Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Vol. 20, No. 33, November 1877

In Short

This issue of Lippincott’s Magazine presents a wide-ranging collection of nineteenth-century literature, popular science, travelogue, and critical commentary. Through regional sketches, serialized fiction, historical accounts, and poetry, the issue moves between the picturesque landscapes of Wales and Germany, the drawing rooms of English society, and the historical turbulence of imperial Constantinople. It endures as a vivid snapshot of Victorian literary taste, capturing an era when readers sought both domestic serial drama and expanding horizons of global history, regional folklore, and fine art in every monthly installment.

The Story

The volume opens in the green heart of Wales along the river Dee, where Lady Blanche Murphy traces a landscape rich in Druid legends, old manor houses, and medieval ruins. She pairs historical memory—from Owen Glendower’s ancient halls to the haunts of Wellington’s youth—with modern scenes of railway viaducts spanning the valley. The scene then shifts to the Black Forest with T. Adolphus Trollope, who leads the reader through the legends of Baden and Allerheiligen. Here, local folklore merges with historical romance in tales of crusaders, mountain grottos, and ancient abbeys hidden in quiet valleys.

Fiction forms the issue's dramatic center. In the serialized novel "For Percival," quiet romantic tensions flare into open confrontation. Lottie challenges Percival over his attitudes toward wealth, only for a single look to reveal that he does not return her secret devotion. Remorseful yet powerless, Percival leaves Lottie to grapple with her sudden humiliation while the surrounding family circles engage in subtle social maneuvering and debate over artistic ambition. In another serialized work, A Law Unto Herself by Rebecca Harding Davis, a solemn deathbed scene exposes fragile family ties: as an aging father passes away with simple prayers on his lips, his daughter Jane isolates herself in grief while her manipulative husband, Mr. Van Ness, moves in to assume authority over the household.

Interspersed among these serials are regional and historical narratives. Will Wallace Harney’s A Kentucky Duel introduces a cynical dowager scheming to preserve her family’s fortunes by manipulating her swaggering nephew, Mason Lind, into a calculated marriage plot. In stark contrast to high-society scheming, Mary Dean offers a humorous, sharp-eyed study of domestic life, detailing the trials of managing country hired girls—from overly talkative Irish servants to methodical Scandinavian farm hands. Across the Atlantic, Henry James, Jr. reflects on midsummer London, analyzing the "heavy pressure" of its aristocratic society and the absence of light public amusements compared to continental Europe.

The volume turns back to history and poetry in its later pages. Johan Ludvig Runeberg’s poem Sven Duva tells the heroically tragic story of a simple-minded recruit who mixes up his drill commands but bravely holds a narrow foot-bridge alone against advancing Russian forces. Hugh Craig details the rich and fraught architectural history of the Church of St. Sophia, recounting its desecration during the Latin conquest of 1204 and its eventual fall to the Ottoman Turks in 1453. Finally, the magazine concludes with literary reviews—critiquing recent works by Francis Parkman and new American novels like Nimport—and short notices on music, art, and current publications.

How It Unfolds

Along the Druid-haunted Dee Lady Blanche Murphy charts the course of the Welsh river, contrasting ancient castles and Owen Glendower’s ruined halls with modern railway arches. The landscape connects centuries of regional poetry, noble families, and wild valley scenery.

Shadows of the Black Forest T. Adolphus Trollope explores the ruins of Allerheiligen and the surrounding hills, detailing local legends of absent crusaders and hidden grottos. The narrative captures how traditional folk stories endure across generations in isolated German valleys.

Unspoken Devotion Revealed In "For Percival," Lottie confronts Percival about money and marriage, inadvertently exposing her love for him. A single, shocking exchange of glances shatters her hopes and leaves Percival deeply remorseful for his past blindness.

A Deathbed in the Darkening Room Within A Law Unto Herself, Captain Fleming dies peacefully as his daughter Jane recites scripture by his side. Following his death, Jane retreats into solitude, while her husband, Mr. Van Ness, steps forward to claim control of the estate.

Schemes and Household Affairs Mason Lind agrees to do his aunt's bidding for two hundred dollars, setting off a calculated plan for family advancement. Meanwhile, domestic life is observed through the humorous, chaotic interactions between country housewives and their hired kitchen hands.

Midsummer in the Metropolis Henry James, Jr. wanders through a quiet summer London, reflecting on the grim satisfaction of its street life. He links the city's lack of open-air cafés and casual public music to the rigid structure of English society.

The Hero at the Bridge The narrative poem Sven Duva recounts a simple soldier's stubborn courage during the Swedish retreat. Misunderstanding orders but unwavering in battle, Sven single-handedly defends a vital bridge against an advancing army.

The Fate of St. Sophia Hugh Craig narrates the dramatic transformations of Constantinople's great cathedral through the centuries. He records the ruin left by the Fourth Crusade and the final, tragic gathering of citizens inside the dome before the city fell to the Turks.

The People

• Percival — A thoughtful, soft-spoken young man of artistic sensitivities. He seeks to navigate his social circle with integrity, but his blindness to Lottie's deep affection leads to a painful moment of realization and lasting self-reproach.
• Lottie — An intense, passionate young woman who conceals her vulnerability behind sharp questioning. She desperately wants Percival's love, but when her feelings are exposed, she ends up humiliated, facing a cold and indifferent world.
• Sissy — A gentle, inquisitive member of Percival's circle. She seeks depth and nobility in others, frequently questioning the artistic potential and true character of the people around her.
• Jane Fleming — A devoted, resilient daughter who spends her father's final hours comforting him. Confronted by her father's death and a predatory husband, she isolates herself to protect her own emotional independence.
• Mr. Van Ness — Jane’s hypocritical, domineering husband. He affects a posture of solemn, aristocratic grief in public while quietly plotting to assert full authority over his wife and her family's property.
• The Dowager (Queen Catharine of the Browns) — A formidable, cynical matriarch in A Kentucky Duel. She views human relationships purely as strategic moves and ruthlessly uses financial bribes to bend her nephew Mason to her will.
• Mason Lind — A boastful, easily manipulated veteran who affects bravado while secretly searching for easy money. He willingly executes his aunt's mercenary schemes to advance his own fortunes.
• Sven Duva — A clumsy, slow-witted military recruit who struggles to master basic drill movements. Despite the ridicule of his comrades, his simple sense of duty drives him to make a heroic stand in battle.

In Its Own Voice

"By Arno's banks and Tiber's shore; but never did I see / A river I could match with thine, old Druid-haunted Dee."

Lady Blanche Murphy quotes Lord Hanmer’s tribute to his native Welsh river, capturing the romantic local pride that runs throughout the issue's travel writing.

"Good God! Percival looked up, and for the space of a lightning flash their eyes met. In hers he read enough to show him how blind he had been."

In "For Percival," this sudden moment of eye contact shatters the quiet surface of domestic life, exposing hidden romantic longing and heartbreak.

"They let him keep his soldier arms, nor put his hands away, / For he was servant in the halt and soldier in the fray..."

From the translated poem Sven Duva, these lines celebrate the quiet dignity of an unlikely hero whose steadfastness outshines his awkwardness.

What It's Really About

Beneath its broad collection of genres, the issue continuously examines the tension between outward social conventions and inner personal truth. Whether in serialized fiction or cultural essays, the writers explore how rigid expectations shape individual lives. Novels like "For Percival" and A Law Unto Herself focus on the quiet cruelty of mercenary marriages and the emotional distance caused by societal posturing. Henry James's commentary on London extends this theme to national character, arguing that social stratification limits natural public connection. Across travelogues, historical sketches, and war poetry, the issue repeatedly asks how individual honor, unyielding affection, and local identity survive when confronted by social pressure, historical upheaval, and personal betrayal.

Why Read It Today

This issue of Lippincott's Magazine offers an engaging window into nineteenth-century literary culture, perfect for readers who enjoy period fiction, historical travelogues, and insightful cultural criticism. Reading a vintage periodical provides a uniquely immediate sense of the past: dramatic serial chapters sit right beside trenchant essays, folk narratives, and contemporary book reviews. Readers get to experience literature exactly as Victorian audiences did—in regular, varied monthly installments.

The text presents few barriers to modern readers, though its variety demands an open mind. The prose shifts smoothly between light domestic humor, sharp cultural commentary, and dramatic Victorian romance. While some readers may find the serialized story fragments jarring without the surrounding chapters, the strength of the characterization and the intelligence of the non-fiction pieces keep the issue grounded. The sharp social observations of Henry James, the vivid landscape descriptions of Wales and Germany, and the tragic historical accounts of St. Sophia remain as compelling today as when they first appeared in print.