ful noses, without knowing exactly why. To tell the truth, it is time the property changed hands. There can be no doubt that of late months it has somewhat deteriorated; for, though the old gentleman, who is shortly about to mingle with the shadows of the past, introduced some salutary reforms into certain small portions of his estate, causing divers peculating and unrighteous stewards to resign their trusts; yet a malignant imp, named Cholera, gave him such a fright in the early part of his career, that he never did good afterwards; his nerves tumbled to pieces, he became light-headed, and committed the oddest vagaries imaginable, so that all things went to wreck and ruin; his land remained untilled, his ships lay rotting in his harbors, and none of his tenants prospered excepting doctors, sextons, gravediggers, apothecaries, and undertakers. It is to be hoped that the young heir will bestir himself vigorously, and put things to rights; that he will drown the cholera in the Pacific, "deeper than did ever plummet sound;" chain up the ferocious and insatiable northern bear in his own appropriate regions of darkness and desolation; allow those pugnacious animals, the Dutch and Belgians, to knock their heads together until they find out what they are quarrelling about; or else hand their rulers Homer's

makes up her mind to wear this article of apparel, either in public or private, the more decidedly and gracefully she does it the better; but still there must be some affectation in the raptures of the town at witnessing the same. To be sure, no one buttons a coat, adjusts a cravat, wears a hat, handles a cane, or draws a pair of gloves on in the true spirit of knowing and irresistible coxcombry equal to Madame Vestris; and it is really pleasant to sit and see those manly airs and graces played of by a woman, affording, as it does, conclusive evidence that such deep-laid schemes to ensnare the admiration of the fair sex do not always escape detection; yet still the skill and observation requisite to do this may be rated too highly. But Madame Vestris has better, though perhaps weaker claims than this, on the public favor. She has the ability to make wearisome common-place passable, frivolity agreeable, and sprightliness fascinating-a never-flagging joyousness of spirit, and an almost promethean power of imparting a portion of her exuberance of life and animation to the walking, talking, mechanical blocks by which she is occasionally surrounded. To use a striking, technical phrase, she "keeps the stage alive." Her motions are graceful in the extreme, and like a greyhound or a thorough-bred racer, she

cannot put herself in an awkward attitude. Her chambermaids have an archness inexpressible; and, if it be a merit, (a stage one it certainly is,) no one equals her in a certain quiet and unutterable mode of giving a double entendre. As a singer, Madame Vestris is deservedly admired. There is a hearty, sensible, straight-forwardness in her manner, and an absence of quackery and pretension in her style that is extremely agreeable. She is a good enough tactician to know exactly what she can do, and though a spoiled favorite, discreet enough seldom to attempt more than she can, with credit and safety go through with—a rare merit. Her voice is none of your common, thin, clear, unsubstantial organs, but of a full, round, rich, satisfying quality; her manner of giving the arch, and what may be called dashing songs, she is in the habit of singing, is charming, and the effect of the whole-voice, look, and action-delightful.

There is another particular in which Vestris is unrivalled, though, from the extraordinary notions of delicacy prevalent in the western hemisphere, wherein you are located, I almost despair of making myself understood. I mean as regards the symetry of those portions of the human frame which are situated between the knees and ankles, but which it is the custom of the country never to name by

the right name, except when attached to the bodies of inferior animals, such as dogs and horses; though wherein consists the harm, even when speaking of a lady, of plainly using the monosyllable beginning with an 7 and ending with a g, with an intermediate vowel, I cannot say, but leave it to people much better acquainted with delicacy and metaphysics, than I pretend to be, to determine. But this I can say, that after having repeatedly looked upon those two unmentionable pieces of humanity belonging to Madame Vestris in the most critical manner, I think them, as far as my judgment goes, perfect in every point. Madame Vestris is also highly accomplished in other matters, being mistress of both French and Italian.

such an occasion than is common at other seasons; and recollections of the changes and mutations that have taken place since last they met to chant old ditties to "the year that is gone and awa"," have the effect of softening down the otherwise too boisterous hilarity prevalent at festive meetings. And what an expansion of the heart, what an influx of kindly feelings takes place; what old and delightful reminiscences are awakened! With what joyous warmth one good fellow pledges another, and with what a depth of feeling is the common toast, "to absent friends," given, as each man yearningly thinks, as he slowly raises the glass to his lips, of the dear and distant. Such a scene may not, indeed, be exactly to the taste of the stern and unflinching moralist, the retailer of terse aphorisms and sage prudential saws and maxims,

"One to whose smooth-rubbed soul can cling,

Nor form nor feeling, great or small;

A reasoning, self-sufficient thing,

An intellectual all-in-all."

But for all that, it is a scene at which wisdom need not frown, and where virtue and cheerfulness might with great propriety take a glass together.

The newyear day itself. Who will say that happiness is not good for man; and who will say that there is not a greater quantity to be had at a cheaper rate on this day than on almost any other?