extended, and her tears flowed fast, as she turned | conscience confessed she had been wrong knowfrom the low, compassionate voice beside her, to ingly from the first; and the dark years in which return with redoubled sadness, to a home where her youth was wasting away, were the unavoidable no tone of kindness nor comfort awaited her. O consequences of voluntary transgression. It is a could we look onward, in our early days of inde- dangerous and treacherous mood, when we dare to cision and error, to the terrible moments of after- rebel against the trials around us, and to thrust, retribution, to the lonely and inevitable times of unmerited upon others, the censure due only to ourself-reproach and contrast, to all that renders the selves. Evelyn, agitated, humiliated, yet not chaspathway of the future so full of thorns for the pas-tened, but striving with impotent rebellion, against sion-guided pilgrim, few would be the footsteps on the mortifications of her condition, was grievously the high road of transgression, and few the weary unprepared to cope with renewed temptations. and heavy-laden hearts, that break, yet cannot die! Twilight had come, lingered, and gone, and It sometimes seems, as if a few days concentrate Evelyn still sat alone, her meditations busy with all the important events which most decidedly mould their ineffectual struggles against conscience and our destiny, as if weeks and months pass on, with its punishment. She was half-reclining on a couch nothing of consequence to affect their tenor, and then a single hour will change our fate for years. It was thus with Evelyn. Her reflections, when she quitted Edith's residence, were strangely mingled with mortified vanity, and the sorrow of a tenderness renewed in double-earnestness by the very words, which plainly told her it must ever be hopeless. Her visit had been induced by an ennui which had no solace a complete destitution of self-resource—a weariness of her own thoughts, which made silence and solitude fearful.

by an open window, through which the beautiful moonlight now gleamed, like the visible presence of an angel. Rarely had it shone on a fairer face, or haunted a sadder heart.

There are for those, who, from whatever cause, have deeply and sincerely suffered, periods, when some accidental link in thought's "electric chain," some occurrence, momentary as the falling of a star, silent as the fragrance of a flower, will recall and revive, suddenly and resistlessly, all the combined grief memory may have known. The startling violence of such revived emotion passes away as it comes, still and mysterious; but, for a while, we are overwhelmed by the influence we can neither comprehend nor control, and our mental powers are beyond our own guidance, like the spirits of those who dream.

Something of this mood had visited Evelyn, as she rested alone with her thronging visions. How wildly mournful those visions were! Ah! why must the weak minds which have so little strength in resisting wrong, yet bear within them so terrible a faculty of suffering and endurance!

It was the only time since Mordante's departure, that she had ventured to meet his connections; the pride which might once have prevented her risking the mortification of repulse, had now given way, before the untold and unnumbered terrors of her lonely hours. Accustomed always to obey, without questioning, the dictates of impulse, and destitute of that mental strength which acquires calmness from experience, and resignation from suffering, Evelyn had suddenly resolved to learn in what light she was regarded by her husband's friends. She imagined, with idle hopefulness, that time might have altered their impressions, or softened A step passed lightly and noiselessly on the soft their condemnation; and, with the fatal reliance grass without; a shadow, for an instant, intercepted on herself which had already cost her so dearly, the moonlight; and Evelyn noticed neither. She she dared the reception she encountered. It was a deed of folly, repented of, as soon as committed. After the first gush of varied and contending feeling, Evelyn's gentler emotions vanished, and anger prevailed over every other sentiment; and when she reached home, she lost all tenderer impulse, in the belief that her lot was an unjust one, that her faults, at last, were but slight; that she had wrought Why tell the rest? Who cannot predict the prono error, deserving a retribution so stern and en- testations, the confessions, the passionate declaraduring. She forgot there may be circumstances, tions of injustice and tyranny on one side; the arin which trivial offences acquire fictitious impor- dent protestations of sympathy and devotion on tance; when our lightest actions are so connected the other; who cannot foresee the falsehood and and blended with the happiness or the grief of the credulity, the tempting and the trusting, to folanother, that we have no right to trifle; that every low a meeting like this?—

started as if from a trance, when her hand was clasped with impassioned warmth; and an earnest voice beside her, whispered "Evelyn!"

With an eagerness involuntary, and resulting rather from surprise than any other feeling, Evelyn sprang from her seat, and cordially returned the pressure of that grasp―" Lesbourne!"

look should be guarded, every word weighed, which Evelyn! where was the moral beauty of thy could bring pain to one we had promised to com-girlhood, the unsullied holiness of thy first young fort; or pain a heart, whose very weaknesses, we dreams, the spotless purity of thine earlier love? should strive to consult and to bear with kindly. Lesbourne where were the proud principles of She had no excuse of ignorance to plead; her thy dawning manhood, its yearnings and aspira

Words silent long, their accents tune again
And sweetly murmur love's undying strain;
Affection's fingers too awake the strings;
To higher numbers now the music rings;
Memory unites to swell the concord sweet,
And buried joys their thrilling notes repeat.
As, wafted o'er the bosom of the sea
Falls on the ear some fairy minstrelsy

That plaintive dies, or merry peal's along
As Zephyrs list, or join the swelling song;
And as at times across the morning sky
Sunshine and clouds in rapid changes fly;

So round me now appear to swell the lays
That breathe the music of departed days;
So in swift flight seem now around me cast
The lights and shadows of the changeful past.
They fade!-Alas! the gentle vision's fled;
No more I see its beauty o'er me shed;

And yet, methinks, that still they hover near,
The spirit-shapes of those forever dear;
And though unseen, that now their beaming eyes
Are gazing on me from the azure skies.

And 'tis perchance their voices whispering by
That give such sweetness to the evening's sigh;
The gentle fluttering of their Angel wings,
That wake the soothing tones of mem'ry's strings.
Spirit of Twilight! Vision of an hour!
Farewell to thee, to all thy holy power!
Farewell! for gaily clad in robes of light
The Stars are dancing in the halls of night.
Farewell! And as thou reach'st thy home again
With the bright forms "that lingered in thy train ;"
O send! in all the light that round thee beams,
Thy Sister Spirit of our midnight dreams,
Whose voice may breathe those songs unsung by thee
That linger yet in cells of Memory.
Leeds, Fauquier co., Va.

cuts out opinions. We must keep pace with the age we live in; to use an old metaphor, we must float onwards with the current of time"-A fig for ancient opinions; give us the newest, and we will bind ourselves to keep them, (even as we keep a standing order at our tailor's to furnish a new suit with every change of fashion)—at the hazard of becoming one of the earliest applicants under the new Bankrupt Act-This would be fashionable-we congratulate our fellow-citizens in this change of opinions touching insolvents.

Philosophers, or rather Professors—a better title, for to profess is not always to know-have demonstrated that man is a progressive animal, not simply locomotive-but an onward-pushing upstriving creature-(observe our use of the most recent phraseology-the Carlylian.) Buffon speculates that this progression has been from a point of organic matter, to the present complicated machine-we only care to trace the mental improvement. This we regard as an easy task. For a single specimen: Some century ago a youth entered college at twenty or twenty-five, stammered his way along in some ten years, and thought himself lucky if he received the A.B. at forty. But a change has come over the cerebral apparatus; it works better now: at twelve, a student is already on the high road to the Baccalaureate; and does he learn less? Witness, ye proud colleges; have not the sciences quadrupled? Is not the calculus introduced where trigonometry was considered too difficult? Is not transcendentalism taught to boysas the old people would call us-at the very age when orders used to be given in the days of cerebral obfuscation, for go-carts? Need we more? Has not the same progress become apparent in the arts? Apprentices once served seven years; now, the examination of a treatise in the family library is all that is wanted to produce an expert artificer. Hence the demonstration that man is a Euler is said to have told some King, that there progressive animal-nor has he reached the high was no royal road to mathematics. Since his destiny that is before him. It is our object to furtime, the same principle in relation to other sub-nish some hints to assist him in his onward movejects, has been reëchoed by hundreds who had ment-to lend a shoulder to his up-going. neither the honor of addressing a king, nor the That extinct individual, Alexander Pope, who is right, in virtue of their own attainments, to ex-supposed to have vegetated in terra bull-iana, from press an opinion.

MODERN IDEAS CONCERNING EDUCATION,
Royal roads to knowledge; Pope's doctrine; Object of
knowledge; Method of acquiring; Reviews; Latin and
Greek; Quotations; Politics; Sciences; Geology; Steam;
Pithy sentences; Conclusion.

the peculiarly fleshy and carnose nature of his Times have changed. Euler may have been ideas, was under an impression that a man ought right in his day; but that has passed away-new to drink "pottle deep," of what he calls the Pierian lights-new sciences-new arts have arisen: e. g., spring, to acquire knowledge. It is gratifying to Animal Magnetism, Phrenology, and that dread-us, Mr. Editor, to have met with this observation, ful missile called the Death-dealer-a good name, in a fly-leaf of some lost book; which our ancient suggestive of that grim personage having opened aunt assures us, was written by the above person; a store for the better accommodation of his liege and as you admire literary curiosities, and as we subjects. intend to comment on the singular view of Mr. Pope, we insert it:

We repeat; times have changed, and Euler has remained in statu quo-he has grown antiquated-is out of season-his reputation has become seedy-who knows him? Clothes are not the only things which fashion changes she also

"A little learning is a dangerous thing!
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring;
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again."

How vicious! It contains the unheard-of maxim-intellectual harvests, till wit shall be so universally get drunk, and sober yourself by further intoxica- cultivated, that it shall be unsaleable in the martion! So alarming a precept filled us with amaze-ket; and every man write his own novels, poetry ment; we had heard of the immorality of the an- and plays. A dangerous thing forsooth, Master cients, but surely this, thought we, "out-Herods Herod." Aunt Griselda, whom we introduce as the finest specimen of a maiden of three-quarters of a century ago, explained that the author did not allude to "swigging," (an obsolete word she uses,) but to the acquisition of knowledge. We join issue, both about the interpretation and maxim, if so construed.

Pope! we move by steps; peradventure a "little step" is dangerous, when a huge one would be safe; no doubt, if babies could walk ab initio, it would be less dangerous, than their attempts to crawl, and, as a result, to walk. A little learning is dangerous!—no learning is sottish; but learning in any quantity, whether it be measured by gallons, or bushels, is most useful. Why not say that a little morality is worse than none? or utter other similar absurdity?

The illiberality of the man was great; he was an exclusive, an aristocrat-President Tyler was nothing to him. Pope vetoed knowledge-vetoed the means of reading the shin-plasters, that the former will cause to be thrown into circulation. He would have us profound, deep-searching, coreprobing philosophers, or nothing at all—mere dul

Before we proceed to the logical-it is with pleasure we add, on the authority of Griz, a remark or two on Pope, who was, à propos, a Catholic; he was remarkable for the boisterousness and grossness of his nature; he preferred large men, long verse-ten feet long, was given to the obsolete form of jest, termed the epigram; was morose in disposition; and, above all, wrote a satire on dunces, which is, as aunt tells us with her fan before her face, to hide her blushes, (how fastidious!) lards. In his misanthropical eye, the sun had no remarkable for indecency. It appears that the last production was unpopular-for, imbecility cannot tolerate to be supposed lacking in brilliancy, even at the hands of a dunce-it is a feeling which has survived the wreck of worlds,-" wounded self-esteem may never be without pain," as Carlyle expresses himself—a diction, how choice, classic, and much-expressing.

splendor, unless the gazer understood the nature of the dye that stained the glass through which he was looking; he was without sublimity, unless you knew that he had spots on his face--the earth without beauty, the landscape less lovely, the sky faded, and the waters muddy, unless the eye was in that condition called philosophical-an ailment not included in the German catalogue of 2000 diseases of the optics.

Having restored, as geologists term it, the fossil bard, we proceed to make a few observations on Do we acquire knowledge, because it is a labor! his opinions. And first, it is fair that he should or because it repays us with profit? The pains have all the advantage of an equal-we accept the taken in its acquisition are so much capital put out liberal reading of his sentiment-and with the as-with an expectation of interest. The thrifty man sistance of the new lights, proceed to anatomize, and finally scatter into thin air, his dogma.

uses as little of the capital, Time, as possible, and grasps the greatest returns; who, desirous of reThe object and use of knowledge or learning, is creating himself in the balmy wave, when fatigued to shine in society; it fills the poor man's purse, with the heat of summer, expends his breath and and gives him entrance where his effects would power, in constantly diving to the muddy bottom not; it is the handle, by which the people are of the stream, where no pearls glisten, and no turned about and churned into a butter, that the gold, with its impressive weight, balances itself happy possessor self-appropriates; it is the very against pleasure and joy and happiness! The fire of oratory, furnishing the speaker with an eye miserable wight, or sooty negro, clothed in Capthat reads the thoughts of his audience; it is as tain Taylor's sub-marine panoply, may creep along useful to the speculator, as to the priest; to the the mud, in search of old copper or coppers, reslave, as to his master; in one word, it is the uni-joicing in the title of an aquatic mud-lark; or the versal good. Hence should it be spread-a coating of it-in the form of a new layer, should surround the earth; and, in our creed, already begins to do so true, like chalk, it is locally formed, but unlike that friable article, its very centre and start- The March of Intellect has been for a long time ing point is the United States, and especially that slow; but now, the command hath gone forth, and portion of the country known as Richmond. It the quick alternations of legs, in the regiment of should be spread further! Come! ye doctors of savans, proclaim the order double-quick march!' law, physic and divinity. Furnish devils as la- Hippocrates made the discovery that life was short, borers, ye printers! And thou, oh White master- and art long, and therefore sapiently communicated spirit,-come! bring trowels and hods, and with his instruction in aphorisms-condensed an Encyup-turned coat sleeves, spread out the soul-invigo-clopædia into a hand-book. Who reads now the rating, mind-maturing manure, which shall yield' discussion, in two hundred volumes, on the geo

Eastern pearl-diver may consent to submerge himself, where he gains money and the choicest pearls— but only think of these citizens doing all this profound work for nothing!

metrical form of the leech bite? Who writes, and ing, vir sapit, pauca loquitur-the best mask for a who would read, Alexandrines

“Which, like wounded snakes, drag their slow length along?"

superficially informed person ever invented. Again;

always smile patronizingly when you hear a quotation; and if the person, as is usual with young men, The idea is preposterous. Life is too transitory to translate it, thank him in a cold contemptuous manindulge in such luxuries. He who would gain | ner for it—by which he will become persuaded to esteem must write in apothegms, and use monosyl- envy you for your attainments, a consummation delables-algebraise language and argument-con- voutly to be prayed for, inasmuch as it produces vert a pocket-book into an elaborate treatise on the impression of power from you. The very best every thing et quibusdam aliis. Such is the spirit circumstances under which to exhibit your schoof the age; and who shall resist that spirit? As larship is before guests at your own table--picked sweeping in its demands, as tyrannical in its by you with some aim. N. B. Never be afraid of method of enforcing obedience, as the mob, it car- the people called professors of languages, or of the ries in its right hand, the weapons of a moral lynch- humanities; they are usually needy and mean spelaw, which it is only too willing to use. cimens of humanity. With a certain amount of To the point. The age we live in requires a the Godlike virtue Assurance, you will create a display of knowledge; but to spend years in its ac- sensation in this department, and it is of consequisition is deemed time wasted; therefore, it as-quence you should; for people esteem it the test of serts its superiority in this matter above the epochs a liberal education-it is the passport of a gentleof Euler and Pope-over the first, in having discovered and attained a royal or rather democratic road; over the second, in discarding the notion of profundity.

We have appreciated this onward stride of civilization, even before some of our contemporaries; and, being the first in the field, we assume the office of generalissimo in marshalling the mighty troops pressing upon our heels. We publish the first general order from head-quarters.

man.

2nd. With respect to the Sciences: these are not at all necessary to you as a man of the world; mechanics and retired crusty old men are the only supporters of this species of humbug. But as it is very easy to acquire a decent exterior in these studies, and there are some persons of influence attached to their pursuit, and the exhibition of technicalities is peculiarly agreeable to the hugepaws-do not overlook a means of acquiring so 1st. Of Latin and Greek: two ancient and bar-much popularity. To this end, we advise you first, barous tongues: The vernacular of savages, now to glance into some scientific dictionary, and store extinct: A fossil Chocktaw, the study of which up a few technicalities; then in your trip to Newwas introduced into the West through the influence York, pop into Pike's store; and, exhibiting your of monks and others belonging to the anti-recupe-knowledge, and wearing the air of a purchaser, rative sect, who attempt to stifle the energies of lead the assistant into an account of his machines-mind. Use: said to be the reading of a blind beg-eyeing them scrupulously; having spent some gar-man's songs-and some miserable apologies twenty minutes in this way, straight become a canfor plays, where certain chorusses supply the place of the present stage-trick and pantomime. See a description (miniature edition of Shakspeare's plays) in "The Midsummer's Night Dream." The real use: to make a show in speeches, &c. by quoting these tongues-a capital trick, when you balk, or are posed by an antagonist's argument. Rule: lay up a store of short pithy sentences, not exceedWith respect to Literature:-procure a library, ing a dozen words-get them out of unused books, either by following the example of the fashionable such as Lucretius, Terence, &c., so that they may Tittlebat Titmouse, Esq., M. P., and buying up an have an air of research; and if you should thereby auctioneer's collection--having the books bound and awaken the attention of some cobwebbed book-put up in a handsome case. Or, what is much worm, and he begins to hold communion with you better, pursue the plan of the Historical Society of about the classics, assume the virtue of modesty, the Empire State : get wooden boxes made up like "though you have it not ;" and if he bore you, as volumes, and lettered, and arrange them carefully such rude persons are apt to do, you may walk on your shelves; the latter is the cheapest plan, away without fear-Such individuals are seldom and preferable in consequence of the high characcourageous enough to resent an insult, or of suffi-ter of the precedent-by-the-by, forward your subcient consequence for you to care about their scription to the Society at once, it ranks very well friendship. in Europe.

didate for admission into the Philosophical Society, if the fees do not set you against it. This is the royal recipe to form a savan. Always attach the M. R. 1. A. S. A. A., &c. to your name; they ennoble you in the the eyes of many, and create envy-a feeling you should strive to produce; it is the homage paid by little to great minds.

Under the above circumstances, and indeed Next, as to your Reading: confine it to newspawhenever you are too hard pressed, it would be pers and reviews-the latter form precisely the well to sigh, as it were, the old and invaluable say-literature fitted to the age. A reviewer is a le