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we invariably saluted with a discharge from our rifles. The disembogues by three principal mouths, and about 10 o’clock, the day after leaving New Orleans, we entered the one called the South-West Pass, and in a few minutes thereafter we had crossed the bar, and were rolling and tossing upon the blue waves of the Gulf of Mexico. The line was cast off from *the steamer, sails hoisted, and we were soon rolling along before a stiff breeze in the direction of the distant shores of Tex as. For a long ways out we noticed that the waves of the Gulf were discolored by the immense volume continually poured forth by the “Father of Waters.” In a few hours, we lost sight of the low shores of Louisiana, and nothing was to be seen except the sky and the apparently inter minable expanse of the waste of waters. Our vessel was a small one, and with fifty or sixty passengers on board, you can ; well imagine we Avere considerably in want of elbow room. For my share of ' the accommodations, I appropriated a large coil of cable, in the hollo w of which, by doubling up after the fashion of a jack knife, I managed to snooze pretty com fortably every night. The second day out, about sundown, we observed a small black cloud in the north, which, spreading rapidly, soon ob l scured the greater part of the heavens. [Sails were reefed, the hatches battened Mown, and every precaution taken to se feure ourselves against the “Norther” — 1 one of those terribly fierce winds that prevail in that latitude,— which was mo ; mentarily expected to sweep down upon us. And, in fact, scarcely had we made all snug before it struck us with unusual | violence, carrying away our main-top [ gallant-mast, and forcing our vessel upon l her beam ends. She soon righted, liow iever, and away we scudded, under bare I poles, before the blast, that whistled and I shrieked through the rigging and cordage | in a way not at all pleasant or enlivening Ito the ears of landsmen. Soon the waves r began to rise, and our vessel to toss and I pitch in the most uncomfortable manner, |and feeling some of the premonitory I symptoms of sea-sickness, I retired below to my coil of cable; but the rushing of ■ the waters, and the trampling of the sail iors overhead, effectually drove away I sleep. The next morning the storm had | abated, the sun shone out clear and warm, land from that time until we reached Ve it lasco, we had uninterruptedly pleasant 1 weather. During the height of the storm, great I numbers of flying fish flew aboard and jfefbll upon the decks of our vessel, which BURKE’S WEEKLY. afforded an agi’eeable addition to our or dinary fare of sea biscuit and salt junk. They are a delicate little fish, from six to eight inches in length, with two long fins, resembling wings, projecting from the upper portion of their bodies. When pursued by the grouper, dolphin, or other large fish, they may be seen rising in clouds from the tops of the waves and flying for fifty or a hundred yards in the direction of the wind, dipping again for a moment in the water, from which they quickly rise for another flight, should their indefatigable enemies still continue the chase. Their flight rarely exceeds a hundred yards, for the reason that their wings or fins are unable to support them when perfectly dried by contact with the air. ♦♦♦— Little Ella. BT JULIA L. KRYS. One night, when every weary head Was on its pillow prest, When all around and in the house Seemed quietly at rest, One pair of eyes were gazing With a lustre dark and bright— Beyond the open casement. On the star-gom’d vault of night. So calm without, so still within Why could not Ella sleep ? She had not knelt and asked of God Her life and soul to keep. The loving kiss to her mamma To-night she had not given— And she found she’d not bo guarded By the angels up in Heaven. So, gliding from her bed, she knelt And raised her heart in prayer To Him above, who hears the voice Os children everywhere. “ Oh, God! preserve my mother, And my father, who’s away. And forgive their little Ella For forgetting Thee to-day.” “ Good night, mamma,” she softly spoke, And kissed her on the cheek, But so heavy were her slumbers She did not hear her speak. Now that her heart was lightened Her eye-lids quietly closed, And sweetly then the little girl Upon her bed reposed. . , Miss Barber s weekly. — A Taylor Jug. A clergyman, in his travels, met with an emigrant journeying with his family to the fertile regions of the Mississippi. All his worldly goods were packed on wagons, and on one of the wagons there hung a jug with the bottom knocked out, lie asked him why he carried that with him. “ Why,” said he, “ that is my Tay lor jug.” “ And what is a Taylor jug ?” asked my friend. “Why,” said he, “I had a son with Gen. Taylor’s army, in Mexico, and the old General told him to carry his whisky jug with a hole in the bottom; since that time I have carried my jug as you see it, and find it is the very best invention I ever met with. Crosses are ladders that lead up to heaven. “ I CANNOT, SIR.” YOUNG man —we will call him honest Frank— Avho loved the truth, was a clerk in the office of some rich merchants.— wpjp One day a letter came recalling an order for goods that had been re ceived the day before. One of the E 7 merchants handed the note to Frank, and Avith a persuasive smile said: “ Frank, reply to this note. Say the goods Avere shipped before the receipt of the letter countermanding the order.” Frank looked into his employer’s face Avith a sad btit firm glance, and replied: “ I cannot, sir.” “ Why not, sir ?” asked the merchant, angrily. “Because the goods are iioav in the yard, and it Avould be a lie, sir.” “I hope you Avill always be so particu lar,” replied the merchant, turning upon his heel and going aAvay. Honest Frank did a bold as Avell as a right thing. What do you suppose hap pened to him ? Lost his place ? No, quite different. The merchant Avas too shreAvd to turn away one aaTio Avould not Avrite a lying letter. lie kneAA T the Amlue of such a youth, and instead of turning him away, made him his confidential clerk.— S. S. Advocate. God’s Plan of Your Life. Never complain of your birth, your training, your employment, your hard ships ; never fancy that you could be something if you only had a different lot assigned you. God understands his OAvn plan, and He understands AA’liat you want a great deal better than you do. The very things that you most depreciate as fatal limitations or obstructions, are pro bably Avhat you most A\ T ant. ■ What you call hindrances, obstacles, discourage ments, are probably God’s opportunities; and it is nothing new that the patient should dislike his medicines, or any cer tain proof that they are poisons. No ! A truce to all such impatience! Choke that devilish en\y Avhich gnaAvs your heart because you are not in the same lot with others ; bring down your soul, or rather, bring it up to receive God’s will, and do His Avork in your lot, in your sphere, un der your cloud of obscurity, against your temptations; and then you shall find that your condition is never opposed to your good, but really consistent Avith it.— Dr. Bushnell. IfegrWho is the oldest lunatic on* re ord ? Time out of mind. 55