Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, October, 1877. Vol XX - No. 118

In Short

This October 1877 issue of Lippincott’s Magazine is a curated miscellany of its time, featuring travel writing on English history, serialized fiction, critical essays on literature, and observational reports on diverse communities. It functions as a cultural time capsule, reflecting the inquisitive, moralizing, and often colonial mindset of the late nineteenth-century reading public. The magazine has lasted because it provides a vivid, unfiltered look at the preoccupations of the period, ranging from the intricacies of farming in Northern Africa to the social navigation of American debutantes.

The Story

The magazine unfolds as a journey through disparate geographies and social strata. It begins in the historic city of Chester, England, framing the city as a "key" to understanding the shifting tides of British history, from Roman legions to the Parliamentarians. This sense of historical weight transitions into a report on the Kabyles of Northern Africa, where the author details the traditional, quasi-superstitious practice of "caprification"—the fertilization of fig trees using wild fruit—and explores how such agricultural customs create friction between neighboring tribes.

The narrative arc shifts from the global to the deeply personal through serialized fiction, such as the story of young Lottie and Percival Thorne. Lottie, a girl attempting to navigate the complexities of early love, finds her world transformed by an infatuation with the "dark, foreign-looking" Percival. Their interactions are laden with the social codes of the time, where pride, class, and misunderstandings create emotional gulfs. Parallel to this are stories of darker realities, such as the account of a slave named Alston, forced by a cruel overseer to lash a woman named Little Lizay. This harrowing scene highlights the moral degradation inherent in the institution of slavery, contrasting sharply with the lighter, albeit equally fraught, social maneuvering of characters like the "Jook" and Kitty Grey, who grapple with the performance of sincerity in courtship.

The collection also turns its gaze toward the intellectual and historical figures of Europe, including a biographical meditation on the poet Alfred de Musset. The narrative chronicles his rise, his struggles with personal heartbreak, and his eventual decline, framing his life as a cautionary tale about the volatility of genius. Finally, the magazine addresses the American frontier and the formation of social enclaves, such as the Separatists of Zoar, Ohio, and the rise of Mormonism. The discussion of Brigham Young compares Mormonism to the historical arc of Islam, questioning whether such a localized faith can survive the pressures of an encroaching, non-sympathetic modern world. The issue concludes not with a final resolution, but with a practical "Books Received" list, grounding the preceding flights of fancy and social critique in the concrete, burgeoning literary market of the late 1870s.

How It Unfolds

The historical lens The magazine opens by contextualizing Chester as a strategic crossroads of British history, positioning the city as a site of both past conflict and modern American fascination. This establishes a tone of scholarly observation that characterizes the subsequent reportage.

The agrarian and colonial perspective The text moves to the remote, traditional practices of Kabyle farmers, detailing the intense, sometimes violent, local commerce surrounding the "dokhar" or wild fig. This segment underscores the tension between ancient tradition and the encroaching influence of French colonial rule.

The intimacy of courtship The narrative shifts to the drawing-room, where the emotional education of young characters like Lottie and Kitty unfolds through carefully observed social interactions. These domestic dramas rely on the tension between outward performance and hidden internal desires.

The weight of social and moral history Interspersed with fiction, the magazine presents sober reflections on historical injustice, including the brutal realities of plantation life and the architectural remnants of feudal power at Ludlow Castle. These accounts serve to ground the reader in the darker, often unlighted corners of both the past and the present.

The biographical and sociological synthesis The final beats focus on the life cycle of influential figures and movements, from the tragic dissipation of Alfred de Musset to the institutional development of Mormonism in Utah. By questioning the longevity of these legacies, the magazine prompts the reader to consider the intersection of human character and societal structure.

The People

The figures inhabiting these pages are defined by their surroundings and the roles they are forced to play. Lottie, a young girl at the threshold of womanhood, attempts to find meaning in a romantic infatuation that consumes her reality, revealing the vulnerability of youth. Percival Thorne acts as the object of her affection, a man of reserve and pride who maintains a cool distance, embodying a certain archetype of the brooding romantic hero. Alston, a man held in bondage, stands as a figure of tragic moral complexity; he is coerced into acts of brutality against his will, illustrating the dehumanizing impact of his environment. Kitty Grey is a character who grapples with the inherent "hypocrisy" of social performance, eventually seeking to strip away her artifice to find genuine connection with her suitor, the "Jook." Finally, Brigham Young is presented as a cold, analytical subject—an organizer and leader whose career serves as a case study for the natural history of religion, contrasting his robust pragmatism with the more ephemeral nature of his predecessor, Joseph Smith.

In Its Own Voice

"The history of Chester is that of a key."

(This opening observation characterizes the city as a vital entry point for understanding the layers of historical conflict in Britain.)

"The tribe which is rich in the dokhar, or wild fig, is fortunate, and especially so if its neighbors have none or if their crop of it fails."

(This illustrates the economic and social volatility of local agricultural traditions in Northern Africa.)

"He raised his arm, with his heart beating hot and his manhood shrinking: he struck Little Lizay's bare shoulders."

(This depicts the visceral, agonizing reality of the physical violence required of a slave by his overseer.)

What It's Really About

The central theme is the tension between the "key"—the necessity of unlocking access to hidden, private, or historical truths—and the barriers that keep us apart. Whether through the physical gates of a Norman castle, the social conventions that force young women to act like "actresses," or the cultural walls surrounding religious communities like the Mormons, the text asks who holds the key to power and understanding. It explores how human beings, across disparate geographies, attempt to reconcile their inner, authentic selves with the rigid demands of their public roles, their histories, and the brutal economic or political systems they inhabit. It is an inquiry into what remains of a person or a culture once the "key" is finally turned.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the slow, deliberate prose of the nineteenth century will find much to admire in this collection. It offers a fascinating, often contradictory look at the Victorian mind—an intellect that is simultaneously obsessed with the "picturesque" beauty of ancient ruins and the clinical, sometimes harsh, analysis of human behavior.

The experience of reading it is similar to wandering through a dusty, well-stocked library where one volume on botany sits next to a serialized novel, which in turn shares a shelf with a political treatise. It requires patience, particularly when navigating the period-typical attitudes toward race, gender, and social status, which are presented with the unselfconscious, sometimes jarring, directness of the time. You will encounter dialect that may feel remote and a style of literary criticism that favors the grand, moralizing statement over the modern, fragmented perspective. However, what stays with you is the humanity of the subjects—the girl clutching a card with initials in the dark, the farmer defending his fig harvest, and the poet lamenting the end of his inspiration. It is a rewarding read for those who wish to understand not just what the Victorians wrote, but how they attempted to perceive the world around them.