dertake everything and suffer everything. The soul of true lovers is like a holy temple, in which incense_incessantly burns, in which every voice speaks of God, and every hope is of immortality. "Is it not a wonderful thing, that the woman who has not the power of resisting him whom she loves, can yet find in so weak a soul all the energy, all the heroism, necessary to sacrifice her life for him? It is because woman is made to love, and that in her weaknesses as in her sacrifices it is always love which triumphs. "Far, then, from interdicting love to young persons, I would bring them up for this sentiment, I would make it the end and the reward of virtue: my pupils should know that the qualities of the soul can alone render us worthy to love and be loved; that love is but a tendency towards the beautiful; that its dreams are but a revelation of the infinite; that in attaching itself to perfections too frequently ideal, the soul points out to us the only objects which it can eternally love; in a word, that it is always the moral beauties which move us, even in the contemplation of physical beauty; and, to corroborate this idea, I would point out the most ordinary physiognomies becoming beautiful under the inspiration of a generous sentiment; and, on the other hand, to the most perfect physiognomies becoming degraded beneath the impression of a low and malevoleut passion; and I would conclude, that, for women the most becoming coquetry would be to embellish the soul sooner than the body, because it is the soul which renders all perfect." COMING DOWN SALT RIVER. OUR brothers of the press have "rowed us up Salt River" so vigorously of late, that we are driven to steal their oars and build a raft to get home again-very glad indeed, by the way, that home is down stream, and we have nothing to do but cast off. Stand by while we lash the oars, and heaven keep us from snags and sawyers. "N. P. WILLIS.-We have ever spoken highly of the ta lents of this gentleman-but we heartily despise his affectation and dandyism."-Portland Tribune. his comeliness, let him by all means do it; but let him not enIf he supposes that by hiding his face in hair he adds to deavour to persuade weaker heads than his own to imitate his example. If he thinks it becoming in a man of genius-in a being who believes he possesses an immortal soul, to convert himself into a walking sign-post of all that is outré in dandyism, let him do so; but let him not try to make proselytes to his most ridiculous opinions." So says Mr. Prentice of the Louisville Journal, who, having shaken us once by the hand, should have taken pains to remember that we do not wear beard, and have long ago outgrown our dandyism. We have taken up the defence of beards, however, and having shown (in previous Mirrors) that nature intends us to wear them, and that diseases of the throat are the consequences of shaving, we refer the reader to good gospel authority, (which will be found on a previous page,) as to its propriety and dignity. Our friend of the "Courier and Enquirer" has "let down a stitch in his broidery," which we must take up for him: "Of late years he has appeared so entirely engrossed by the frivolities of literature that his reputation, though brilliant and flattering to one greedy of clamorous applause, has fallen far below the level at which all nobly-gifted minds should aim. The great mass of what he has written since will have utterly perished, when these Sacred Poems, the work of his early and untainted years, will be read with delight by those whose praise is the best worth having." Many thanks for your "high speaking"-oh, virtuous Tribune!-and your opinions are as high (in the game sense) as your speaking, for you echo an accusation that has been dead these twenty years. Affected! La! We made up our mind full fifteen years ago that life was too short for any nonsense that didn't pay! And if we have not since taken the shortest road to knowledge and money-have not been Two-thirds of these " Sacred Poems" were written within always briefer and more straightforward than the man we the last three years, and we do not think that "Jairus's talked to have not cut loose from all affectations and other Daughter," "David's grief for his child," "The Leper," hindrances, kept our keel free of such weeds and barnacles," Rizpah," "The Baptism of Christ," Lines to Rev. Mr. and " gone our course" closer to the wind than other men- White," and one or two serious domestic poems in the same it is because we failed in the trying. Tut! who ever saw collection-all of recent production-show any inclination an affected man that would stand abusing for twenty years! of the tree to depart from the bending of the twig. We You must change the venue, good fellow-Portlander! And write such poems with delight. If our brain were not overdandyism! Come! we do rejoice that the reputation of it worked, come Saturday, we would never willingly pass a can be achieved so economically-the coat we wore the Sunday without some transfusion of poetry from the glowsummer last past at Saratoga having done us three years of ing and captivating fountains of the Bible. Every other quotidian service! You lack tact, oh Tribune! Take our vein of literature, except this only, is a task to us,—we asadvice, and never give the enemy a chance for a flourish of sert it to be believed. But we must be excused, though our "indignant virtue !" organ will play psalms, for grinding it to worldly tunes for "It is a shame that he writes so few useful articles, and de-a livelihood. If" those whose praise is best worth having" votes so much of his time to scrutinizing the ladies' dresses, fingers, lips, eyebrows and ankles."-Portland Tribune. out to pasture. A man who is catching fish for his dinner, don't stop to think whether the bait " will utterly perish," my dear colonel! No-no! "First come first served!"— Mortality before immortality! will pay us as much for "sacred poetry" as Graham and Godey pay us for what "will utterly perish," we shall be as Now what does the Tribune mean by a "useful article."happy to leave oats for grass as an omnibus-horse turned Stockings are useful, and the man who weaves them out of his wool, thinks they fulfil their destiny if they sell, and wear well, and make people want more of them. But that is the history of what we weave, out of our wool! We write nothing that don't sell-nothing that don't wear wellnothing that people don't want more of! Heaven preserve us from a dependance for a livelihood upon such "useful articles" as the Tribune sets us for an example! We would, Many thanks for the exquisite sketch of Blanch Beaufin.' at least, sell-like stockings! And as to our "scrutiniz-And if it will give you any pleasure, I am empowered to An anonymous correspondent," J. E. R. of Troy," writes us as follows about one of these "frivolities of literature" which the colonel thinks will "utterly perish:" thank you in behalf of a pair of the loveliest eyelids that ever THE following poem, illustrated with eighteen beautiful trembled over the page of romance." "The opening lecture before the Mercantile Library Association was delivered on Tuesday evening, by N. P. Willis. Though a decided failure, it did far more for the association than did that of Dr. Barnes for the Institute-having sold the course-tickets to a houseful, many of whom, no doubt, paid two dollars to see the famed author of inimitable nothings.' The failure grew out of the fact, that Willis foolishly imagined that he was expected to act the part of a grave instructor-which led him to take up such a subject as the formation of character, instead of gossipping about the novelties of travel, the pleasures of the country and town contrasted, the laws of fashionable life, or some other characteristic theme. We do not mean to have it inferred that he said nothing worth listening to, for the lecture contained some capital hints on the subject of intellectual and moral culture, and more philosophy by far than we anticipated from Willis-TO BE PLAIN. His views of intellectual progress chimed quite well with our own. They are views, too, which the world had better cherish. With him we believe that the growth of intellect, commenced in the present state of existence, will be resumed in the future life and progress on a like principle-in other words, that the wilfully ignorant Christian (if such there can be) cannot expect to be placed on an equality with the Christian of cultivated mind, when they shall have been transferred to the future world. The more intelligence on earth the more bliss in heaven, provided the moral faculties have been correspondingly educated-is our firm belief, looking upon the present physico-intellectual life as the model of that which is to come. This view, as hinted by Mr. Willis, would serve as the best of motives to mental culture, if generally adopted. "The brevity of this lecture was provoking. When it closed the audience stared at each other, as if asking, 'What's the matter?-What are you going so soon for?' As a matter of right to the audience, if not to his liberal-paying employers, he ought to have, at least, doubled forty minutes, which only he actually consumed. However, the ladies had time enough to get a peep at Mr. Willis,' whose appearance, doubtless, disappointed them, dressing, as he did, like anything rather than a 'fop.'" And, after this-we think we may venture to quote the winding-up of a two-column castigation given to us by the "GUARDIAN," a religious paper printed at Columbia, Ten nessee: "Is Mr. Willis ignorant of the meaning of the word coxcomb? Has he no respect-we will not say for the literary taste, but -for the manly feeling and the honest common sense of his readers? But we check our indignation; for Mr. W., conscious of his dandyism, and knowing well the contempt with which every dignified mind must regard it, yet knows perfectly well what he is about. Even such nonsense as his Beverley Correspondence' is eagerly sought after by multitudes of our countrymen-and of our countrywomen, we add with unfeigned sorrow and humiliation. The cheap literature of the last ten years has done more to vitiate and degrade our national literary taste than can well be conceived. To this degradation Mr. W. is openly contributing. He is prostituting talents of the most brilliant order, an exquisitely-refined taste in elegant letters, and powers of writing such as have fallen to the lot of very few men indeed, to purposes that must, some day or other, fill him with the liveliest mortification. He pursues this debasing course, not in the ardour of inexperienced and impulsive youth-a portion of the American press has wasted its reproofs upon him for nearly twenty years. We do not charge him with pandering to any vicious propensity in his readers. His fault lies in losing sight of what should be the high and virtuous aims of a scholar, and contenting himself with amusing the listless and 'dawdling.' Our compliments to Mrs. VOLNEY HOWARD of Mississippi, and we could wish that the poetry she was kind enough to send us had been finished as highly as the beautiful Invocation to WINTER which we see attributed to her in the papers. steel engravings, from original designs by Robert W. Weir, has been published, and is for sale by the Messrs. Appleton, 200 Broadway. The volume forms an appropriate and cheap present for the holidays. THE WHIP-POOR-WILL. RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED TO MORTON MC MICHAEL, ESQ. Till morning spreads her rosy wings, And earth and sky in her glances glow."-J. R. Drake. "Why dost thou come at set of sun, Those pensive words to say? Why whip poor Will?-What has he done? "Why come from yon leaf-shaded hill, "If poverty's his crime, let mirth "Art Will himself?-It must be so- "Yet wherefore strain thy tiny throat, "Still whip-poor-will!'-Art thou a sprite, "Is thine a conscience sore beset "If this be thy hard fate indeed, "Art thou a lover, Will?-Hast proved "Hast trusted in a friend, and seen "Hast thou, in seeking wealth or fame, O'er all the earth 'tis just the same With every mother's son! "Hast found the world a Babel wide, "What, none of these ?-Then, whence thy pain, Pray have the kindness to explain "Dost merely ask thy just desert? "Farewell, poor Will-not valueless G. F. M. "So much the better. Can't your girls work?" I was about to reply, when he cut me short by rising and observing, while he went to the window and drummed with his fingers on the pane, that he had no time to talk with me today. Think it over," he concluded, "whether you will retain your place at £15 a-year, and let me know. If you relinquish it, I hope you will have a better situation for a New Year's present." "To him who hath shall be given;" and those other w too, "From him who hath not, shall be taken away." IL lose £5 of even my poor salary. For a newspaper, which thou art no longer able to take Fy, Thomas, already murmuring again! and wherefor General Paoli succeeds in maintaining the freedom of Corsica. Shame on thee! Thou mayst easily learn from others whether The French have indeed promised assistance to the Genoese; but Paoli has twenty thousand veterans. He bowed very politely, and again touched his cap. I swept Dec. 18.-Ah! how happy are we poor people still! Jenny up the money and took my leave. I was thunderstruck. He has got a grand cloak at the slopshop for a mere song, and now had never received nor dismissed me so coldly before. With-she is sitting there with Polly, ripping it to pieces, in order to |