Cupids, and wreaths of flowers, and fruits, and birds, and insects; and here is a fair mount, with pictures a la Watteau; and here is a picture of St. Catherine, and here an album, containing photographic portraits of the Lord Mayor and Corporation of London. Very magisterial looks the Mayor-still more magisterial the Macebearer the strength of Gog and Magog is upon him, and he looks resolved to resist even the Main force, which threatened the old city with the curtailment of its privileges. And here is a marble casket; and here a paper weight "in the Byzantine style," and there a paper weight, "surmounted by a figure of a mounted Amazon attacked by a tiger," and here a paper weight, “in the shape of a horse-shoe, mounted in gold." And here is a toilet service, all in silver, in the "Queen Anne style." It consists of a toilet glass, hand glass, a large casket, ten toilet boxes, two large jars, four smaller jars, two large beakers, four large scent bottles, a pair of toilet candlesticks, a pincushion with pin-tray, ivory hair brushes; tortoiseshell combs, and the instrument tray, with fittings. What young lady is there who would fail to perform her toilet well with apparatus so extensive? And here are silver vases and ink stands; and, more interesting than the silver and the gold,-for one may grow tired even of wealth!-are drawings of silver that is to be, drawings made from designs of his Royal Highness the Prince Consort. Notice this tazza, the group takes us back about six hundred years, and shows us the creation of the title of Prince of Wales as applied to English Princes; the figures represent Edward I. presenting his new born son to the Welsh Chieftains, one of whom kneels and kisses the prince's hand; observe also the portraits which are given of the Black Prince, and others, who have held the title of Prince of Wales-notice the pose of this figure of Saint:

"Pass on, ladies, pass on, gentlemen, pass on."

Draperies; tartan velvet; silk tartan dress; Indian shawl, woven with gold on silver tissue; dresses of Lyons velvet, blue and maroon; Brussels lace scarf, with Cupids bearing torches; kerchief with figure of Cupids; lappets with monograms of the Prince and Princess; crape shawl, in case lined with blue satin; opera cloak of silk, with raised blue velvet stripes and white silk trimmings; a dress of blue and white poplins; a shawl of white and scarlet taffeta, a cloak of silk orange, scarlet and white ground, with tasses (wrapped in paper), and white trimmings; more shawls, and the box containing them, with Norwich Arms upon it; lace shawl from Ireland, deep flounced, with handkerchief, deep-edged, and a circular parasol cover, all from the Green Isle; and a Paisley

shawl, woven of Cashmere wool and silk. Quite a wardrobe, comprising the fairy-like webs of lace from Norwich and Ireland and Belgium, and the heavy gorgeous tissue from Delhi. And then, the books, children's gifts, a Bible and a Prayer Book from the children of Windsor; a Bible from from the children of Whippingham; a Bible from the British and Foreign Bible Society. These simple gifts are, in our opinion, the most interesting in the whole collection;-here are gold and jewels, and china, and costly satins; here are toilet services and bridal wardrobes; and here is the Word of God, which is more precious than gold, and more to be desired than the fine gold, speaking alike to crowned and uncrowned, to rich and poor, that the fashion of this world passeth away. I emerge from the red baize gangway, and I sit down to rest, and the first object my eye falls upon, is the touching group of Westmacott's, "Outcast and Desolate," where the starving mother cowers over her dying child; and still I hear the voices of admonitory policemen, “Pass on, ladies, pass on, gentlemen, pass

on."

I went up stairs after that, and looked over the Court from a small gallery which commands it; and the scene was worthy of observation. In the pressure of the crowd one failed to notice how skilful were the artistic arrangements which had been adopted. The Court itself is in the Italian style, and is surrounded with cloisters; the glass roof produces a general effect similar to that of being open to the sky. There are some good frescoes on the walls, and excellent specimens of Italian sculpture, Robbia's enamelled ware, Georgio's lustrous majolicas are grouped in different parts. In the centre are the standards to which allusion has already been made. The cases are arranged round these standards; small groups of exotics fill up the angles; the walls of the temporary court are fluted so as to represent white satin, decorated with bay leaves. Looking down the gallery, we can follow the winding of the railed in space, in which the crinoline and broadcloth flow; we can see how difficult a work our friends in blue have to induce the fair visitors to tear themselves away from the fascinating spectacle; but the admonitory voice-" pass on, pass on,"-sounds-with its hollow echo-like that of some solemn teacher, declaring the vanity of all earthly things. The jewels are rare, and the fabrics costly, but we must not linger-this thing of beauty; this object of interest; this valuable treasure, must be left behind-" pass on, ladies-pass on, gentlemen-pass on."

I wander through the picture galleries, thinking of these things, and I sit down opposite Haydon's picture of May-day, and I fancy

the admonitory voice calls to me from the canvas. Here Punch delights the crowd, and the old salt and the young guardsman, and the street beggar, and the group of idlers amuse themselves with his quaint drolleries; and Jack in the Green, and a group of climbing boys, all brave with ribbons, are out for a day's sport; and here is Corydon, in the swallow-tailed high collared coat of 1820, and Phillida, in a narrow gored skirt, short waisted, and a gypsyhat; and here is a yellow carriage-such as you may see disused in Windsor stables-and inside are another Phillida and another Corydon, just married, if we may judge by bridal veil and wedding favours; and rattling behind them is a mourning coach! They are all passing on, and jostling one another, wealth and poverty, youth and age, life and death,-" make way there, tangling group, for the carriage of the wedded pair"-" make way there, wedded couple, for a dead man's bier."

But, apart from these reflections, there was in the sight of the wedding presents much that was highly gratifying. They showed so much spontaneous will; and those who went to see were evidently highly satisfied that the cadeaux of the youthful bride should be so great-there was no " envy, hatred, or malice," that all this wealth should be given to the Princess Alexandra-everybody seemed to think that she deserved it. Dr. Johnson used to say, "there was nothing worth seeing beyond Hyde Park Corner;" I wonder what he would have said to this Kensington Exhibition. Something there was to see, full surely, in this great display of love and loyalty-something that was good to see, that spoke eloquently of the affectionate interest which all classes of our community take in the prosperity-the joys-the sorrows-of our royal home; something that made us feel that between us there was a bond of union, very different from that which occupies its place in some of the Continental countries. We do no slavish homage, but we are right loyal in our sentiments; our best wishes are for the happiness of the newly wedded pair; and our prayers rise up for them, that they may be counted among those who are His, in the day when He "makes up His jewels."

CHRISTIAN KEN.

"I AM GOING THERE."

BEYOND the crimson sunset,
Far, far beyond the skies,
There is a heavenly country
Where sunlight never dies;
There is a glorious mansion,
Where all is bright and fair,
Christ has prepared the City,
And I am going there!

Thousands of souls have gathered

Into that heavenly Home, Where sickness never enters, And sorrows cannot come. Saints with their lofty praises, Around the throne repair,

In heaven they're always praising,

66

And I am going there!"

My soul is sad to leave you,

But oftentimes it seems, I hear the voice of Jesus,

Calling me in my dreams. You know I shall be happy,

You must not then despair, For oh, there is a heaven, And I am going there!

Sometimes I see those spirits,

That bright angelic Band, Who dwell with Christ for ever, In yonder blissful land, His name is on their foreheads, And conquering palms they bear, And I shall soon be with them, Yes, I am going there.

From friends who love me fondly,

And call me their delight,

I go to higher pleasures,

A world of heavenly light!
A Paradise eternal,

Christ did for us prepare,
He calls me from my loved ones;
But they will meet me there!

"NOOKS AND CORNERS,"

OR

IMPORTANT TRIFLES IN SUNDAY SCHOOL ARCHITECTURE.

DEMOSTHENES, when asked what was the principal qualification of an orator, answered "action;" when it was enquired what ranked next in importance, "action," he again replied; and when, for the third time, the same query was repeated, it met with exactly a similar response.

This answer may, perhaps, appear to us in many respects a strange one, but be that as it may, it contains a lesson that we may learn with much profit to ourselves. There were, doubtless, many living in the days of that mighty authority, who would have considered the qualification that ranked so high in his estimation, only as an addition that was scarcely worth any vast expense either of time or trouble to acquire. So are there in this enlightened era of the world's civilization, too many who are content to be perfectly heedless of important trifles, and who think that if they are grounded tolerably well in the great and fundamental principles of an art or science, or indeed of any undertaking to which they have laid their hands, it is sufficient; and who have failed to learn the grand old lesson in every way so characteristic of Englishmen, "that what is worth doing, is worth doing well."

It is to be questioned whether Sunday school teachers as a body, although versed in the fundamental principles of their avocation, do not pass over too lightly matters which, though they may appear of minor importance, nevertheless exercise a deep and lasting influence upon our scholars; whether, indeed, their very appreciation of the loftiness and grandeur of the work in which they are engaged, does not lead them sometimes to look, if not with an eye of scorn, at least with one of indifference, upon little matters of detail and order, which are consequently much neglected in many of our schools.

An architect, if he understands his profession, knows that he has more to attend to than the mere foundation upon which the structure he is designing has to be raised; for it is quite possible for that to be solid enough, and for the superstructure even to be both firm and handsome, and yet for there to be little points, nooks and corners in the design which never meet the eye of the uninitiated,