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alike foreign to his religion and his station; upon which he presented a petition to the King, begging that a dozen might be left him peur ses menus plaisirs for his little (rather private) pastimes."

A little digression that occurs in the next Lesson, "Money lent, money lost," affords a pretty fair example of practical wit. We shall add to it another short quotation, which the reader may denominate as he chooses.

"M. S. A. saved his money at a mock-auction, near Exeter 'Change, in this way. Seeing it consist of barkers and bawlers, who raised the prices merely to ensnare strangers, he got upon his legs. Pray, Mr. Auctioneer, may one bid any thing one pleases?' Certainly, Sir. Much obliged to any gentleman who bids even a trifle.' Then, Sir, (bowing very low,) I bid you good morning."

"Riches and power often pervert the faculties, and totally change the train of thinking. They form, as it were, another climate, so as to eradicate even the habitudes, as an Englishman in Hindoostan wonders even at his native countrymen. The rich world can form no idea of the poor world, so cannot feel their unaccountable wants and distresses. I remember that in 1795, when England was threatened with scarcity, a lady of distinction, and of no bad heart, on being told that the poor could not have bread, answered, with a tone of surprise, 'What then? Cannot they eat pastry?'

Under Lesson 27, " Cats and Dogs," in which the author gives the preference, on the whole, to one of the former, as a domestic in the house of an economist, we find a very curious example of canine education.

"As a save-thrift is often solitary, he may be indulged in the society of one dog, provided he be a dog of good morals; for fraud is foreign to onr institution, and we only approve honest gain and honest frugality. He was no member of our club who bred a dog to steal for the maintenance of his master.--a singular circumstance, thus discovered: The master had long lived comfortably without any visible means, and all the neighbourhood was embarrassed what to think, as one-half of the world does not know how the other lives. Dying at last, the dog was bought by an acquaintance of mine. The first evening after, he gently scraped, that the door of the chamber might be opened, and more roughly at the house-door; which being also opened, he made his exit. After half an hour he was heard scraping at the outer door; and, being admitted, he leapt on the table, and emptied his mouth of five or six shillings. My informant determined to follow his dog on the next expedition, and was prepared by the usual signals. The sagacious animal passed the whole of that street, the residence of both his masters, passed also two obscure streets, and arriving at one of the most crowded thoroughfares in London, began his operations. When he heard the sound of money in a shop, he leaped over the half door, and was on the counter in a moment, whence he snatched a piece or two, and retreated with equal rapidity. When his new master went to make restitution, it appeared that the shopkeepers had for years suffered repeated losses of gold and silver by that dog, for he did not touch copper;

and, as there were hundreds of shops, he only appeared at distant periods, and the theft was either unperceived, uncredited, or soon forgotten. Confinement and chastisement cured him of this singular education.

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Lesson 35, treats of the advantages and disadvantages of village life, but leaves the balance to be guessed at. Among the latter is mentioned the flagging of conversation from want of understanding the dialect." In Hampshire, every thing is a he, except a tom-cat, which is always she." Have you got the tea-urn? Set him down. Move the table: put him here." When you go north, you approach the Scottish, or venerable ancient Æolic dialect of the English. An old lady in Cumberland, going to buy candles, and being told that the price was raised on account of the continuance of the war, answered with inquisitive eagerness, "Ad rabbit it! are they gane fechtin be canel licht?"

In Lesson 39, entitled " Generosity," are several very pleasing anecdotes, avowedly taken from a French publication, Etrennes de la Vertu, of considerable note in the better days of Louis XVI. We select two of the shortest; and shall add another, which our author gives on his own information.

66 A young man on the point of marriage was drawn for the militia in Lorraine. In despair he applied to the Count de MITRY, captain of the regiment, who in compassion, gave his word that the service should not exceed one year. The term expired, the captain explained to the colonel, and requested the man's discharge, which the colonel flatly refused, as he said the subject was an excellent soldier, and did - credit to the corps. Next day he was surprised, when the captain waited on him in the soldier's attire, knapsack and musquet, with this address: My Colonel, as the word of a gentleman is sacred, and I have pledged mine that this man shall only serve for a year, here is my commission of captain, which I resign, and I am ready to serve in his place.' The Colonel, with shame and amazement, signed the discharge."

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"LOUIS XVI. was hunting in the park and neighbourhood of Versailles, when he asked some peasants why their hay remained uncut, while it seemed over-ripe. They answered, that the orders of the gamekeepers were, not to cut till St. Peter's day, (August 1) that the nests of the partridges might not suffer. 'And I,' answered the king, 'order you to cut immediately. Your hay is of far more importance to you, than the game is to me.' The order was not only followed, but the regulations altered by the royal command.

"It is well known that at Paris water is not conducted by pipes to each house, as in London, but is brought by a numerous class of men, often natives of Auvergne, in buckets, and deposited in an earthen vases, &c. A man of wealth, marked for the guillotine, was obliged to

escape in great haste, having barely time to fill his pockets with money and valuable papers. He was even about to leave and lose a little strong box, containing two thousand louis d'or, when the water-bearer chanced to come. 'Take this, my friend, and keep it for me,' was all he had time to say, and he instantly fled; and like many others escaped to England. Fifteen years elapsed, before he could venture to return, He had never known the name of the water-bearer-was lodged in a different quarter-and regarding his box as part of a property utterly lost, had almost forgotten even the circumstance. After he had been about six weeks in Paris, an old man called,-- Do you remember me?' - Cannot say I do. Never saw you before to my recollection.'➡ 'Perhaps you will remember this,' producing the box from under an old coarse cloak. His noble procedure was nobly rewarded; and he lives respected by all his quarter as the honest water-bearer."

To conclude. The tendency of these lessons is decidedly beneficial, and the principles and sentiments which pervade them are quite unexceptionable. The author is a man of reading and fair attainments; but his talent, we strongly suspect, does not lie in the department of wit. He would probably succeed much better where there was no temptation to go beyond serious observation or sober narrative.

WOMAN AS SHE SHOULD BE.

I HAVE long wished to introduce to my readers a lady, who practices a certain art, so much like downright witchcraft, that it is well for her she is neither old nor ugly, or she would certainly be in danger of the ordeal. Hitherto I have been deterred by the fear I may be accused of attempting to impose upon the public, by a revival of some of those stale superstitions, which the good sense of my countrymen ought to reject with contempt when applied to their own native land. There are some countries particularly appropriated to feats of magic, and supernatural agency, and events said to take place in these fortunate regions, are received with great respect by persons, who would reject them with sovereign contempt, were the scene laid any where else. A story of second sight, or witchcraft, is nothing, unless the venue is laid in the Highlands of Scotland, or some one of the western isles; and as to poisons, assassinations, adulteries, monkish villainy, and sheeted spectres, one might tell such tales from morning till night, without alarming a single nursery, or disturbing a winter fire side, unless they were Italianized, and the scene laid in the Appenines, in an old ruined castle.

Discouraged by these untoward circumstances, that lie in the way of all romantic adventure, and check the inventive powers of domestic genius, I have delayed until now the introduction of a character, particularly worthy of being studied by the rest of her sex, nor should I have gained sufficient courage to do it now, did I not flatter myself with being able to explain every thing, without resorting to the interposition of any extraordinary agency.

When I first became acquainted with this singular person, she was a young girl of about seventeen or eighteen, just entering upon the experiment of realising those dreams of the gay and beckoning world, which occupy the waking hours of anticipating youth. I remember it was at an assembly she first attracted my attention, though I could not till long afterwards tell exactly why, for her face, though sufficiently interesting, was not such a one as catches the roving eyes of a ball-room connoisseur, and her figure was no way particularly distinguished. Still there was that in her appearance which caused me to pay particular attention to her movements during the whole evening, in the course of which she led me into at least half a dozen mistakes, by her mysteri

ous art.

I inquired of my friend Anthony Evergreen the name of the beautiful girl, with a wreath of roses about her hair, who danced with such exquisite grace and skill. Anthony was at that time, as at present, a complete connoisseur in these matters, and particularly valued himself on his knowledge of dancing, having taken private lessons of the celebrated Vestris, during two whole winters. "You mean," said he, "the tall lady in spangles and feathers, I presume?" "I presume I mean no such thing, I mean the middle-sized lady, dancing opposite to her, who has neither spangles or feathers, that I can see. My good friend,” replied Anthony-" you never was more mistaken in your life, if you say that lady is a fine dancer. Why she hasn't performed a single step in the whole cotillion-take notice, and see if I am not right.'

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As no man likes to have his taste questioned, even in the most insignificant affairs, I felt myself called upon to support mine, and for this purpose watched the lady for some time, in order to detect Anthony in an error. Insensibly however, I was so completely beguiled by the easy grace, the gentle, chastened activity, with which she sailed through the mazes

of the dance, without study or effort, that I quite forgot the original motive for this scrutiny, and to this day cannot tell whether she executed any steps or not. I recollect, however, there were other ladies in the set, who paid such special attention to their feet, that they seemed to forget dancing did not entirely consist in feats of extraordinary agility that would do honour to a harlequin at the theatre, or a clown at the Circus. "Well," said Evergreen, when the dance was finished,"am I right, or am I wrong?" "O, perfectly right, if you mean that dancing consists in such enormities as that lady yonder committed in the last cotillion. However, not to dispute the point, I confess if you please, she takes no stepsthey are something a great deal better. I hope now you wont deny that she is the best dressed woman in the room, after I have shown such exemplary moderation in giving up this point." "Pooh!"-said Anthony, rather unceremoniously, as if he thought I was bantering—" Pooh-why she has nothing on her, but a white muslin frock, and that paltry wreath of rose buds. I confess her foot is pretty, but then look what a shoe!-It wants glitter, sir-it wants glitter." What was very provoking, I found on a closer inspection Anthony was right, and yet, such was the mysterious power exercised by this singular young lady that even this conviction did not destroy the illusion. I continued during the rest of the evening to admire her, as the best dressed woman in the room, although she wore nothing but a muslin frock and wreath of rose buds, and had not a single ornament on her shoes.

I met her frequently afterwards in public parties, and at social fire-sides, where an acquaintance commenced that was only interrupted by my retirement into the country. On such occasions, though surrounded by women dressed in all the splendor of this age of wasteful prodigality, she always seemed to outdo them all, and I had often the pleasure of hearing my judgment confirmed by persons who had refined their taste by the habitual contemplation of classical models. The same mystery pervaded her behaviour and conversation, though the one never challenged observation, and the other neither sparkled or astonished. In the whole course of our acquaintance, at that time and since, I cannot remember that she uttered any regular witticism, or special wise saying. All I know is, that without taking any pains to show off in studied declamation, her chat was playful, sometimes

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