In No. 103 of the "Tatler," published in 1709, we find a graphic description of this "nice conduct" of the cane. The beau pleads for its continuance, because it "had become as indispensable as any other of his limbs, and the knocking of it upon his shoe, leaning one leg upon it, or whistling upon it with his mouth, are such great relief to him in conversation, that he does not know how he should be good company without it." appropriately may the words b applied to all who thus thoughtlessly seek self-in tulgence at the expense of divine commands: "o! thou trusteth in the star of this broken reed, hereon if a man lean it will go into his hand and ierce it." HINTS TO THE MARRIED. The carving of heads and grotesque figures on FORBEARANCE is needful in every family. A book the handles of sticks is probably traceable to the has been written to illustrate the maxim, "Temper baton carried by the fools or jesters, who were re- is everything." Of the book I cannot speak; but tained by sovereigns and noblemen for the amuse- certain it is, that in conjugal life temper is almost ment of themselves and their guests in the 16th everything. While marriage is a blessed institucentury. Chantrey, the eminent sculptor, began tion, it is a crucible to character. The great his career when, as a milk-boy in the neighbour-transactions of life are much less trying to the hood of Sheffield, he used to carve heads with his temper, than the secluded, intimate, constant felpocket-knife upon sticks taken from the hedges. lowship of the family. If there is any badness in It was the accuracy of one of these which found a man or woman's disposition, this will bring it him a patron, who kindly took him by the hand till out. It has long been proverbial, that to underhe entered the path to fame and fortune. A still stand a person's character you must live with him; more interesting fact, in connection with his history, and the reason is, partly because home is the only is that in the days of his prosperity, when popula- place where we are quite free from restraint and rity and a title had fallen upon him, he would re- act out our real feelings, and partly because we vert to his origin without a blush, and with hu- encounter more petty annoyances and perplexities morous exactness repeat the inimitable “milk-ho!" there than elsewhere. It should not be so; but of his early days. the illusion with which parties set out in wedded life is too commonly dispelled, and that at an early day. Abraham and Sarah entertained three strangers, and were amazed, when their visit was concluded, to find that their guests were angels. The reverse of this has sometimes happened in conjugal life. The parties have been certain, at their nuptials, that they were marrying each an angel; and have subsequently learned, with equal certainty, that they were mistaken-that instead of an angel, each had been joined to a piece of fallible humanity, not deficient possibly in some seraphic qualities, but possessing others to which seraphs can lay no claim. Again, therefore, we say, forbearance is needful in every family.-Bible in the Familg. Though so simple an article, the walking-stick is an important item both of commerce and manufacture. The principal trade in sticks for Europe and the world is carried on in London. One wholesale dealer in the metropolis has many thousands of pounds invested in his varied stock, which to the uninitiated would present the appearance of only so much firewood. The magnitude of this gentleman's transactions may be gathered from the fact, that he prepares annually two millions and a half of ratans for umbrella ribs, and sells annually 509,000 manufactured walking-sticks. The commonest and cheapest stick, previous to sale, passes through at least twenty pairs of hands. The forests and hedgerows of the entire world, and every shrub and tree, have been placed under contribution for woods of various qualities; though choice is made either of strength, elasticity, susceptibility of polish, or eccentricity of growth. The common curved handle is formed by softening the wood in hot damp sand, after which it retains the required curvature when it has been made by the hand. The wood is straightened in a similar manner, after being steeped in hot dry sand. When the bark is not retained, the stick is boiled for an hour or two, and then it is easily peeled with the fingers. In order to polish the article, it is brought to a very smooth surface by means of emery paper and fish skin, when it is dyed according to the taste of the maker and the demand in the market. In "London Labour and the London Poor," we learn that the street stick-sellers ply their trade almost entirely on the sabbath. "On the Mondays there are not above a third of the number of stick-sellers there are on the Sundays; and on the other days of the week not above a seventh, or an eighth.' It is a deplorable fact, that so unnecessary a traffic should be so extensively pursued, that sometimes 200 dealers are thus engaged on a fine Sunday in the summer. One of these dealers says: "I once saw a boy I'd sold a stick to break it and throw it away, just before he knocked at the door of a respectable house one Sunday evening." How WORTH REMEMBERING. CHRISTIANS, you little think how much the life of all your graces and the happiness of your souls depend upon your ready and cordial obedience to the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit urges thee to secret prayer, or forbids thee thy known transgressions, or points thee out the way in which thou shouldst go, and thou wilt not regard; no wonder if heaven and thy soul be strange. If thou wilt not follow the Holy Spirit while it would draw thee to Christ and duty, how shall it lead thee to heaven and bring thy heart into the presence of God? What supernatural help, what bold access, shall the soul that constantly obeys the Spirit, find in its approaches to the Almighty! And how backward, how dull, how ashamed, will he be in those addresses, who hath often broken away from the Spirit that would have guided him! Christian reader, dost thou not feel sometimes a strong impression to retire from the world and draw near to God P Do not disobey; but take the offer, and hoist up thy sails while this blessed gale may be had. The more of this Spirit we resist, the deeper wil! it wound; and the more we obey, the speedier will be our pace.-Baxter. Varieties. A NEW MECHANICAL FORCE.-An ingenious mechanic of this town, Mr. John Caig, says the "Liverpool Times," has invented a machine for raising weights, which he deems analogous in construction to the appliances adopted by the builders of the Egyptian pyramids. Mr. Craig did not feel bound to explain the principle and mode of action of his invention, but the results obtained we had an oppor tunity of witnessing. By means of a model, a small weight was made to raise and sustain another of five times the size. The apparatus is capable of being applied, the inventor informs us, to the steam-engine, and with such success that twenty-horse power of steam and fuel would be equal to one hundred-horse under present circumstances. "With this machine," said Mr. Craig, "a small chain, capable of bearing six hundred-weight, and a small winch, to give the first motion, I could raise five tons." We are informed that there is not a wheel or block about the apparatus, and that the power is not gained by any modification of the lever-which latter seems a paradox certainly; but the results speak for themselves. A PERIPATETIC DENTIST.-One M. Duchesne, we learn by the papers, has lately been driving about Paris, in a gaudy wagon and with a band of music, taking out teeth! He stops in some frequented place, collects a crowd by means of the cymbal, and then invites the afflicted to apply at once for extraction and relief. A notice on the side of the wagon reads thus: "5000 francs if I miss a tooth." A line of victims, sometimes extending twice round the wagon, is formed, each in his or her turn paying a franc and leaving a tooth behind. A maid-servant passes M. Duchesne's equipage, remembers a sore spot in her upper jaw, feels in her pocket for a franc, and joins the tail-end of the line. Each applicant mounts on the seat with M. Duchesne, who demands the coin before proceeding. The head is then inclined backwards, the mouth opened, the tweezers inserted, and the tooth snatched from its gory bed. It is held up in the air an instant for the admiration of the multitude, and at each extraction the drum gives a bang of triumph! SCHOOL STATISTICS.-A parliamentary return states, that in England and Wales there are 46,114 schools; of which 15,584 are public and 30,530 private. The scholars in the public schools number 1,417,300, and in the private schools 727,077. There are 23,498 Sunday schools, containing 2,407,409 scholars. SUBMARINE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH FROM ENGLAND TO HOLLAND. The process of carrying out this enterprising undertaking was effected on Monday and Tuesday the 30th and 31st of May. The point of departure on the English coast was Orfordness; the point of arrival on the Dutch coast being Scheveningen-the nearest point to the Hague. The distance was 115 miles, and the quantity of cable used 119; thereby showing that, from the undulations of the ground, and deviations from the straight course, but 44 extra miles of cable were expended--an event altogether unprecedented in the annals of submarine engineering. Twenty-two out of thirty-four hours employed, a heavy sea was breaking over the vessels engaged in the difficult and hazardous work. The king of Holland's speech at the opening of the States-General at the Hague was the first public intelligence despatched by the new route. NINEVEH REMAINS.-The more recent letters of the indefatigable Col. Rawlinson announce still more curious and wonderful discoveries. He has at length received the long-expected cylinder from Kila Shergat, a splendid document, consisting of 800 lines of writing, which contains the bulletins of Tiglath-Pilesur 1, and is at least 200 yearsolder than any other document yet discovered. The writing of this inscription is said to be better, the language more polished, and the grammatical distinctions more nicely marked, than in the later legends. The real treasure-house of discovery, however, has been the débris of the royal library, of which Layard's collection formed the upper and better preserved part. Here he has found fragments of alphabets, syl labaria, and explanations of ideographic signs; also a table of notation, with the phonetic reading of the signs, showing that the Assyrians counted by sixties. There are treatises on weights and measures, divisions of time, points of the com forming a cycle like that of the Monguls: each year bears a name, generally that of a god; and all the old annals are metals, and trees, or elementary tracts on geology, metalnumbered after this cycle. Again, there are lists of stones, lurgy, and botany, and astronomical and astrological formule without end. Besides these, there are what appear to be veritable grammars and dictionaries; and much guess thus found to the determination of ideographic signs, and lection is in fragments, but it gives a most curious insight their distinction from phonetic characters. The whole colinto the state of Assyrian science whilst Greece was still sunk in barbarism. NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENCE ACROSS THE SEA.-pass, etc. There is an almanack for twelve years, apparently Occasionally some accident occurs which reveals the com. position of some of the colonial mails. Several months ago a sailing vessel was wrecked, and the contents of its mail-bag were brought to light, and were found to stand thus:-Letters, 780; newspapers, 3850. But this newspaper correspondence seems to increase vastly. A few weeks ago a vessel, called the "Orestes," met with an accident on its way to Australia, and its mail-bags were sent back to Eng-work will be spared by a sure guide which the colonel has land, to be forwarded by another ship. Their contents consisted of 15,000 newspapers. There were no letters. Such was the simple statement, without comment. Who can say how many of these were mere newspaper let ters, transmitted solely for the intelligence conveyed in the mere direction on the cover! And this intelligence is often varied ingeniously to embrace facts that pertain to business as well as affection. In some cases persons have seals, cut in glass for 2d., one bearing, for instance, the simple name William," the other the words " All Well." These items are superadded, in wax, to the manuscript direction on the cover. Receipts of money and other facts are indicated frequently in a way more simple. A gentleman travelling in France, a few months since, received from his agent in England a remittance, which, in order to save the postage on a special letter, he was requested to acknowledge by sending an old newspaper, with an e added to the last letter of the agent's name. Thus Bilham would be written Bilhame, the final e communicating the fact that Mr. Bilham, in France, had received safely the 201. for which he had written. Thus, under the present high rates of postage on letters, the post-office is swelling the bulk of the mail matter conveyed across the ocean by crowding into its bags and boxes tons of old newspapers, despatched for no other purpose but to convey what may be expressed in the direction on the cover. Does not this fact plead for the establishment of an Ocean Penny Postage ?--Illustrated London News. STATISTICS OF MUSCULAR POWER.-Man has the power of imitating every motion but that of flight. To effect this he has, in maturity and health, 60 bones in his head, 60 in his thighs and legs, 62 in his arms and hands, and 67 in his trunk. He has also 434 muscles. His heart makes 64 pulsations in a minute; and therefore 3,840 in an hour, 92,160 in a day. There are also three complete circulations of his blood in the short space of an hour. In respect to the comparative speed of animated beings and of impelled bodies, it may be remarked that size and construction seem to have little influence, nor has comparative strength, though one body giving any quantity of motion to another is said to lose so much of its own. The sloth is by no means a small animal, and yet it can travel only 50 paces in a day; a worm crawls only five inches in 50 seconds; but a lady-bird can fly 20 million times its own length in less than an hour. An elk can run a mile and a half in seven minutes; an antelope a mile in a minute; the wild mule of Tartary has a speed even greater than that: an eagle can fly 18 leagues in an hour; and a Canary falcon can even reach 250 leagues in the short space of 16 hours. A violent wind travels 60 miles in an hour; sound, 1,142 English feet in a second.-Bucke. who would have thought it? and so young too! | procession-the weeping Bertie-to the thoughtA good business-man, though; the life and soul of the firm: what will they do now?" Or, elsewhere, it was perhaps said, "Ah! nothing more than was to be expected. I was sure he was going when I saw him last. Very imprudent to tamper with his constitution as he did." And so Charles Grafton died. He was to have tried the soft airs of Devonshire. Lodgings had been taken for him at Sidmouth, but he died at home, and the darkened rooms cast their deep shadows on the grief-stricken widow and orphans. less groups around. One other, besides the boy and himself, followed Charles Grafton to the grave. This was Mr. C., one of the partners in the firm; and on their return to the disconsolate and desolated home, Mr. Nelson arranged for an early interview with this gentleman. We must go back a little way and explain. When, in the previous summer, after his accidental meeting with Mr. Grafton, Mr. Nelson returned to his quiet parsonage, he took with him the painful conviction that his old school friend, in spite of his "What a dismal place to die in, this hard- determination to get better, had not many months hearted, busy, cruel London!" said a child, pass-to live; and a still more painful conviction, that all ing by a house in one of its crowded thoroughfares, which exhibited, by closely-drawn blinds and halfclosed shutters, the usual tokens of death within"what a dismal place to die in, this London! I couldn't die here, I think: I should want to get far away, to die in quiet among the beautiful fields, and wither away like a fading flower. Yes, I would like to go into the sweet country to die, when my time comes; and be buried in some pleasant churchyard, where birds sing and daisies grow; not in dark, dreary, smoky, crowded London." Poor boy! he died neither in town nor country, and in no churchyard was he buried. He died at sea, and his lifeless body was committed "to the deep." In reality, what matters it where we die, or where we shall be buried? Nevertheless, the child spoke the language of humanity when he said, "What a dismal place to die in, this London!" was not right and safe as regarded the life after death. His conscience smote him, moreover, that he had not, with sufficient emphasis, warned his unhappy friend of the fatal consequences of ne glect and delay. Under the influence of these convictions, he took up his pen and commenced a correspondence, which terminated, a few months later, with a short note from the dying man, written with a feeble hand and a troubled heart; the immediate effect of which was to hurry Mr. Nelson from his quiet home in the country to Charles Grafton's bedside. And there, from day to day, he was to be found, until the last offices of friendship had been performed, and then he comforted the widow and the fatherless in their affliction. "These partners of my poor friend," were Mr. Nelson's reflections, as one afternoon, a few days after the funeral, he walked down the City-road, to keep his appointment with Mr. C.,-“I wonder what sort of men they are. These business gentlemen, I don't know much of them: they are sometimes generous; but I suppose there are all sorts, as in all the rest of the world. Poor Grafton had but little hope, it seemed, from this quarter, for his family; and if they will not help, what is to be done? Mr. C. appeared humane and considerate, though. He spoke kindly to the poor widow and the children; but, then, words are cheap." And with these conflicting feelings, Mr. Nelson at length reached his destination-a dingy warehouse in a narrow lane. Amidst piles of dusty goods he cork-screwed his way to a dark mustysmelling counting-house. The senior partner was reading the "Times," and, without putting the paper aside, he glanced keenly at the visitor, and despatched a messenger for Mr. C. It was the 1st of May, bright and cheerful. The streets were thronged with passengers; shopwindows were gay and attractive as shopmen could make them with the several commodities of trade; huge tickets announced, here, that an alarming sacrifice was being made on a fabulous number of shawls, which were to be sold at less than half the prime cost; there, that a bankrupt stock was to be cleared out at any price a customer would offer; tea-dealers vied with each other in strong selfpraise; and the baker at the corner announced, on pasteboard, another reduction in the price of the quartern loaf. They were too busy, or too anxious, in "merry Islington," that day, to think of death. The streets were noisy. There were coaches going out and coaches coming in; cabs rattling by; omnibus cads raising their voices with invitations to passing pedestrians, with but small success; and in the crowded thoroughfare were chimneysweeps in their May-day suits of green and glitter, "I understand Mr. C. made an appointment dancing like savages, and levying contributions on with you, sir?"-Mr. Nelson bowed acquiescenceall hands. Busy, calculating men passed along the "but I don't see what good we can do," conpavement intent on their various cogitations; chil- tinued the senior partner; "Mr. Grafton's affairs dren played in the streets; strains of music from-but here is Mr. C.; he knows more about the organ of a wandering Italian might have been heard in some more quiet street hard by; and a poor shrivelled monkey, dressed in fantastic guise, and striding the back of a melancholy dog, drew young gazers to parlour-windows, and halfpence to the organist. And above all this din sounded the solemn booming of the tolling bell; while through the throng passed a funeral procession. Ah! what a dismal place to die in, and be buried in this hard-hearted London! "Mirth and mourning! what a contrast!" thought Mr. Nelson, for he was there, as his eye glanced from the chief mourner in that them than I do." And as he spoke, the gentleman entered. There was a shade more of courtesy in his manner than in that of the senior partner, but not much to build any hopes upon; and our friend felt the chilling effects of the atmosphere which surrounded him. fellow And, in fact, looking at the death of the junior partner in the light in which they appeared to view it, it was very provoking. What could be the reason of it? What did he die for? A young like Charles Grafton; so useful to the firm, too; and with such strong inducements to live. Ten thousand people in London might have died, and been buried, with much less annoyance to them. It was a serious loss: they might look far and wide, and not find another to fill his place. It was a deep injury, to be as deeply resented. It was so imprudent to catch cold, so wrong to neglect it when it was caught. In short, it was a bad job altogether; but, since it had come to that, the only way was to wipe their hands of it; and perhaps as it was to come to that, it was as well that it was over; for, poor fellow, he hadn't been of much use of late. Now these were not exactly the words spoken by either of the partners in the preliminary conversation of that interview; but being interpreted by the anxious and observant visitor, the words they did speak had some such meaning; and it was some relief to his mind when they turned to another topic. "This is certainly a sad state of things, though only what we expected," said Mr. C., after carefully looking over sundry papers which Mr. Nelson had hastily prepared. "So far as I can judge by these statements, the poor woman will have next to nothing left when all is wound up." "I fear you are right, sir: it is too true," replied the widow's advocate. "I suppose you are aware," interposed the senior partner, "that, by our articles of partnership, Mr. Grafton's death ends at once all connection of his family with our firm ?" Yes; Mr. Nelson knew this, he said. "And also, that when he entered the firm, many years ago now, he added nothing to our stock, and that he has added nothing since ?" Mr Nelson assented to this also. His primary object, he said, in seeking this interview, was to obtain the advice of those who knew more of the world and of business than himself, so as to enable him to act for the best for a bereaved family, which, in some measure, had been committed to his care. "It is an unfortunate affair, sir," said Mr. C.; "the more so, to us at least, as our opinion may seem hard and unfeeling. The fact is, our Mr. Grafton, with admirable qualifications for business, in some respects, a little imprudent." "Very!" said the senior partner. was, "Nay, my dear sir, we will not be too severe,' rejoined Mr. C., with a bland smile-and in that smile, and the tone that accompanied it, Mr. Nelson read, or thought he read, the character of the Cold, calculating, plausible, heartless!" he mentally exclaimed. man. 66 531 not dispute this. partner, bluntly; "we urged him to do so, over "I do not mean," continued Mr. C., " that Mr. Grafton was imprudent in business-matters: he was a stirring, sharp-sighted man of business; but he did not guide his private affairs with discre tion." "Very far from it," rejoined the senior partner: "he began by marrying a girl without a penny." "I believe my friend Grafton never repented this step," replied Mr. Nelson, mildly. "Well, my dear sir, we will not dispute about that. At all events, we had no right to interfere in the matter," said Mr. C. "But this was the greater reason why he should have made some provision against contingencies; this mournful one, for instance." : To Mr. Nelson, whose income was scarcely more reasonable; nevertheless, he urged that probably than a fourth of this sum, the proposition seemed the necessary expenses of a family, and the style of living expected of a flourishing London tradesman, would swallow up even six hundred pounds a year. And, as he said this, he glanced at the partners. He read but little to encourage him. The senior was carelessly rubbing the glasses of his spectaof acquiescence, for he was all attention: but it cles; over the countenance of Mr. C. flitted a smile was the same cold, dreary, fishy smile, if we could fancy a fish smiling-a shark, for instance-which had once before played on his features. Mr. Nelson's suggestions; "six hundred a year is "Very true," said the senior partner, in reply to not a first-rate income, to be sure: it is easy enough young man who had nothing to begin the world to live up to it, or twice six hundred; but to a with, and whose previous salary had been but two hundred pounds, it was a lift, at any rate. Well, sir, we advised-and this is where I blame himwe advised him to insure his life, when we found he was determined to marry. He might have management, even a hundred, as easily as so many spared fifty or sixty pounds a year, or, with good shillings; and if he had done so, his widow needn't now be coming to us in forma pauperis; she would have from three to six thousand pounds down: a pretty little sum this, you see, sir. But he would not, or did not, take our advice; and called upon to do, at least." I really don't see what is to be done-what we are as he called it," said Mr. C.: "he wanted to be a "Grafton was too fond of doing things in style, gentleman, and got into company more than he don't know much of her, to be sure, but I fancy ought to have done; and then, Mrs. Grafton-I she had high notions, and was extravagant. And what with parties, and servants, and dear boarding-schools for the boy and girls, a good table and music, my only wonder is that he managed to keep a good cellar, and knicknackeries in books and within bounds at all. Look at his house, how 'tis noticed it. And now what is to be the end of it? furnished! you, my dear sir, must have seen it and of what it cost, and won't more than pay the priWhy, all there is in the house won't fetch a quarter vate debts; and the good lady comes to us for help. account"-and indeed this was true in one sense, Now I wouldn't speak harshly on any for Mr. C.'s words were like those of David's friend, "softer than butter"-" but you must see, |