Local Notes.

AID FOR LANCASHIRE.-We are right glad to find that at length Willenhall is taking steps to augment the National Subscription in aid of the suffering poor of the Cotton Districts. Two or three meetings of a satisfactory nature have already been held; and it is to be hoped, that the eloquent appeal made by the Rev. G. H. Fisher, and the practical suggestions thrown out by other leading gentlemen, will so arouse our townspeople to a sense of their public duty, that Willenhall will not be surpassed, in this respect at least, by any of her neighbours. We have not been able to as certain the exact amount of the subscriptions already promised.

LITERARY INSTITUTE BAZAAR.—As time progresses, the interest taken in this movement appears to be gradually increasing. The principal ladies of the town-and the prosperity of such enterprises largely depends on female help-are busily engaged in the manufacture of articles of beauty or of use wherewith to decorate their stalls. We hear of one lady especially, who is almost indefatigable in her exertion to secure success. As the main object of the Bazaar is to benefit the Town at large, we would respectfully urge its claim upon those of our readers residing at a distance who feel an interest in the welfare of Willenhall.

The following Ladies comprise the Executive Committee, viz :—

By whom Contributions will be thankfully received, or by the Stallholders as under

The following circular has recently been issued by the Secretary of the

Institute.

Willenhall, December 1862. "The Committee of the Willenhall Literary Institute beg to call your attention to the proposed Bazaar, the object of which is to add to an already existing fund, for the purpose of erecting in a suitable part of the town, a Public Building, comprising a Room for Lectures and other Public Meetings, Reading and News Rooms, Library and Class Rooms.

The Reading Room now used by the members is inconveniently situated, and the Society's operations are crippled for want of Rooms for Class Teaching and other purposes. Under these circumstances the Committee make a respectiul but urgent appeal on behalf of the Institute, confident that the object they have in view is one which will commend itself to the approval of the Public.

The Society is wholly unsectarian in character,-among its Subscribers are members of all the religious denominations in the Town, and it is cordially supported by the Resident Ministers. It has been in existence for more than thirteen years,-during that time it has contributed in no small degree to the intellectual and moral improvement of the inhabitants, and it is now in a more prosperous condition than at any former period. To enable the Committee largely to increase the usefulness of the Society, is the ultimate object of the promoters of the Bazaar.

Will you kindly give them y ur assistance and support ?
Signed on behalf of the Committee,

J. BENNETT, Hon. Sec.

Answers to Correspondents.

"ARTHUR PENDENNIS."-Thanks for your suggestion. It shall be adopted.

"DELTA" wishes to know the meaning of the term "Kentish Fire," which occurs so frequently in reports of Irish political gatherings. Can any of our readers supply the information?

"JACK DAVIS."-Your communication is received, but you have not authenticated it with your real name and address.

"A WORKING MAN."-Your information concerning the streets of Darlaston has been handed over to Cornelius Wimple, who will probably write you privately on the subject.

"FANNY.”—Thank you for the favourable opinion you recently expressed in reference to certain articles in our last No. We fear you are too flattering for a critic.

"YOUNG WILLENHALL."-The address of Mr. Villiers, is 39, Sloanestreet, and Poor Law Board, Whitehall. We cannot undertake to advise you on the subject.

DECLINED WITH THANKS.-" Morning Dewdrops."-"The Alarming Adventures of Major Battledore."-" Under Green Leaves."-" Day at Tong Castle." "Christmas Eve."

NOTE.-The conclusion of the Rev. G. H. Fisher's article, "Willenhall Church Register," will appear in our next.

BIRMINGHAM: PRINTED BY W. H. DAVIS, 8, NEEDLESS ALLEY.

WILLENHALL MAGAZINE.

The Ending.

BY THE EDITOR.

In these presents I shall probably speak both in the singular and plural numbers; in the former for myself, in the latter for the very English and independent constituency which, for awhile, I represent.

I would at the outset have you (which you, means every reasonable member of the human family who chances to read these words), I say, I would have you to understand that here is no long drawn apology. Nothing of that sort is needed at our literary career's close. Having kept the field as long as we would, we go otherwhere, to war it may be, on wider battle fields. Howbeit these last words to you are spoken in peace.

Of any serious business whatsoever, it may be safely predicted that at its ending, there will be good food and fit time for reflection. When the thing

is accomplished, the time spent; when all chances of failure or success, of doing or undoing, as to that one thing or time are for ever gone, then, inevitably thoughts will bend backward, and the shadows of the past come trooping by.

Whether it be that a period is put to something suffered or enjoyed; something suffered calmly or patiently, or not so; something enjoyed indifferently, or, richly and well; something done poorly, and with a half heart, or steadfastly, heroically, and with all completeness, in any case the end is the thoughtfullest time.

And when aught has been done in a mode not to be largely regretted, but a little to be thankful for, I think that the pleasure of the retrospect, though calmer and less exciting, will rival that of the goodliest prospect.

Twelve months past, in somewhat like strain, wrote Î the initial words of this Willenhall Magazine. Because I was ungifted with phrophetic vision, and knew not therefore what a day or month or other time might bring forth, I ventured not on any exultant proclamations of futurities; but stating the principles that our we entertained, simply noted some of the prominent aims to which our endeavours would tend.

A year has hastily slid by since then, and in its day-book are noted down divers changes for the majority of the items composing the mass called humanity. For us of the Willenhall Magazine, it has been verily a year so marked, as probably not to be forgotten till the next life.

I think we have not wholly failed, not altogether come short of the aim we set up. In the Beginning to some beholders we may have seemed slightly lofty in our pretensions, yet indeed, we strove to master all boastful spirit, to shun any braggart exhibition, and to speak prudent words, and reasonable. Not without thought did we venture on the dread arena of periodical literature, nor heedlessly enter the court, and brave the bar of public opinion. Public opinion! Without controversy 'tis a venerable thing, strong with the authority of highest sanctions, rich with the glory of greyest hairs. Yet

also has it many of the follies and foibles, and pitiful puerilities, common to the later infanthood. I hope, my friends, you do not too greatly revere the thing Public Opinion, for the Public is betimes a silly, wind-driven thing, good only for a weather-fowl.

It was not to gain the favour of such a thing we entered into print. We thought to benefit just a little the bit of a world we live in, and in so doing, inevitably better ourselves. We have experienced the double blessedness of giving. Not that we have doled out silver and gold, but such as we had was given ungrudgingly, and without too highly thinking of the gift. Occasionally, we confess, there may have been just a little of that satisfaction which derives from being in print. Yet perhaps that may be pardoned, even though we had been for long not wholly unused to such a thing.

To you, good friends of ours, who have patiently read our pages-pages poetic and light, with margin and rhyme; pages prosy with sense, or silvered with dreams of fancy-to you, as to companions parting at the end of a pleasant pilgrimage, we say, " Fare you well!"

And to you all who have helped us with the products of your brain, who have ventured with us to dare or despise the easy-to-be-bought (by advertisement or douceur) criticisms of the fleeting sheets of news, which are born and die in a day, we give to you our hearty thanks.

And to you others (not a few) who gave us promises most fair, and very pretty wishes, both very cheap to you, we say, "We thank you for what you gave," and so saying, we render back far more than you gave. Yet we do not so much regret the lack of your help, as we might otherwise, since we cannot but esteem such forgetfulness of honor, indicative of no largeness of heart or brain.

Perhaps we have made some foes. Few lives run on so smoothly as not so to do. The lowliest rivulet is sometimes ruffled by stones in its course. Well, if we have so done, in most cases we heartily regret it, but in some cases and places, foes are better than friends. Rather the hearty glare and growl of the wolf in his own surly gear, than bedecked in the left-off clothes of a meek-faced dead sheep.

It is a glorious day to-day. There are troops of white, shining clouds fast floating in majesty serene along the clear hyaline, and my eyes keep wandering after those clouds as I write these last words. What rare pictures of calm, peaceful, beauty those clouds exhibit as they sail by, fold upon fold of white, tinged with clear sunlight. I should like to catch the tone of these pictures. I would that no gall were in my ink, that I could wipe all bitterness from my pen, and in cheery tones give a right hearty "God speed ye," to the worst and best of you, readers mine.

For you are a mixed lot, and a sharp passage of arms, mental or physical, with some of you, would give unmingled delight to the flesh.

But that shall not be. Though we have occasionally been honored by some coarse ones, with a few jeers and scoffs: though we have felt a little of the bitterness of envy, and our melody has been sometimes broken by ungentle and inharmonious souls, yet not for this will we turn away from our pleasant paths to give back hate for hate, and scorn for scorn. No, No! Friends and foes "Fare you well!"

And is it for that we have failed, that we bid adieu? Is it because the task we had taken was too great for us, and that we had set on to build with

out counting the cost. Nay, verily! We have accomplished the thing whereto we set our hand, as well as we expected, for we were conscious of imperfectness in ourselves, the workers, and knew therefore that by us nothing perfect could be wrought. And we have done as much as we expected, for we thought never of making the perpetual addition to our duties, of a duty that would itself constitute a not trifling nor ignoble toil. And yet, may be, some will say with a head shake, and a most vixenish ha ha! "We told you so! we knew 'twould drop through! 'twas a piece of folly! &c."

A fig for such old drones' drivelling, and such spiteful tempests of bile. What if it had been a failure and folly? How would it be in the world if there were no follies for wise men to laugh at, nor no failures to curl the lips of the pliant minions of fortune? 'Twould be to the abatement of laughter, which the shade of Shakespeare forbid, and to the removal from earth of adversity, one of its noblest teachers.

Not the acutest of our critics know better than we ourselves that in our work have been imperfections not a few. In every number that has been issued we have seen large room for improvement. But then, we saw behind the scenes; we saw two or three individuals, for mere pleasure and the love of literature, filling up their leisure hours with constant toil. We knew the secrets of our Magazine's existence. Our critics had not this knowledge. Inspired with a large sense of their own keenness and critical quicksightedness, they have rushed forward open-mouthed and shouted "Lo, here is a fault!" and "There is a strange omission! They have compared us, or rather our work, with other Magazines, whose constituency is almost national; on whose staff of workers are many famed veterans of literature; and whose management finds work for numbers of heads and hands; which are indeed, profitable business concerns. Such comparisons as these are not only unfair, but actually puerile. We have never put ourselves forward for such comparisons. We set out announcing our Magazine to be, not a business concern, nor begun with the faintest idea of pecuniary profit, but an amateur undertaking, chiefly for local readers, (though those at a distance have been numerous). To afford pleasure and interest to these, and pleasantly to fill up our own leisure, was our professed intention.

When this is considered; when it is remembered that its poems, and essays, and tales have been composed at odd ends of time, and by heads full of far other business, we think the Willenhall Magazine will be lightly condemned.

Nevertheless, we deprecate no man's criticism. Being somewhat conscious of having done a little good, and afforded a little pleasure, we are at ease. The conduct of the Willenhall Magazine has been to the workers a pleasant recreation, and a profitable mental employ. They are not ashamed to own that at this, its ending, they are largely bettered by their work.

Finally, my brethren all, Jews, Gentiles, and Samaritans, be it known unto you, that being ourselves thus satisfied, we are not careful to obtain the praise, nor avoid the censure of the least or greatest. We reiterate that what we have done, has been for our own pleasure and that of our readers. The one end we are sure is accomplished; as to the other, Time, the great arbiter, will speak.

Willenhall, January, 1863.