several years, a conductor on the Philadelphia railroad, and has, during the whole of that time, so won upon the good opinion of the public as to render him a universal favourite. He is just the man for the undertaking. The style of Louis XIV., with its various modifications, is, at present, most in favour. The Elisabethan has also been re|| vived in England, where it divides, with the style just mentioned, the public taste. It is no unusual thing to have the separate styles introduced into connecting suites of rooms. The effect of this arrangement is very marked-as the styles present a perfect contrast to each other-the one being elaborate, and showy in the highest degree, while the other is of a plainer style, very massive and rich, and exceedingly well adapted to bring out that peculiar effect which is imparted by the contrast of plain with burnished gold. Mr. Magenis, whose Shakspearean readings everybody should attend, has given several intellectual soirées in this city. He brings to his aid sound and practical information, and great experience and erudition. Our old friend, Sheridan Knowles, who heard the worthy professor in London, thus || speaks of him:-"I have the greatest pleasure in bearing testimony to the accomplishments of D. Magenis, Esq., as an elocutionist. Their extent and quality may be inferred from the fact of his having availed himself of the experience of every professor of eminence in the United Kingdom. As a worthy man and a gentleman, he has not his superiour." On the first of next month a new monthly will be issued from the press of this city, to be entitled the "Columbian Magazine." The publisher has had the good sense and the good fortune to engage Mr. John Inman as editor, than whom a more competent person is not to be found among the literary gentlemen of this country. Mr. Inman was, for a long period, associated with us in a similar enterprise, and we, therefore, speak of his qualifications understandingly. That he will make the Columbian a capital work we have not the shadow of a doubt, and we wish it every success. Prescott's "History of the Conquest of Mexico" enjoys a wide-spread popularity, and it richly deserves it. The Harpers have issued the first volume, which contains five hundred pages, and a beautiful portrait of Hernando Cortes, in a superiour manner. We shall look for the second volume with much interest. one. All classes in this country, from the millionaire down to the day-labourer, are patrons of our mirrors, (and surely, if reward follow merit, everybody ought to patronise your mir. rors.) The humble, but tidy housekeeper buys the article in its least expensive form, as one of indispensable necessity; but, with the wealthier classes, while it, in countless ways, subserves this purpose, it is also made to minister to the splendour of the drawing-room, not only as, in itself, a separate decoration, but imparting effect by its reflection to all other embellishments. Now, that is what I call a most ship-shape and satisfactory document, and the readers of the Intelligencer will not be displeased to know that much more than before of lookingglasses. As this much of amusing, however, is a sufficient solvent for a small lump of instructive, permit me to drop in at the bottom a little information I hunted up for my private satisfaction on getting home, after my conversation with Mr. Williams. When glass is to be cast for mirrors, it is melted in great quantities in large pots, or reservoirs, until it is in a state of perfect fusion, in which state it is kept a long time. It is then drawn out by means of iron cisterns of considerable size, which are lowered into the furnace, filled, and raised out by machinery. The glass is poured out from these cisterns, upon tables of polished copper of a large Several novelties, in the way of new music, have recently been laid upon our table. The first of these, "Lays of the Parlour," published by Hewitt, is dedicated to the ladies of the United States, and forms a beautiful gift-book for the holidays. Oakes, of Boston, has published "Bertini's Instruc-size, having a rim elevated as high as the intended thicktion-Book," which is considered by teachers the best work of the kind extant. The edition before us is an admirable Atwill's emission of the "National Songs of America" is also a novelty, and deserves especial notice. Besides several old favourites, it contains the "Land of Washington," and the new Yankee Doodle," so admirably sung || by the Hutchinsons. Our worthy friends, Firth and Hall, have published the "Old Granite State," the " Snow-storm," "Calomel," the "Vulture of the Alps," and a number of the other popular songs of the day. There is a great improvement in the recent publications of this old and highly-respectable house. Mrs. Hewitt, one of the sweetest of our lady-poets, has written some delightful words for Wallace's romance of "Le Réve," which will be published in the course of a few days. 44 We made an extract from the National Intelligencer last week, in which the writer notices the splendid New Mirror establishment of Messrs. Williams and Stevens, in Broadway. The preparation and importation of the plates are particularly alluded to, and some items of curious information given respecting them not generally known. The manufacture of looking-glass frames is equally interesting, as may be seen from what follows: ness of the plate. In order to spread it perfectly, and to make the two surfaces parallel, a heavy roller of polished copper, weighing five hundred pounds or more, is rolled over the plate, resting upon the rim at the edges. The glass, which is beginning to grow stiff, is pressed down and spread equally, the excess being driven before the roller till it falls off at the extremity of the table. As the plates which are cast for looking-glasses are always uneven and dull at their surface, it is necessary to grind and polish them, before they are fit for use. The process employed for producing a perfectly even and smooth surface, is very similar to that employed in polishing marble, except that the glass, being the harder substance, requires more labour and nicety in the operation. The plate to be polished is first cemented to a table of wood or stone, with plaster of paris. A quantity of wet sand or emery is spread upon it, and another plate, similarly cemented to another wooden frame, is brought in contact with it. The two plates are then rolled together until the surfaces have become mutually smooth and plane. The emery which is first used, is succeeded by emery of a finer grain, and the last polish is given by colcothar, or putty.* WE had several things to say to our readers this week"last page matters," as our Governour calls them-but we have had to step out of our treadmill for a few days, and, a little giddy with idleness, we cannot set to work in a miWhile we were in Boston one of the friends we have nute. The manufacture of frames for mirrors and pictures, commenced in this country within the last half century, has, within a few years, made rapid strides to perfection. Frames of the most elaborate and ornamented styles, which, within a very short poriod would have been considered as beyond who "keep tally" of our graver productions reminded us of the reach of our most tasteful artistes, are now produced in a style, which, for design, execution, and workmanship, challenge comparison with the best specimens in Europe. off for putty ?" is intended as a reflection upon the last polish of the Etymological query-Whether the slang question, "how are you gentleman to whom it is addressed? a Scripture sketch which we had forgotten, and which was left out in printing our late Extra of Sacred Poetry. We give it here, below, and beg our friends to take it as a locum tenens for our usual gossip with them on this page. LAZARUS AND MARY. Jesus was there but yesterday. The prints Praised for its palm-like stature, as he walked The burial was over, and the night Fell upon Bethany-and morn-and noon. When He would go again, as He had said, Unto his Father; and she felt that He, Had chose the hour to bring him home through Death In no unkind forgetfulness. Alone She could lift up the bitter prayer to heaven, "Thy will be done, O God!"--but that dear brother And, without tears, (since grief would trouble Him And still, Were the way-worn disciples in the shade; Upon his staff, and watched where she should come In spirit, and stooped tenderly, and raised That in Gethsemane sweat drops of blood, And a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, And the disciples bent their heads in awe, And trembling Mary sank upon her knees, Took Mary by the hand, and they knelt down N. P. W. Dined in about one mon, when, one morning, my door || worst scholar in conege, at twenty, he had úavened ov opened, and Lord Belmore was announced! I sprang forward with surprise, recollecting instantly the soirée at Lady Caroline's and the verses to Laura. But, half the globe; at twenty-five, his health was gone; at thi ty, he died insane at Villa-Bella. Poor Henry!" "What! crazy from love for Laura?” |