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12 ly allotted, or her vast energies will be overtasked and exhausted. It is a serious misfortune to the people of the South that there is so little of this judicious treatment of the soil among our farmers. Their policy is to wear out the soil, and then to remove to newer and fresher fields. This policy is defended by the specious plea that there is yet much land to be possessed. How un wise, how unfortunate! Our lands are relentlessly shorn of their rich timber, and then rapidly wasted until they blush with very shame at their hopeless bar renness. Not thus should it be. Science should be brought to the aid of Agricul ture, and then the barren soil would be made fruitful ; the weak soil w r ould grow strong —delects would be discovered and remedied, deficiencies would be supplied, and # excesses w r ould be wisely reduced. — Then the beautiful and wide-spreading forests—which the ruthless hand of Waste has yet spared —might stand in their primeval freshness and power. The tiller of a thousand acres would find his sphere of labour reduced five-fold. Instead of vast tracks of unsightly, rain washed hills and fields, his plantation would ex hibit smooth and verdant meadows, firm and fertile slopes, wood-crowned hills and luxuriant vallies. The expenditure of animal force would be vastly reduced, while his crops would increase in quality and abundance. This is neither fiction nor speculation. It is sober, earnest truth, attested by the practice of the great body of European agriculturists, and by thou sands of farmers in our own vast territo ry. The prejudices that exist against scientific farming, are the fruits of igno ranee, and they are deeply to be deplored. Science, connected with Agriculture, can do any thing for the soil, short of actual ly revoking the curse which God pronoun ced upon it, as the penalty of the first human sin. It can make the desert smile, and the wilderness blossom like the rose. “ ’Twas from Philosophy man learn’d to tame, The soil, by Plenty to Intemperance fed, Lo, from the echoing axe, and thundering flame, Poison and plague, and yelling rage are fled. The waters bursting from their slimy bed, Bring health and melody to every vale, And from the breezy main and mountain’s head, Ceres and Flora to the sunny dale— To fan their glowing charms, invite the fluttering gale.” Lesson for Sunday, Jan. 4 . THE LAMB OF GOD. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketii away the sin of the wor.d.”—John i. 129. The Gospel is superior to the law, as the substance is to the shadow, or the sun \y* his meridian splendour, to the first glimmerings of day. In the one, we catch some faint glimpses of the glory and grace of the Redeemer ; in the oth er, we get a clear and full view of them. Two things may be noticed concerning the Saviour, in the passage before us. SOUTHERN LITERARY GAZETTE. His glorious character. “The Lamb of God.” Here is The figure employed. A lamb. Look at its nature; how meek, innocent and gentle! Will not this apply to Jesus'? Its usefulness, for food and clothing. Thus in Christ we have the bread of life, and the robe of righteousness. Its typical reference. Under the law of Moses, a lamb was offered every morning and eve ning in sacrifice to God. The designation given. He is called the Lamb of God ; and that for several reasons—because he was chosen, appoint ed, and accepted by God. His gracious act. “Which taketh aw r ay the sins of the w r orld.” Here the doctrine of Christ’s atonement is clearly taught; and if this be denied, we rob the fabric of Christianity of its foundation ; strike at the very roots of the tree of life ; attempt to pluck the diadem of glo ry from Immanuel’s brow ; mutilate the fair volume of revelation; take the bright est jewel from the cabinet of Scripture; dash the cup of consolation from the lips of the mourner; and leave the sinner without a gleam of hope. Oh ! then, let us take our station by the cross, and be hold the Lamb of God. A NEW WORK BY POWERS. The Italian correspondent of the Lon don Daily JVews says: —“While on the subject of the fine arts, 1 must not omit stating that Mr. Powers, the American sculptor, whose studio I visited yester day, and w hose name will be familiar to your readers as the author of the Greek Slave, which formed such a point of at traction in the late Great Exhibition, is now engaged on a statue of great beauty and of great allegorical interest, both as regards his own country and the prospects of the world at large. It represents Cali fornia, under the form of a beautiful fe male figure, of the Indian type of feature, pointing, with a divining rod, to a mass of auriferous quartz, which is skilfully disposed so as to form the support of the statue. The voluptuous beauty of the figure, the smiling expression of her face, and the richness of her cap, brace lets and armlets of native gold, are suffi cient to awaken the enthusiasm of those who, through avarice, or through adven turous spirit, leave all in search of the tempting metal; but here, indeed, w 7 e may say, ‘all is not gold that glitters’— the too often deluded hopes of the adven turers, and the ‘deceitfulness of riches,’ are well typified by a branch of thorns, which the enchanting California holds be hind her back, in her right hand, and which, in the first burst of admiration, is not visible to the gaze of the dazzled spectator.” —The young lady who caught cold by drinking out of a damp tumbler, is con valescent. RANDOM READINGS. —Girls who rise early and apace, steal roses-from Aurora’s face; but when they yawn in bed till ten, Aurora steals them back again. —An angry cook was seen to-day blowing up the fire , because it wouldn’t burn. —To kiss a rosy-cheeked girl, and find your mouth filled with Venetian Red, and she growing pale on it, is truly awful. —‘‘Figgers vont lie. vill they ?” mut tered a seedy genius holding on to a lamp post. “Veil, perhaps they vont; but I see a figure as vont stand, anyhow.” —A candidate for medical honours having thrown himself almost into a fe ver from the incapacity to answer the questions, was asked by one of his pro fessors, “How w r ould you swrnat a patient for the rheumatism?” He replied “I would send him here to be examined.” —A person who had got some little smattering of zoological lore, said one day to a novice that crocodiles were often seen in tears. “Oh, that’s nothing,” re joined the novice, “J’ve often myself seen whales blubber? —A lady in a menagerie being asked why she closely scanned the elephant with her opera glass, replied that she was “looking for the keyhole to his trunk!” —“lsn’t the world older than it used to be ?” said a young hopeful to his senior. “Yes, my son.” Then what do folk’s mean by old times?” —“Gentlemen of the jury, have you agreed?” “Yes!” “What is your verdict ?” “We find the prisoner notguilty —if he’ll leave the town.” —“A shop-keeper was asked how 7 he obtained the appellation of little rascal, and he replied, “to distinguish me from the rest of the trade who are all great ras cals.” —Which is the quickest, heat or cold ? Heat, because you can catch cold. —A lady, about purchasing a pair of shoes, cautioned the shopman as he hand led her ankle, “not to get above his busi ness.” —A wise man is happy when he gains his own approbation; a fool when he re commends himself to the applause of those about him. —Hard times and we must make the most of what little w T e have—-as the gro cery keeper said when he watered his vin egar. —He that spends his time in sports, and calls it recreation, is as he whose gar ment is nothing but fringe, and his meat nothing but sauce. [Jan . 3,