y do we wish that all mankind were
in a condition to avail themselves of these four quotidian opportunities of
testing Mrs. Dalgairns's book.

"A perfectly original book of Cookery," says Mrs. D. "would neither meet
with, nor deserve, much attention; because, what is wanted in this matter,
is not receipts for new dishes, but clear instructions how to make those
already established in public favour." This reasoning is very just, for
none but the most thankless of _gourmands_, or the _gourmet_ who wished to
affect the sorrows of the great man of antiquity,--would sit down and weep
for new worlds of luxury. Good cookery is too rarely understood and
practised to justify any such wishes; and to prove this, let the sceptic go
through Mrs. Dalgairns's 1,434 receipts, and then "tire and begin again."
Our respected editress assures us that "every receipt has either been
actually tried by the author, or by persons whose accuracy in the various
_manipulations_[3] could be safely relied on."

[3] This is an unlucky word for a cookery book. Why not say
operations? Mrs. D. Mrs. D! you have not escaped the scientific
mania that is mounting from area to attic throughout this
country. Such a term as _manipulation_ sounds well enough in Mr.
Brande's laboratory at the Royal Institution, but would be quite
out of place in the kitchen of either of the hotels in the same
street. A footman might as well study the polarization of light
whilst cleaning the drawing-room windows.

From a table of contents we learn that among them there are the following
methods:--

Soups 105
Fish 115
Beef 70
Mutton 31
Veal 60
Gravies, Sauces, &c. 104
Puddings, Pies, and Tarts 263
Creams, Custards, &c. 134
Cakes and Preserves 182

--what more can mortal man desire, "nay, or women either." Appended to them
is much valuable information concerning the poultry-yard, dairy, brewery,
kitchen-garden, bees, pigs, &c. so as to render this _Practice of Cookery_
a truly useful and treasurable system of domestic management, and a book of
matters-of-fact and experience. The subject is too melting--too tempting
for us to resist paying this tribute to Mrs. Dalgairns's volume.

* * * * *

"CLOUDS AND SUNSHINE."

An appro