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$ l'YE BEEN THINKING. >7? I've been thinking, I’ve been thinking What a glorious world were this, J Did folks mind their business more And mind their neighbor's less; Fcr instance you and I, my friend, Are sadly prone to talk Of matters that concern us not, And others’ follies mock. I’ve been thinking, if we begin To mend our own affairs, Tl at possibly our neighbors might t. Contrive to manage theirs. We’ve faults enough at home to mend— It may be so of others; It would seem strange if it were not, Since all mankind are brothers. Oh, would that we had charity ] For every man and woman ! Forgiveness is the mark of those Who know ‘to err is human lienlet us banish jealousy— Let’s lift our fallen brother; And, as we journey down life’s road, Do good to one another. THE DAY AFTER MY DEATH. CROSSING THE RIVERSTYX. Charon and IiisFerry-Roat. Startling; Disclosures in tlic Infernal ltegious. CHAPTER L On a raw morning, towards the close of last November, I formed one of a very uncomfort able party of spirits, who stood shivering on the banks of the Styx, awaiting the arrival of Charon with his ferry-boat The cold natural to the season of the year was aggravated by a keen and bitter wind, which not unfrequently visits the reach of the river where we were stationed; and as spirits have no considerable internal sources of heat to tall back upon, our discomfort was exetssive. Some attempted to kindle an artifi cial warmth by flitting rapidly to and fro along the bank, while others stamped their shadowy feet upon the iron soil; or, after the manner ot mortal cabmen, slapped their impalpable finger tips against their intangible shoulders; but with out any marked success. There was nothing for it but to wait with as much patience as might be for the arrival of the old ferry-man, and to occupy the intervening time in staring at each other with those looks of gloomy distrust which are so well-known a characteristic of American shades; and by means of which, each of us dis tinctly though tacitly asked our neighbor what he meant by dying on the same day as ourselves. Uy companions differed much from each other in external appearance, hut the countenance of most cf them agreed in exhibiting profound dis satisfaction with the position in which we found ourselves. Spirits have, by a fortunate provis ion of Nature, the peculiar faculty of detecting at a glance to what profession or calling their fellow-shades have belonged during their mor tal existence. The value of this faculty in a so ciety where there are no longer any external pe culiarities of dress or appearanoe to distinguish one spirit from another, cannot be over-estimat ed, and I was much interested in examining my neighbors with the assistance of this newly ac quired power. At a little distance from me I observed a portly, respectable-looking shade, who was pr.cing restlessly up and down the bank and narrowly scrutinizing the features of each spirit who passed him with the.kind of Uneasy curiosity of a man yho iseexpectiite to acquaintance, but it not sure that) the meeting will be a pleasant one. On a nearer approach I discovered that it was the spirit of a fashionable New York physician. Somewhat higher on the bank I observed an artist and a poet seated side by side, with their faces buried in their hands, in the deepest dejection. At intervals one of them would claim, in the most piteous tones the the compassion of his companion, to which the latter would reply by a lamentable ejaculation over his own misfortunes, and a passionate ap peal to the sympatbyjof the other. Their voices were shrill and penetrating—that of the poet particularly so—and thus I was very soon made acquainted with the causes of their regret Each of them was lamenting his early decease—the poet exclaiming that he had died before his merits had been recognized, the artist that he had died before his had been sufficiently appre ciated. The latter was, if possible, louder and more importunate in his complaints than his companion. Both of them were very old. It was a pleasure to pus. from these to a more resigned type of spirit, of which there were a few specimens present. The pale, thin shade of the widow, who sat apart from the others with a little child shade in her arms, was a more agree able cl ject of contemplation. Htrface showed the traces of much past suffering, but none of the bitterness of present regret. She icokea with mild pity .and some surprise upon the gloomy countenances around her, but when she turned her eyes from them to the opposite shore her features wore an expression of resignation, and sometimes even of hope. Death had had no terrors for her. A husband dearly loved by her, had died but two years previously, and the lit tle savings he had left, a ‘friend in the city’had invested for her in a mine. So when herchild died she had no longer any tie either of interest or affection to bind her to the earth, and she was only too glad to accompany it to the other world. There was besides her two other shades who uccepted the situation with equanimity—one of them, indeed, with absolute* satisfaction. These were respectively a metaphysical philosopher, and an English barrister of seven years’ stand ing. The latter, if not exactly pleased with his new position, at least contemplated it with per fect nonchalance. In the transfer of the sphere of his professional life from the material to the spiritual world, he detected no.important change in his prospects; and, indeed, he was inclined to enter upon his new career in the shades with the revived hopefulne.-s of a man who cn earth had never had even the shadow of a cLance. The metaphysical philosopher was, of ail the spirits the least disposed to cast regretful looks at the world which he had left. That not this, was to him the world of shadows; before and not behind him lay the region of reality, and of ‘things in themselves. * Perched high up on the bank above the other spirits, on a sharp point ot rock, with the light mists of ti at region curling round his head and frequently obscuiing it from oar view, he sat im movable, his eyes fixed steadfastly on the dim outlines of the opposite bank. Attracted by the sight I ascended with some difficulty to the ele vation at which he was sitting, and drew near to him. He paid no attention to me, but contin ued to maintain the same attitude of face and posture. At intervals he muttered to himself 6ome indistinct sentences, of which I only caught the words ‘mystery of being,’ problem of existence,’ ‘long-wished lor solution,’ and a few similar expressions. As he showed no dispo sition to address me and as I was utterly unable to discern anything in the direction to which he was so intently gazing, I shortly afterwards de scended the slope and rejoined my companions. One of them, an eminent member of Congress of advanced liberal views, was holding a very bitter argument with a country gentleman and a retired grocer and churchwarden, on the sub ject cf decent burials. The three disputants were surounded by a small group of spirits, who listened with the languid interest which a subject so remotely affecting their future pros pects was calculated to inspire. All were glad when the distant plash of oars were heard, and a boat propelled slowly toward ub by a figure seated in the bow, became dis tinctly visible through the mist The young barrister smiled faintly on the boat approaching, and the form cf its occupant becoming more charly discernible, and muttered to himself‘Not much catch at the beginning there.’ The phil osopher, who had rapidly descended the bank at the firstsign of the boat's arrival, was the first to embark. He hurried forward and seated him self in the bow, and immediately falling into the same attitude as he had maintained on shore, remained with his eyes fixed on the opposite bank throughout the whole transit He was fol lowed by a spirit,whom I have not yet described but to whom we all instinctively gave place, showing him, by a general deferential glance in his direction, that we expected him to precede us. He was undoubtedly the most respectable shade of the whoie body— if I may apply so in appropriate an expression to a group of spirits. He was a man widely known and respected for his efforts in the cause of philanthropy. He was the chairman of at least three charitable socie ties, and a prominent member of several more. His piety was sincere and unaffected, and be had been very fortunate in his pecuniary spec ulations (I transcribe these remarks from an obituarv notice, published a week after his death —on his tombstone). The country gentleman followed, politely banding in the widow. Next in ordei came the artist, the poet and the M. C- The physician, the retired grocer and I, took our places next, and the barrister having pre vailed upon Charon to relinquish the sculls to him, took us across with a style and finish ol oarsmanship which those waters had probably never before witnessed. The old ferryman him self took the rudder-lines, and I had tLnsan op portunity of studying his appearance and ol comparing it with the description given of him by Virgil. It is not necessary for me to add anything tc that description, which allowing for difference of age, is in its main features correct. The passage of the Styx occupied about half an hour, but it was perhaps nearer three-quar ters before the boat was made fast to the land ing-place and we had all disembarked. The de lay was chiefly occasioned by Cerberus, whe swam out to meet us, and in watching whose performance in the water we spent nearly ten minutes. The character of this animal, like that ot Richard 111, Tiberius and others, has been very unwarrantably maligned; or at any rate his fierceness has been much exaggerated. Virgil, Horace, and others, probably refer in their descriptions to his demeanor when engag ed in his discharge of bis janitorial functions. Off duty is a most amiable and amusing beast, and entertained us vastly by the clever manner which he swam after and simultaneously picked up three sticks which we threw into the water for him, about a foot apart from each oth er. Charon, however, soon grew impatient at the delay; and cutting short an animated dispute between the barrister and the M. C. as to the amount of tax which a Georgia legislature would impose upon such a dog; the old ferryman brought the boat alongside the landing-pkcc and made it fast. There are, as my readers are probably aware, no customs payable in the infernal regions, and hence there was no custom-house attached to the landing-place at which we disembarked. Newly arrived spirits have, however, to undergo a personal examination of a much more formi dable nature before the High Court of Justice. They are asked if they carry anything in their consciencies which it is their duty ‘to declare ’ Concealment is frequently attempted, but is nev and at a sign from Minos drew aside the black curtain which hung behind the judges. Imme diately a stream of light poured in from a win dow above the bench, upon the face of the ac cused spirit; and as the light smote his features, a nameless change passed over them, and we saw that he was a murderer. He saw how we fell back from him, and he re doubled his protestations of innocence. He ap pealed to his blameless life, to the cuiversal re spect of his fellow-men, to his noble reputation for charitable works. But even as he spoke, there rose up beside him at the bar, unseen of him, but seen and shuddered at by all else, the wan shade of what had been in life a frail and delicate woman;and as he finished, she slowly stretched out her fin ger and touched him. He turned and looked on her, and in a moment the secret of thirty years burst in one hideous cry from the lying lips, and he iell prostrate at her feet. But for one moment. Then he sprang up,his face now lurid with the InDer fires that had caught his sonl, and shrieked a woman's name —but not hers who stood above him with the accusing finger still pointing at her murderer. ‘Catherine! Catherine! she is here! the thin, pale woman whom vpu hated and taught me to hate. Temptress! Devil! where are you ? It was you—you who did it! You who first woke the fearful wish in my soul and thrust the poison into my hand! You did it—you! and the light ning passed you by to strike your dupe. Mur deress! where are you ? Murderess! come to judgment!' But now, at a sign from Radamanthus, the ■hade of the woman stooped over her murdered husband, and eutwifeed him in her arms and fixed her eyes upon hisjaudthe passionate cries died a* ay into broken murmurs and then ceas ed utterly, and the changeful countenance of remorse froze into a fixed and steadfast horror. And so they two, murderer and victim, locked in each others armi, face close to face, and their eyes fastened on Each other's, passed slowly from our view, united thus forever. CHAPTER II. It may easily be oonceived that we were glad to escape from the emotions aroused by this painful scene, and we welcomed, as an agreea ble relief, the severe cross-examination to which the country gentleman was subjected by Minos with reference to certain poaching convictions, in which he had been concerned when alive. He was sharply questioned as to his capacities for a judicial poet, and although the curtain be hind the bench had been let fall again and we had no longer the benefit of the mysterious light which had exposed the guilt of the mur derer. we had little difficulty in seeing that the squire was quite ignorant of law. At intervals, when the questions were espec ially searching, he peered anxiously into the crowd of spectator spirits, in the vain hope of discovering the shade of his late associate in a country office, who had died some months pre viously. After about ten minute's examination he was dismissed, with a few stinging remarks from Minos upon th^'English magisterial sys tem, Tae successful grocer, churchwarden, and poor-law guardian was the next to present him self, and he had a very uncomfortable time of it indeed. I was amazed at the acquaintance exhibited by the judges, not only with all the intricacies of work-house management, but with the low artificies of trade adulteration and de ceit upon the weights. Before the grocer had left the dock we alliof us knew accurately the proportion of sanu It**-his sugar, and oi tallow in his butter, and of r-umeless abominations in his tea. We could have told how many drachms were deficient on his ounce, and by how many ounces hie pound fell short of the standard weight,and could form 6ome approximate esti mate of the amount of his daily depredations So that when Bhadamanthas, in a voice of righ teous indignation, delivered the judgment of the court, we were betrayed into applause,which was immediately erttoressed. JSpint/.sftidjp.hcjgyip^JL»a»s-eawth.- y-iU <re * nnivarciollnr li/Minror law consisted of, and where it was to be found? The reply was, that the English law was ot three kinds—Statute Law, Case Lav/, and Com mon Law. The first was composed of about 14,000 Acts of the Legislature, and was to be found in 11?. octavo or 48 quarto volumes of the Realm. The second consisted of about 00,000 recorded Decisions, and was to be found in above 1,200 volumes of Reports. The third con sisted ot an indefinite number of Legal Princi ples, and was to be found in the breasts of the judges. Besides these, there was a vast and undefined system known as Equity, and a body of Ecclesiastical Jurisprudence, founded upon the Roman civil and canon law, with which it was unnecessary to trouble the Court, except to assure them that these portions of the law were similarly easy of access and application. These answers seemed to perplex the Court very much, and Minos suggested that, though the Case Law was voluminous and unorganized, yet it was probably consistent with itself, and capable of being deducted to a simple and harmonious system. The barrister replied that he con’d not undertake to say this, and that it was the extremely discordant and contradictoiy nature of record decisions which was the great ob stacle to digesting the law. Minos then good- naturedly hinted that no doubt the Statute Law adjusted the differences and cleared up the ob- the row of green volumes lettered, “Single Fail ures— France.’ ‘There series appears to be a much shorter one than ouis.’ ‘True, replied Minos, ‘their green series is considerably smaller. Few guilty men escape from a French judge. But look at their‘Double Failures ! they are twice as numerous as yours. An innocent man before a French court has of ten a poor ahance for his life.’ And, in truth, the French red series filled nearly four shelves, and W9 were not a littla consoled at the sight. ‘Then, again,' continued the barrister, em boldened, ‘surely tlie removal of some of the barbaricus inequalities of our law of evidence has tended to diminish the bulk of our red se ries, as the abolition of the ridiculous subile- ties of pleading must have tendeded to reduce the dimensions of the green. ‘In tLs former case, yes,’ replied Minos, point ing to our red series for the last thirty years the volumes of which showed a marked reduction in bulk. In the latter case, the progress has not been so marked: criminals who can no long er crawl out through the flaws of an indictment have now found another loophole of escape.’ •What is that ?’ we inquired somewhat anx iously. Minos walked to the window of the apartment and beckoned us to follow him. We did so and scarifies of Case Law. The barrister replied j looked out into an open courtyard, in which that, unfortunately, the language and method j were a score or so of spirits, apparently taking of the Statute Law was not calculated either to ; exercise under the surveillance oi two or three adjust diffvretces, or to clear up obscurities; ; of the officials whom we had seen that morning and, as» specimen of its phraseology, he begged ! in the Court 8 ‘Bray, who are these?’ asked the barrister. •These,’ said Minos, are all spirits whose names are to be found in that book,’ pointing to the latest volume ot the English green series. They are all criminals, who have been unjustly ac quitted on the same ground.’ IVe were about to enquire what the ground was, when one of the spirits, looking up to the window, recognized the physician, to whom he bowed with an air of profound resooct and grat itude. * BTt successful,^® ;he •XSruur® oF'the YTourt cauA most respectable i«Kjv, universally honored by overhaul a conscience as rapidly as a French your neighbors, cDuichwarden of your pari«h. douanier will rummage your portmanteau. The a guardian of the poor of your country. Here High Court of Justice continues, by a very lau dable arrangement, always in session, even du ring the Long Vacation; its officers are in con stant attendance at the jetty,and a party of them having instaLtly hut courteously taken posses sion of our persons, we were conducted to an anti-chamber of the court-house, there to await our being summoned before the judges. As we felt, or at any rate affected to feel, no anxiety about the result of our examination, we passed our time in looking about us and obser ving the admirable arrangements of the build ing. The respective approaches for witnesses, for the bar and for the general shade-public, were completely separated from each other. Witnesses had ample accommodation, both in the court itself and in the anti-rooms. They were not subjected by any means to as much pain and discomfort as they would have deser ved, had they been criminals of the blackest dye. The bar—even including those counsel who were engaged in the actual business going on—were enabled to get to their places without a series of personal encounters with the public. As soon as we entered the court our admiration was further excited by the discovery that it was ventilated. The whole building was, we were told, planned and completed in less than two years. We had scarcely time to complete our obser vations before an usher made his appoarence and directed us to follow him into the court, and in a few moments we stood in the presence of Minos C. J., and Deacus and Rhadamanthus, J. J. The first few cases were disposed of speed ily enough. The ariist and the poet were ques tioned on and rebuked lor a few trilling thefts which they had committed, the former upon the persons of antique or medieval victims, and the latter upon those of contemporary writeis. Tne philosopher was dismissed with a few phiases of commendation upon his blameless life, and the widow with expressions of sympa thy for her misfortunes. I myself was gently , reproved lor a few failings, and commended for a few virtues, neither of which it is necessary lor me here to particularize, and was permitted to pass on. The eminently respectable spirit to whom we had all instinctively given place on embarkation, came next, and we all supposed that he would be allowed to pass without ques tion; but to our extreme surprise, on his taking his place at the bar, a whisper passed between the judges—Deacus, who had been hitherto con ducting the examinations, desisted, and Rha damanthus, rising to his feet, uttered, in a ter rible voice, the word—‘Confess!’ All eyes were turned upon the spirit,and we saw to our amaze ment that his pompous composure had deserted him, and given place to a deadly terror. Spir its do not tremble as rudely and visibly as mor tal men; but nevertheless, under the influence of his overmastering fear the subtle particles of his shadowy frame quivered with an incessant emotion, like the sultry atmosphere in a sum mer’s noon. He burst into a torrent of angry and terri fied protestations, and the young barrister in stantly rose to his feet. ‘My Lords!’he exclaimed, obviously excited ‘if it he the custom of this court to assign coun sel to prisoneis in such cases, I beg to remind vour lordships that I am the junior barrister present.’ ‘Silenoe, young man,’ replied Minos, sternly. ‘A prisoner needs no counsel here. He is judg ed by the Light and the Light wrongs no man.’ As he spoke an officer of the couit advanced, we see you as the cruel and heartless knave you really are—not as the steward of the church but as the plunderer of the flock; not the guardian, but the oppressor of the poor—a wretch who, for paltry gains, made the bitter life-struggle of the needy more bitter to them yet. Go,’ con tinued RhadamaDthus, pointing to one of the doors, ‘go, and by that door. In the anti-room adjoining you will find the shades of those whom yon have wronged—of the starving seem- stress—of the struggling day-laborer—of the shoeli ss .street-beggar, whose poor half-pence, precious to them as drops of life-blood,you dai ly filched. Go, they await you there.’ The grocer and poor law-guardian left the court much crest-fallen, and in considerable anxiety as to his future. The M. C. was examined with some severity as to certain proceedings which had taken place at his last election, and was then allowed to pass on The fashionable physician next presented him- ■elf, but was remanded till the following day, in order that the attendance of witnesses might be procured, of whom a large number, it was said, would have to be examined. The English barrister was the last, and his ex amination afforded the audience the greatest entertainment of all. Thera were no serious delinquencies in his case to be inquired into; and to the charge of idleness which Decus made against him. he was able tc make a tolerably satisfactory defence. The Court than proceeded, from motives of curiosity, to ply him with a st- stanco, except as to the name of the countries to which they referred. Those relating to Eng land occupied two shelves, about six feet in length. I confess I was very much startled; and I suppose the faces of all of us showed some consternation, for Minos immediately remarked upon it: ‘l'ou are surprised, gentlemen,’ he said in gentle tones, but with a faint touch of irony' in the inflection of his voice. ‘We are not un accustomed to witness the display of such emo tions on the part of our visitors from the upp.r world. They have formed as a rule, too high an estimate of the success with which human ries of questions as to the present condition ot the English law. First, they pressed him very closely as to the mode in which he had qualified himself for his profession, and were much puz zled at the answers they received. They could not be brought to understand the process of preparing barristers for their duties by feeding them on roast mutton and sherry; and fora long time they persisted in regarding his account of the process as merely an allegorical description of the mental training to which stu dents were subjected—the roast mutton being typical cf the substantial pabulum of legal in instruction with which they were filled; and the sherry, emblematic of that spirit and fire of elo quence in which they were at the same time no doubt assiduously trained. The barrister, in reply, admitted that the sherry was strongly emblematic of spirit and fire, but he still insis ted, to the • xtreme bewilderment of the Court, on the strictly literal nature of his description of the singular process by which the English lawyer is created. Minos tben transferred his inquiries from the subject of legal education to that of the law itself, and asked, with much in terest. what was the character cf the English Code? The barrister replied that we possesed no Code. What, then, was the character of our Digest? We had no Digest. The Court, in the utmost astonishment, then inquired what oar to quote for their lordship’s edification the title of the 57 Goo., c. 101. It was in these words:— ‘An Act to continue an Act intiteled An Act further to extend aDd render more effectual cer tain provisions of an Act passed in the twelfth year of His Majesty George I., intituled An Act to prevent frivolous and vexatious arrests, and of an Act parsed in the fifth year ol the reign of His Majesty George II., to explain, amend, and render more effectual the said former Act, and of two Acts passed in the nineteenth and forty- third year® of His present Majesty, extending the said former Acts.’ At this point the Court rose for luncheon, Minos however, thorgh bewildered and disap pointed with the information he had just re ceived, was much pleased with the candor and intelligence with which his q lestiona had been answered; and was desirous of improving his acquaintance with his informant. He accord ingly sent round an usher to invite the barris ter to lunch in the judge’s lotiring-room. with such of his friends as he should choose to bring with him. I was fortunate enough to bt selected for inclusion in the invitation, in com pany with the M. C., the country gentleman, and the physician, and together we followed the usher to the judge's private apartment, where we were most hospitably entertained. The affability of their lordships' manner quite removed the uneasiness which we were at first disposed to feel at our novel position as guests of those who had lately been sitting in judg ment on our mortal lives, and the conversation soon became general and unrestrained. The banister alone teemed not quite at his ease; he appeared to feel somewhat humiliated at the re collection of the account which he had been compelled to give of the condition of the Eng lish law; and as soon as luncheon was over he took an opportunity of assuring Minos that hings were not in this respect so bad in Eng land as his description of them might have led their lordships to imagine. The detects which he had been enumerating affected after all only —or at least principally—the determination ol civil disputes. With respect to the punish ment of crime, the English law might, he said, be described without exaggeration as nearly faultless, both as regarded its principle and its administration' At these words the three jadges exchanged a rapid glance, a remarkable convul sion appeared to pass over their features, and we all saw that it was only their good breeding which prevented them from bursting into a fit of laughter. The barrister, rather nettled , at this,-* piticoeded is asseverate that udder the English c i ninal system, the protection of in nocence and the punishment of guilt were almost absolutely secured. Upon this Minos rose from his chair, and beckoned us to follow him into an adjoining room. We did so, and found ourselves in a spacious aud well-ap pointed library. Minos walked straight up tc a shelf on the left hand side of tae room, and pointing to a row of large folio volumes, bound in crimson and lettered in gilt, desired us to read their titles. I transcribe that of ono oi them, which may be taken as a speciman of the rest. It was in these words:—‘Human Justice Double Failukes. YoI. evii. [England, Vol. XVI. 1775—1800.]' We looked around us, and saw that the whole of the shelves on one side of the library were filled with these crimson- boand volumes, similarly lettered in every in- tice is administe red.’ With these words he took down from th» shelf the volume whose superscription I have Iran; cribed, and opening it at random, laid it on the table before us. We ail crowded round to inspect the page which wai laid open to our view. I subjoin the following txtract from it, which will show the careful and orderly man ner in which the registers are kept: No. 54; Crime, Speepstealing; Person Guilty, Roger Bobfold; Persons punished, Gregosy Ca pers: Panishment, Death: Cause of Judicial Failure, Defect of Emglish Criminal Procedure. Prisoner, unable to be witness on his own bs- haif. And so on the book ran ad in jiniton. We had not the heart to read further, and we closed the book, amidst a profound silence. Th6 barrister was the fiist to break it. ■I admit,’ he said, ‘that I should have more carefully limited my approbation of our crirni- n«l jurisprudence to an opproval of its adrmn- tration during thb last thirty years; at the same time I confess to an extreme surprise at the amount ot judicial failures which it has been your lordship’s duty to resister. In those days I fear punishment was distributed in a manner more comprehensive than discriminating. Still, it must be admitted that though the innocent did not always.escape the sword of the law, the guilty never did. Again the same peculiar sruiie flitted over the countenance of the three judges, and Minos crossed the library, making a sign to us to fol low him. Ranging along the shelves on the oth er side, we olsjrved rows of volumes, similar in size and appearance to those we had been ex amining, with the exception that they were bound in green instead of crimson, and letter ed with the worde ‘Single Failukes.' Minos removed one of these volumes from its place, and placed it before ns. ‘Those cases,’he said, ‘in which an innocent person has been executed for the supposed com mission of crime, while its actual perpetrator has escaped, are registered as you have ssen, under the head of ‘Double Failures.’ But there are also, though you seem to be unaware of it, many cases of crime in England, very many, in which, though no one sufibrs unjustly, the per petrator of the crime escapes with impunity. On this side of the library, and undei the title ol ‘Single Failures,’ all such cases are register ed.’ He opened the book and exhibited before us a tabulated list of coses. We again closed the book in extreme humilia tion, and the barrister no longer ventured to continue the defence of English crimininal ju risprudence. ‘Come, sir,’ said Minos kindly, ‘do not be too much discouraged; your country, after all, s.aods in many respec’s higher than most oth ers as an a Iministrator of criminal law.' ‘How so ?’ inquired the barrister, pointing to •Bless my soul —I mtan bless me!’ exclaimed the phpsieian, ‘where have I seen that face be fore ? Ah ! I remember now. I appeared as a witness for him two years ago, at the Old Bailey. A clear case of dementia, culminating in homi cidal mania.’ Minos smiled sardonically. ‘He is one of the l>st conducted and most intelligent prisoners on the books.’ he remark ed. ‘But though they are not all as intelligent, they are all equally sane, and all have been ac quitted on the ground of insanity.’ (To be Continued.J CHRISTMAS AT THE DEAF DUMB ASYLUM. AND —Cardinal Ajq iini, who died in Rome, Decem ber 22, was one of the most constant companions of 1’ius IX. in his last years- lie was made a cardin al in 1844, and during his life was an active mem ber ot uo lewer than uiue of the most important Congregations of Cardinals. Leo XIII is mourn, ing the death of his old and dear friend Sterbini He and Monsieur Pecci, as long ago as the pontifil cate of Gregory XV1., were sent into the provinces to clear the Papal States of brigandsge, Pecci being the Papal Delegate, and Sterbini the commander of a little troop of bandit-hunters- Sometimes, as we tread life's sterile path, there comes to us the fragrance of a good deed or a beau tiful incident to stir the immortal within us. Such a perfume of kindly act and lovely incident floats to us across ihe hills of upper Georgia, from a broad- winged building, resting like a white bird among the billowy hills—a structure built by the State as ftn asylum for it’s Deaf and Dumb. There are seventy children sheltered by those broad, white wings, children to whose minds, lock ed up by the imperfections of the senses, science and patience have applied the key, opening to them the rich world of thought, so that they sit uo longer in dull loneliness, as it were behind prison walls. Christmas was drawing near to those inmates of Cave Spring Asylum—a dull Christmas it promised to be, and the teachers had told the little ones that Santa Claus had sent word he could not come this year, was frozen up perhaps by the cold wave; at least (they thought to themselves) the hearts of the people are frozen, especially those of the Legis lature, which had growled so savagely over the fgdy dollars spen; in pre.vents for the children’' last Christmas. No there could be no Christmas stockings kuna- up, no Christmas tree, for though a few of the children had holiday presents sent them by par ents and friends, there were at least forty liule ones, orphans aud children of the poor, who had none, aud Santa Claus must not seem to leave these out in the cold- Such was the teacher’s decision, but there was a visitor at Cave Spring—a gentleman whose beautiful little daughter was an inmate there who, strongly protested against letting Christmas go by without the time-honored children’s jubilee. His own Ethel would have presents in plenty, but he knew her unselfish little heart would take" small delight in them if others were disappointed, and his happiness was bound up in hers. He des termined to lend all his pocket change to Santa Claus : then larger ideas dawned upon him. He would give others a chance to make the Cave Spring children happy atid would have one of the grandest of Christmas trees. So, at once he wrote letters to certain gentlemen in this city of railroads —men whose purses, though pretty large as times go, were microscopical as compared with their bio- heurts. They had holiday wares, he said, upon their shelves; let them gather up a few and send them to hang upon the children’s Christinas tree at Cave Spring ; by so doing they might be producing fruit for their own tree of lasting life. So confident was he of a favorable response that he caused a fine branching pine tree to be upr> o.ed from its native Hill and borne into the parlor of the asylum, where the doubters looked at it in credulously, as the Baal worship 1 ers may have looked at the propnet’s sacrifice. There was the altar and the sacrifice but where was the fire? ‘An awful big Christmas tree, seeing that there's no likelihood of its bearing any fruit,’ was their comment, to which cur visitor answered ‘Oh ye of little faith ! The tree shall have its boughs weighed down with fruit.’ And so it proved, for the asylum wagon came back from the depot upon Christmas eve with uo less than seven great boxes. A messenger was se cretly dispatched to town in spite of the stiugino- cold—for any number of little colored tapers, and when the> arrived our happy, visitor shut himself in the parlor, and with the assistance of the teach ers and a few of the delighted elder girls, trans formed the pine of the hillside into an en’chanud t*ee, loaded with wonderful fruit and sparklina- with fairy lights. 6 Such was the picture that greeted the seventy pairs of wide, ecstatic eyes upon Christmas morn ing. IIow they sparkled and flashed and were elo quent, as only the eyes of the children ofsilence who have uo other medium of language, cau ever be. Cave Spring had never known such a day of de' light: the father of the fair Ethel had never tasted so pure a pleasure. Till the sun went down, and the frosty Christmas stars shone over the wintry world merriment reigned within the walls of Cave Spring asylum, aud when sleep kissed the eyes ot the little voiceless ones nestled in their warm beds, their dreams no doubt repeated the pleasure af the day Mart E. Bryan. I?