Monument, very merrily. The only light a upper part of the river, apparently very glad to small lamp, given to us by the man who has scamper off to a warmer clime; sometimes, in the care of it, and receives 12 cents from its hurry to escape it comes in contact with the each visitor. From the top we had a pleasing steamers ploughing the waves, and is pushed and magnificent view; Long Island and nume- into the dock, or cruelly knocked on the head. rous others slumbering on the bosom of the Much variety of food cannot be procured. ocean, and Boston, looking like a scroll of The market affords nothing but potatoes, carparchment spread out on the sunny waters. rots, meal, and butter. The supply, however, Took our passage on board the Admiral, and is in accordance with the demand, for the left Boston for St. John, New Brunswick, on people have no idea of gastronomie matters, in the 18th of April. The snow was six inches proof of which, potatoes sell readily at 6s. per deep, hoary headed winter, I suppose, was bushel, while carrots are a drug at 3s. Fruit, bidding us good bye, before his return to his at this season, cannot be obtained for love or home in the stormy north. Hill and dale were money; diatetics are little thought of, and covered with snow, and fearing sea-sickness I do not desire it. The air is pure, the locality went to my state-room, and only ventured out healthy, the people retain all the freshness of to look at the coast when there was anything our Island home, and look quite as well as they worth looking at, and thus cheated the sea of did in the mother's nest. its dues. The snow gradually disappeared, and the craggy hills of New Brunswick presented themselves, with small white skull caps on, so that a fair view of their charms could be obtained. Two nights and one day brought us to St. John. It was morning; Paul Pry very kindly told me I would be repaid by going on deck and taking a view of the scene. Oh, how lovely it was! Nova Scotia gracing the horizon on the south-east; St. John lying in the distance; the proud spires and lofty masts of the vessels, from which I could distinguish the Union Jack fluttering in the breeze; the ships wafted to and fro; the shore on our left, with little cots like sunny islets in the stormy sea; all filled my soul with joy and love. Some persons have said that God made New Brunswick last, when tired of his work, but if he did he gave it enough of the beautiful. The leaping waves responded to my feelings and hugged to their bosoms the beams of the sun, and bore them to the shore, or lifted them to the clouds in joy and praise. God's earth is beautiful! Passed Partridge Island, situated at the mouth of the St. John river, and which gives it quite a picturesque appearance. St. John has the appearance of a beautiful English city. I could fancy I was in England once again-people, style of dress, of buildings, stores, and goods, all are English, or very like it. I am busily occupied in my new vocation, as Secretary to Paul Pry, for he finds enough for us both to do. Winter is leaving us rather reluctantly, the ice has burst its chains, and is coming from the THE HORSE. The horse! the brave, the gallant horse, What of your foreign monsters rare? I'll turn to the road or course, In the horse, the English horse. Looking fit for the sun-god's car; His nostrils are wide with snorting pride, And yet he 'll be led by a silken thread, He owns the lion's spirit and might; But the voice he has learnt to love Needs only be heard, and he'll turn to the word, The Arab is wise who learns to prize His barb before all gold; A song for the steed, the gallant steed- For we owe much more to his strength and speed Than man can ever repay. Whatever his place-the yoke, the chase, MOUSTACHES AND LADIES' BONNETS. seems spreading day by day, and the bonnets getting smaller than ever. There may be, perhaps, some light shadow of an excuse Amongst the social follies of the day the for young ladies who possess beautiful black moustache movement is extending to all ranks or fair locks, but there is none for old maids and conditions of men, to which no incon- whose locks are beginning to exhibit a palpsiderable number add beards, some actually able tinge of grey; and there is no excuse covering three-fourths of their face with for respectable married ladies from thirty hair. Mechanics are nearly all adopting to forty-five setting a bad example to their the moustache, and it is spreading to cab- daughters. But every lady and every woman men, cads of omnibuses, carmen, and all in London will have the tiny bonnet, and the omnium gatherum of the lower class of so- servants slip out on the sly with them, and ciety. It seems that the clerks of the Bank the veriest carroty-headed damsels will inof England caught the infection, whereon sist on exposing the beauty of their locks to each young gentlemen so affected received a mankind. circular from head-quarters, politely intiming that unless he appeared next morning with the objectionable appendage removed, he would be kind enough to send in his resignation. There was some grumbling, but of course, every upper lip appeared next day as clean as a lady's. The differences between the different styles of adorning the upper-lip is striking: some gentlemen curl up the end, some curl them down, and some IT CAN'T BE HELPED. "CAN'T be helped" is one of the thousand convenient phrases with which men cheat and deceive themselves. It is one in which the helpless and the idle take refuge as their last and only comfort-it can't be helped! Your energetic man is for helping everything. If he sees an evil, and clearly discerns its cause, he is for taking steps forthwith to remove it. He busies himself with who are in the happy possession of good whiskers unite them with the upper lip. Others go to the extent of a beard, some are short and bristly, some are long, and cultiv- ways and means, devises practical plans and ated with much care; but the most miserable methods, and will not let the world rest till it things are the downy and hardly distin- has done something in a remedial way. The indolent man spares himself all this trouble. guishable emanations issuing from the upper He sits with his arms lips of gentlemen with excessively light hair. He will not budge. These belong to the class of the strivers folded, and is ready with his unvarying obafter the impossible. Scarcely less curious servation, "It can't be helped!" as much is it to see the condition of the ladies' bonnets as to say, "If it is, it ought to be, it will be, not much bigger than tidy little caps, which and we need not bestir ourselves to alter it." the Parisian grisettes wear on the back of Wash your face, you dirty little social boy; their heads. The neat little net, or per- you are vile, and repulsive, and vicious, by chance lace border, just coming over the reason of your neglect of cleanliness. crown, was introduced by the Empress of can't be helped." France. In a week they were all over "It Clear away your refuse, sweep your streets Paris: in a month all over France. Of cleanse your drains and gutters, purify your course, they crossed the Channel in about atmosphere, you indolent corporations, for twenty-four hours after their first debut in the cholera is coming. "It can't be help the windows of the Boulevard modistes; and ed!" Educate your children, train them at this moment there is only, say, one woman up in virtuous habits, teach them to be inin fifty through all London who have bonnets dustrious, obedient, frugal, and thoughtful, on their heads, that has not rushed to the you thoughtless communities, for they are bonnetmaker's, and imperatively demanded now growing up vicious, ignorant, and carebonnets to be perched on the back of them less, a source of future peril to the nation. Vain is all the satire-vain are all the jokes" It can't be helped!" vain even are the labors of Punch-the mania, | But it can be helped. Every evil can be POETRY-WOMAN. abated, every nuisance got rid of, every abo- a fond adieu, which delights us because armination swept away; though this will never rayed under the Muse's banner; but under be done by the "can't be helped" people. other circumstances the unfeeling world Man is not helpless, but can both help terms him home-sick. himself and help others. A tear has a most IIe can act indi- tender effect in poetry, but how we hate to vidually and unitedly against wrong and evil. witness blubbering in reality. He has the power to abate and eventually uproot them. But, alas! the greatest obstacle of all in the way of such beneficent action, is the feeling and disposition out of which arises the miserable, puling, and idle ejaculation of "It can't be helped!" A PEEP AT SECRETS. As the setting sun throws a hue of beauty and sublimity over clouds that would otherwise be but dull, heavy, unattractive masses, 80 poetry by a similar effect lends lustre to thoughts and feelings that would under any other auspices be even repulsive. Grumbling is excessively unpleasant when coming from an ordinary individual in ordinary language; and if persisted in is apt to cause him to be dubbed a bore; but hear Byron grumble-all Childe Harold is one long growl, and yet how enchanting it is. "But," cries some unhappy lover who has just been sighing over sad remembrances, "Byron's is melancholy sentiment-it is that which charms us so much." Exactly so, but are they not synonymous terms? however much the fact may argue against the old saying, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." When Byron declares his weariness of life, how different the effect produced by that declaration and the common grunt, "I wish I was dead." But grumbling is far from being the only mortal fraility canonised by poetry. Anger has been equally fortunate; how differently is it treated in fairy-land life and in commonplace life; one can hardly imagine that he was witnessing the same passion when “Dark lightning flashed from Roderick's eye," and when Jack called Bill a clumsy fool, and told him he would like to punch his head; and yet in both cases the impulsive agent was essentially the same. There are numerous other examples of the same fact, so apparent that any one may, with a moment's consideration, detect them. When the poet leaves his native shore he breathes WOMAN. Oh man, how different is thy heart, Thy heart to melt, thy soul to warm, To whom "old days" convey no charm! While Eve, poor Eve, looked back and wept. To murmured words of praise, Yea, even when on her lover's breast Within his clasping hold, The sigh she gives is not so much As for those days of old; THE HON. MRS. NORTON. ADVENTURE IN A TUNNEL. see before the approaching lights on any advancing train, which I would take care to A FRIGHTFUL accident, which occurred a avoid by stepping on to the opposite line of few weeks since to some of the workmen rails; at the same time that I should thus employed in the Halshaw Moor Tunnel, on avoid being run over by any train coming up the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, rebehind from the opposite direction, and minds us of an adventure in a tunnel, as re- which I might not see in time to avoid. I lated to us not long ago by a person in the had, however, taken the precaution to asceremployment of the Telegraph Company. tain that no train was expected to pass along He had been engaged in the inspection and the up line over which I was proceeding, for repair of the telegraph wires, and their fix- about two hours; but I was aware that that ings, which are subject to many accidents, could not be depended upon, and therefore I and require constant looking after to ensure resolved to keep a good look-out ahead. Along their integrity and efficiency. Even when the opposite down line, I knew that a pascarried through tunnels, in gutta percha cas-senger-train was shortly to pass; indeed, it ings, embedded in leaden tubes, they are was even now due, but by keeping the liable to accidents-from passing waggons, opposite line, of rails, I felt I was safe so far or, in winter, from lumps of ice falling down as that was concerned. of the the sides of the shafts, and damaging the "I had never been in a tunnel of such length tubes. It appears that one day, the door of a as this before, and confess I felt somewhat discoal-waggon had got loose in the long tunnel mayed when the light which accompanied me railway, and dashing back so far into the tunnel entrance, began to grow against the sides of the tunnel, had torn the fainter and fainter. After walking for a tubes, and even cut across the wires in many short distance, I proceeded on in almost total places. The telegraph was, therefore bro- darkness. Behind me there was the distant ken; it could not be worked, and several light streaming in at the tunnel mouth; beworkmen were sent into the tunnel to exe-fore me almost impenetrable darkness. But, cute the necessary repairs. The person who by walking on in a straight line, I knew related the following adventure, acted in the that I could not miss my way, and the rails capacity of inspector, and it was necessary between which I walked, and which I occafor him to visit the workmen, ascertain the sionally touched with my feet, served as to nature of the damage that had been done, keep me in the road. In a short time, I was and give directions on the spot, as to the re- able to discern a seeming spot of light, which pairs, the necessity for completing which gradually swelled into a broader gleam, was of the greatest urgency. though still at a great distance before me; "I knew very well," said he, "that the and I knew it to be the opening of the neartunnel was of great length-rather more than est shaft-it was a mere glimmer amid the two miles long,--and that the workmen, who thick and almost palpable darkness which had set out in the morning from the station enveloped me. As I walked on, I heard my nearest to the tunnel, had entered it by its little dog panting at my heels, and the sound south end; so I determined to follow them, of my tread re-echoed from the vaulted roof and overtake them, which I would doubt of the tunnel. Save these sounds, perfect less be able to do somewhere in the tunnel, silence reigned. When I stood still to listen, I where they would be at work. I was accom- heard distinctly the loud beating of my heart. panied by a little dog, which trotted behind "A startling thought suddenly occurred to at my feet. After walking about a mile, I me! What if a goods train should suddenreached the tunnel entrance, over which ly shoot through the tunnel, along the line on frowned the effigy of a grim lion's head, cut which I was proceeding, while the passenger train, now due, came on in the opposite "There were, as usual, two lines of rails-direction. I had not thought of this before: the up line and the down line, and I deter- And yet I was aware that the number of mined to walk along the former, that I might casual trains on a well-frequented railway, is in stone. VOL. V.-I I. near my hand. But I durst not move. I felt as if the train was crushing over me. The earth vibrated and shook, and the roar of the waggon-wheels smote into my ears very considerable at particular seasons. The low-hung ash-box swept across my back; Should I turn back? reach the mouth of the I felt the heat of the furnace as it flashed tunnel again, and wait until the passenger over me, and a glowing cinder was dropped train had passed, when I could then follow along the down line of rails,-knowing that no other train was likely to follow it for at least a full quarter of an hour? "But the shaft, down which the light now with a thunder which made me fear their faintly streamed, was nearer to me than the drums would crack. I clutched the earth, mouth of the tunnel, and I resolved, therefore, and would have cowered and shrunk into it to make for that point, where there was I if I could. There was not a fibre of my body knew, ample room outside of both lines of that did not feel the horrors of the moment, rail, to enable me to stand in safety until the and the dreadfulness of the situation. But down-train had passed. So I strode on. it passed. With a swoop and a roar the But a low hollow murmur, as if of remote break-van, the last in the train, flew over me. thunder, and then a distant scream, which The noise of the train was still in my ears, seemed to reverberate along the tunnel, fell and the awful terror of the situation lay still upon my ears,-doubtless, the passenger-heavy on me. When I raised my head and train which I had been expecting, entering looked behind, the red light at the tail of the the tunnel mouth. But looking ahead at the train was already far in the distance. As same time, I discerned through the gleam of for the meeting passenger-train, it had also daylight, at the bottom of the shaft toward passed, but I had not heeded it, though it which I was approaching, what seemed a had doubtless added to the terrific noise spark of fire.. It moved-could it be one of which for some time stunned me. the labourers of whom I was in search? -it "I rose up, and walked on, calling upon increased! For an instant I lost it. Again! my dog. But no answer-not so much as a This time it looked brighter. A moaning, whine I remembered its sudden howl. It tinkling noise crept along the floor of the must have been crushed under the wheels of vault. I stood still with fear, for the noise some part of the train. It was no use searchof the train behind me was rapidly increasing for my little companion, so I proceeded, ing: and turning for an instant in that direc-anxious to escape from the perils of my tion, I observed that it was full in sight. I situation. I shortly reached the shaft, which could no longer disguise from myself that II had before observed. There was ample stood full in the way of another train, ad- room, at either side of the rails, to enable me vancing from the opposite direction. The to rest there in safety. But the place was light before me was the engine lamp; it was cold and damp, and streams of water trickled now brilliant as a glowing star,-and the down the sides of the shaft. I resolved, thereroar of the wheels of the train was now fully fore, to go on, upon the down line, but the heard amidst the gloom: it came on with a tunnel being now almost filled with the smoke velocity which seemed to me terrific. and steam of the two engines which had just "A thousand thoughts coursed through passed, I deemed it prudent to wait for a short my brain on the instant. I was in the way time, until the road had become more cleared, of the monster, and the next moment might in case of any other train encountering me in be crushed into bleeding fragments. The my further progress. The smoke slowly engine was almost upon me! I saw the eddied up the shaft, and the steam gradually gleaming face of the driver, and the glow of condensed, until I considered the road suffithe furnace flashing its lurid light far along ciently clear to enable me to proceed in comthe lower edge of the dense volumes of steam parative safety. I once more, therefore, blown from the engine-chimney. In an in- plunged into the darkness. stant I prostrated myself on my face, and lay "I walked on for nearly half an hour, there without the power of breathing, as I groping my way: my head had become confelt the engine and train thundering over me. fused, and my limbs trembled under me. |