Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

plished in this way lor one mile, could he accomplished for thirty or fifty, as, indeed, any number of miles. It Mas hut, in any case, to make the line of submerged wire longer —to sink it, per haps, deeper; and, if deeper, to pro tect it better. The simplest of things, however, when carried out on a large scale, require often, as in this instance, for the doing of them, qualities of a high order —great enterprise, great per severance, great executive powers of construction and direction. It was a great thing, assuredly, to undertake to underlay a sea of some thirty miles wide with one continuous line of com munication—a single break or flaw in which would be fatal to the whole; there was u risk of failure to be braved, and in any event, much expenditure of money, time, and trouble, to be adven tured on the issue; and beyond all doubt or question, it is a great thing to have successfully accomplished. An electric telegraph to Calais, is not a thing which will stop there. It is a tel egraph to Vienna, to Moscow, to Con stantinople, to Ispahan, to Delhi, to Calcutta, to the remotest bounds, in short, of Europe and Asia. A few years ago people laughed when Lord Palmerston predicted at the Southamp ton meeting of the British Association, that a time might come when the Min ister of the day being asked in Parlia ment, “Whether, it was true that a war had broken out in India?” would re ply, “ \\ ait an instant till 1 telegraph the Governor-General, and 1 will tell you. 1 \\ hat was thought but a good joke in 1543, is now, in 1850, in the course of being actually accomplished, and ere a few years, is likely to take its place amongst the sober realities of the age. Nor to the Old World alone need our views of the ultimate pro gress of electro-telegraphy be confined; for, since the English Channel has been crossed, the crossing of the Irish must follow next, as but a matter of course; and Ireland once reached, there lies but a couple of thousand miles of water or so between the Old World and the New. . We say, “but,” for after all where is the practical difficulty ? Not in producing thelengthof wire required; for any length of wire can be spun— not in covering and insulating the wire; for thousands ol miles of wire can be covered and insulated just as readily and surely as one—nor yet in laying down, as the Dover and Calais experi ment has fully shown. The only real difficulty in the case, we apprehend, will be to find ship-room for the enor mous coil ot wire that would be re quired ; but this is an objection that vanishes away before the recollection of such leviathan structures as the Canada and Great Britain. Besides, means may be found to effect on board the laying-down vessel a perfect junc tion of different lengths of w ire, so as to allow of two, three, or more reels being employed. We assume, of course \t battery power to transmit the elec tric impulse through a wire of some ’ miles long is at our command ; but i ugh we are not aware of any re cordt-u experiments that would justify us in taking the possibility of this for granted, we know that the recently in vented receiving magnet of Morse is founded on the principle of counting for nothing the mere distance the elec tric message has to Ire transmitted: and. at all events, the fact is one capa ble of tentative determination, on land before a single yard of an Atlantic line need be laid down. The Old and New Worlds being then united, we should then see the dream of the poet even more than realized ; the earth “girdled round” about —not in “forty minutes” but in a thousandth part of the time— in a single beat of the clock. What would ail the other triumphs of human genius be to (his? Time and distance literally annihilated throughout the bounds ot the planet which we inhabit! A triumj a only to be transcended when the planets shall themselves begin to telegraph one another—which is one of the very few things, which in this age ot art-miracles, one would venture without hesitation to say will never happen. A CITY OF THE PLAGUE. Ihe following account, given by Ful ler, of a city labouring under the hor rors of plague, cannot be perused with out exciting a painful interest on the present occasion:—“We were,” says he, in his Turkish Tour , “closely con fined within the walls of the consulate, and all persons from without were as rigidly excluded. The gate which open ed from the court into the street was strictly closed, and the only communi cation was through a hatch-door cut in it. Ihlie key of this was not entrusted even to the servants. Each of the company took charge of it in his turn for a day, and it was his business to see that every thing supposed capable of communicating the contagion was duly purified before it was allowed to pass into the house. These precau tions were at any rate useful, as giving a feeling of security; but I have no doubt that the distinction between such objects as are called ‘susceptible’ (to use the technical phrase) and such as are not, :s frequently arbitrary, and that the index expurgatorius in this, as in other instances, is tinged by preju dice and caprice. Happily, some of the articles of most frequent use, such as bread, iron, and wood, for example, were allowed to pass without suspicion; but meat and all animal substances, and money of every kind were thrown with iron tongs or shovels into a large tub, and compelled to pass through a watery ordeal. Letters, books and pa pers, on the other hand, are purified by fire, or at least by smoke, being placed on a sort of chafing-dish, and fumigated with a compound of drugs, which is any thing but aromatic; and if it should be necessary to affix a signature to any document, a plate of glass is introduced between the paper and the hand of the writer. The eats, who in their noc turnal rambles are supposed to carry with them the seeds of contagion, are condemned to indiscriminate slaughter whenever they are seen creeping along the wails or on the housetops; and when terror is at its height, even the les are objects of alarm, and t.he sports of JJomitian are revived.” A \ eteran Compositor. —At a re cent festival of printers in Nashville, icnm, a member of the craft, Lawson barry was present, who has worked at case day and night, ever since the vear liJJ, and who now daily performs as much labour m the printing office as any journeyman printer in that city Cljf (Bssnijist. HOW TO MAKE HOME UNHEALTHY. BY HARRIET MARTINEAU. vm. THE FIRE AND THE DRESSING-ROOM. • Against the weather all men are Protectionists—all men account it mat ter of offense. What >av the people of the north? A Highland preacher, one December Sunday, in the fourth hour of his sermon—For be it known to Englishmen who nod at church, that in the Highlands, after four good hours of prayer and psalm, there follow four good hours of sermon. And, nota bene . may it not be that the shade of our King Henry J. does penance among Highland chapels now, for having, in his lifetime, made one Roger a bishop because he was expert in scrambling through the services? A Highland pastor saw his congregation shivering. “Ah!” he shouted, “ maybe ye think this a cold place; but, let me tell ye, hell’s iar colder!” An English hearer afterward reproached this minister for his perversion of the current faith.— “ llout, man,” said he, “ye dinna ken the Highlanders. If I were to tell them hell was a hot place, they'd all be la bouring to go there.” And that was true philosophy. Mythologies invent ed in the north, imagined their own cli mate into future torture. Above, in the northern lights, they saw a chase of miserable souls, half starved, and hunt ed to and fro by ravens ; below, they imagined Nastrond with its frosts and serpents. Warmth is delightful, cer tainly. No doubt but sunburnt nations picture future punishment as fire. Yes, naturally, for it is in the middle region only that we are not wearied with ex tremes. What region shall we take? Our own? When is it not too hot, too cold, too dry, too wet. or too uncer tain? Italy? There the sun breeds idle maggots. As for the poet’s para dise, Cashmere, botanists tell us that, although, no doubt, fruits grow luxu riantly there, they are extremely fla vourless. Then it is obvious that to abuse, antagonize, defy the weather, is one of the established rights of man. Upon our method of defying it, our health, in some measure, depends.— How is our right to be maintained un healthily ? Not by a blind obedience to nature. W e are correcting her, and must not let her guide us. Nature considers all men savages —and savages they would be, if they followed her. What is bar barism ? Man in a state of nature. Na ure, I say, treats us almost as if we were unable to light fires, or stitch for ourselves breeches. Nature places near the hand of man in each climate a cer tain food, and tyrannizes over his stom ach with a certain craving. Whales and seals delight the Esquimaux; lie eats his blubber and defies the frost. So fed, the Esquimaux woman can stand out of doors, suckling her infant at an open breast, with the thermometer 40 & below zero. As we go south, we pass the lands of bread and beef, to reach the sultry region wherein nature pro vides dates, and so forth. Even in our own range of the seasons, nature seeks to bind us to her own routine; in winter gives an appetite for flesh and fat, in summer takes a part of it away. We are not puppets, and we will not be dictated to; so we stimulate the stomach, and allow no brute instinct to tamper with our social dietary. We do here, on a small scale, what is done, on a large scale, by our friends in India, who pepper themselves into appetite, that they may eat, aud drink, and die. We drink exciting beverage in sum mer, because we are hot; we drink it in winter, because we are cold. The fact is, we are driven to such practices; for if we did not interfere to take the guidance of our diet out of nature’s hands, she would make food do a large . . o’ portion of the service which civilization asks of fire and clothing. We should walk about warm in the winter, cool ip the summer, having the warmth and coolness in ourselves. Now, it is ob vious that this would never do. We must be civilized, or we must not. Is Air. Sangster to sell tomahawks instead of canes? Clearly, he is not. We must so manage our homes as to create unhealthy bodies. If we do not, so ciety is ruined; if we do—and in pro portion as we do so—we become more and more unfit to meet vicissitudes of weather. Then we acquire a social craving after fires, and coats, and cloaks, and wrappers, and umbrellas, and cork sole', and muffetees, and patent hare skins, and all the blessings of this life, upon which our preservation must de pend. These prove that we have step ed beyond the brute. You never saw a lion with cork soles and muffetees. The tiger never comes out, of nights, in a great coat. The eagle never soars up from his nest with an umbrella. Man alone comprehends these luxuries; and it is when he is least healthy that he loves them best. In winter, then, it is not diet, and it is not exercise, that shall excite in us a vital warmth. We will depend on arti ficial means; we will be warmed, not from within, but from without. We will set ourselves about a fire, like pies, and bake; heating the outside first.— W here the fire Tails, -we will depend upon the dressing-room. If we have healthy chests, we will encase ourselves in flannel; but if we happen to have chest complaint, we w ill use nothing of the sort. — When we go out, we will empanoply our persons, so that we may warm our selves bv shutting in all exhalation from our bodies, and by husbanding what little heat we permit nature to provide for us. In summer we will eat rich dinners and drink wine, will east oft’ three fourths of the thickness of our winter clothing, and still be oppressed by heat, iced drinks shall take the place of fire. Civilized people cannot endure being much wetted. Contact of water, du ring exercise,will do no harm to healthy bodies, but will spoil good clothes. We will get damp only when we walk out iu bad weather; then, when we come home, we need no change. Evapora tion from damp clothes—the act of drying—while the body cools down, resting, and perhaps fatigued, that is what damages the health; against that we have no objection. II em! No doubt it is taking a great liberty with a Briton to look over his wardrobe. I will not trespass so far. I but, my dear sir, your Hat! If we are j to have a column on our heads, let it ibe one in which we can feel pride; a SOUTHERN LITERARY GAZETTE. miniature monument; and we might put a statue on the top. Hats, as they are now worn, would not fitly support more than a bust. Is not this mean ? On segritudinary grounds w# will up hold a hat. To keep the edifice from taking flight before a puff of wind, it must be fitted pretty tightly round the head, must press over the forehead and the occiput. How much it presses, a red l ing upon the flesh will often testily. Heads are not made of putty ; pres sure implies impediment to certain pro cesses within; one of these processes is called the circulation of the bipod. The brain lies underneath our hats. W ell, this is as it should be. Ladies do not wear hats, and never will, the bonnet is so artful a contrivance for en compassing the face with ornament; roses and lilies and diflidownJillies. which would have sent Flora into fits, and killed her long ago, had such a goddess ever been. 1 said that there was brain under the hat; this is not always obvious, but there is generally hair. Once upon a time, not very long ago, hair was con structed with great labour into a huge tower upon every lady’s head, poma tum being used by way of mortar, and this tower was repaired every three weeks. The British matron then look ed like a “ mop-headed Papuan.” The two were much alike, except in this, that while our countrywoman triumph ed in her art, the Papuan was disco; - tented with his nature. The ladies here, whose hair was naturally made to fall around the shoulders, reared it up on end; but in New Guinea, fashion ables bom with hair that grew of its own will into an upright bush, pre ferred to cut it off, and arrange it in a wig directed downwards. Sometimes they do no more than crop it close; and then, since it is characteristic of the hair in this race to grow, not in an expanse, but in tufts, the head is said by sailors to remind them of a worn out shoe-brush. So, at the Antipodes as well as here, Art is an enemy to Nature. Hair upon the head was meant originally to preserve in all sea sons an equable temperature above the brain. Emptying grease-pots into it, and matting it together, we convert it into an unwholesome skull-cap. The neck? Here sanitary people say, How satisfactory it is that Englishmen keep their necks covered with a close cravat, and do not Byronize in opposi tion to the climate. That is very good; But English women, w ho account them selves more delicate, don’t cover their necks, indeed they do not at all times cover their shoulders. So travelling from top to toe, if Englishmen wear thick shoes, to protect their feet, our English women scorn the weakness, and go, except a little fancy covering, barefooted. From this point 1 digress, to note of other garments that the English dress, as now established, does on the whole fair credit to society. To the good gentlemen who poetizeconcerninggrace and the antique, v ho sigh for togas, sto las,and pahidaments, I say, Go to. The drapery you sigh for was the baby linen of the human race. Now we are out of long-clothes. The present Eu ropean dress is that which offers least impediment to action. It shews what a Man is like, and that is more than any stranger from another world could have detected under the upholstery to which our sculptors cling. The merest hint of a man—shaped as God shaped him—is better than ten miles of folded blanket. Artists cry down our cos tume, forgetting that if they have not folds of drapery to paint, that is be cause they have in each man every limb to which they may assign its pos ture. If they can put no mind into a statue by the mastery of attitude, all the sheets in Guy’s Hospital will not twist into a fold that shall be worth their chiseling. With women it is different. They have both moral and aesthetic right to drapery; and for the fashion of it, we must leave that to themselves. They are all licensed to deal in stuffs, colours, frippery and flounce. And to wear rings in their ears. If ladies have good taste they cannot vex us; and that any of them can have bad taste, who shall hint? Their stays they will abide by, as they love hysterics; them 1 have mentioned. 1 have before also gone out of my way to speak of certain humps carried by women on their backs, which are not healthy or unhealthy— who shall say what they are? Are these humps allegorical ? Our wives and daughters perhaps wish to hint that they resemble camels in their pa tience; camels who bear their burden through a desert world, which we, poor folk, should find it quite impossible to travel through without them. [To he continued.] LEAPING MACHINE. If we take a balloon of limited size, about eighteen feet in diameter each way, it will, when inflated with hydro gen gas, be capable of raising 160 pounds, independent of its own weight: Now, if this be so fastened to a man’s body, as not to interfere with the free use of his arms and legs, he may then ballast himself so as to be a trifle hea vier than the upward tendency of the balloon, which will be nearly in equi libria. If then he provides himself with a pair of wings, made on the bird principle, wi*L socket joints to slip over Ins arms at the shoulders, and a grasping handle internally to each one, at the distance from the shoulder joint of the w ing, as the distance is from the shoulder to his hand, he may beat against the air with his wings, and bound against#the earth with his feet, so as to make at least one hundred yards at each bound. This the writer has often done, in the direction of a gentle wind, with the aid of his feet alone, alter his balloon had descended to the earth ; and on one occasion, tra versed a pine forest of several miles in extent, by bounding against the tops of the trees. Such a contrivance would be of inestimable value to exploring expeditions. Landings to otherwise in accessible mountains; escapes from surrounding icebergs; exploring of vol canic craters ; traversing vast swamps and morasses ; walking over lakes and seas; bounding over isthmuses, staits, and promontories, or exploring the cloud-capped peaks of Chimborazo, could thus all be easily accomplish ed.— Wise's TEronautics. The value of the whole world is but a dollar! “Them am a fact.” Cause vy ? It only contains four quar ters! (Dttr Utters. THE FLIT CORRESPONDENCE. SECOND SERIES-NO. 1. New York, Nov. 30. Passing through the galleries of the Art l uion lately, 1 saw & very con siderable load of coals ‘dump’d’ at NewCastle: two of our artists hap pening to bestow a remark upon a cer tain little picture, poked away in a cer tain little corner, an unsophisticated lover of the beautiful, unknowns and unknown, suggested the propriety and necessity of a closer view of the work, if they desired to see its minute and miraculous merits. “ You see.” said the new ilazlett, “ he’s a painter, and that thing there before him, on the frame, is a picture he’s doing!” Is it possible,” exclaimed artist If., looking more closely and curiously into the canvass, and turning admiringly and reverently from the work to the volun teer critic, “Is that the way they do it?” “ Yes! to be sure, and see all the people there he’s sketched off on the cloth! Ain’t that wonderful?” “Shade of Raphael,” ejaculated painter R. “ Do you think he’ll have them finished in time for the Distribution 1” W ith this learned inquiry, a quiet smile slipped from the corner of the speaker’s lips, stole upwards to his left eye and passed out in a sardonic grin at the top of his head, whereupon the accom plished expounder of art looked slightly puzzled and slipped away to express to another getleman gazing at a marine subject, his amazement at finding wa ter so surprisingly painted in oil! Moral—The galleries of this admirable Institution, the American Art Union, are now in the full meridian of their glory, containing nearly four hundred works of art, and among them gems from all our leading artists in History, Landscape and the Drama. Never be fore lias the Art I uion angled with such seductive bait, and many are the thous ands nibbling thereat. Please pray for figures 56**. 1 might fill you pages of discourse upon the magic forms and brilliant colours of the “flies"’ which our art Waltons have thus thrown upon the waters of public taste, but the lines are so very soon to be drawn up, that the time will be more judiciously spent in securing a bite at the prizes. Our friends in the ‘sunny land’ must not lose a day if they would participate in the brilliant advantages of the Distri bution of the present year, fixed for the 20th instant. For more particular in formation in regard to this matter, 1 commend you to the leading article upon “Fine Arts” in this week’s issue of our great oracle in Art and Litera ture, the Literary World. You would no doubt do a service to your sub scribers by affording them a glimpse of the chapter in question. One more art paragraph and 1 pass on to other themes. On the opening (complimentary) night of the beautiful Panorama oft e “Pilgrim's Progress,” the audience was composed of clergy men and their families, members of the press, and a little cordon of artists, gathered to do honour to their esteem ed brethren of the brush, Messrs. May and Kyle, the authors of the work. The painters thus met to greet anew debutant for artistic regard, of course expressed their approval of passages here and there, in the usual manner of clapping hands, but the clerical part of the audience, more imbued with the moral of the text of the venerable Bun van than with the spirit of art, looked upon the procedure of the easels as irreverent and impious, and overwhelm ed them with hisses. But not to be thus put down, the painters revenged themselves by heartily applauding, not only the pictures, but certain moral lessons which the lecturer irrelevantly intruded upon the assembly. Thus the speaker—“ ‘Mercy,’ you perceive, has fainted at the Wicket Gate; but she is none the worse Christian for that: an over confident spirit—drowned with the plaudits from the professional bench es, and doubly deluged with hisses from the opposition! Again, the speaker, as anew scene passes—“ The way,you observe, is narrow, very narrow, but it is the only path by which the Soldier of the Cross can hope to arrive at the gates of the Celestial City, and all of us, my fritnds (?) who strive to reach those blessed portals must follow in the same narrow and thorney—”. inter rupted with cheers from the minority and groans from the saints. Suffice it that the drift of the painters was at length perceived and they were allowed to regard the pictures as works of art rather than as pious homilies. This Panorama, front the exceeding interest of the subject and the excellence of the execution, is attracting extraordinary attention. From the beautiful open ing scene of “Bunvan Dreaming,” it carries the delighted visitor onward, by “ Christian’s Cottage” to the “Wicket Gate,” through the Slough of Despond, thence to “ Hill Legality,” to the mag nificent “Palace of the Interpreter,”to “Hill Difficulty,” the pleasant “Arbor,” “Palace Beautiful,” the “Delectable Mountain,” the “Valley of Humili ation,” the “Valley of the Shadow of Death,” “Vanity Fair,” the “ River of the Waters of Life,” the “ Dungeon of Giant Despair,” “Hill of Error,” the “ Enchanted Land,” the sweet “ Land of Beulah,” and the solemn “ River of Death.” In the “ Pilgrimage of Christ iana and her family,” we see “Mercy fainting at the Wicket Gate,” “Great Heart with Christiana and her family at the Spring,” “ the passage of the Valley of the Shadow of Death, “Christiana parting with her family.” next entering the River of Heath, and lastly her re ception at the gate of the Celestial City. 1 have chronicled a portion only of the succession of scenes in w hich the glorious allegory of the quaint old dreamer is so vividly brought to mind in this admirable w ork. Although many of our artists have furnished drawings for pictures here and there, the Pano rama is chiefly designed and executed by Messrs. May and Kyle, the former having made the figures and the latter the landscapes: yet each occasionally has successfully trodden upon the pro vince of the other. Mr. Dallas, also, lias contributed both in design and exe cution. The near approach of Thanksgiving times in these regions reminds me to commend to you a most admirable lit tle work happily grounded upon the incidents and associations of this time honoured and beloved festival. “Chan ticleer, a Thanksgiving Story of (lie Peabody Family.” has won the public heart, both by the felicity of its subject and the grace, wit and goodness dis played in the execution. New England is enthusiastic in its piaise, no doubt thinking it, from its truthful portraiture and a little perhaps from its Boston imprint, to be spun from the inventive brain of a genuine Down Faster.— Would Puiitandom speak as honestly if it. knew that that miraculous “Tur key,” and that no less marvellous “Pumkin,” were born and bred as far from Plymouth Rock as is the goodly city of Manhattan? Cultivate “Mop sey,” my dear Editors; she is a ‘ darkie’ ‘to be known,’ even a: Dombey-sir, of old. That excellent Eclectic, the Interna tional, has just put forth its December issue. The table of content ‘ (the only portion I have yet found t ime to glance at) promises many good things, among them the initial chapters of Mr. James’ new work, “A Story \\ ithouta Name.” The same author has still another work in the Harpers’ press, which is daily looked for, under the title of “Smeaton.” “ Y Drych ‘ is the cognomen of a new weekly paper established in this city ; it is in the Welsh tongue, and is addressed to the 2f>0.000 natives of Wales who are said to be now in the United States. I gb'e you the follow ing extract of verse as a small sample of the Cambrian muse. \on will at once feel the moral beauty and the touching pathos of the stanza quite as well as 1 can point them out: “ O’r hull bleserau ar en hynt, Yr oeddwn gyrit gyfranog, Am ddenu adgof-—o bob man, Di ail rai Gian Clywedog.” We are now in the very depths <ff i our w inter courses of Lectures. Essays and discourses upon every possible theme vex our poor aurieulers nightly, so that he who runs may hear. Asa relief, we have still, even though Jenny has vanished, abundant musical privil eges. M ad. Bishop does operatic gems and other sacred music even Sunday night at Triplcr Hall, to say nothing (this week) of the series of Grand Promenade Concerts her faithful and comprehensive Boehsa has just com menced at Astor Place. Parodi, the tragic, is tearing passions to tatters, to very rags, by way of proving, 1 sup pose, to “N. V. W.” and the word at large, that she has all the naughty experience which the unsophisticated “Jenny” so lamentably lacks. To night we are to greet her in “Gemma di Yergy,” the opera to be followed by the charming movements of that spirit of grace, Fitzjames, in the ballet of Paquita. Last evening was re-produced for the first time this season, that chef d'oeuvre of Mozart, the opeia of operas, “Don Giovanni,” the cast as last year, with Truffi, Bertucca, Patti, Forti, Be neventano and Novelli. It is rumoured thatMr. Impressario Maretzek is medi tating the construction of anew house, on a grand scale, in which the Opera is to be popularized to the capacilie of the million. Such an enterprize will be launched soon, in the natural course of things, but Captain Barmim will com mand if Max is not an early riser. A Special Convention of the Episco pal Diocese of New York met to elect a Provisional Bishop —the gallant On derdonk being still m Coventry—ad journed yesterday sine die , after a fruit less session of three days. Thus the “Church is still without a Bishop.” In nothing is the grow t h of this great Metropolis and the extension of its vast business, better seen than in the increasing necessity, daily arising, of a division and sub-division in the opera tions of all departments of commerce and labour. Thus a mechanic finds sufficient employment in one single item of trade, and a trader has enough to do to supply the demand for one article of barter. Not long ago Broad way displayed its shop devoted solely to the sale of mourning goods, and the other day I discovered anew establish ment of the same character, under the administ ration of W. Weed. For w hat the initial stands I can on]} suppose. In the ancient arid noble art of Baking, one firm does “ large bread,” a second “ rolls,” and a third “cakes.” 1 myself occasionally slip out from my study to negotiate for a “pie” at the shop of my neighbour “Pudney.” In the lower part of the town, your eye will be struck with the laconic sign of“Greaton: Gold Pens,” and not far oft’ you may see “Brown & Johnston: Steel Pens!” Then again in the markets, one Knight of the cleaver as Johnny Crapeau would say, sells sheep, and anoder he sell deer. And lastly, for 1 must fiot stretch out the line to the crack of doom, of the sons of the sheers, one is devoted, body and soul, to the making of breeches, while another does noth ing but repair them. In conclusion, l beg a thousand par dons for neglecting to open this letter with the bow which the long interval since my last epistolary appearance be fore you demands. In the pleasure of rejoining old friends, a slight breach of etiquette, may. 1 trust, be overlooked, especially when, in extenuation, I as sure your readers, old and new, of the delight it gives me to rub my hands once again at their happy lire-sides, to gaze with mv mental eye upon their venerable pate, the wrinkles ironed out by the reading of the Gazette: to look into their bewitching eye, upturned from its pages, as they dream upon the silken couches of the boudoir, or even to watch the aspirations of their pro tean nose, in all its varieties, from the haughty Homan to the ideal Pug, as it turns upward from my idle ehatterings. In short, as Micawber would say, when i tell them how I dote upon the hope of contributing to their gratifica tion in thus resuming the duties of their metropolitan correspondent. Yours, as aforetime. FLIT. Jllisrrlltimj. A TETE-A-TETE GAME. We were much amused, a few eve nings since, by the following game of questions and answers, which, when played upon one as yet uninitiated into the mysteries, is well calculated to af ford “ endless laughter.’’ A lady may be supposed to request a gentleman to write down this list: Set down a lauy’s name. Set do” n some time past. \Y rite the name of a place. \\ rile either yes or no. Yes or no again. A lady’s name. Some time to come. Yes or no. Y os or no again. Name of a city. Some colour. Any number not exceeding six. Name of a colour. Yes or no. A lady’s name. A gentleman’s name. Name of a clergyman. A sum of money. Name of a place. Any number at all. When these conditions have been complied with, the gentleman is re quested to read off the list thus pre pared. as answers to the following se ries of questions: To whom did you make your first offer? When? In what place ? Does she love you? Did you iove her ? Whom will you marry ? How soon ] Does she love you ? Do you love her ? \\ here does she reside? What is the colour of her hair? What is her height ? What is the colour of her eyes? Is she pretty? Who is to be the bridesmaid ? Who is to be groomsman? Who is your confidante? Who is your rival ? What clergyman is to marry you? How much is she worth? \\ here will you reside? How many servants will you keep? [. Drawing Room Journal. The Vatican. —Unlike the sombre | aspect generally characterising libra ries, museums, and similar resorts of the studious, the Vatican is as a world of exquisite beauty, vast, splendid, fill ed with the most admired works of art and the most precious marbles. The j lengthened vista, the varied perspective i changing at each advancing step, the noble architectural proportions still j preserved in every new form or dimen sion of apartment, the lofty iron gates, the beautiful fountains adorning the courts, and cooling the air with the play of their fresh running waters, the white balustrades, the pillars and mag nificent columns, composed of giall, an tique, and every richest marble, almost produce the idea of enchantment; and the eye wanders around in eager curi osity, with amazement and delight.— Light is beautiful; and here it is seen, bright and sparkling, reflected from pure and precious marbles; while from the wide-spreading windows the most delightful \iews of Home, rich with her cupolas, sjtires, and obelisks, in every varied form of architecture, with her sea-green Campagna, bounded by the dark grey mountains fading in the dis tance, are presented to the eye. It is the noblest national possession in the world, and should ever be sacred. The mind of man is, I trust, now so well informed, that no barbarous conqueror will ever again dare to touch it with a profane hand.— Bell's Italy. California Costumes. —A corres pondent of the, Philadelphia Daily News gives us particulars of the Cali fornia costume at the rtiines. They are very interesting, but we doubt whether they are as accurate as the following : Morning Dress—Nothing very new in morning dresses. Blouse with slash ed sides, and a black belt, trimmed with couteaux de chasse, and revolvers al’ Amcrieaine. Shoes the strongest Bluchers, with iron heels and hobnails as big as fists. The only ornament, a powder flask, or a butcher’s steel ; the only walking stick, a light carbine. No gloves. It is generally the fashion, for a party exceeding six, to travel about the coun try with a small eight pounder, which affords capital amusement in the even ing amongst the natives. Evening Dress for the Ball Room or the Gambling House.—Waistcoat of shot silk. Handkerchief a light Robes pierre red. Coats a pale moonlight co lour, padded with horsehair, and made of a thick galvanized substance, almost impenetrable. Under waistcoat an ele gant bull’s hide. Pistols di riguer.— Court sword. Light cane, withaspring blade; or a life-preserver, filled with lead, and gold tassels. Opera hat of light sheet iron. iT'ljr JQurlifa fm. INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION IN 1851. CIRCULAR. Rooms or the National Institute, ) Washington, Nov. 7,1850. ( The Executive Committee appointed by the Central Authority of the United States on the London Industrial Exhi bition, respectfully present the follow ing summary of information on the most important matters requiring the attention of State Committees, and of those who intend to become exliibiters. Committees appointed by the Go vernors of the several States are recog nized as the proper judges for selecting articles suitable to be sent to the exhi bition from the United States. Articles intended for the exhibition will be examined by the Committee of the State or Territory of which they are the products. The State Committees will furnish duplicate, certificates of all articles ex amined and approved by them, to the Executive Committee at Washington, who will give the sanction required bv the British Commissioners. Articles approved in the manner above prescribed, will be forwarded to London free of charge, from the port of New York, in a national vessel j placed by the Navy Department at the disposal of the Central Committee for that purpose; and, at the close of the Exhibition they will be returned in the same conveyance to the same place, unless otherwise disposed of. The Treasury Department will af ford, as.far as practicable, through the Revenue Cutter Service, facilities for forwarding objects from the different Atlantic ports to New York. Should the vessel designated to con vey the goods to London not be in ; readiness to receive them on their ar . rival at New York, thev will be stored at the Navy Yard, and afterwards put on board, free of expense to the owners. Ali goods intended to be forwarded to the Exhibition by the government j vessel from New York, should be deli- I vered at that place duly marked, and with suitable invoices, containing the corresponding marks. In addition to other marks, there should be inscribed : on each package the words “ London : Exhibition.” No article will be received at the ! Navy Yard after the tenth day of Janu ! ary, 1851, as the vessel will sail soon i after that period. All expenses in London for cartage, | unpacking, arranging for exhibition, and removing of package eases, must ! be paid by the owners of the goods or I their agents. Detailed statements relative to the | exhibition and to the. several classes of | objects appropriate thereto, have been j furnished to the several State Commit -1 tees, and wiil be supplied to those who may require more particular informa | tion, upon application to the Executive Committee. Peter Force, Chairman. Jos. C. G. Kennedy. Secretary ofExe cutive Committee. REGULATIONS BY THE COMMISSIONERS IN LONDON. Ist. The Exhibition is to be opened in Hyde Park, London, on the Ist day of May, 1851. The building construct ed chiefly of cast iron and plate glass, 1,848 feet long, 308 feet wide, and 108 feet high, with a machinery room, 930 feet long, and 48 feet wide, will be nearly fire proof. 2. Goods will be received between the first of January and the first of March, 1851. After the latter day, none can be received. 3. The productions ofall nations will be exhibited together under one gen eral classification. 4. Articles exhibited will be divided into four sections, viz: Ist. Raw materials and produce. 2d. Machinery. 3d. Manufactures. 4th. Sculpture, models and plastic art. 5. Exhibiters will deliver their goods at their own charge and risk, at the building in Hyde Park. 6. Articles liJhie to perish during the period of eight months, from the first of January to the first of Septem ber, are not suitable to be exhibited. This applies more particularly to cer tain articles derived from the animal and vegetable kingdoms. 7. Exhibiters will be at the cost of their own insurance. Glass eases, when required, must be furnished by the ex hibiter. 8. Any exhibitor may, by permis sion of the Royal Commissioners, em ploy a’servant to keep in order and ex plain the articles which he exhibits, but none to invite purchasers. 9. Prices are not to be affixed to the articles exhibited, but may, at the option oi’ the exhibiter, be stated in the invoice sent to the Royal Commis sioners. 10. No articles of foreign manufac ture can be admitted for exhibition un less they come with the express sanc tion of the Central Authority of the country of which they are the produce. 11. Goods will be admitted without payment of duty, and sealed yvith the official seal of the Board of Customs ! till their arrival at the building; but! bonds will be required of the owners or agents for the payment of duties in ease they should be sold in England after the exhibition is over. No goods can be removed until the exhibition is finally closed. 12. The rules of awarding prizes yvill conform to the section or department to which the goods belong. 13. In the department of rayv mate rials and produce, prizes will be award ed upon a consideration of the value and importance of the article, and the superior excellence of the particular specimens exhibited; and in the ease of prepared materials, the novelt y and im uprtance of the prepared product, and tne superior skill and ingenuity in the preparation, yvill be considered. 14. In machinery, prizes will be given wit reference to novelty in the invention, superiority in the execution, increased efficiency or increased econo my in the use of the article exhibited. Its importance in a social view, and the difficulties in perfecting it, yvill also be taken into account. 15. In manufactures, increased use fulness, such as permanency of colours improved forms and patterns, superior quality, or higher skill in workmanship new materials used, and combinations of materials, beauty of design in f orn , or colour, with reference to utility, an ,j cheapness relatively to excellence of production, will be the bases of ] fc . cision. 1(5. In sculpture, models and the plastic art, rewards yvill have reference to the beauty and originality of the specimens, to improvements in the processes of production, to the appli ca . tion of art to manufactures, and, in t| !e case of models, to the subjects thev re present. 47. Juries, to consist partly of Ena. lishmen and partly of foreigners, will be composed of men of known ability to form a judgment — above the suspj. cion of either national or individual partiality. 18. No competitor for a prize can be placed on a jury in the particular do partment in which lie is a competitor. 19. To exhibitors from the United States, there have been allotted ~f ground space 85,000 square feet, sub ject to a deduction of one half for i. a <, sages, and of wall or hanging snare, 40,000 square feet, not subject to de duction. __ (T’ljf ?iirrri! Mar. From the London Evangelical Magazine, TO AN AGED CHRISTIAN IN AFFLICTION. Pilgrim! faint, and worn, and weary, Soon life’s journey will he past ; Though thy patli be rough and dreary, Peace shall crown thy soul at last. Pilgrim ! raise thine eye, though sorrow Dims it oft with bitter tears ; There’s a bright and glorious morrow: See !—e’en now its dawn appears! Look!—for hope is sweetly blending W ith each cloud its beauteous rays. And thy trials are but tending To convert thy grief to praise. Yes, and lie who now afflicts thee, Though he chastens, still he loves; P'ull of tenderness and pity, Ev’ry stroke his mercy proves. Pilgrim! faint and worn,and weary, Lean upon thy Saviour’s breast, He will comfort and sustain thee, Till thou gam the promised rest. And, when passing death’s dark river, Banish ev’ry trembling tear, One is mighty to deliver. The Redeemer will be near! Lesson for Sunday, December 15. CHRISTIAN CONSISTENCY. “ Walk worthy ofthe vocation wherewith yc are called.” Eph. iv. 1. Paul rejoices that, though he was in bonds, the word of the Lord was not bound. This epistle was written while he was “ the prisoner of the Lord.” We have here The statement of Christian pri vilege. Believers are effectually call ed by the Spirit. They are called to knowledge. In conversion the darkness is removed from the understanding, and the true light shines into the soul; they have an unction from the Holy One, and know all things. They are culled to holiness. To serve a holy God, to receive holy impres sions, to cultivate holy tempers and feelings, and to engage in holy pursuits. They are called to peace. T his is the characteristic of the Gospel of Christ, and pervades every part of it; and when it slfiill be universally spread, war shall be heard of no more. They are called to glory. ! low high and dignified is their destination! All the grandeur and magnificence of the world, when put in competition with the bright anticipations of the sons of’ God, are but as the feeble light of a taper to the splendor of the sun. The requirement of Christian duty. They are to walk worthy of their vocation. There is to lie a cor respondence between their calling and their conversation. If they are vail ed to knowledge, they should walk wisely; if to holiness, they should walk unblamably; if to peace, they should walk affectionately; and if to glory, they should walk cheerfully. — Let us study to make our calling and election sure: if we can discern the lineaments of the Divine image on our souls, these are the counterpart of the golden characters of his love, in which our names are written in the book of life. “ My name from the palms of hi- hands Eternity will not erase; Impressed on his heart it remains, In marks of indelible grace: Yes, I to the end shall endure, As sure as the earnest is given ; More happy, hut not more secure, The glorified spirits in heaven.” INTEREST! NG 1 NCI DENT. A few Sabbath evenings since, there was baptized in the Seventh Baptist Church of Baltimore, the oldest son of Rev. Mr. Wyer, once located in tb ; city, and now known and beloved by a large circle there. The pastor of that church (Rev. Dr. Fuller) was baptized by Mr. W ver, and just before immers ing the candidate, he improved the oc casion with some remarks to the tal lowing purport, adding much to the in terest and solemnity of the scene: “ It is now- some sixteen years, (the scene rises before me as if it were yes terday,) that a large multitude w> gathered on the bank of a beautiful sheet of water at the South, in front of that multitude stood two persons. One was the minister of religion, tup other a man'who, amidst a career of pride, and folly, and sin, had been uny cifully arrested by God, and brougm to exclaim, “Lord, what wilt it ll, have me to do?” lie was there to baptized. , 1 well remember the whole scene. ‘ remember the very hymn then sung. 1 was that just sung by you. beginning • “In all my Lord’s appointed wajs, My journey I’ll pursue, Hinder me not, ye much lov’d friends, For I must go with you.’’ I have reason this night to remv ber that scene, for this candidate son of the minister who then upon the bank of that river; and 11 humble individual who addresses } is the young man who was then ha J tized by the father, of this car.ih and w ho, as he reverts to that Y and looks back over so many his ministry, can only exclaim “ profound humiliation and devout tude, and amidst conscious j and unfaithfulness, “ Having 0 t,u , the help of God, 1 continue l| nt“ day, witnessing both to small am g the unsearchable riches ot f bn May you, my brother, prove yourself a son worthy ot - 1 father! May the faith you no* fess before many witnesses, sho”