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GEORGE HARMON.

BY IODINE.

Turning off into an obscure street, he opened the package. It contained one

"Yes," soliloquised George Harmon, "I thousand dollars, which George transferred to his pocket-book.

must have money. If he will not allow me a higher salary, I will make him suffer for it."

A letter from his father, which he had not before observed, was now read. It was George was a clerk in the store of Mr. full of solicitude for his welfare. It warned Hale. A conversation had just taken place him to shun all vice, and to walk in the between George and his employer, relative paths of virtue and piety. It said :to an increase of his salary, and had result-"Every morning, at eight o'clock, we ased in a refusal to enlarge his compensation. semble round the family altar, and always "It was hard times," Mr. Hale remarked, remember you, my dear son!"

"and he really could not afford it." George's salary had always been sufficient to meet his demands, but he was to be married soon, and he needed funds to defray his wedding expenses.

George, we regret to say, was somewhat addicted to the wine-cup, and was under its influence when he made the above threat. He was not fairly intoxicated, but was rather feverish and excited. A companion entered. "Why, George," said he, "what is the matter? You look desperate-what is to pay?"

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Just then he heard a clock strike eight. A strange feeling passed over him. The struggle commenced between conscience and vice, and we are sorry to say that the latter prevailed.

"Did the money from Baltimore come this morning?" inquired Mr. Hale, as George entered the store.

"No, sir," was the reply.

"Oh, dear, what shall I do? It was promised to-day, at the latest, and I wanted that thousand to pay a note."

"I have a friend," said George, "from

Everything to be paid, and nothing to whom I can borrow five hundred dollars for pay with."

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Come, come, you must look on the bright side of the picture."

"No moralising, Joe-I must have money."

"Invent a patent pill, or a rotary churn." "Pshaw! don't tantalise me."

"Has Mr. Hale reduced your salary?" “No—don't talk to me now!" George now tried to think of a plan whereby to obtain the requisite funds, and he lay awake the greater part of that night, in contriving a scheme to defraud his employer.

you, if you wish it."

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Do so, if you please," " said Mr. Hale. George left the store, and soon returned with half the money he had abstracted, thus somewhat easing his conscience.

"Here it is," said he.

“A thousand thanks,” said Mr. Hale. The next day came, but $500 was still wanted, and could not be obtained. The note was protested. Creditors became alarmed.

"I suspected it," said one.

"And just laid in a new stock, too," said another.

As he went to the store next morning, The first step down hill had been taken, he called at the Post-Office, to get his em- and it was with difficulty that Mr. Hale reployer's letters and papers, as was his cus-gained his former position.

tom. One letter was heavily and carefully enveloped, and George knew it contained money.

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Mr. Hale wrote to the Baltimore Postmaster, and the next day brought him his

"Aha!" he said to himself, "here is letters, one from the person from whom he what I want." had expected the remittance, and one from

the Postmaster. From these he learned that, writer arrested and brought to the cit the letter had been mailed a few days pre- They also brought with them a boy, wh

vious. Mr. Hale went to the Postmaster in his own city, and laid the matter before him.

"There is some foul play here," said he. "Let me look at the mail-bills," said the official.

He found, on reference, that the letter had reached his office, but none of the clerks knew what had become of it. The impression was, that it had been placed in the wrong box. The news spread through the city, and many remarks not very flattering to the Postmaster, were occasioned.

During these scenes of anxiety, George

stated that a gentleman had given him a do lar to take a letter to the C-Post-Offic and that the letter was addressed to M Hale. He had given the police a full de scription of his person, &c., and they wer going to make search for him.

George heard of these facts, and hastene home, telling his wife that he must She urged an explanation, but after a hu ried embrace he left her and fled—no of knew whither.

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It was fifteen years after the sudden an yet unexplained separation, that Mrs. Hi

mon removed to the far west, to live wit was married, and made a bridal tour to the her uncle. Here she became acquaint Falls. The first emotions of fancied bliss with a Mr. Day. He was a man of abo destroyed the bitter remembrance of his wicked deed, but conscience only invigora- that one who had such an apparent distas thirty-five or forty years, and it was strang ted herself by this silence and suspension, for society, should linger in her presence and now tortured him the more as he was he did. He was much respected, and Mi returning to the city. A gloom came over Harmon, who believed her former husba his spirits, and his pleasure was changed dead, reciprocated his feelings. She yield into pain. When within fifty miles of home, while her hand to Mr. Day, and became stopping at L, he enclosed $250 more of the stolen funds in a letter, and directed it, in a disguised hand, to Mr. Hale. This letter he handed to a boy, and gave him a dollar to carry it to a Post-Office about eight miles distant.

The next day George returned to the store, and found that Mr. Hale had received $250 of the stolen money.

"Why," said the astonished merchant, "it's from C, too, and not a word of explanation. I wish I knew that writing." The intelligence soon spread through the city, and it was now fully believed that through carelessness it had been put into another person's letter-box.

wife.

and intimated to her that he had a secr One evening Mr. Day called her asid to disclose to her. Showing her a ring

said:

"Do you know this?"

She turned pale, and fainted on his be som. It was one she had given to her fo mer husband. When she recovered asked,

"Where did you get it?"

"You gave it to me fifteen years ago said he.

"Merciful Heaven!" she exclaimed, "♫ are not

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"I am George Harmon,” he replied. "No, he is dead!"

"He lives, a better man, and once mor your husband!"

A plan for detection was formed, and they determined to closely watch all letters, and, if possible, discover the writer. At length a letter arrived, the direction of which very much resembled the one addressed to Mr. Hale. A warrant was issued, and the almost dead, and did not expect to 1

As soon as circumstances would adm he told her his history. He had ch his name, had written to her that He

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I miss her in our garden walks-
At morn and evening prayer-
At church-at play-at home-abroad-
I miss her everywhere;

But most of all I miss her when

The pleasant daylight's fled,
And strangers draw the curtains round
My lonely little bed!

For no one comes to kiss me now,

Nor bid poor Anne-" Good night!"
Nor hear me say my pretty hymn;
I shall forget it quite!

They tell me this mamma is rich,
And beautiful, and fine;
But will she love you, dear papa,
More tenderly than mine?

And will she, when the fever comes,
With its bewildering pain,

Watch night by night your restless couch,
Till you are well again?

When first she sung your fav'rite song,
"Come to the Sunset Tree,"
Which my poor mother used to sing,

With me upon her knee—

I saw you turn your head away;
I saw your eyes were wet;
'Midst all your glittering company,
You do not quite forget!

But must you never wear again

The ring poor mother gave?
Will it be long before the grass
Is green upon her grave?

He turned him from that gentle child,
His eyes with tears were dim,
At thought of the undying love
Her mother bore to him!

He met his gay, his beauteous bride,
With spirits low and weak,
And missed the kind, consoling words
The dead was wont to speak.

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of prayer, and watched with anxious face over our slumbers, the ground on which our little feet first trod, the pew in which we first sat during public worship, the school in which our first rudiments were taught, the torn Virgil, the dog-eared Horace, friends and companions of our young days, authors who first told us the history of our country, the songs which first made our hearts throb with noble and generous emotions, the burying place of our fathers, the cradles of our children, are surely the objects which nature tells us to love. Philanthropy, like charity, must begin at home. From this centre our sympathies may extend in an ever-widening circle.

AMERICAN SHIPS.

Three

mainly owned and sailed by Americans. The next point at which we have come into competition with the Americans, has been latély in ocean steam navigation. years ago they began. They were immeasurably behind us at starting; they are already nearly equal to us. Their transatlantic steam packets equal ours in size, power, and speed; in regularity they are still inferior. If they continue to advance at their present rate of improvement, they will very soon outstrip us. Next I come to the trade which has long been peculiarly our own, the China trade. The clipper-ships which they have recently sent home to this country have astonished the fine ships of our own Smiths and Greens. Our best shipowners are now trembling for their trade and reputation. Finally, it is true that the THE subject placed on the list for considera- Americans have sent over to England a tion has been suggested by the assertion, yacht called the America, which has found which, within a year or two, has been so on this side of the Atlantic no match; often repeated, that our transatlantic bre- and we only escape the disgrace of her thren are building better ships than ourselves; having returned to America, without any that, in short, Brother Jonathan is going of us having had the courage to accept her ahead, while John Bull is comfortably doz- defiance, through the chivalry of one gening in his arm-chair, and that, if he do not tleman, who accepted the challenge with a awake speedily, and take a sound survey of yacht half the size, on this principle, so his true position, he may soon find himself worthy of John Bull, "that the Yankee, hopelessly astern. Two questions of a prac- although he might say that he had beaten tical nature arise out of this alarming asser- us, should not be able to say that we had tion: 1st. Whether the Americans are all run away." Such, then, at present, is really in any respect superior to the English our actual position in the matter of ships, in nautical matters. 2d. Whether, in yachts, and steam navigation; a position order to equal them, we are to be condemn- highly creditable to the Americans, and ed to descend into mere imitators, or whe- which deserves our own very serious con⚫ ther we have independent ground from sideration. which we can start with certainty and I propose to examine a little into the originality on a new career of improvement physical causes of the naval success of the in naval architecture. In the outset, I beg Americans, but before doing so permit me permission to say that I am not one of those to point out a moral one, which, later in the who shut their ears to the praises of our evening, you will also find to lie at the botyoung and enterprising brethren over the tom of the physical causes. It is this; water, or view their rapid advancement with John Bull has a prejudice against novelty; jealousy. I beg to express my perfect Brother Jonathan has a prejudice equally belief in the accounts we have heard of strong in favor of it. We adhere to traditheir wonderful achievements in rapid river tion in trade, manners, customs, professions, steam navigation. I am satisfied, as a mat- humors; Jonathan despises it. I don't say ter of fact, that twenty-one, twenty-two, and twenty-three miles an hour have been performed, not once, but often, by their river steamboats. To that we cannot in this country offer any parallel.

he is right and we are wrong, but this difference becomes very important when a race of competition is to be run These preliminary remarks find immediate application in the causes which have led to our The next point in which they had beaten oss of character on the sea. The Amerius was in the construction of the beautiful cans, constantly on the alert, have carried packet-ships which carried on the passenger out and applied every new discovery to the trade between Liverpool and America, before advancement of navigation; while with the the era of ocean steamers. These were the English, naval construction and seamanship finest ships in the world, and they were is exactly that branch of practice in which

science has not only been disregarded, but is altogether despised and set aside. The American ships show what can be done by modern science unflinchingly put in practice; the English show what can be done in spite of science and in defiance of its principles.

the wave principle to the utmost, and, despising the prejudices and antiquated regulations of our clubs, came over and beat us. The diagrams and models which were exhibited showed the water line of the America to coincide precisely with the theoretical wave line. In one other point the It appeared, from the comparison which Americans had shown their implicit faith was instituted between the construction of in science, and their disregard of prejuAmerican and English vessels, that the dice. Theory says, and has always said, American ship-builders have gained over "Sails should sit flat as boards." We have the English chiefly by the ready abandon- said, "They should be cut so as to hang ment of old systems of routine, and the in graceful waves. It has always been so ; adoption of the true principles of science we have always done it." The Americans and the most modern discoveries. They believed in principle, and with flat sails have changed their fashion of steamers and went one point nearer to the wind, leavships to meet new circumstances as they ing prejudice and picturesque sails far to arose. For river steamers they at once leeward. In other points, the Americans abandoned all the known seagoing forms, beat us by the use of science. They use and created an absolutely new form and all the refinements of science in their riggeneral arrangement both of ship and ma-ging and tackle; they, it is true, have to chinery. We, on the other hand, subject to employ better educated and more intellithe prejudices of a class, invariably attempt- gent men; they do so; and, by employ ed to make a river steamer as nearly as pos- ing a smaller number of hands, beat us in sible resemble a seagoing ship propelled by efficiency as well as in economy. sails. We were even for a long time so much ashamed of our paddle-wheels that we adopted all sorts of inconvenient forms and inapt artifices to conceal them, as if it were a high achievement to make a steamvessel be mistaken for a sailing-vessel. The fine sharp bows which the wave principle has brought to our knowledge, have been adopted in this country with the greatest reluctance; and those who adopt them are often unwilling to allow that they are wave bows, and would fain assert that "they always built them so," were it not that the ships' lines are able to speak for themselves. The Americans, however, adopted the wave bow without reluctance, and avowed it with pleasure the moment they found it give them economy and speed.

[London Athæneum.

THE JAPANESE EXPEDITION. The empire of Japan has long remained a sealed book to the various nations of the civilised world. The rulers of that rich and populous country have for a long period continued to act on maxims of exclusiveness so complete as to put even the policy of the Court of Pekin to shame. There is but one European people—the Dutch— with whom they have consented to hold the most modified intercourse; and that intercourse has been limited to the admission of two ships annually from Batavia into the port of Nangasaki. The value of both cargoes is said to amount to about three hundred thousand dollars. We have lying before us an account current of the Dutch consignments and returns for a particular year. We find the imports into Ja pan consist of sugar, tin, cotton thread, black pepper, cloves, seed cloves, lead, sapanwood, Patna chintz, cloths, woollens, camlets,

In like manner, the Americans, having found the wave bow or hollow bow good for steamers, were quite ready to believe that it might be equally good for sailing vessels. We, on the other hand, have kept on, asserting that, though we could not deny its efficacy for steamers, it would never and a few minor articles of the like descripdo for vessels that were meant to carry sail. The Americans, on the contrary, immediately tried it on their pilot-boats, and, finding it succeeded there, avowed at once, in their latest treatise on naval architecture, the complete success of the principle; not even disclaiming its British origin. To prove to ourselves our insensibility to its advantages, they built the America, carried out

tion. The return cargo is in the main made up of copper and camphor. In former days Japanese exports included timber, wheat, rice, cotton, silk, ambergris, &c. Nor has the rigid policy of exclusion been applied only to the nations of the western world. All eastern peoples, with the single exception of the Chinese, have been put under the ban of the Japanese empire. Ten

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