l movement
of the district in favour of the line, so that no parties may be
sacrificed for the benefit of others; to hold rigorously to an
economical principle of construction; to launch out into no
extravagant plans in connection with the main object contemplated.
These being attended to, we can imagine that, in a few years hence,
there will be a set of modest little railways which will be the envy
of all the great lines, simply because they enjoy the distinction
denied to their grander brethren, of _paying_, and which will not only
serve important purposes in the industrial economy of the country, but
vastly promote the moral wellbeing of the community, in furnishing a
means of harmless amusement to those classes whose lot it is to spend
most of their days in confinement and toil.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Since the materials of this brief paper were obtained, another
short line has been opened, extending between Elgin and Lossie-mouth.
It is said to have also enjoyed in its first few weeks an amount of
traffic far beyond the calculations of the shareholders.

THE HUMOUR OF SOUTHEY.

Some of the critics of 'Robert the Rhymer, who lived at the lakes,'
seem to be of opinion, that his 'humour' is to be classed with such
nonentities as the philosopher's stone, pigeon's milk, and other
apocryphal myths and unknown quantities. In analysing the character of
his intellect, they would assign to the 'humorous' attribute some such
place as Van Troil did to the snaky tribe in his work on Iceland,
wherein the title of chapter xv. runs thus: 'Concerning Snakes in
Iceland' and the chapter itself thus: 'There are no snakes in
Iceland.' Accordingly, were they to have the composition of this
article, they would abbreviate it to the one terse sentence: 'Robert
Southey had no humour.' Now, we have no inclination to claim for the
Keswick bard any prodigious or pre-eminent powers of fun, or to give
him place beside the rollicking jesters and genial merry-makers, whose
humour gives English literature a distinctive character among the
nations. But that he is so void of the comic faculty as certain potent
authorities allege, we persistently doubt. Mr Macaulay affirms that
Southey may be always read with pleasure, except when he tries to be
droll; that a more insufferable jester never existed; and that, often
as he attempts to be humorous, he in no single occasion has succeeded
further than to be quaintly and flippantly dull. Another rev