder is then subjected to a pressure of 200 atmospheres , and reduced to the form or forms wanted . The resistance to wear and tear in use is fully half as great as that of Swedish granite . Thus it commends itself , through durability , equal to that of many stone roads , resistance to changes of temperature , roughness of surface—giving horses a good foothold—and , finally , non-transmission of sound . Inasmuch , as the joinings are very small , dirt is avoided , and cleaning is very easy .

OVER PRESSURE IN STUDY . Messrs . S . de Brath and F . Beatty have written an interesting practical book on the evils attendant " Over-pressure . " It was published about the end of last year . The authors deal with the causes of over-pressure , and the means which should be taken for mitigation of its disastrous effects . In the early chapters , the nervous system , nervous energy ( so often misdirected ) , and mental economics are treated , and it is clearly sliown that undue

mental pressure inevitably tends to decreased physical power . The authors point out the importance of moderate hours of brain work , rising , gradually , from four and a half hours at eight years old , to seven hours at 16 years . The proposed remedy for over-pressure is based on the physical laws of health , and stress is laid upon the absolute necessity for adapting the teaching to the powers of the child at each stage of his growth . Also the educational

sequence of the subject matter should be marked , so that the pupil may experience a sense of unity in his instruction . In the last chapter special attention is wisely given to the great Examination question , and the line to be taken in order to remedy the evils and incompleteness of the present system . One of the greatest fallacies of the times is the supposition that a successful examination is a sure test of the knowledge of a given

subject . It is so only in a very limited degree . Luck enters more largely in success than would be imagined . An experienced coach may cram up his pupil so thoroughly in certain narrow limits to which the examination may be confined , that success is almost ensured . This success , then , is no guarantee of sound general knowledge . This modern evil of regarding all

information as merely the means to pass an examination is strongly censured by the authors . An intelligent boy of 16 once asked : " What is the use of trying to remember all the stuff we have to learn . No one uses Euclid to get his living by , nor Latin , nor Greek , unless he is a schoolmaster . " Thus education , in a practical point of view , should be a help to success in life .

GRAFTON GALLERIES . SOCIETY or PORTRAIT PAINTERS . The above Exhibition is an important one . There are contributions by the leading portrait painters of the day . Amongst them are Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema , R . A ., the late Sir J . E . Millais , P . R . A ., F . F . Watts , R . A ., Hon . John Collier , T . J . Solomon , A . R . A ., Prof . Hubert Herkomer , R . A ., A . S . Cope , A . R . A ., A . Stuart Wortley , President , Hugh de T .

Glazebrook , Percy Bigland , John Lavery , W . Llewllyn , Harold Speed , Therese Schwartze , Henry T . Wells , and many others . The most noticeable works are—Nos . 3 , Portraits by Sir Alma Tadema ; No . 4 , Study of Miss Helen Petrie for " The Ransom ; " No . 130 , Portrait of Mrs . Langtry ( Pencil Drawing ) , by Sir John E . Millais ; No . 8 , Mrs . Hoare , by John Lavery ; No . 18 , Chas . Fredk . Hardy , by Florence Small ( Mrs . Deric Hardy ) ;

No . 26 , Portrait of G . F . Watts , R . A ., by Prof . Hubert Herkomer ; No . 29 , The Black Mantilla , by S . J . Solomon ; No . 31 , S . E . Palmer ; No . 43 , Field-Marshal Lord Roberts , by A . S . Cope ; No . 36 , General Sir George White , by W . Llewellyn ; No . 42 , Right Hon . Earl of Londesborough ; No . 72 , Francis Stainer ; No . 85 , Dr . Carfrae , by Herman G . Herkomer ; No . 42 , Mrs . Brown Potter ( as " Miladi , " in " The Musketeers ); " No . 76 ,

Mrs . Mildred Hawkshaw ; No . 91 , Major-General M . W . E . Gosset , by Hon . John Collier ; No . 57 , Right Rev . Edwd . R . Johnson , D . D ., Lord Bishop of Calcutta , by Harold Speed ; No . 62 , Rev . W . W . Jackson , D . D ., Rector of Exeter College , Oxford ; No . 73 , Rev . Henry Woods , D . D ., by H . Harris Brown ; No . 78 , Portrait of the Artist ; No . 66 , General Joubert , by Thwuse Schwarlze ; No . 68 , The late Sir David Chalmers , by J . H . Lorimer ; No . 71 , Jean Victor ( sonlof Dr . Nicolet ) , by

Gabriel Nicolet ; No . SS , The Rev . Canon Watson ; No . 98 , Mrs . Gordon Crabbe , by Ellis Roberts ; No . 100 , Rev . J . W . Geddie , B . A ., by Robert Brough ; No . 136 , A Portrait , by A . Stuart Wortley ; No . 143 , Josef Israels , by Felix Moschelles ; No . 149 , Nurse Ann , by H . Macbeth Raeburn ; No . 151 , Portrait of a Lady , by W . Hounsom Byles ; No . 165 , Gen . Sir Redvers Buller , by Henry T . Wells ; No . 176 , Portrait , by Biddy Macdonald . There are many others of great artistic worth .

THE MODERN GALLERY , 175 , BOND-STREET , W . THE SOCIETY or MINIATURE PAINTERS . This society is quite of modern date . The inaugural exhibition was held in 18 96 , since when the annual exhibitions have been fairly successful , having been visited by H . R . H . the Princess of Wales and other members of the Royal Family . The Princess Louise , Marchioness of Lome , has honoured the society by becoming an honorary member . Although miniature painting cannot be considered as high art , yet it deserves

encouragement , as to obtain proficiency , skill , taste , and industry are essentially needed . In the present exhibition there is abundant evidence that these have not been wanting . Of course , it would be impossible for us to notice all the works exhibited ; we can only mention a few which appeared to us most deserving of commendation . Miss Blanche Gottschalk contributes several works , Nos . 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , and 8 , the last one we prefer ; Mrs . Bampfylde Daniell , Nos . 13 and 14 , both are good ; Lizzie Vivian , Nos . iC and 44 , the latter the better of the two ; Cecil W . Quinnell , Nos . 51 , 52 ,

Science, Art, And The Drama.

61 , S 2 , 104 , 142 , and 146 , we consider 52 is worthy of notice . Mr . C . Kirchmayr ( a new member ) has Nos . 70 , 71 , 141 , 143 , 173 , 174 , 175 , and 176 , we would direct attention to 71 , 141 , 173 to 176 . Ernest Rinzi exhibits several beautiful artistic miniatures , Nos , 72 to Si , we consider the four entitled " The Seasons " to be the best ; Claude A . Shepperson , No . 85 ,

a striking piece of work ; Miss E . Thornton Clarke , Nos . 90 , 158 , and 166 , we prefer 90 ; Miss Edith Mason , No . no , Cecil J ; Hobson , No . 116 , Carlotta Nowlan , No . 196 , are worthy of notice . We would especially praise Hal Hurst , R . B . A ., for his delicate and highly finished sketches , Nos . 275 * , 28 S , 289 , 290 , and 291 . The exhibition of miniatures will well repay a visit .

LYCEUM THEATRE . " - The Snow Man , " at the Lyceum Theatre , is a pretty Fairy Play . It has been adapted from the French of Chivot and Vanloo , by Arthur Sturgess . The music is by Antoine Banes and Walter Slaughter . The story is a simple one and effectively told . In the realms of Fairyland once lived a lovely Queen , her name Lucky Penny . Like mortals she was in love . In her kingdom there was a young , handsome Prince , Prince

Splendid , and they loved each other . They were happy for a while but the Prince having heard of our earth wished to visit it , the Queen reluctantly consented , she did not like to be selfish , and he went , leaving his heart in the safe keeping of the Queen . Strange as it may seem even in Fairyland evil is not unknown , there was a bad Fairy named Crooked Sixpence , whose chief delight in his depraved mind was to commit all the

wickedness he could devise . He told the Qeeen , Lucky ] Penny , that her lover , Prince Splendid , would never return to her , he would be enticed by the pleasures of the Earth to remain there and would quite forget his love for the Queen . The fact was Crooked Sixpence was a rival of Prince Splendid , and hoped on his downfall to be the accepted lover of the Queen . The Evil Fairy was right . The Prince returned , but only to bid heir

farewell , his sole care now was for Earth and its empty pleasures . The poor Queen was very angry , she concealed her grief , banished the Prince for ever from her kingdom , turned him into snow , kept the warm heart he had entrusted to her , and resolved herself to visit Earth to see whether it was as bad and wicked as she supposed . She told the Prince when he next fell on Earth in the form of snowflakes he would freeze the place he loved so well

and be hated for it . Being without a heart he was always cold , so turning him into snow was a fitting punishment for his perfidy . Now , on Earth , there was a young doctor—Doctor Franz—who was deeply in love with Lisa , the Burgomaster ' s daughter ; he was , for all his skill , very poor—he was very popular , however , he was kind to all , especially children , who dearly loved him . Lisa loved him , but her father would not hear of

the match—he insisted on her marrying her cousin Mark , a rich , but silly young man . Of course , Franz wished to become rich , in the hope of gaining Lisa . He studied hard the mysteries of science , thinking he might make some important useful discovery and acquire wealth , the want of which was the only bar to his happiness . He deluded himself that it was possible to acquire the power to give life to inanimate objects . When the

Fairy Lucky Penny arrived on Earth she took the form of a student and the name of Ariella . She met three little children , and she told them she was a fairy . One child was Rosa , another Philip ( her brother ) , and the other Hans . Hans was a cripple and poor ; the other two were rich , but were his friends , and had promised to look after him all their lives and never to leave him . The Fairy Queen , to test if there existed in the Earth true love

and goodness , asked Rosa to leave her cripple friend and to come to Fairyland . Rosa consented . " Ah ! " said the Fairy to herself , " the world is bad , after all . " Then she went to Dr . Franz and ( in order to win Lisa for his bride ) he agreed that the Fairy should help him . She brought down snow upon the Earth , and the children made a big snow man . Then she secretly told Dr . Franz how to give life to the Snow Man . He was

successful , and the Burgomaster was so delighted at the cleverness of Doctor Franz , that he promised him his daughter for a wife . Remember the Queen ' s lover , Prince Splendid , was turned into snow , so that the Snow Alan was really the Prince , only without his heart . So far have we told the story . What happened afterwards ? These questions naturally arise . Did Rosa leave her cripple friend ? Did Franz marry Lisa , knowing well that he did

not make the Snow Man live , although he said he did ? Did the Snow Man freeze everybody on Earth , as was predicted ? Did Q ueen Lucky Penny find the Earth on the whole to bs good or bad ? All these ques' . ions may be solved by a visit to the " Snow Man " at the Lyceum . A few words relative to the acting . The title role is entrusted to the well -known talented actor , Mr . James Welch ; Crooked Sixpence ( The good for nothing Fairy ) is by

Mr . J . J . Dal / as ; Mr . Courtice Pounds . sings well the music of Franz ; the parts of the children are prettily played by Misses Phyllis Beadon , Rosalie , jacobi , and Master George Hersee ; Misses Marie Elba , Phiube Mercer , Ruth Davenport , and Julia Kent render good service in their respective characters . The scenery , especially A Summer Glade , is good . The music is graceful and pleasing .

GENERAL NOTES . < Nettle fibre has of late come greatly into favour in the manufacture of fine yarns and tissues in Germany . In that country , according to the United States Consul at Glauckan , there are factories which use these fibres both in spinning and also for ulterior purposes . In nettle spinning alone over 10 , 000 spindles and some hundred workmen are employed . Tne raw material is imported almost exclusively from China , whence from 660 , 000 to 800 , 000 lbs . are annually sent to Germany . Nettle fibre produces one of

the finest tissues obtainable from any known kind of vegetable fibre . In view of the importance which this seems likely to attain in connection with the weaving industries , it is intended to introduce the cultivation of nettles , if possible , into the Cameroons . The idea is to prepare the products of this experimental culture at the place where they are obtained , and test them in German factories . Should favourable results follow from these experiments , it is intended to organise nettle-growing enterprises on an extensive scale .

The late Rev . J . G . Wood used to say that if a man could eat as much in proportion to size as an insectivorous bird , he would consume a whole baron of beef for his dinner . The robin , for instance , is a mjst voracious insecteater . It has been calculated that to keep a robin up to its normal weight , an amount of insect food is required daily equal to an earthworm 14 feet in length . Taking a man of average weight , and measuring bulk for bulk with the robin , he tried to calculate how much food he would consume in 24 hours if he ate as much in proportion as the bird .