Berlioz stands alone in the history of music. The child of Gluck, Beethoven, and Weber on the one hand, of Shakspere and Goethe on the other, baptized with the blood and the fire of fifty years of France, he admits of no comparison with another mortal.

It remains to consider the "Damnation of Faust," probably the most characteristic of Berlioz's works, and the only one as yet given in America. Berlioz calls it a musical legend. During his trip through Germany the influence of Shakspere upon the composer's mind gave place to that of Goethe. He chanced to read Goethe's "Faust." It struck a responsive chord in his soul. During his second journey through Germany he studied the local color, the various types of humanity introduced into the poem, and the scenes from which Goethe drew his inspirations. Perhaps, too, as he grew in maturity and consequent bitterness and disappointment, the naïve sublimity and primitive strength of Shakspere gave place to the introspective doubting and questioning of Faust, the despair of mind and soul, the moral lassitude and recklessness, that led to his compact with Mephistopheles. It is noteworthy, as characteristic of the bent of his genius, that he alters the text of the poem to suit his design of the eternal misery of Faust. In Goethe's poem Faust is redeemed from the power of Satan. The hopeless bitterness of Berlioz's tortured soul is here fully expressed. Never did the fatal problem of humanity presented in the poem receive so faithful an interpretation as at the hands of Berlioz. Faust might be the composer himself, and the progress of the legend the history of his own mental and moral nature. None but an accomplished musician can rightly appreciate the magnificent orchestral and choral combinations of the work; but any powerful nature, of artistic instincts and a soul that can suffer and enjoy, can recognize the superb human significance of this musical cycle of pleasure and pain, of rapture and despair.

One of the earliest numbers in the legend is the song and dance of the peasants in the fields, for chorus and orchestra,-a most charming pastoral. Then follows the stirring march as the soldiers file past, awakening the melancholy Faust from his meditations. This is a paraphase of a Hungarian national march, and one of the most inspiriting

night before leaving Vienna for Pesth, and before its introduction into the "Faust" it was played in his concerts in Hungary with the greatest applause, and was demanded again and again by the enthusiastic people. It introduced the noises of battle, cannon, musketry, trumpets, drums, the shrieks of the wounded, the tread of soldiery, the tramping of horses, the triumphal shout of victory. What wonder that the smouldering, revolutionary fire of the Hungarian people, burning with hatred of the Austrian, should, so near to the critical period of '48, have vented itself in a frenzy of delight, and have hailed the French composer as a herald of freedom? After the concert, a poorly-dressed man came to him, tremulous with emotion, "You are a Frenchman, a revolutionist; you know how to write music for revolutions!"

The song of Faust follows, and then comes the scene with Mephistopheles. Probably the most striking of the solo portions are those assigned to Mephistopheles, in which it seems as though all Berlioz's pent-up soul found an utterance in bitterness and scorn. His "Song of the Flea," with its grotesque pizzicato notes, illustrative of the movements of the insect, is one of the most singular things ever composed. The "Song of the Rat," sung by a student, is equally picturesque, with the strange, squeaking noises and hurried scrambling of the violins. The student's chorus is a musical satire,-a burlesque on the fugue,-a form of composition particularly detested by Berlioz. Marguerite's "King of Thule" has the archaic form of the popular ballad music that has been handed down from the Middle Ages among the German peasantry. .

All the scenes between Faust and Marguerite are of surpassing sweetness, and the character of Marguerite is interpreted by Berlioz as Goethe conceived it, a simple village maiden of no great intensity or tragic quality, crushed by a weight of suffering and despair which she is too ignorant to understand; the victim of fatality, bruised to death in the remorseless course of Faust's search for experience. It is more a philosophic than a dramatic characterization.

The whole comprehension of the poem is remarkable in a man who was German only in sympathy. It is a shining example of the universal intuition of genius. The most exquisite thing in the legend is the "Dance of the Sylphs," a

thing that sparkles like the finest thread of cobweb hung with dew-drops in the moonlight. All the strange and lovely visions that beset Faust on all sides are reproduced with a supernatural beauty. By degrees the graceful, airy notes die out of the music, the love and youth depart, the gay songs and choruses, the stirring ambition of the march, the passion and longing of Marguerite's garden disappear forever, and Faust is left alone with his soul and his tempter. The music becomes stormy, defiant, fierce. The approach of eternal misery,

the human remorse and agony, are indicated in the wailing and shrieking of the instruments. All the wildest passions of humanity seem let loose upon the world. Here occur the finest effects of the score. One superb climax follows another, to the everlasting torment of the finale, and the mind and ear at last, unable to resolve the chaos of sound into order, call in the aid of the imagination and interpret the musical problem before them as the mirror and expression of the Titanic tortured soul of Hector Berlioz.

In our last article we devoted ourselves mainly to the subject of art needlework as applied to embroidery. We shall resume the subject with some additional suggestions on embroidery-work, and then take up crochet-work.

necessary knowledge for marking in ink, a little careful practice will enable a lady to copy any beautiful embroidery pattern in ink, even to close

the shading with the pen. Embroidered handkerchiefs look very beautiful when the corner containing the name is marked in ink with a corresponding design; for instance, the embroidery may contain roses, pinks, etc., or a set pattern of block-work or scrolls. If the corner containing the name is marked to correspond, it makes the handkerchief very elegant. The name can be written in the leaf or in the flower.

The object of working art embroidery should be either to represent nature as accurately as may be, or go at once to the formalities of ecclesiastical or conventional work; but intermediate styles are not admissible in strictly art needlework. When undertaking a piece of work, see that you have sufficient of all shades to finish, or you may possibly be mortified to find that you cannot match any exhausted shade. This is accounted for by the fact that when a batch of crewels has been dyed, the vats are emptied, and the next installment cannot be expected to correspond exexactly with another.

One of the accomplishments which every lady should learn and try to excel in is the ability to mark well in indelible ink. Clothes of every kind, and particularly handkerchiefs, are constantly in danger of being lost; and there is no security so great against their total loss as an intelligible mark.

An embroidered wreath with the name in ink is very handsome, and so is one all embroidered. The stitch used in embroidery is the same as for any fine muslin work. After acquiring the

The drift of the feminine mind, it may be remarked, has of late years been inclined more and more to fancy needlework, as is fully demonstrated by the great craze for novel and unique designs. The demand for these is daily increasing, and art and fashion journals are taxing their utmost to keep up the supply. But as we have previously stated, we should not alone devote ourselves to the execution of art needlework after copied designs, but originate designs as well. It is the importance of this fact that we would impress most forcibly upon our needleworkers. It is significant of false taste and consequent decadence in any art when it becomes imitative of another, or even when it is merely suggestive of the forms

and designs only suitable for other materials and other manipulation. It would be well, therefore, if ladies would devote a little more time and

FIG. 11.-PATTERN (KNITTING TOP OF FIG. 10). attention to producing some original designs; a piece of work, for instance, that might be seen and gazed upon with pleasure in the far time to come. A handsome memento of the nineteenth century might be constructed without any difficulty, that would be esteemed with admiration by future generations, -a piece of carpeting, an embroidered curtain, a quilt, or indeed what not; and such a design as would vie with, if not excel, anything produced in the past might easily be obtained, specially prepared by some of the very clever amateur designers of the present time.

We observe that among feminine occupations painting is becoming more and more fashionable, being introduced almost everywhere, in toilette as largely as in decorative work. Crests, flowers, and numerous devices continue to be scattered on ribbons, buttons, satchels, gloves, shoes, muffs, hoods, etc. Even the once snowy table-cloths receive their touches of color to blend with the china service. Lace, velvet, satin, kid, leather, coarse canvas, pottery, and glass are all mediums for the artistic mania. In fact, painting has been appropriated to items as trivial as garters. By reason of this craze, art needlework somewhat loses in favor, and its best artists think it more refined to display their talent by the brush than by the needle. The result, as easily guessed, is here, as

FIG. 12.-FRINGE FOR FIG. 10.

everywhere else, a superabundant supply, which directly lowers the price. Independent ladies and jacks-of all-trades may shift from one pursuit to the

other at their own sweet will; but the breadwinner should surely mark out a path for herself, and persevere in it. Instead of running after all the whims of fashion, why not, for instance, take up with industrial designing,-a reliable occupation, well renumerated, and free, as yet, from almost any competition.

We notice that the great feature in the embroidery line this season is the lavish use of gold thread, either as an outline or filling in, for both home and dress purposes. Singly or twofold, the

metallic thread meanders around crewel or silk flowers, birds, deer, tigers, insects, etc., and further defines veinings, limbs, paws, and, in short, any point requiring relief. It is also intertwisted with gold silk cord, an edging very much in requisition for heavy hangings in twill silk, satin, velvet, cloth, or serge. Some of these cords are nearly as thick as a little finger, and agree with the massive character of the gold embroidery they

adorn. The glittering thread also traces delicate scrolls on various knicknacks, as blotting-pads, satchels, stationery-boxes, bellows, table-screens, together with plastrons and facings for dressings. Lines of gold curiously lend lustre to the rustic chair-backs, in coarse linen, oatmeal, and sheet ing, with their rough crewel patterns. Gloves and shoes are favorite objects for gold-thread ornament; in some of the latter mother-of pearl spangles are intermixed. All the stylish winter shoes are now being prepared with somewhat of this handsome character. Loose gold chain-stitch and open links carry out many of the effective designs wrought on scarfs, bands, robings, cuffs, lace, etc., and enhance most fittingly the Oriental hues of the leading dress fabrics; indeed, it is to the prevalent taste for Eastern manufactures that we owe the vogue of bright garish tints and metallic thread.

It is well known that an immense deal of gold embroidery prevails in Eastern countries, and

FIG. 13.-FLOWER-POT COVER.

from this source are mostly obtained the ideas after which our modern designs are drawn. Eastern needlework is now most prominent in the embellishment of drawing-rooms, and even occasionally of ladies' attire. Large straight pieces appear, in all their varied beauty, as double portières, panels, screens, fire-place and piano draperies, mantel valances, etc. Smaller remnants do service as cushion-covers and chair-backs, or are cut into strips to be daintily applied as borders to tablecovers and curtains. The veriest scraps, too, compose interesting little doilys, dice-shaped patches for hand-screens, etc.

needlework of gauze vests and scarfs figured plentifully in the lighter trifles of the apartment, as, for instance, the window valance, curiously stretched behind the curtains, together with squares and rectangles placed corner-wise over lounges, cushions, and foot-stools. We have noticed that even the heavy Scinde rugs are adapted in this wise to furniture upholstered in plush. One large rug, for instance, covers the back and seat of the sofa, the curved borders and elbows, if any, being in plush, red, peacock-blue, or dark-green, according to the prevalent color of the Oriental mat. Smaller rugs are distributed on the easychairs, as well as the quaint three-cornered ones; the squares for the backs being set in straight, and those for the seats in diamond fashion.

The brightly-tinted work and the time-mellowed grounds of these open-meshed Oriental fabrics impart a great similarity to their appearance; but the connoisseur will generally discover in each some characteristic which betrays its origin. Even the stitches form an interesting study, although as yet they have not tempted many imitators. These peculiar stitches are not at all difficult, but they are so cunningly altered in slope and tightness that the filling-in of a single flower will present a wonderfully-diversified aspect. Such varied filling-in is specially noticeable in some of the leaves and blossoms of Persian work, the surface of which is covered with compact stitchery of two different

FIG. 14.-POMPADOUR.

kinds of sloped lines, cordonnet alternating with

worked next to a wider stitch sloping in the reverse way. The disposition of these raised and sunken stripes, more or less loose, imparts that very changeful effect to the work which suggests an unfounded difficulty.

The principal points in embroidery, it should be observed, are good design and good coloring. Good coloring is so essential to a piece of embroidery, that, while harmonious coloring may atone even for faulty design, a good design will certainly be spoiled by vulgar coloring. As the coloring is a matter of so much importance, the embroiderer cannot be too particular in considering it well beforehand, that all may be in harmony and keeping, not only with itself, but with the purpose and position for which it is intended. As conventionalism in form is imposed upon us as a necessity, it also follows that the same necessity has to be observed in our imitation of nature with regard to color. This becomes apparent from the very outset. In many cases it is utterly impossible to give the natural coloring of a particular flower; we may, perhaps, be able to get its general tone, but the subtle gradations which are with difficulty reproduced in painting are quite out of reach in embroidery. The difficulty in the way is to get silk or wool dyed the proper shades, and even could this be overcome, a greater one will arise: that of mingling the tints, with all the delicacies of tones and intermixture of shade that are found in many flowers, without producing a confused

FIG. 16.-EMBROIDERY DESIGN FOR FIG. 14.

and unsatisfactory effect. And there is another consideration. It must be remembered how different are the surroundings of flowers, as used for

decorative effect either in painting or embroidery, from their surroundings in the open air. Therefore, in adapting their color to their place in indoor decoration, the more subdued tints and less brilliant aspect should be chosen; for the brighter colors have the clear air, the sunlight, their natural texture, and, above all, their evanescence, to render them delightful. The pure color alone, without these aids, transferred to needlework, would be glaring and gaudy. And as there is no raw color in nature, but an admixture of yellow in most of her hues, it is a great mistake to render her brilliancy, which is chiefly owing to subtle qualities of texture, by raw and gaudy silks and