Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Volume 15, No. 88, April, 1875

In Short

This April 1875 issue of a prominent American monthly offers a panoramic view of nineteenth-century culture, blending travel essays, fiction, and historical analysis. Readers navigate colonial Tasmanian politics, chamois hunting in the North Tyrol, the complex theological schisms of the Russian Raskol, and the intimate domestic trials of an eighteenth-century Connecticut household. Through serialized romantic fiction set in Cornwall, accounts of Roman artists’ models, and critiques of Shakespearean scholarship, the issue captures a transitional world grappling with modernization, imperial expansion, and social change. It endures as a fascinating artifact of nineteenth-century intellectual curiosities and literary tastes.

The Story

The volume opens in the Southern Hemisphere with a survey of Australian and Tasmanian colonial life. Visiting Hobart Town, the narrative reflects on English aristocracy finding refuge in quiet Gothic châteaux, while considering whether these remote territories will remain loyal to the British Crown or seek independence like their American predecessors. The scene then shifts dramatically to the rugged frontier of the North Tyrol, where a hunter encounters an old gamekeeper, Old Hansel, before embarking on a dangerous alpine search for a golden eagle’s eyrie.

Narrative fiction forms the central spine of the issue through William Black’s serialized novel Three Feathers. The plot follows the emotional turmoil of Wenna Rosewarne and her sister Mabyn. Wenna suffers in silence over her feelings for Harry Trelyon, while her former suitor, Mr. Roscorla, anxiously pursues her across Cornwall after attempting to retrieve a life-altering letter from the harbor postmaster at dawn. As Roscorla returns, tension peaks; Mabyn fiercely protects her fragile sister, suggesting Trelyon himself announce Roscorla’s arrival, which sets up an unavoidable confrontation over Wenna's future.

Short stories and travel narratives further expand the arc. A traveler explores the sunny, fashionable Promenade des Anglais in Nice, swapping anecdotes about local aristocrats and witty encounters with Russian royalty. Meanwhile, historical and cultural essays examine the origin of the Raskol schism in Russia, detailing how minor liturgical differences—such as making the sign of the cross with two fingers instead of three, or maintaining a traditional beard—became fierce ideological battlegrounds against Western modernization and Peter the Great's reforms.

Moving into American social history, an essay paints a vivid picture of Connecticut domestic life seventy years prior, detailing the struggles of a mistress dealing with unruly servants, ruined carpets, and broken-legged calves. Political and institutional mechanics are explored in a study of papal conclaves, exposing the chaotic, lawless state of Rome during papal vacancies and the extreme isolation measures imposed on cardinals. The issue closes with lively commentary: a lighthearted account of a plantation emergency, a critical teardown of speculative Shakespearean sonnet theories, a stroll among colorful artists' models on the Spanish Steps in Rome, letters from Cuban sugar plantations, and a sharp analysis of French slang.

How It Unfolds

Across the British empire The issue begins with a journey through Tasmania’s capital, Hobart Town, observing its quiet aristocratic social life and weighing the long-term geopolitical future of the Australian colonies.

Into the alpine wilds A thirty-hour journey from Paris brings a traveler to the frontier town of Kufstein in the Tyrol, where he reunites with a seasoned gamekeeper to hunt eagles in the mountains.

Tension in Cornwall In Three Feathers, Mabyn Rosewarne comforts her heart-broken sister Wenna, while Mr. Roscorla desperately tries to reclaim a letter from a departing mail packet before returning to face his rival, Harry Trelyon.

Sunlight on the Riviera A leisurely walk down the Promenade des Anglais in Nice introduces wealthy European aristocrats, American heiresses, and spirited diplomatic retorts given to Russian empresses.

The battle for the orthodox chin An essay on the Russian Raskol details how religious dissenters risked persecution over minor ceremonial details, viewing the removal of a facial beard as an heretical disfigurement of God’s image.

Travel mishaps and missed stops A disoriented passenger falls asleep on a French night train, misses the station at Creil, and engages in a comedic, highly frustrating dispute with a polite railway clerk over extra fare.

Domestic trials in old Connecticut Historical family records reveal the chaos of late eighteenth-century household management, where a mistress grapples with troublesome servants, spilled Madeira wine, and injured livestock.

Inside the papal conclave An examination of Roman history details the strict rules of papal elections, contrasting high religious ideals with the lawlessness that gripped the city whenever a pope died.

The models of the Spanish Steps A morning walk up the Piazza di Spagna reveals distinct families of Italian artists' models waiting in vibrant, traditional centuries-old costumes to be hired by foreign painters.

The People

• Wenna Rosewarne: A sensitive Cornish woman recovering from illness, deeply conflicted between her sense of duty and her hidden feelings for Harry Trelyon.
• Mabyn Rosewarne: Wenna’s fiercely loyal younger sister who openly antagonizes Mr. Roscorla and schemes to protect Wenna from emotional distress.
• Mr. Roscorla: Wenna’s older, calculating suitor who desperately tries to stop a letter sent to England, arriving back in town only to face public hostility from Mabyn.
• Harry Trelyon: A wealthy young gentleman in love with Wenna, who accepts that her ultimate decision rests entirely on her own choice rather than his verbal arguments.
• Old Hansel: A Tyrolese gamekeeper on an imperial preserve, recognizable by his rough frieze jacket and feather-adorned hat, who guides hunting expeditions near the glaciers.
• Silvy: An eighteenth-century Connecticut servant whose mischievous exploits include breaking bottles of Madeira, spilling wine on carpets, and throwing stones at young calves.
• Jack: A Connecticut estate worker whose failure to fix a damaged barn floor leads to broken legs among the livestock, and who takes matters into his own hands when punishing Silvy.

In Its Own Voice

"Hobart Town, the capital of Tasmania, is a quiet, hospitable little town, but a very hotbed of aristocracy--the single spot on the Australian continent where English exclusiveness can... retire to aristocratic country-seats."

An opening travelog contrasts Tasmania's reserved social climate with the exhausting bustle of mainland Australian mining towns.

"'Majesty,' answered the spirituelle Madame de Dempierre, 'you were complaining of the nearness of your sight: since you can distinguish my beauty through the vista of so many years, I think you enjoy long-sightedness in a remarkable degree.'"

A sharp exchange on the Promenade des Anglais illustrates the quick wit prized among the high-society regulars of Nice.

"To the anti-reforming Russian, ceremonies form the whole of Christianity, and liturgy is one with orthodoxy."

This observation summarizes the core theological stubbornness driving the centuries-long schisms within the Russian Church.

What It's Really About

At its heart, this collection explores the friction between rigid tradition and rapid, modern change. Whether analyzing Russian peasants clinging to their beards as sacred religious symbols, Cornish lovers struggling against societal expectations, or British colonists trying to replicate old-world social hierarchies in Tasmania, the authors repeatedly return to human resistance against forced transformation. The texts examine how small, seemingly trivial forms—a religious gesture, a train ticket, a letter, or a domestic rule—can become battlegrounds for personal identity, social status, and moral authority.

Why Read It Today

This volume appeals to readers who enjoy immersion in nineteenth-century culture without modern editorial filters. It offers the distinct pleasure of browsing a vintage literary miscellany, where high drama sits alongside historical research and light social gossip. The writing moves smoothly between light comedic vignettes and serious academic analysis of European religion and international politics.

Reading this text does require patience with Victorian literary conventions. Modern readers must navigate dense period syntax, serialized fiction that assumes prior knowledge of earlier chapters, and archaic perspectives on class, race, and colonial governance. The essays on religious schisms and Shakespearean critique can feel overly meticulous in their arguments. However, what stays with you is the sheer variety of human experience captured across its pages—from the cold stairs of the Piazza di Spagna to the sweltering sugar plantations of Cuba—offering a vivid snapshot of a world rapidly expanding through travel and print culture.