The Illustrated Usk Observer and Raglan Herald

THE COURT. THE Queen arrived last week safe at Windsor again after her continental trip. Her Majesty landed at Woolwich, and the ridiculous regulations which were enforced when the Queen left England were modified, and numbers of people witnessed the disembarkation, and her Majesty was lustily cheered throughout her route. THE Queen, accompanied with one or other of the Royal family, took her usual walks and drives in the vicinity of Windsor throughout the week. ON Saturday her Majesty held a Council, which was attended by the Earl Granville, the Duke of New- castle, Viscount Palmerston, and the Right Hon. Sir George Grey. At the Council Parliament was ordered to be further prorogued from the 14th of October next. Mr. Arthur Helps attended as Clerk of the Council. The Hon. H. Elliot was presented to her Majesty at an audience. Sir Andrew Buchanan had an audience of her Majesty. Earl Granville and Viscount Palmerston had also audiences of the Queen. HER Majesty left the Castle on Monday afternoon from the Windsor terminus of the Great Western Railway, and reached Aboyne, the nearest railway station to Balmoral, at a little before two o'clock the following morning. Carriages were provided for her Majesty to repose, as she travelled through the night and was nineteen hours on the journey. We are happy to add that her Majesty appeared to be in good health and spirits. THE Prince and Princess of Wales were at Aber- geldie during the past week, and his Royal Highness the Prince has killed five beautiful stags, while her Royal Highness the Princess has taken her accus- tomed drives, fishing on the Dee, and sketching in the neighbourhood. THE Prince and Princess of Wales will bring their residence in the Highlands to a close in a short time, and return to Sandringham-hall, his Royal Highness's seat in Norfolk. Their Royal Highnesses, accompanied by their suite, attended, as usual, the parish church of Crathie on Sunday. Dr. Fowler, of Ratho, con- ducted the services. The rev. doctor preached a re- markably powerful sermon from the text, "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." There was a large and very attentive con- gregation. In consequence of numerous other engage- ments the Prince of Wales cannot undertake to go to St. Andrews at the beginning of October next to preside over the October meeting of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, on the occasion of his Royal Highness being made captain. IT is expected that Prince Alfred and one of the Danish Princes will be present at one of the concluding meetings of the Social Science Association, which is to assemble in Edinburgh on the 7th of October. _u.

POLITICAL GOSSIP. WE hear that it is probable that the Hon. Captain Denison, a brother of Lord Londesborough, who has large property in the neighbourhood, will be a candi- date for the representation of Scarborough in the Conservative interest at the next general election. THE barrister appointed to revise the list of voters for the City of Westminster has given notice that he will hold his court on Thursday, October 8, at the Lords Justices' Court, Westminster-hall. THE Act of last session relating to naval prize money, which revives the old system of permitting captains of ships of war to appoint their own prize agents, will come into operation on the 1st proximo. THERE is no truth in the report that Admiral Wilkes's vessel had been sunk by the Alabama, and Wilkes gone to the bottom to turn into wilks and winkles. A DISPUTE has arisen between the Pontifical and Italian Governments, which is likely to result in the withdrawal of the exequaturs from their respective consuls in Italy and Rome. The brigands taken from the steamer Aunis have been finally handed over to the Italian authorities. IT is an absurd notion of France to want to borrow cash from England as a reward for whacking the Mexicans. A loan is contemplated, to which Capel- court will be asked to subscribe largely. This, says a contemporary, is the height of impudence. IT is proposed to erect a marble bust of Mr. John Laird, M.P., in the Borough Hospital at Birkenhead, which has been erected at the expense of that gentle- man. Several Federal gentlemen, a contemporary facetiously says, have been asked to subscribe, and have not been zealous to do so. WE are sorry to perceive, says the Court Journal, of late frequent court-martials on privates of the Royal Marines for flagrant acts of insubordination- very unusual occurrences in that gallant corps, so highly extolled for loyalty and good conduct. These offences have mostly occurred afloat, and are generally directed against officers or non-commissioned officers of the corps. IN Galway a newspaper has just been started to aid Federal recruiting under the guise of emigration. It is styled the United Irishman and American, and dis- plays at its head the mingled emblems of the United States and Ireland. The inducements offered the emigrants are high pay, and a future war with England-both powerful inducements to a poor and ignorant population. THE charges on which Colonel Crawley is to be tried, are, says the Times of India, as follows1. For having caused the orders under which Sergeant-Major Lilley was placed in arrest, in May, 1862, to be carried into effect with unnecessary and undue severity, whereby the sergeant-major and his wife were subjected to great and grievous hardships and sufferings. 2. For having stated in his reply to Mr. Smales's defence before the court-martial that it was Mr. Fitzsimons's fault if the sergeant's wife was inconvenienced by having the sentries placed near her bed, whereas he knew well that Mr. Fitzsimons had acted in the matter by his express orders and directions. IT is reported that there are several steamships of war now building in France under the same mysterious circumstances as those at Messrs. Laird's yard, Bir- kenhead, and probably for the same purpose-either for the Confederate navy, or, as some assert, for the nucleus of a Mexican fleet. The two building in a private yard at Nantes are represented as pierced for 22 guns each, with engines of 400 horse power, and intended to have a speed of fourteen knots an hour. A condition of the contract is said to be that these vessels are to be delivered to the owners, twenty miles out at sea, off Belle Isle. Two others, of similar character, are building in the yard of M. Arman at Bordeaux. A CORRESPONDENT of a contemporary calls atten- tion to certain appointments in the Arsenal at Wool- wich, which, to say the least, are of a very doubtful character. Although the number of workmen engaged in the gun factories has been largely reduced, the Commander-in-Chief appears to think that more super- intendence is required. To provide this he does not appoint men who have been engaged in the manufacture of ordnance, and who might, if that were the case, be supposed to know something about that with which they had to deal; but he chooses three additional officers of the Royal Artillery, of which his Royal Highness is colonel. It is difficult to understand either the advantage of, or the necessity for, these appointments, and it is to be hoped either that some satisfactory explanation will be given, or that the obnoxious nominations will be cancelled. THE Duke of Athol's health shows no symptom of improvement; on the contrary, it is understood that his eyesight is failing' rapidly under the medical treat- ment which has been adopted with a view to induce sleep, from the loss of which he has of late suffered much. The most sincere sympathy is universally felt for this esteemed nobleman, whose benefactions to the labouring classes on his estates have greatly en- deared him in their estimation. WE regret to announce the death of the Marquis Townshend, whichoccurred at Raynham, in Norfolk. Some years since his lordship suffered from a paralytic attack, and his death, which happened suddenly, was caused by a renewal of the attack. The deceased was son of the late Lord John Townshend, and married, in 1825, the daughter of the late Lord George Stuart, sister of the late Lord Dudley Stuart. His lordship, after leaving Eton, where he was educated, entered the Naval College at Portsmouth, and became a cap- tain, R.N., in 1834; naval aide-de-camp to the Queen in 1854; and rear-admiral in 1856. He represented Tamworth from December, 1847, to January, 1856, when, upon the death of his cousin, he succeeded to the marquisate. The marquis was high steward of the borough of Hertford. On the news of his death reaching Hertford, the Union Jack was raised half- mast high on the Town-hall. The deceased nobleman is succeeded in his title and estates by his son, John V llliers Stuart, Viscount Raynham, born in 1831, who nas represented Tamworth since 1856.

SPORTS AND PASTIMES. —,— « REMARKABLE "WHIST BET.—A record of the fol- lowing bowl fide bet at whist, made in the middle of the last century by two well-known gentlemen of "quality," is preserved in a curious manuscript book of bets belonging to a very old-established London club: — "Mr. Fanshawe and Captain Rodney agree, whenever they cut in at whist and are not together, whichever offers to bet fifty guineas, the other refusing is to forfeit one hundred guineas. December 12,1758." One is tempted to ask, says a contemporary, what can be the object of such a bet ? If two gentlemen wish to bet when opposed to each other, a verbal agreement ought to be sufficient. The fixing of a penalty in case either should fail to keep his word looks very much as though these two gentlemen each suspected the other of backing out when saddled with a bad partner, or when pursued by bad luck. That such a bet could be proposed without its being regarded as an insult, shows a singular contrast of feeling to that which prevails among mon of honour at the present day. A NOVEL EEL BAIT.—"Perhaps," says a corre- spondent in the Field, "you will be able to find room for a little anecdote told me by a Scotch gentleman. I am no fisherwoman (though, considering the bright example set us in the Highlands this year by her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, and other noble ladies, I think angling will become speedily fashionable), therefore you must kindly overlook any defective or unpiscatorial expressions I may use— attribute them, I pray, to my ignorance, coupled with a defective memory, for could I relate you the tale in my friend's graphic words I know it would tell well. He was fishing in Scotland—salmon fishing, and having succeeded in hooking a very fine fish, was not disposed to lose him by over haste in landing him, his line being rather weak so he allowed the fish to run, I think he called it, and he ran also, with the rod in his hand, along the banks of the river, with eyes fixed upon the line and the playing fish; he never looked at his feet. A little stream or freshet ran into the river, right across his path; in he stumbled, lost his footing, and fell over into the river, but never left hold of his rod; like a good coachman, he kept possession of the reins. His hat fell off. and, leaving it to its fate, he swam out, and finally landed the fish. He went back to seek his hat, met it floating down, and taking up a couple of stones flung them at it to try and bring it nearer shore. One of them fell in the hat (he is no shot), and sank it. Well," thought he, one ducking a day is enough, the dinner-hour is drawing near, my uncle's temper never improves by waiting, so hatless I will go," and go he did, salmon on shoulder, for several miles. A week afterwards, passing by the spot where his hat sank, he determined to have a dive for it, for the fan of the thing. In he plunged, and brought up his best hat, half full of silver eel", and he really assured me that he believed they wore attracted into the hat by the scent of the pomade he used for his hair, which he had purchased in Bond-street." THE ARAB V. THE ENGLISH RACER.—A corres- pondent of a contemporary, writing from Alexandria, says:—"Your racing readers may be interested in hearing that the much-vexed point as to the merits of English and Arab horses has just again been tried in Cairo. Ali Pasha, who has the finest stud of Arabs in Egypt, maintained that no English horse could run against an Arab for four miles. His Highness Halim Pasha offered to run Companion, a well-known racer here, against him for any sum he liked. The match was run from the first station on the Suez desert to Cairo. The English horse, which was bred, I believe, by Lord Ribbesdale, won in a canter by more than half a mile. Such a crushing defeat has taken all the courage out of the partisans of Arab horses. What astonished the natives most was that Companion, beating his adver- sary by so great a distance, was perfectly fresh, and quite ready to turn round and run the distance over again, while the Arab was quite exhausted and blown." THE ROD-FISHING IN THE TAY.—The Tay, says the Scotsman, is at present swarming with salmon, grilse, and trout, all of which arc in fine condition, and during the past week anglers have had excellent sport on the various stations between the mouth of the Almond and Cargill. Anglers are highly pleased with the proposal of the Salmon Fisheries Commissioners 'o to extend the rod-fishing in the Tay district till the 31st of October, and are unanimously of opinion that such extension will not be in the smallest degree detri- mental to spawning operations, as the fish are gene- rally clean till the beginning of November. The district fishery board, however, is of opinion that rod-fishing should end by the 30th September. The board likewise seem determined to limit rod-fishing as much as possible. The Doncaster Meeting; Racing events and the progress of the turf season must impress upon the minds of the public the silent advances of time; a "mellow September" brings us once more to the Doncaster meeting, which involves the world-famous struggle for the St. Leger. In the North, the Sellinger Day, as it is termed, is always regarded as one great district festival-and, perhaps, at no time since the race has been established (and it is now in its 87th year) has there been greater interest felt than on the present occasion. For the great event we give the various predic- tions that proceeded from the mouths of the prophets previous to the race :■— The writer to Bell's Life, after discussing the pre- tensions of Avenger, Queen Bertha, Ranger, Golden Pledge, Lord Clifden, Borealis, Blue Mantle, National Guard, Dr. Syntax, and Erin-go-Bragh, thus wound up his analysis:—" To sum up, we must plead to a preference for Avenger, Golden Pledge, and Borealis, of the favourites; and for National Guard, Erin-go- Bragli, and Dr. Syntax, of the outsiders; and a careful analysis of public form," the money put on the horse, and the good hands he is in, justify our giving the St. Leger of 1863 to Avenger." Three poetic prophets in the same paper had each their different fancies, the first selecting the Ranger, the second Lord Clifden, and the third Queen Bertha. "Touchstone," in the Era, said: We never knew this famed race to present a more open character, and that it has that aspect is evidenced by the price offered on the field, a much longer one than ought to be if The Ranger and Lord Clifden are all right, seeing that they have displayed the best form of the whole lot who have shown in public. Discarding Queen Bertha, and admitting that the good judges who have betted so heavily against the two others named may know more than us, we shall stand against the majority ef the favourites, and anticipate the judge's verdict as under:—The Avenger, 1; Blue Mantle, 2; and National Guard, 3." Stable Mouse," in the same paper thus concluded a rather lengthy squeak Putting this and that together, and then pulling 'em apart again, and then placing them face to face, and topsy turvey, and head over heels, this is my conviction as to the result of the St. Leger, that Queen Bertha and Golden Pledge will be first and second, with Borealis very close to them." "Observer," in the Field, after discussing the chances of those likely to show at the post, thus con- cludes "Had The Ranger not exposed himself so much at York, I should unhesitatingly have regarded him as the winner. But the exhibition was too poor a one to rely upon, and the validity of the excuse offered for him I cannot acknowledge. I shall therefore pre- fer trusting to Queen Bertha, who has had every chance given her, and, I believe, is destined to tread in the steps of Queen of Trumps. Next to her I shall look for The Ranger and Golden Pledge." Vaticinator," in the Sunday Times, gave Avenger, 1; The Ranger, 2; Golden Pledge, 3. "Beacon," in the Sporting Gazette, says: "I ex- pect to see the St. Leger of 1863 fall to either Avenger, Golden Pledge, or Queen Bertha; and look- ing at the manner in which Lord Stamford's horse ran away with the Prince of Wales's Stakes, I must give the preference to Avenger." The Telegraph gave Queen Bertha and Lord Clifden, with Golden Pledge for a cockboat. "Augur," in the Sporting Life, said Lord Clifden would be first, and Queen Bertha second, their most dangerous opponents being Golden Pledge and Blue Mantle.

TOPICS OF THE WEEK. THE NEW FREEMAN OF DUNDEE. 0 high is the honour of Russell the Earl, And his brain is no doubt in a regular whirl, For the Sheriff and Provost, and Baxter, M.P. Have made him a freeman of bonny Dundee. How modestly all his past honours are worn The freedom of Catholics, freedom of Corn, Repeal of the Test Act, and so on," says he, Are due to this freeman of bonny Dundee. "Reform Bills I've framed without number, you know, But I gave up that business a short time ago Now in Foreign Affairs very safe you will be In the hands of this freeman of bonny Dundee. 0 white is the linen you bleach by the Tay- But whiter to me this most fortunate day Very sweet is your marmalade—sweeter to me That I now am a freeman of bonny Dundee." The Press. THE OBSTACLE TO THE SPREAD OF CHRISTI- ANITY.-The Bishop of Oxford calls for more sacri- fices in Central Africa. He is, indeed, almost as insatiate as the King of Dahomey. He confesses that no good has been done, but is for persevering all the same in the waste of lives and money. The Scotch liken folly of this sort to thrashing water for bubbles, but the thrashing in this instance is much worse than idle. Dr. Wilberforce is quite content with the deaths of the bishop and Mr. Martin, and coolly declares that they do much more good in their graves in the vvilds of Africa than they could have done by their ministrations at home. It is a pity he cannot himself set the example of this sort of service, of speaking, as he says, from the tomb, as he might do it, perhaps, to better purpose than from the chair. Bishop Wilber- force says that the great obstacle to the reception of the Gospel in heathen lands is the contradiction between the lessons of Christianity and the lives of its professors and he asks whether poor savages can be disposed to believe in the Gospel when they see a drunkard. But that example is not the worst. What can the heathen think when 'c he sees or hears of a rich bishop professing the religion in which riches are declared the root of all evil ? What can the poor savage think when he hears the purple and fine linen condemned as the types of the pomps and vanities, and learns that the heads of the Church clothe their servants in the one and them- selves in the other, as if in outward and visible con- tempt and defiance of Christianity? We admit, of course, the impossibility of acting literally and strictly up to all the- self-denying precepts of primitive Chris- tianity; but this being so, let a bishop have the prudence to refrain from declaring that the contra- diction between lessons and lives is the impediment to the propagation of the Gospel, citing the drunkard as the example, when the Prelate, in lawn and luxury, as described by Sydney Smith, would serve as well, or better, to point the moral. The episcopal palace is a glass house from which stones should not be thrown against the contradiction between precept and practice. -Examiner. THE WELSH EISTEDDFOD. — The great national Eisteddfod, or gathering of the bards, has just been held in Wales, and another blow has been dealt to English tyranny and English cruelty. The Lord Bishop of St. David's, who took the chair at one of the meetings, advised that certain of the odes and addresses should not be published, in consequence of their strong expressions against the hateful Saxon; but it is hardly likely that men who bear such names as Genedlaethol, Cywiad, and loan ap L will consent to have their feelings thus outraged. Any Englishman who went to the Eisteddfod, and was not stunned bv the uproar made by the shrieking of the glorious bards, would probably be puzzled at the course of the busi- ness. The Welshmen compete for prizes, and rave out what they call poetry, in what they consider the finest language in Europe, amid incessant cheers from the audience. The prize is generally divided among several competitors, or the blood of the one successful man might peradventure be spilt. The reports of the affair are written in the jargon which passes for good English down in Wales, and a local paper announces that "North and South (Wales) are now united under one bardic banner." This is, indeed, a cheering result. Bishop Thirlwall was made a Druid, which was another great achievement, and the bards spluttered odes to him in their uncouth gibberish till the episcopal vic- tim must have fancied himself in an assemblage of Ojibbeways. A Dr. James, the fiery orator, as he is called in those parts, made a beautiful speech, in which he smote the Saxons hip and thigh. God had said that He would keep the Welsh alive, and here they were alive on that day, that hereafter they might sway the sceptre over the whole length and breadth of the land, if they had not done so for many years past." The Welsh will yet have their own again. The assurance greatly delighted the bardic conclave. This last meeting has caused them to retire to their caves for the rest of the year in happiness; but it was rather too quiet for them, since they only managed to break one gallery down and nearly kill a number of -Doople-all Welsh too. That would have been a blow to Christendom, and another convincing proof of the unquenchable malice of the Saxon. What has become of the bards now we know not, but by the time they next issue from their native wilds, we hope intelligent Welshmen will have found out that antipatkies of race would not help them, even if they were oppressed, and discover further that they are not oppressed at all, but have the same laws and enjoy the same privileges as Englishmen. All the harm we have done them is to feed them well, dress them decently, and offer them a civilised language. The first two they receive gladly—the last they may take or leave alone; but if they are wise they will forget their prejudices, and throw their "language" away after the skins which once clothed their noble forms.-The Spectator.

OUR MISCELLANY. Royal Adulation.—Among the addresses pre- sented upon the accession of James I. was one from the ancient town of Shrewsbury, wishing his Majesty might reign as long as the sun, moon, and stars endured. Faith, mon," said the King to the person who presented it, If I do, my son, then, must reign by candle-light." A Hint to Parents.—Do all in your power to teach your children self-government. If a child is passionate, teach him by patient and gentle means to curb his temper. If he is greedy, cultivate liberality in him. If he is selfish, promote generosity. Good Advice.-Those who have become addicted to evil habits must conquer them as they can—and they must be conquered, or they will conquer us, and destroy our peace and happiness. And those who have not yet yielded to bad habits must be on their guard lest they should be unexpectedly assaulted and sub- dued. A Flunkey Outwitted by a Bishop.-Bishop Morley was fond of a joke. Once, when the footman was out of the way, he ordered the coachman to fetch some water from the well, to which the coachman made a grumbling objection that his business was to drive, not to run errands. Well, then," said Morley, "bring out the coach and four, set the pitcher inside, and drive to the well. a service which was several times repeated, to the great amusement of almost the entire village. The Laugh of a Child.- I love it, I love it—the laugh of a child, Now rippling and gentle, now merry and wild; 'p Ringing out in the air with its innocent gush, Like the thrill of a bird at the twilight's soft hush: Floating up in the breeze like the tones of a bell, Or the music that dwells in the heart of a shell; O the laugh of a child, so wild and so free, Is the merriest sound in the world for me." Notes and Queries. Lord Aberdeen at Sea. I was very much amused by an anecdote Rogers gave us of little Queen Victoria and her nautical vagaries. Lord Aberdeen has had to attend her in her cruisings, very much against his will, or, at least, against his stomach. You know he is one of the gravest and most laconic men in the world. The Queen, one day, undertook to reconcile him to his fate. "I believe, my lord," said she, graciously, you are net often seasick?" "Always, madame," was the grave reply. "But," still more graciously, "not very seasick?" With profounder gravity, "Very, madame!" Lord Aberdeen declares 's that if her Majesty persists in her cruisings he will have to resign.-Thc Life and Letters of Washington Irving. Lord Eldon's Father's Second Marriage.— After the death of his first wife, he rose one morning with the whimsical resolution of marrying any one of his maids who should first appear on his ringing the bell. He rang, and the chambermaid came up, to whom he abruptly said: Get yourself ready, and go with me to be married." The silly girl, treating the affair as a joke, refused, and withdrew. He rang the bell a second time, when the cook maid appeared, to whom he said: "Well, my girl, I intend this day to make you my wife; go and dress yourself with the best you have, and order the coach immediately." She took him at his word, dressed herself, and coming downstairs, was met by the silly chambermaid, who asked her where she was going? "Abroad; I have my master's leave." She had scarcely uttered these words, when her master came down and took her by the hand to the coach, which drove to St. Bennet's church, where they were married. Advice to Wives.-A wife must study never to draw largely on the small stock of patience in a man's nature, nor to increase his obstinacy by trying to drive him; never, never, if possible, have scenes. I doubt much if a real quarrel, even made up, does not loosen the bond between man and wife, and sometimes, unless the affection of both be very sincere, is lasting. If irritation should occur, a woman must expect to hear, from most men, a strength and vehemence of language far more than the occasion requires. Mild, as well as stern men, are prone to this exaggeration of language; let not a woman be tempted to say anything sarcastic or violent in retaliation. The bitterest repentance must needs follow if she do. Men frequently forget what they have said, but seldom what is uttered by their wives. They are grateful, too, for forbearance in such cases for, whilst asserting most loudly that they are right, they are often conscious that they are wrong. Give a little time, as the greatest boon you can bestow, to the irritated feelings of your husband. Descended to the People.-The nominal father of Madame Lamotte, of diamond necklace notoriety, who announced herself as the descendant of Henri II., was a cobbler. "There are in France, "says a Paris correspondent, several individuals who claim to be allied with sovereigns." At Troves there is a woman who looks after the cattle who' is known to be the descendant of the Lacerda, who reigned over Spain. At Venddme there is a pastrycook recognised as a descendant of Rodo.'ph of Hapsburg, who proposed to pay a visit to his august cousin Francis Joseph a* Frankfort, but was forbidden by his wife. The Revolution swept away many noble families, and claimants constantly start up who believe th8m,¡,c.¡ves their legitimate descendants. Patronising the Poor.-How often have I heard the unfortunate working man lectured, as if lie were A little charity-cliild, humid as to his nasal develop- ment, strictly literal as to his catechism, and called by Providence to waFc all his days in a station of lifoe represented on festive occasions by a mug of warm milk-and-water and a bun. What pop-guns of joke-s have these ears tingled to hear let off at him, what asinine sentiments, what impotent conclusions, what spelling-book moralities, what adaptations oi the orator's insufferable tediousness to the assumed level of his lluderstandillg: If his sledge-hammers, his spades and pickaxes, his saws and chisels, his paint- pots and brushes, his forges, furnaces, and engines, the horses that he drove at his work, and the machines that drove him at his work, were all toys in one little paper box. and he the baby who played with thorn, he could not have been discoursed to more impertinently and absurdly than I have heard him discomsecl to afc times innumerable. Consequently, not being' a fool or a fawner, he has come to acknowledge his patronage by virtually sayillg-" Let me alone. If you under- stand me no better than that, sir, and madam, lot me alone. You mean very well, I dare say, but I don't like it, and I won't come here again to have any more of it."—All the Tear Round. Smoking by Women.—As the special chroniclers of the world of fashion, and bound to record all events that occur in high life, we must refer to a custom which has lately been introduced into this coimtry, and which,, we venture to predict, will ere long become very pre- valent—we allude to the smoking of cigarettes by ladies. Fashion holds such a tyrannic sway over society, that we need never be surprised at seeing the most astounding changes of manners, custom?, and. dress brought about through its magic influence. High waists, short waists, no waists at all, chimney- pot bonnets, fiat bonnets, powdered hair, dishevelled hair, rouge, patches, enamel, hoops, farthingales, crinoline, high-heeled boots, sandals, high dresses, decolleices dresses, have all had their day; we have lived to see the time when duellists and four-bottle men no longer exist, and when every man, high and low, rich and poor, old and young, indulges in the German and Dutch luxuries of the short pipe and mild Havannah. But a more startling change is likely to come over the spirit of our dream ladies belonging to la cr&me de la creme of society have introduced cigarettes. We could mention the names of many of England's aristocratic daughters who openly indulge in mild Latakia. A clever contemporary has alluded to fast matrons; let us hope that unmarried ladies will be slow to follow the example of those who would introduce the noxious weed into female society. If Belgravo ladies seal their lips against pleasant contact by such a, custom, let the outer circles hold aloof, and believe not that there is aught celestial and godlike in entering such unfragrant clouds.— Court Jon-ma I. The Magnetic Pole.—A magnetic mountain has been discovered in Swedish Lapland, on the left bank of the Rautusjoki, and the vein, which is several feet thick, promises to be one of the richest sources of natural magnets at present known. Mr. Berg, to whom it belongs, hopes to obtain from it enough to supply specimens to all the collections in Europe. Among the facts mentioned in proof of the magnetic force which these magnets derive from this source, it is stated that the galvanometer traverses 10 to 15 degrees in their presence, and that a contact of a few minutes imparts a sufficient charge to a piece of soft iron to enable it to support a weight of one or two Swedish pounds. A natural magnet, weighing 4001b., has already been obtained, and larger ones may be ex- pected. M. Done, of Berlin, has already possessed himself of one weighing 68 Swedish pounds the price varies from 80 centimes to 3 francs the kilogramme. The Abbe Moigno, from whose able journal, LeG Mondes, the above account is taken, remarks that the extraordinary magnetism of this mountain suggests the question whether the magnetic pole of the earth must not be sought in Lapland rather than in Siberia, the more so as the existence of the pole in Siberia more than doubtful. What Wines are Made of.—Hiram Cox, M.D., of Cincinnati, has made the following startling state- ment :—During the summer of 1856 I analysed a lot of liquors for some conscientious gentlemen of our own city, who would not permit me to take samples ta my office, but insisted on my bringing my chemicals and apparatus to their store, that they might see the operations- I accordingly repaired to their store, and analysed samples ef sixteen different lots. Among them were port wine, sherry wine, and Madeira wine. The distilled liquors were some pure, and some vile and pernicious imitations; but the wines had not one drop of the juice of the grape. The basis of the port wine was diluted sulphuric acid, coloured with the elderberry juice, with alum, sugar, and neutral sprits. The basis of the sherry wine was a sort of pale malt, sulphuric acid, flavoured from the bitter almond oil, with a percentage of alcoholic spirits. The basis of the Madeira was a decoction of hops, with sulphuvie acid, honey, spirits from Jamaica rum, &c. The same week after analysing the above, and exhibiting the quality and character of the liquors to the pro- prietors, a sexton of one of our churches informed me that he had purchased a gallon of the above port wine to be used in his church OI: the next Sabbath for sacramental purposes, and that for this mixture of sulphuric acid, alum, and elderberry juice he paid S dols. 75c. a gallon." England and America in 1840.—Mr. Irving had been much disturbed of late by noticing, in the Madrid Gazette, articles from English journals, in which all our acts and intentions in regard to the Oregon question and the disputes with Mexico were grossly misrepresented, and we were reviled as a. people without principle or faith. As the Gazette was exclusively a court paper, edited by persons about the Government, he took occasion to inquire of Mr. Isturiz, the minister of state, whether these British calumnies were believed and countenanced by the cabinet. Mr. Isturiz assured him that he had not not noticed the offensive articles, and that he would take care to have them excluded for the future. In another letter, showing how much he deprecated the effect of these persevering attempts to debase the national name, he remarks :—" A rancorous prejudice against us has been diligently inculcated of late years by the British press, and it is daily producing its fruits of bitterness." "Bulwer," he once exclaimed to the British minister at Madrid, in strong excitement on the same subject, I should deplore exceedingly a war with England, for, depend upon it, if we must come to blows, it will be serious work for both. You may break our head at first, but, by Heaven! we would break your back in the end.The Life and Letters oj Washington Irving. British Pluck.-The inhabitants of the British. Islands have ever exhibited the most dogged courage in the defence of the colours. The history of the battle of Waterloo displayed two brilliant examples of the strength of that feeling which we have designated as the sentiment of war. Some of the Polish Lancers succeeded in reaching the 79th Highlanders, at that time drawn up in line, and one of them made a dash at the colours. He inflicted a painful wound in the eye of one of the young ensigns who bore them, and succeeded in seizing the flag. The gallant boy, though suffering the most dreadful agony, had resolution enough, even while in the act of falling, to retain his grasp of the precious charge. Ere another instant had passed, the adventurous horseman was killed, and the wished-for prize remained in the hands of him who had shown himself so well fitted to be its guardian. In another regiment, we cannot remember which, the ensign, a mere boy, who bore one of the colours, was shot. The enemy were advancing in overwhelming force, the regiment was being gradually pushed back, and the colours that had waved above their heads in many a dearly bought victory seemed destined to become the prize of the foe in whose discomfited faces it had so often proudly flaunted. At this instant, a gallant sergeant rushed to the front, determined to avert the threatened calamity. The attempt appeared, certain death, but he had only one thought—the honour of his regiment. Reaching the spot where the colour lay dabbed in mud and the blood of its bearer, lie seized it with a nervous grasp, and strove to tear it from the dead man's hands. He found it impossible to do so. In the moment of death, the ensign's fingers had tightened round it like a vice. The flag could not be moved. His own comrades were retiring, the French advancing-nay, were almost upon him. With- out a moment's hesitation, the sergeant, by a vigorous effort, cast the corpse and the standard together across his shoulder, and thus nobly freighted rejoined his own ranks, friends and foes both uniting to greet the exploit with hearty cheers.— Cclbv.vn's V,¡Ue,.f Service Magazine.