E'en now, I strive to form

Some outline of thy face;
The polish'd cheek-the ruby lip—
The brow of matchless grace;
The tremour of thy closing lids,

The lashes, dark and long,
All, all are painted on my mind,
Say, is the portrait wrong?

Ah! 'tis a hapless lot,

A mockery of bliss,
To call it mine, a priceless flower,
So beautiful as this;

While, shut within a dungeon cell,
I feel my life exhale
In secret longings, all untold,
Until the heart grows pale.

Yet patience; oh! my God,

Forgive the rebel thought,
And make me own how blest I am,
And how each day is fraught
With some new favours from that
Hand

That smiteth but to cure,
And hung this curtain o'er my sight,
For purpose just and sure.

Perchance thy Wisdom saw

That earthly love and pride Might grow so strong, it would

consume

All other love beside;
And that in gazing on the vase,
I'd give it all my care,
And quite forget the treasure lock'd
Within the casket fair.

Sleep on! sleep on! my boy,
Why start at my embrace?
'Twas but a loving kiss to seal

The vow my heart would trace,
That I will keep unsullied,

Thy spirit's pearl-like gem,
Till death shall come and bear it back
To heaven's own diadem

And as she spoke, the mother prest
The sleeper closer to her breast;

And while her ruby lip moved fast,
With the hushed eloquence of feeling,

And from the shut lids, big drops past,
Unutterable thoughts revealing
A sunbeam flitting o'er her face.
Disclosed such new, mysterious grace,
It seem'd that to her prayer was given,
An answer from the court of heaven.

ON CHARITY.

GENTLE, as if descended from the skies,
And lovely as an angel form must be,
A Spirit, as methought, before mine eyes,
Amidst the sons of earth stole silently:

I watch'd her progress, as she seemed to shun
The eyes of all who would have known the cause,
Why she was bless'd with murmurs of applause,
When issuing from the homes of wretchedness,
She fed the hungry,-clothed nakedness,-
Watch'd with the mourner, and upbraided none;
But, as the Saviour of the world before
Had done, she bade them go,-and sin no more;
'Twas then I knew the angel form to be

The heav'n-born Spirit-Hallow'd Charity.

LONDON FASHIONS FOR THE MONTH.

COMFORT Continues to be the order of the day, both in carriage and promenade dresses. Furs, consequently, are in equal, or indeed rather increased vogue. We observe that, in carriage dress, the shawl mantelet, of either sable or ermine, seems to have completely superseded cardinals of the same furs. We do not wonder that this should be the case, for the cardinal, though costly in the extreme, is singularly unbecoming to the shape, while the other displays it to the greatest advantage. These mantelets are generally worn with velvet or satin high dresses, but we seldom see them adopted with cloaks or paletots-the smaller tippets, called Victorias, being more in request for them. We have nothing absolutely new to announce in cloaks; those that seem to be most in vogue are of the scarf-mantle kind, we mean those that have the fronts of the scarf form. Velvet continues its vogue for cloaks, and, indeed, for every article of dress for which it can be employed. Where it is not adopted for the cloak or the dress, it is frequently used for the trimming; thus we see satin and cashmere cloaks, for the most part, bordered with from three to five rows of velvet ribbon. We have seen a few cloth shawls bordered with velvet, disposed in zig-zag, and edged with chenille fringe; they were lined with coloured satin, quilted in lozenges; although pretty, and rather novel, we do not think they are likely to be very fashionable.

Passing in review the chapeaux and cupotes of the month, we find that velvet, and especially black velvet ones, are in an immense majority. This consequently gives us little occasion for remark, as regards the promenade. In half dress we have a new fancy material for chapeaur,' it is a satin ground of great richness, figured in velvet. We have also one or two very rich fancy silks; but, upon the whole, plain velvet, both black and coloured, is in a majority, even in half dress. The other materials are the fancy ones above-mentioned, velours epingle and satin. Lace seems less in favour than it has been for some time past, and bonnets, in plain promenade dress, are less trimmed. We see a good many ornamented, both in the interior and exterior, with ribbons only.

Evening dress is principally distinguished for its richness, and, in truth, the materials are of the most splendid kind. We may cite, in addition to the velvets, satins, and various rich tissues which we mentioned in the beginning of the season, le Pompadour veloeute, le Pekin satin a grapres, le royal bananier, with its rich foliage figured on a satin ground, and the royal mandarin. These, we must observe, are all for full dress; for those of a less splendid description, shot silks and plain sa ins maintain their vogue, and velvet robes are equally adapted, both for the fullest dress and the social evening party. We do not recollect a season in which black lace was so prevalent, both for dresses and trimmings. We have

seen, in the latter, as many as four flounces, they reached so high on the skirt as nearly to cover it. We may c'te, among the most elegant evening head-dresses the coiffure espagnole; it is composed of a black chenille, or bugle open net work, placed very much on one side of the head; the front, or rather the sides, for there is nothing over the forehead, is very small, and turned up; tufts of roses pompons are placed underneath on each side. The coiffure is completed by two black lace lappets retained by the flowers, but with the ends drooping on the neck. The coiffure Ionienne is one of the most becoming of the evening head-dresses, and, at the same time, one of the most simple, a narrow bandeau of azure blue, pink, or purple velvet, is placed a l'antique upon the forehead, a pretty little veil of the most transparent gold or silver gauze falls from the bandeau on each side of the head, the effect is singularly pretty.

We find that silks and satins divide the vogue with crape, tulle, and tarlatane for ball robes, but there is this difference, that silk robes are never made with double skirts, and the others very often are, though we do not, upon the whole, find that the double skirts are in a majority. We may cite, among the prettiest robes in a simple style, those composed of tarlatane or organdy, a low pointed corsage, trimmed with a small berthe formed by two rows of lace, descending in a point on the bosom; a papillon bow of pink or blue ribbon, with a brilliant brooch in the centre, is attached to the point. Short sleeves, terminated by three narrow white satin tucks, and a fall of lace. There are two skirts, the upper one is trimmed to correspond with the sleeve, but the tucks are deeper, and the lace broader; the under skirt is trimmed with tucks only. The most remarkable among the silk robes are those of blue or pink and white shot satin. All are made with low pointed corsages, some have a revers, composed of gold or silver blonde lace, the bottom of the short tight sleeve is trimmed en suite. The skirt has no trimming, but is looped rather high on one side by an ornament in passementerie of gold or silver, corresponding with the revers and silk of one of the colours of the robe; three cords and tasse's fall from it, nearly as low as the under dress, which is of white satin.

Although head-dresses of hair are the most in request for ball dress, yet we are assured that turbans, toques, and, above all, petits hands, will be in no inconsiderable minority. Coiffures en chevaux will be principally decorated with flowers. Wreaths of heath blossoms, marguerites, and, above all, roses, will be very much in fashion; so also will a single large flower placed on one side of a fancy bandeau, or one of pearls. We have no change to announce, this month, in fashionable colours,

PARIS FASHIONS FOR THE MONTH.

OUR fashionable winter is now at its height, and never were the toilettes more brilliant, both for out-door and in-door dress. For the former, indeed, we have less of novelty to record than in the latter, but the variety is greater than we ever remember to have seen it. It wou'd be difficult to say which are the most numerous, paletots, mantles, or redingotes; many of the first are lined throughout with fur; this is not, however, very general, as sable fur is too expensive to be employed, except by very rich ladies, and the other kinds, with the exception of ermine, are not fashionable: consequently a velvet paletot, lined with sable, for it is used for velvet only, is seen only on members of the high aristocracy or the "ladies of the monied interest." Several satin paletots are trimmed with velvet, or bordered, though not lined, with fur. Satin mantles are similarly trimmed. Redingotes, either of velvet or satin, are, for the most part, ornamented with the new fancy silk buttons, some of them, of a very large size, are intermingled with chenille, which encircles the edge in such a manner as to give the appearance of a rosette, with a button in the centre. These redingotes are all made with tight corsages and sleeves. In some instances a row of passementerie added on each side of the corsage and skirt, to the buttons, but a great number have the latter only for garniture.

The forms of chapeaux and capotes are now so decidedly settled for the season, that we must not expect any alteration in them till the spring fashions appear. It must be confessed, indeed, that they can scarcely alter for the better, as we never remember having seen more becoming shapes. As to the trimmings, they, of course, will vary, and so, to a certain degree, may the materials; at present velvet continues its vogue, but, we observe, that in addition to the plain material, some fancy velvets have appeared, and a mixture of velvet and satin, arranged in A novel manner, has also been seen. The two materials are disposed in alternate folds longitudinally on the exterior of the chapeaux-the effect is certainly novel, but, in our opinions, very heavy. We observe that, though the majority of velvet chapeaux are still trimmed with feathers, yet there are many more trimmed with flowers than there were in the beginning of the season. We may cite, among the most remarkable, those wreaths of flowers of various kinds mingled with moss, and some others, composed of velvet vine leaves, through which small flowers are partly visible. We see also some chapeaux trimmed with a long slender sprig of velvet foliage, to the base of which a single delicate flower is attached. This is a style of trimming, at once novel and elegant.

Evening and ball dresses, and particularly the latter, are now in their highest splendour. We observe, that in evening dress the style of Louis Quatoize's day is, this season, more than ever in vogue. Robes a la Pompadour of velvet, brocade, and damask, are quite the rage, the corsages tight to the shape, and cut excessively low, indeed, we may say indelicately so, having the point at the bottom deeper than any we have yet seen. The garniture of these robes is generally composed of lace, either flounces or montants; the first vary in number from one to three, -as the lace is always very broad, if there are three flounces they cover more than two-thirds of the skirt. Lace flounces are always put on with very little fulness. The montants are less general, but equally fashionable. Some kind of trimming is usually placed close to each edge of a montant, either a coquillage of ribbon, a row of embroidery, or one of Passementene. The coiffure is always in accord with the style of the robe, if that is velvet or rich silk, the head-dress should be a turban, a toque, or a chapeau of a rich material, and decorated with superb plumes, to which pearls or jewels are frequently added; if the dress is of a lighter kind, the coiffure may be a small toquet of pink or blue velvet, encircled with a narrow scarf of gold or silver gauze, with the ends falling on one side upon the neck, they are always trimmed with fringe to correspond; or else a small blonde lace cap, the most fashionable are those that have the foundations ornamented with nouds formed of blonde lace lappets, they are retained at the side by a flower or an agraffe of precious stones.

Our anticipations, last month, of ball dress are correct, both as to forms and materials. We may cite, among the most novel, as well as elegant, of the new ball dresses, the robes a riban, they are composed of crape or tulle, and trimmed with eight or ten rows of ribbon, edged with a very light fringe, the effect of this kind of garniture is as tasteful as it is novel. We may cite also, several ball robes composed of cryandy, tarlatane, gauze, and muslin-some embroidered in feather stitch, intermingled with points of lace; others worked in coloured silk, shaded in a very pretty manner; and a third kind, embroidered in a new style, called ailes de mouche, this last is of green shaded silk, intermingled with rose or blue petites mouches, which has the effect of blue enamel or a shower of emeralds, upon the light texture of the robes.

Ball coiffures are principally of hair, ornamented with flowers, which are almost invariably disposed in wreaths. Fashionable colours have not changed since last month, but there is a decided preponderance of light hue in evening dress.