may be able to dress elegantly, and enjoy herself, until (if alive) he repents and becomes obedient to her will."

OF GOSSIPS.

To visit this thy lonely place of rest; Deep in my heart remained the sad behest; But fate pursued me, exiled o'er the wave, Far from the scenes of childhood, and thy grave. "The Seven Wise Women agree, that a wo- And strangers dwell where my young footsteps trode, man dying without gossips or friends has no While yet neglected lies this hallowed sod; chance of going to Heaven. On the contrary, Though far in other climes thy kindred dwell, she who visits every place calculated to expand They cherish faithful still, thy dear remembrance well." and exhilarate the heart, will be seen, at the day of resurrection, dancing, with her old com- "Long hast thou slumbered here; another race. panions on earth, in the regions of bliss." Who knew thee not, surrouned thy resting place, But it is curious to see how far, and among Perchance the traveller, pausing on his way, what different people, the same notion of similar Whose once dark locks are sprinkled o'er with grey, employments in the other world has prevailed. Starts at the name familiar to his ear The Easterns and Westerns held it with equal In former days, and drops a passing tear, confidence. The Greeks, the Romans, the And humble poverty still grateful weeps, Celts, the Teutones, with the great Oriental And points her children where the good man sleeps, tribes, seem to have alike believed in it; and Yet round the ashes of the good and wise, even to the proud savage of the Pampas, it is an A ruinous, wild scene too rude neglected lies." article of high creed. Head tells, that when the Indians see meteors, and hear noises, in the sky, "Ah! many a step my wandering feet have trode, they say, "that these are their ancestors, blind Since here we laid thee in thy last abode, drunk, mounted on horses swifter than the wind, And some have been full weary steps, my sire, and hunting ostriches." Now, all this seems Without the guidance youthful feet require, absurd; but we confess, this notion of the In-To turn from folly, and from dangerous ways, dian heaven pleases us infinitely more than the long line of robber-heroes whom Anchises contemplates in Elysium.

Written for the Casket.
The Stranger's visit to his Father's Tomb.
Salve, sancte parens; iterum salvete, recepti
Nequicquam cineres, animæque umbræque paternæ.
ENED.

From foreign climes, from distant Eastern shores,
Where India's sun its burning radiance pours,
The traveller came; he sought his native land,
And now he anchors near the well known strand;
He treads with rapture now, that dear-loved soil,
Forgetful of his griefs, and cares, and toil;
On foot he journeys as he leaves the wave,
The pilgrim comes to seek the sacred grave,
Where rests his father, in eternal sleep,

To honourable path of virtuous praise,
Unaided by thy counsel, and thy care,

Since early childhood, can I boldly dare
To call with confidence upon thy name,
And gaze upon thy lonely grave, nor blush with shame."""
"Through follies, and through errors too, of youth,
My steps may wander, but the paths of truth
In which thy life was led, an honest fame,
And thy approval, have been still my aim;
And whether now my course to speedy close
May tend, or future joys, or lengthened woes,
(And little heed I, or if soon, or late,

This doubtful scene of life may terminate,)
Still is my aim, life's labour thus repaid,

Calmly to meet, without a blush, thine awful shade."

The setting rays appear of parting day;
The pilgrim onward wends his weary way;

And o'er the hallowed spot with reveren'd tears to weep. A willow branch, the parting pilgrim bore,

His native hills are rising on his sight

Once more he breathes his native mountain air;

Ah! heaven has heard the wandering exile's prayer!
He falters, for his steps are drawing near
His home of childhood, and the starting tear
Is breaking forth: scarce can he trust his sight,

To view familiar scenes, where first he saw the light.

Visions of days long past, in colours bright,
And sadness mingled with a strange delight;
On yonder lonely hill a tombstone stands,
Amidst a grove; while cultivated lands
Are spread around, pervading which a calm
And tranquil dignity the senses charm,
As if the dead, who silent rested there,
As erst in former days, their master were;
Since childhood never near the hallowed sod
Where sleeps his sire, had that lone pilgrim trod.

"I bring the news from those afar, my sire,
I was not mindless of thy last desire:

That sacred garland, on a distant shore,
Hallowed memorial, still shall cheer his heart,
And courage, strength, and fortitude impart.
The parting traveller oft reverts his eye,
Again returns and lingers with a sigh;
He sighs, that fate denies him longer stay,
Reluctant parts and tears himself away.

"Farewell, my sire! farewell, but not for ay,
I go unwilling on my distant way,
Soon to return; ere long my wanderings close,
And then the sacred place of thy repose,
By kindred mourners shall frequented be,
Who ne'er shall leave it till they sleep with thee,
And prouder marble monuments shall raise
The good man's name, and speak to future days,
Farewell! with kindling courage I depart,
With confidence renewed, inspired with bolder heart."

Learning is like mercury, one of the most powerful and excellent things in the world in skillful hands; in unskillful, the most mischeivous.---Pope.

JOHN RANDOLPH THE AIR-INJUDICIOUS WATERING.

JOHN RANDOLPH.

This eminent citizen is no more. The man who for thirty five years has maintained a preeminent rank among the Statesmen and Patriots of America-whose extensive acquirements, deep research, unrivalled eloquence-whose wit, sarscasm and pointed remarks-whose firm support and untiring opposition, placed far behind him contemporaneous rivals and adverse politicians, breathed his last amongst us on the 24th uit. Here on the spot where he commenced his political career where his youthful efforts excited so much attention-on the spot where the Declaration of Independence was adopted, where the Constitution was accepted, and where he manfully defended the principles and doctrines of those immortal instruments, he yielded his last breath-at a distance from that soil he held so sacred and dear at a distance from those faithful constituents who knew and cherished him-from those sure friends who were devoted to him, and from his household servants, whose fatherly kindness had always sustained themfar from the soil of Virginia-the true, highminded and patriotic State in which he prided; yet still among friends who respected him, and sympathising freemen who admired his virtues and talents, and forgot his faults and eccentricities.

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measure, but was merely distinguished for his great talent in opposition-his sarcasm and ridicule were dreadful-he praised very sparingly, but always with good taste. It was however, in the closet and drawing-room that his bright and social virtues shone with greatest brilliancywhere his wit was sparkling-his judgment boundless, and his taste refined and elegant. He was a perfect belles lettres scholar, and his memory was uncommonly retentive. John Randolph was a religious man-deeply read in sacred history, and maintaining in health an extensive correspondence with learned divines. He is gone from this busy, troublesome pilgrimage to a better world. Much will be said and written of him, for he was worthy of men's admiration.

THE AIR WE BREATHE.-Nothing is more interesting than those general laws by which God preserves the order of the world. If we had a complete knowledge of all the wonderful contrivances that surround us, we should be filled with admiration and awe: to contemplate those with which we are acquainted, is the highest of intellectual pleasures.

One of these contrivances may be made intelligible even to those who have no acquaintance with Natural Philosophy.

The air is made up of two different gases, or airs, mixJohn Randolph was an uncommon man-born ed together in a particular proportion. Of these, one (oxto a princely fortune, he received the best edu- ygen, which we will call life-air, is necessary for the cation that could be furnished in his time, and support of men and all other animals, which would cultivated a mind naturally quick and strong, die without it; neither could any thing burn without by extensive and classical reading, and a close the help of this life-air. Since, then, a vast quantity study of every eminent writer, ancient or mo- of it is consumed every hour, how is the supply kept dern. He was elected to Congress at a period up? How is it the stock of life-air is still sufficient when many supposed that he had not attained for us, and our fires and candles? the age prescribed by the Constitution, and Now, besides these two gases, there is also present when even such doubts were presented to the Speaker, while tendering to him the usual oath of office. There are many who remember him at this day-a tall smooth-faced boy-his hair hanging loosely, scarcely kept together by the broad black ribbon, which flowed over his shoulderswalking leisurely from the State-house, to his animals, and the putrefaction of animal and vegetable This carbonic acid is produced by the breathing of boarding house, in Fourth street above Race-substances. Now, this constant supply must be got gazed at with wonder by youth and age. The splendor of his eloquence even at that early period, excited the wonder and admiration of the time.

in the atmosphere another gas, called carbonic acid, will be unknown to many, but all are well acquainted which is made up of carbon and life-air. The name with the thing: it is what gives spirit to ale, wine, &c. and even to water, which is insipid after boiling, from the loss of its carbonic acid.

rid of, or it would kill us; and it is got rid of thus: all vegetables-grass, herbs, trees, &c. suck in this carbon during the day; nourish themselves with the carbon, and give back the life-air that was combined with We must leave to better hands, and those it. In the night they do the reverse; but still, taking more thoroughly acquainted with the character a whole day, they lessen the quantity of carbonic acid and public services of Mr. Randolph, the task gas, and furnish the atmosphere with that supply of of writing his biography. He began his poli-life-air, which is necessary to the existence of the anitical career a republican of the Jefferson school, mal creation and sustained his administration with great zeal, until some personal disappointment drove him INJUDICIOUS WATERING.-More plants are injured from the administration. He opposed the late in rooms by this means, than many persons imagine. war violently, and continued his opposition until Too much water is generally applied to plants, partithe election of the present Chief Magistrate, cularly in winter and spring. If a plant looks sickly, with whom however he had become somewhat water is applied; the consequence, certain death. This discontented, and was elected to Congress with is like an unskilful physician who gluts the weakly the view, as he declared, to sustain the Consti- stomach of his patient by ingredients which only has tution in its original purity, and had he lived he ten that result which it is his desire to prevent. A safe would have made some splendid efforts. Mr. criterion for watering a plant in a pot, will be, always to allow the soil in the pot to have the appearance Randolph, if he possessed all the qualifications of of dryness; but, guard against its becoming so dry as anable statesman, was nevertheless unwilling to to cause the plant to flag or become wilted. In sumgo through all the labour which attend the faith-mer this course is of less importance: it is for the winful discharge of public duty. He designed bet- ter and spring for which the above remarks are more ter than he executed-he originated no great particularly intended.

WIT AND SENTIMENT.

YANKEE vs. YANKEE.

In the good old times when "the Plymouth Colony" was truly the "land of steady habits," there occasionally sprung a volatile, fun loving character, whose the upright and conscientious bearing of the cold and formal Puritans.--An anecdote of two farmers of this class, living near each other, will afford an apt illustration of the text:-One was possessed of some dozen fine sheep, who having a decided antipathy to confinement, would sometimes trespass on the enclosures of their neighbour. He having caught them in one of these over-acts determined to inflict summary vengeance on them and their owner. With this intention he proceeded to catch them, and running his knife through one of their hind legs, between the tendon and the bone immediately above the knee joint, put the other leg through the hole. In this condition the woolly flock decamped, leaving one quarter less tracks than when they came.

WELL IS'S TIME YOU HAD.-Miss Sarah Ann Web-habits and disposition formed a striking contrast with ster, of Philadelphia, lately communicated to the Editor of the Philadelphia Gazette, the fact of her marriage with Mr. Jonathan S. Paul, a gentleman of that city. On the publication of the notice, Mr. Paul immediately made a public statement that no such marriage had, or was likely to take place. We suppose Miss Webster was actuated by the same motives, as Miss Ursula Wolcott, but her efforts were not crowned with the same success. Between the Wolcott and Griswold families, two of the most ancient and respectable in Connecticut, there existed a remote relationship. Ursula Wolcott, afterwards the wife of the first Gov. Griswold, was a lady of superior intellect and accomplishments, and perhaps unequalled in the state for sagacity and shrewdness. Notwithstanding the superiority of her endowments and the shining excellence of her character, she remained unmarried until about the age of thirty.-Finding it at length indispensably necessary to turn her attention to matrimony, or become in fact, what she already was in name, an old maid; she remarked to her friends, that she had come to the conclusion of spending a few weeks at Lyme, for the purpose of courting her cousin Mathew.

On her arrival at Lyme, she found her cousin Matthew, who was also considered an old bachelor, more disposed to devote his attention to his Coke and Littleton, than to his cousin Ursula; but she was determined at all events to bring him to the point. She occasionally would meet him in the hall or on the stairs, and after carelessly passing him turn round and eagerly inquired, "what's that you said?" to which he would reply, that he hadn't said any thing. After several unsuccessful attempts to make him understand, she met him one day on the stairs, and after making the usual inquiry and receiving the usual answer, she hastily, replied, "Well, I think it's time you had!" Mathew could not avoid taking the hint, and a short time after, they became one of the most happy and respectable couples in Connecticut.

SAFE GUESSING.-A real Yankee, who never intended to err in guessing, being inquired of by his neighbor, as he was passing his farm yard, how much a certain ox would weigh that stood near, answered, "Well, I don't know entirely, I guess he'll weigh 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 hundred, somewhere along there, no great difference from that any way."

"Patrick," said an employer the other morning; to one of his workmen, "you come late this morning, the other men were at work an hour before you." "Sure, and I'll be even with 'em to night, then." "How, Patrick?" " Why, faith, I'll quit an hour before 'em all, sure."

DRUM ECCLESIASTIC.---" Ah, sir," exclaimed an el. der, in a tone of pathetic recollection, "our late minister was the man! He was a powerfu' preacher, for i' the short time he delivered the word amang us, he knocked three pulpits to pieces, and dang the insides out o' five bibles!"

IGNORANCE OF FEAR.-A child of one of the crew of his Majesty's ship Peacock, during the action with the United States vessel Hornet, amused himself with chasing a goat between decks. Not in the least terrified by the destruction and death around him, he persisted, till a cannon ball came and took off both the hind legs of the goat; when seeing her disabled, he jumped astride her, crying, "Now I've caught you."

The feeder of the sheep kept their own counsel; and soon after his neighbour's hogs having broke or dug into the enclosure, he took advantage of this opportunity for retaliation, by cutting their mouths from ear to ear. In this way the four foot grunters, rather chop-fallen as may be supposed, made their way to their own quarters. The owner of the swine made his appearance in a great rage, declaring that his hogs were ruined, and that he would have redress. His neighbour made answer, that he was not the cause"for," said he, "the fact is, my friend, I did'nt cut open them are hog's mouths, but seein' my sheep running on three legs, they split their mouths a laughen!"

WAR.-What are you thinking, my man? said Lord Hill, as he approached a soldier who was leaning in a gloomy mood upon his firelock, while around him lay mangled thousands of French and English; it was a few hours after the battle of Salamanca had been won by the British. The soldier started, and after saluting his General, answered:-"I was thinking, my lord, how many widows and orphans I have this day made for one shilling." He had fired 600 rounds of ball that day.

A real genuine Kentuck thus describes his sweetheart: "She is a feeler! she killed a bear when she was thirteen, and now she'll whip her weight in wild cats; whoop!"

DISCONSOLATE PARENTS.-An advertisement appeared in a morning paper a few days ago, respecting a young lady who had eloped, which concluded as follows: "She is most earnestly requested to return to her disconsolate parents; but if she does not choose to come home after this explanation, she is earnestly desired to send the key of the tea-chest!"