Varieties.

THE SCULPTOR AND THE CLERGYMAN.-At the time when Bacon, the celebrated sculptor, was putting up the monument of Lord Chatham, a minister, to whom he was an utter stranger, was walking through the Abbey, and, coming up unseen, tapped Mr. B. on the shoulder, saying, "Take care what you are about-you work for eternity," (alluding to the story of Zeuxis). It happened the next morning that Mr. B. heard this gentleman deliver a discourse from the pulpit, and, watching him in his passage to the vestry, he came behind him, and, tapping him in a similar manner, said, "Take care what you are about-you work for eternity."

NOVEL AND SIMPLE MODE OF INCREASING THE SPEED OF VESSELS.-A correspondent of the Shipping Gazette says: "A highly important discovery has just been made, of a material so prepared that the surface is rendered slippery, or somewhat slimy, thereby non-resisting, and consequently accelerating most considerably the speed of all craft, whether small or large, to which it may be applied. APPARATUS FOR TRANSPLANTING TREES, ETC.-An in- It also effectually protects them from the adhesion of genious invention, by Mr. M'Glashen, has lately appeared, barnacle and sea-weed, or other marine animal or vegetable by means of which shrubs, plants, trees, and even entire matter. This material, a sort of paint, is one of the borders may be removed with perfect safety from one situ- thousand and one useful purposes to which it has been ation to another, however remote. A trial has been made | found that caoutchouc (indian-rubber) can be applied." at Edinburgh with satisfactory results; and still more reA NEW SHIP PROPELLER.-The last files of the Sydney cently the power of the apparatus has been tested at the Morning Herald contain accounts of a new propeller, inChiswick Horticultural Gardens, in the presence of his vented by Sir Thomas Mitchell, the surveyor-general of Royal Highness Prince Albert, Sir Joseph Paxton, and New South Wales, a trial of which in a small steamer at other practical men, by the transplanting of a tree 56 feet that port had excited great interest. It is called the high and 4 feet 10 inches in circumference. The facility boomerang propeller, and is constructed on the principle with which an object so lofty and ponderous was handled, of the weapon of that name used by the natives to kill by means of the working of a screw on either side, is said game. Although the experiment was only on a small and to have been marvellous. This new achievement of meimperfect scale, a speed of twelve knots an hour against a chanics in our own land, reminds us of a somewhat similar head-wind is stated to have been obtained. The instru feat which is recorded to have been performed a short time ment is described to combine great strength and simplicity, ago in New York, America. It appears that a two-story whilst it has the advantage that its motion in the water house was removed from the foot of Jay-street to Red causes but a comparatively slight agitation, so that it is Hook Point by water. The house, with contents, was capable of being adapted to canal boats as well as to other placed upon two large barges, and towed to its new loca- vessels. At the conclusion of the trial Sir Thomas Mittion by a steam-tug. chell expressed his conviction "that the weapon of the earliest inhabitants of Australia has now led to the determination mathematically of the true form by which alone, on the screw principle, high speed in water can be obtained."

A RIVAL TO THE GREAT VICTORIA NUGGET.-In one of the late arrivals of gold dust from Port Phillip, was an immense nugget weighing 545 ounces, which is stated to be the largest piece ever brought into this country. It was found in a spot not more than six yards from the place where the great Victoria nugget was discovered. It had been repeatedly turned over, and many of the holes near it were abandoned and full of water. It was picked up by a seaman named Potter.

TENUITY OF COPPER.-A bar of copper, five-eighths of an inch in diameter, was lately drawn into a coil of wire, at Birmingham, three miles long.

MONUMENT TO NELSON.-A monument to this great naval commander has just been completed at Portsmouth. It is a structure of granite surmounted by the identical anchor of the Victory at Trafalgar, a gift from the Admiralty. The memorial, at the cost of Lord F. Fitzclarence, stands on the Southsea beach, where Nelson went on board for the last time to take command of the fleet. OYSTERS AND MICE.-A person at Haverfordwest lately purchased a small quantity of oysters, which he placed in a back room; in the course of a quarter of an hour he went into the apartment, and there discovered that two mice had been actually caught by one oyster, and their heads broken by the shells, when attempting to purloin the fish.

REDISCOVERY OF A COMET.-Mr. Hind writes to the Times-"On the 6th of the present month (March) a comet was discovered at the observatory of the Collegio Romano, at Rome, which, I find, presents strong indications of identity with that of 1664, one of the most minutely described comets recorded in history."

MOSLEM TOLERATION.-The Sultan has granted a large piece of ground, at Constantinople, as a cemetery for Christians of all communions, and it was said that he would even pay the expense of building a wall around it.

BURIED TREASURES.-A man who was recently engaged in digging up, for the purpose of removal, some gravel in the churchyard of Wedmore, Somersetshire, came upon an earthen vessel containing 120 coins of the reigns of Canute and some of his predecessors. They were in a perfect state of preservation.

ELECTRIC LIGHT AND THE MANUFACTURE OF COLOURS.-A new application of electricity, invented by Dr. Watson, is now exhibiting in the immediate vicinity of Wandsworth. The great feature of the invention is, that the materials consumed in the production of electricity are employed for a profitable purpose independent of that of illumination. Thus, while a most brilliant light is produced by galvanic action, materials are introduced into the battery by which pigments of the finest quality are obtained, and these are so valuable that they equal, if they do not exceed, the cost of the operation. The pigments are of course first obtained in a liquid state, but they pass through a filtering and drying process, which not only renders them available for ordinary purposes, but creates variety of tint when the colour is the same. If the result of the inventor's discovery answers his expectations, this double employment of electricity will be a valuable addition to practical science, since we may literally have light for nothing, the illuminator being paid with his own pig. ments.

A NEW APPLICATION OF GUTTA PERCHA.-A New York correspondent of the Philadelphia Inquirer says: "I have just been inspecting a number of stereotype plates cast in gutta percha. The mould is of the same material, and the letters all come up with a fair face. The impres sions from these plates are perfect; and, if it works as it at present promises to do, there must be a complete revolution wrought in the business of stereotyping."

in spirits of wine, and add a small quantity of water. RECEIPT FOR JOINING GLASS.-Melt a little isinglass Warm the mixture gently over a moderate fire. When mixed by thoroughly melting, it will form glue perfectly transparent, and which will re-unite broken glass so nicely and firmly that the joining will scarcely be perceptible to the most critical eye. Lime mixed with the white of an egg forms a very strong cement for glass, porcelain, etc., but it must be done neatly, as, when hard, the superfluous part cannot easily be smoothed or taken off.-Scientific American.

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again; you may be losing a large legacy. I have no spite against your father, though he has brought himself from owning a farm to making teaboards. You are a good girl, who would take care of money. Hadn't you better stay at home? Mind, I don't forbid you to come, if you like, but one must keep one's word. I'll leave you nothing."

men in a position of power, he was prodigiously were a sensible girl. I would urge you to think stiff in his resolutions, and the more whimsical they happened to be the greater was Nat's obstinacy. Miss Westland, therefore, bundled up her work; Mrs. Weatherall pocketed the "Complete Housewife;" Mrs. Mathewson resumed her writing-case; and, with many assurances that they would do anything to oblige him, which Nat answered with wonted dryness, "Yes, yes, I know you would," all disappeared more quickly than they came. For that day and the next Troy talked of nothing but Nat's new notion. What put it into his mind, was the wonder of our whole town, and more particularly of the three interested families; but everybody at last agreed that he was a very eccentric old man.

The houses of Mathewson, Weatherall, and Westland obeyed their warning to the very letter. A messenger was sent from each dwelling twice a day to inquire after Nat's state, and all assumed long faces as they communicated to their neighbours the accounts of failing strength and increasing illness; but there was a large legacy at stake, and Norton was left entirely to the care of Cæsar and his physician. The old man's injury had been more serious than the doctor at first supposed. Evidences of a blood-vessel having been ruptured somewhere in the lungs appeared, and Nat himself became alarmed. His hardy, healthy life had prevented his acquiring that experience in sickness which often serves the patient more than the physician can. He had good medical attendance, but Nat knew not how to be careful of himself; Cæsar was but an unskilful nurse; and, though Norton's resolution to keep out his anxious relatives remained unshaken, matters were anything but comfortable with him, when, on the second morning, the negro entered his room with an astonished look, and the tidings,

"Please,, massa, Bessy Bennet's come to see if she can be of any use."

"Show her in," said Nat, his face, in spite of pain and sickness,, assuming the hard, keen look with which he was wont to drive a bargain or outwit a trader. As Bessy, in her warm grey cloak and beaver bonnet, entered the clean but comfortlesss sick room, Norton began: "Good morning, girl;; you are a daughter of Jonathan Bennet, I suppose. What brings you here ?”

I heard you had been hurt, sir," said Bessy, "and came to see if I could be of any use about you'

"Off use!" cried Nat sharply. "Everybody's of use that's willing. But haven't you heard what I said yesterday, that any relation of mine that came here while I was ill should be cut off with a shilling ?"

"I was standing at the door when you said it, sir," answered Bessy.

"And what makes you throw away your chance, child? You know I'll keep my word," said Nat. Norton, who was by this time as much the spoiled child of fortune as many a flattered monarch.

"Because," said Bessy, in a mild but firm tone, "all the wealth of this world is nothing compared with the blessing of God, which I could not expect if I neglected my duty to you as a relation.”

"Well, Bessy," said Nat, gazing on her with genuine amazement, "I always thought you

"Mr. Norton," said Bessy-for Nat demanded so much ceremony from still nearer relatives"Mr. Norton, I want no money to take care of. I have been blest with health and hands, which are sufficient for my support. Leave your property as you think best, and let me come now and then to help about your room."

"Take your own way, girl," said Nat, throwing himself back on the pillow, for the old man was exhausted; "take your own way; there's no use in advising a woman!"

Nat's dormitory was divided from his parlour by a wainscot partition. It had a well-scoured floor, two or three polished maple chairs set round the green-painted walls, a great bedstead of the same material, with a curiously-formed desk, in which it was believed Nat kept his most important papers. There was a modest dressing apparatus hard by, a stove kept very bright but never heated, and a curtainless window, with a double sash for the winter. Bessy Bennet heated the stove, curtained the window, put up a screen of green baize to keep out the draught, left Nat's toast and tea quite hot on a small table by his side, and then went home to prepare her father's breakfast.

It was one of those bright frosty days so frequent at the close of our New England winter. The sunlight glistened on the frozen Skim, and shone brightly into the single room which served the Bennets at once for workshop and parlour. A diminutive kitchen and two sleeping closets were all the cottage contained besides, yet there was an air of homely comfort about it. Bessy's work-table stood at one window and her father's small bench at the other, while a spacious cupboard stood on each side of the hearth, on which blazed a bright wood fire. The brick floor was covered with a list carpet of Bessy's own knitting; two or three prints, in polished cedar frames, which had once decorated their old farm-house-Joseph and his Brethren, Ruth Gleaning in the Fields, and the portrait of Washington ornamented the snowwhite walls; and in the centre, spread for their morning meal, stood the round table, in which Jonathan delighted as a choice specimen of his art. The old man looked cheerfully up from one of the despised teaboards of white cedar, which he was inlaying with flowers of red for the fastidious Mrs. Mathewson, as his daughter stepped lightly in.

"Welcome back, Bessy," he said; "how is cousin Nat this morning ?"

66

"Very ill, father; and not in a good frame of mind either, I fear," said Bessy; he still talks of his money, and told me what great chances I had lost, but he has given me leave to look after him; and indeed, father, his room is very comfortless."

66

Ay," said Jonathan, "money does grow into the mind sometimes. He thinks, no doubt, that every one sets as much store by it as himself.