66 TROUT FISHING! WE have a friend, who is a somewhat noted practical joker, residing in a pleasant country residence, near the ocean. Some time since, he had a visit from his and our friend, Professor -, of poetic memory. The Professor is a keen trout fisherman, and seeing a large pond at some distance from R's fishing residence, inquired"Can you fish for trout in that pond ?" "Oh! yes," said R., as well as not, possibly." "Where's your rod ?" "I have none. I'm no fisherman. But if you want to try, we'll go over to S. and get tackle, and you may try your hand at it to-morrow." It was thereupon agreed to do so, and the day was passed by, the worthy Professor in preparation for angling. The next morning early, R. drove with him over to the pond, and he whipped it all round to windward and leeward, and finally waded it up to his waist, and threw his flies most skilfully, but never raised a fin. At length, as the sun grew intolerably hot, he turned to R., who lay under a tree solacing himself with a book and cigar, and exclaimed—“ I don't believe there is a trout in your pond." "I don't know that there is," replied R., imperturbably. "Why, you told me there was. "Oh! no," said R., very leisurely turning over and lighting another cigar. "You asked me if you could fish for trout here, and I said you could as well as not. I have seen folks do it often, but I never knew of one being caught here." The result might be anticipated. R. walked home, and the Professor drove the horses, nor did R. venture within the reach of the Professor's rod until after dinner. THERE cannot be a greater treachery, than first to raise a confidence and then deceive it. It is as great a point of wisdom to hide ignorance, as to discover knowledge. CUSTOM is the plague of wise men, and the idle of fools. As to be perfectly just, is an attribute of the divine nature; to be so to the utmost of our abilities, is the glory of men. ANGER may glance into the breast of a wise man, but rests only in the bosom of a fool. To err is human, to forgive divine. WE should take a prudent care for the future, but so as to enjoy the present. It is no part of wisdom to be miserable to-day, because we may happen to be so to-morrow. He that is truly polite, knows how to contradict with respect, and to please without adulation; and is equally remote from an insipid complaisance, and a low familiarity. Do good to all, that thou mayest keep thy friends, and gain thy enemies. LOVE AND HONOUR. Two young men, of Napoleon Vendee, named Chigot, one 26, the other 20 years of age, were tried before the Court of Assize of La Vendee, for an attempt to murder Lieut. Ligier, of the 59th Regiment. The facts of the case were as follows:-The father and mother of the accused, keep a tobacco and snuff shop, at Napoleon Vendee, and have a daughter, between 16 and 17 years of age, who serves in the shop, during their occasional absence. Lieut. Ligier, who was one of their customers, was, it appears, in the habit of visiting the shop frequently, when M. Chigot and his wife were not there, and one day, on their returning suddenly, they found Lieut. Ligier kissing their daughter. They expressed to M. Ligier their indignation at his conduct, and he withdrew. When the sons came home, the father told them what had occurred, and after interrogating their sister, they came to a conclusion that there had been a criminal intimacy between her and M. Ligier, and they resolved to compel him to repair, by marriage, the dishonour which he brought on their family. They purchased two pistols, which they loaded with ball, and going to the lodgings of Lieut. Ligier, they called upon him to make reparation, and presented to him a promise of marriage for his signature. Lieut. Ligier refused; and, according to the statement of the prisoners, (which however was denied by M. Ligier, who appeared as a witness on the trial,) in making this refusal, he indulged in a sort of boast of having dishonoured their sister. The brothers then fired their pistols. One ball struck Lieut. Ligier in the hand, the other entered his side, and inflicted so severe a wound that he was confined more than six weeks to his bed. Thinking they had killed their victim, the brothers went to the prison to give themselves into custody for murder, but the jailer refused to receive them without a warrant of commitment. They went away, but did not attempt to escape, and were soon afterwards arrested. All these facts were substantiated by the evidence, but Lieut. Ligier declared that no other familiarity than what had been witnessed by M. Chigot and his wife, had existed between him and the daughter. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty, and the Court ordered the acquittal of the prisoners. There was a great applause when the verdict was returned, and a crowd assembled and escorted the two brothers to their home in triumph. are. LOVE God who made thee with all thy strength. IT is right to be content with what we have, not with what we The exact reverse is the case with most men. WHAT cannot power and courage do when guided by wisdom. OSTENTATION and taste are irreconcilable enemies. LIFE is a heavy burden for every man who does not know how to employ himself. THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, GRANDSON OF LOUIS XIV. WHEN the Duke of Burgundy was committed to the tuition of the celebrated Fenelon, he had hitherto displayed all the symptoms of a perverse nature, invincible obstinacy, a revolting pride, and the most violent passions, joined however, with a great capacity for acquiring all kinds of knowledge. By various means happily combined, by gentleness and unremitting attention, the preceptor succeeded in gradually breaking the violent character of his pupil, and in rendering him equally eminent for worth and for learning. We are told, that at the age of 10, the Prince wrote Latin with eloquence, and translated the most difficult authors with a facility that surprised the best judges. He was perfectly master of Virgil, Horace, and the Metamorphosis of Ovid, and was sensible of the beauties of Cicero's Orations. At 11, he read Livy throughout, and began a translation of Tacitus, which he afterwards finished. The Abbé Henry, in attesting these facts, says, "that his mind was of the first order, and that he was not contented with superficial knowledge, but sought to penetrate to the bottom of every thing. At the age of 14, his mind was stored with excellent principles in religion and morals, with all that most enchants in mythology, and which supplies the principle subjects for poetry and the fine arts; and with all the leading facts of ancient, and modern history. It would not have been easy to find in the whole kingdom, a man better informed than the Prince." TO MONS. ALEXANDRE. BY SIR WALTER SCOTT. Of you, in old England, it was not thought good, To carry two visages under one hood; What would folks say to you, who have faces in plenty, Are you handsome or ugly, in age or in youth? Man? woman? or child? or a dog, or a mouse? Or are you at once each live thing in the house? Each live thing did I ask? each dead implement too, A workshop in your person; saw, chisel, and screw; THE Count de Grasse being wounded in the knee with a musket ball, the surgeons made many incisions; losing all patience, at last, he asked them, why they cut and carved him so cruelly. "We seek for the ball," said they. "Why did you not tell me so before," asked the Count, "I have it in my pocket." VOL. I. X A WELL TURNED COMPLIMENT. ONE day, when Sir Isaac Heard was with his late Majesty, it was announced, that his Majesty's horse was ready to start for hunting. "Sir Isaac," said the good Monarch, "are you a judge of horses ?" "In my younger days, please your Majesty," was the reply, "I was a great deal amongst them." "What do you think of this, then ?" said the King, who was by this time preparing to mount his favorite, and without waiting for an answer, added-" We call him Perfection." "A most appropriate name," replied the courtly herald, bowing as his Majesty reached the saddle, " for he bears the best of characters." A TOUCHSTONE FOR THE TIMES. Midas, we read, with wondrous art of old, Whate'er he touched, at once transformed to gold; IMPROMPTU ADDRESSED TO A GENTLEMAN WHOSE POCKET HAD BEEN ROBBED OF A WATCH. He that would wear a watch, must this thing doPocket his watch, and watch his pocket too. DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND. Two ladies of fashion, as they entered the rooms at Bath, met a citizen's fat wife, finely dressed, coming out. See," said one of them, in a half whisper, "there is beef à-la-mode, going out." "Yes," answered the fat lady, overhearing her," and there is gaine going in." THE MIND. NOBLE and active minds are ever looking up: they set high examples before them, and make all their efforts tend to reach the excellence of their model. Sloth and folly only rest in an indolent and silly self-satisfaction. "Do you retail things here ?" asked a green looking specimen of humanity, as he poked his head into a shop. "Yes," was the laconic reply. "Well, I wish you would re-tail my dog, he had it bit off a long time ago." If it be a sin to covet honour, I am the most offending soul alive.-SHAKSPEARE. THE most striking illustration of the saying-" that the pith of a lady's letter is in the postscript "-which we ever heard of, was that of a young lady, who having gone out to India, and writing home to her friends, concluded in these words-" You will see by my signature that I am married." ORIGINAL AND SELECT. THE SCHOOL AND THE SCHOLAR. THE school is like the earth, in spring time, it requires merely to be sown; but on that sowing depends the harvest of centuries. The only single word that falls upon the mind of the child may determine its course for lifetime, may determine something far higher, whose consequences are felt through ages, for the progress of the thought is endless, it reckons its posterity to a thousandth generations, to the end of days. Therefore the child is a holy thing, for it bears God's unbroken seal on its forehead. Treat it with all truthfulness and care, for care has its reward, if not to-day, hereafter; if not for you, for coming race. You are labourers in God's kingdom. But God's kingdom has no fairer symbol upon earth than a child with its innocence-than a youth with his open Of such are the kingdom of Heaven. countenance. A SAILOR'S PETITION. A CAPTAIN of a frigate had a great aversion to a cat. One of his sailors, who was to be flogged, was saved by presenting him with the following lines: By your honor's command, A culprit I stand, An example to all the ship's crew, I am pinioned and stript, And condemned to be whipt, And if I am flogged 'tis my due! A cat, I am told, In abhorrence you hold, Your honor's aversion is mine! If a cat with one tail Makes your stout heart fail, O save me from one that has NINE! AFFECTION. It is not possible to be regarded with tenderness except by a few. That merit, which gives greatness and renown, diffuses its influence to a wide compass, but acts weakly on every single breast; it is placed at a distance from common spectators, and shines like one of the remote stars, of which the light reaches us, but not the heat. WHO finds all the umbrellas that every body loses ? Every man we meet loses the umbrella he buys, but we have never got acquainted with the man that finds them. Can any one answer the question before the next rain? A WAGER being made that no one could rhyme to di-do-dum, distinctively, a gentleman immediately wrote When Dido's spouse did not to Dido come, |