The wonderful Fish River caves, discovered last year in New South Wales, have been given a new name by the government of that country, and will henceforth be known as the Jenolan caves. Astonishing discoveries are reported to have been made there recently. Our own Kentucky wonder begins to dwindle before the reports of these new subterranean palaces and gardens.
A reading people we know ourselves to be, but it is rather astonishing to discover that we publish twelve times as many daily papers as the United Kingdom. The Athenæum calls attention to the fact that while the United States has one daily paper to every 10,000 inhabitants, the English have one to every 120,000. It would be gratifying if we could feel sure that the quality stood in the same ratio.
The work of the Chautauqua University is attracting attention far and wide. In a recent issue of the Irish Christian Advocate, published in Belfast, we notice in answer to a correspondent’s query, as to “What is the Chautauqua University?” a long and enthusiastic article upon the plan. The adaptation of the “Chautauqua Idea” to all people and all countries is very wonderful.
A lady is said to have recently offered $50,000 to the Boston school authorities, to be devoted to the filling of the teeth of children whose parents were too poor to employ dentists. Should she devote her money to the purchase of tooth brushes and toothpicks, and employ a police of teeth, who would compel their daily use by children from babyhood up, she would confer an inestimable benefit upon future generations.
Frances Power Cobbe, well known to the readers of The Chautauquan, concludes her powerful article on “A Faithless World,” in the December issue of The Contemporary Review, with these strong words: “We have been told that in the event of the fall of religion, ‘life would remain in most particulars and to most people much what it is at present;’ it appears to me, on the contrary, that there is actually nothing in life which would be left unchanged after such a catastrophe.”