are visited for their society, at least, and of course might be rused by a "club” of such, and a general air enjoué more made "to pay:" lovely than literary. The masks were few, and the fun of "Among the cases which are set down for trial next term is them was quite destroyed by the fact that every one seemone which will lift the curtain which conceals the affairs of aed to know who they were. Indeed the pleasure of reputacertain cheap theatre in this city, and give the public a bird'seye view of what has been recently going on behind the scenes. The developments, if not prevented by an amicable arrangement, will be rich and rare-showing the procedure by which a luminary of the law has run out of his orbit, displacing, in his new and erratic course, a luminary of literature!” The fine writing of this paragraph, by the way, is rather piquant. The belle of the Olympic, pretty Miss Taylor, could scarce have a better advertisement for attraction than the paragraph which announces to-day that she has been robbed of six hundred dollars worth of jewelry," and that "MANY heavy articles of plate, rich dresses, &c., were LEFT UNDISTURBED!" I am inclined to think that this is a covert puff from Mitchell's genius for he is a genius, and quite capable of knowing that everybody will go to have a look at an actress who had "six hundred dollars worth of jewelry and many heavy articles of plate left undisturbed!" People, like pic. tures, are made to “stand out" by a well-contrived background! Ah, you bright fellow, Mitchell! One of your subscribers complained to me that I was "falling off" by growing less gossipy. So I have crammed one letter with the gossip I should probably prate, among other things, to the masked ladies at to-night's ball-in the hope of pleasing one of your patrons, at least. I will leave off before I grow grave. New-York, January 12. The event ahead which has the most rose-coloured promise, just now, is the ANNUAL BALL of the CITY GUARD to be given at Niblo's on the twenty-fourth. Niblo's finelyproportioned hall has been, for some time, undergoing a transformation into a model of the ancient Alhambra for the purpose, and Smith, the excellent scene-painter of the Park, and a troop of decorators and upholsterers under his direction, are doing all that taste and money can do to conjure up a scene of enchantment" for one night only." The supper is to make the gods hungry and envious on Olympus -so sumptuous, they say, are the preparations. The City Guard, as you may know, is what the English army-men call the "crack corps" of New-York. The probability is that its members represent more spirit, style and character than belong to any other combination of young men in the state. They have a great deal of fashion, as well as esprit du corps, and, what with their superb uniform, uppish carriage, superiour discipline, and high-spirited union of purpose, they constitute a power of no little weight and consideration. Their ball will probably be the most showy festivity of the season. ble masking lies in the momentary breaking down of barriers that in this country do not exist-in giving low degree and high degree a chance to converse freely, that is to sayand till we have unapproachable lords and princes, and ladies weary of the thin upper air of exclusiveness, masquerading will be dull work to us. At present the mask makes, rather than removes, an obstacle to intercourse. Anybody who is there in a mask, would be just as glad to see you tele-a-tête by daylight, the next morning in her parlour, as to chat with you through pasteboard and black crape. Most of the ladies at this Literary Ball were in fancy dresses, however, and doubtless with their pastoral attractions displayed to the best advantage; and this part of it was comwould make every ball a “fancy ball.” “Medora” jackets, mendable. If women knew what was attractive, I think they and "Sultana" trousers are choses entrainantes. I think you would agree with me, after reading it, that BRANTZ MAYER'S work on MEXICO, recently published, is as agreeably spiced with wit, humour and other pleasant mental pimento, as any book of travels written within new-book memory. I have run through it within a day or two with sketchy a power of description should be in the corps of some suspense as well as great amusement-for so racy and professed, not amateur authors. His descriptions of the outer features of Mexican life, of Mexican character, Mexican women, beggars, priests and gamblers, are admirably spirited and entertaining. There is also a good deal of statistical matter industriously and carefully got together, and Mr. Winchester, the publisher, has done justice to it all in the printing and getting up. There will be elaborate reviews of it elsewhere, but meantime I express my pleasurable surprise and admiration in a paragraph-commending it for purchase to your readers. The fourth Extra of the New Mirror is about appearingembodying Morris's popular songs and melodies, which have heretofore only been published with music, or in the very expensive embellished edition of his works. The hundred thousand lovers of married poetry (music the wife, or husband, I don't know which) will be glad to get these "winged words" in a lump for a shilling. Morris's popularity will send this Extra to every corner of the land. I hear that there is a wonder in the way of patronage of the arts just now-half a dozen competitor-bidders for the unfinished picture of Cinderella, on which Sully is now at work. The Philadelphians must be recovering from their paralysis, and it is to their credit that the organs of taste are among the first to show activity. The betting upon the riders in the proposed hurdle race I went to the MASK BALL of which I spoke in my last (not steeple-chase, as I mentioned before,) goes on vigorous. without any very clear idea of who were its purposers or ly. I rather doubt, however, whether it will ultimately what was its purposes. I found to my surprise that it was come off. There was a steeple chase got up on Long Island, the celebration of the opening of the LADIES' CLUB in the last year, in which an Irishman and an Englishman, whose upper part of Broadway, the prospectus of which I have fames had followed them, as great hunters, were the comgiven you in previous letters. A fine house has been taken petitors, and after getting over two fences by pushing them and furnished, and the Reading-Room goes immediately in- down with their horses' breasts, they got imprisoned in a to operation, I understand. Like the frolic they gave (in clover-lot, from which they were extricated with great diffi. some country of which I have read and desire to know more) culty by the owner's letting down the bars and leading the to the nuns before taking the irrevocable veil, the carpets horses over! There is a compact, jockey-built American were taken up and music and men introduced to make the among the competitors who has great skill as a horseman, gynocrastic seclusion hereafter more marked and positive. and should there be snow on the ground, his light weight Being "an early man" I stayed but an hour, listening to the and superior practice will win the race for him without a band and looking on, but I saw beauty there which might doubt. The Viscount Bertrand, though doubtless the boldest make one almost envy the newspapers that are to be pe- of riders, is over six feet high and a heavy man. STANZAS. When twilight folds her curtains gray The vesper orb's refulgent light And, like a gorgeous diamond bright, Thus oft when fades hope's day-born dream, Some welcome star will sweetly beam, With fond, inspiring ray. Then as the shadows deeper lie On mountain, vale, and sea, So woman's love, that cheering light, Shines brightest e'er through sorrow's night A star of heavenly birth. invariably sent, ready-written, by the publishers, and paid for at a much higher price than avowed advertisements. The continued effect of this abuse of the public ear is based upon the phlegmatic dullness of perception in the English public, and their consequent chronic humbuggability. It could never" answer" in our country after being once fairly exposed. It is, to a certain degree practised, however—as is pay for concert-puffing, music-puffing, theatrical puffing, etc. Having confessed that we are willing to admit an entering wedge of iniquity in this line-in other words that we are willing to know whether it be honest to serve a man and contemplate his thanks in lucre, let us "run the line," as the surveyors say, and see how our new territory of tribute may be virtuously bounded. Authors have "the freedom" of us, of course. They are welcome to all we can do for them-if they publish on their own account. Otherwise, should it come in our way to help the sale of a book, we shall look for gratitude from the pub. lisher in the shape of advertisements. Actors, singers, and A. W. N. painters are "chartered libertines" for whom we have a weakness, and, besides, the Mirror cannot feed on the wages of pleasure-makers. All other pursuits, trades, professions, we are half inclined to admit, will be at liberty to make us such acknowledgments as they choose for any fur THE STATISTICS OF PUFFING. WE have been induced lately to look a little into the meum and tuum of puffing-partly from having been untruly, (qu. prematurely?) accused of "receiving considera-therance to their merchandise (in bales or brains) which tion for the same," but more to see whether the considera- may come legitimately in our way. We shall, in any case, tion were worth the having in case conscience, ("John preserve the value of our commendation by keeping it Tetzel, vender of indulgences" being dead,) could be brought honest, and we shall never commend any farther than is ento countenance it. We pique ourselves on looking things tertaining and readable-but there is a choice between subin the face, and having, and allowing, as few concealments jects to write about, and a preference as to giving attention as possible-so, first, for a clean breast on the subject, to things about town, and it is for this choice and preference say, up to Jan. 1, 1844. We are not particular, as " Mrs. Grundy" knows, as to the subject we write upon, nor the harness in which we are put to work, nor the style, rhythm, or rhyme, we are called upon to write in. We go altogether for metallic magnetism. It is our duty, (on our way to heaven,) to try for a "plum"in other words, to be "diligent in business." We write what in our judgment is best calculated to sell. But, in the course of this policy, it falls in our way to speak of things to eat, and things to wear-very capable topics, both, as to piquancy and interest. We have had occasion to describe glowingly FLORENCE's crustaceous cave, and the ice-cream that we may make up our mind to be susceptible of corrup tion. We write this in the cool of the morning. We don't know what we shall think in the more impulsive hours. Meantime-send it to the printer, and see what the governor says of it in the proof sheet. P. S.-PRIVATE.--The general (God bless him!) has just issued his SONGS and BALLADS in a Shilling Extra. As everybody knows, who sings, or hears singing, or reads poe try or who knows people who do, Morris is the prince of American song. writers, and his " songs and ballads" will now be thumbed by all thumbs, dainty and dirty. This shil ALHAMBRA, and to pronounce CARPENTER the ne plus ultraling literature, by the by, is a fortunate accident in the way of coat-builders, and JENNINGS's the emporium of "bangup" toggery, and for these and similar serviceable "firstrate notices," we have, in no shape,* received "con-sid-era-tion." The gentlemen, who have said so, ("the hawks" who would "pick out hawks' een,") will please make an early meal of their little fictions. As to literary puffs, we would as soon sell our tears for lemon-drops as to defile one of God's truthful adjectives with a price for the using it. We never asked for a literary puff in our life, nor made interest for it in any shape, nor would we sell one for the great emerald Sakhral. But if we love a man (as we do many, thank God, whom we are called upon to criticise) we pick out the gold that is inlaid in his book, and leave to his enemies to find the brass and tinsel. And if that's not fair, we don't very much carefor we scorn to be impartial. But let us hop off this high horse, and come down to the trade part of it once more. In England all influences that aid business are priced of your procuring readable things, and when you have bought a dollar's worth of them, you have a book to bind which is well worth the binding and keeping. Till now it would have cost you ten times the money to get Morris's songs, and a better shilling's worth was never pocketed. The lady who wishes us to define "talent and genius" will perhaps be content if we quote what Coleridge says on the subject:-"To carry on the feelings of childhood into the powers of manhood; to combine the child's sense of wonder and novelty which every day, for, perhaps, forty years, had rendered familiar-this is the character and privi. lege of genius, and one of the marks which distinguish genius from talent." "The Songs and Ballads of G. P. Morris" have just been published in an extra number of the New Mirror, and may be had at this office. Single copies, twelve and a half cents-ten copies, a dollar. This edition contains several new ballads not before printed. Among them the "Mainavowing Orlando Fish the nonpareil of hat-shapers, and (knowing truck," the "Pastor's Daughter,' ," "Oh, boatman, the measure of our head-critical man!) he did send us a charming hat without the disenchantment of a bill. Peccavimus! haste!" "O'er the mountain," etc. and paid. The puffs of new books in the newspapers are * One exception-a hat! We had been somewhat emphatic in |