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endured that which could not be cured; and My advice to every lover is-take care of your though ultimately cigars and pipes subscribed stomach; for his influence is greater than you their share with other evils in injuring the system imagine. I feel perfectly persuaded, that more loveand drying up the juices of the body, still I shared the ill with my adjacent brotherhood; and personally I received the injury and insult with the dignity of a Stomach conscious of his own rectitude.

matches have been broken off owing to this very respectable organ than to any other cause. It is all very well to term the reasons for remaining single-prudence; and the necessity of providing At this season, of course, we all venture that sort of thing. But the truth is, a derangement means to keep your carriage and servants, and all abroad for a little sweet air,-either on board of the digestive powers makes both men and a river steam-boat or in some place of public women petulant, over sensitive, sceptical, and fasresort. We cannot find it! The air is every-tidious; and it engenders a host of other ill qualities, where fouled by city clerks and beardless erroneously thought to emanate from the brain or shopboys: nor can we escape the fumes of liver. The ancients were wrong, when they atdried cabbage leaves, turn which way we

will.

tributed to this last organ the seat of the affections; and the moderns are equally so in debiting love to the account of the heart. The stomach is the real source of that sublime passion, and I swell with pride and inward satisfaction when I make the

avowal.

The Stomach is very candid. He avows that he himself fell in love; and adds:

One half, at least, of the animals whose ugly mouths are distorted by the projection of those (facetiously called)" cigars," show symptoms of sickness. Their pale visages tell us, as plainly as possible, that their punishment is extreme. They puff and puff away, till their gooseberry eyes lose what fession; but let me tell you a stomach has a heart, I beg that I may not be laughed at for this conlittle expression was in them when they first and a very tender one too. The worst part of the came out, and we find them fast asleep. The affair was that, like the great potentates of the Stomach tells us a nice tale about these and earth, I was obliged to promise my affections to an all other smokers. Faugh! What a set of object I had never seen. It is true Mr. Brain gave filthy wretches men are, when they go out for me an inkling of her likeness; but the reader will a summer holiday! Well may they hate see at once, from the nature of my position, that I birds, trees, flowers, and the infinite variety was not capable of visional contemplation. Upon of nature's beautiful productions; when this point, indeed, I was so much interested, that gorging, smoking, and drinking, are by them I longed to knock away the plaster between the considered the grand end of life! ribs, and get a glance at the lady; but as such a Speaking of the digestion of men and proceeding would have been unjust to others, I sat like Pyramis behind a wall, without even a chink animals, the "Minister of the Interior through which to look at Thisbe. I soon discovered remarks,that the damsel who was the cause of this internal commotion (for there was not a portion of the whole body but which was influenced in some way or other) was nothing better than a hosier's daughter, living near the university.

"

A cow's stomach digests, in its own peculiar way, admirably for the necessities of a cow. A gizzard does the duty of mastication for the bird tribe. A boa constrictor's slow working apparatus is excellently well adapted for that gentle animal; and the inside of many insects is as complicated as their life is varied, and is nicely calculated to serve them on earth, air, or water. Now, the stomach of a human being is equally congenial to man's nature, and the higher his intellectual faculties, the more sensitive and delicate is his inside. In organic structure, it is, of course, the same in all men; and a Hottentot's digestive organs, and those of Sir Isaac Newton, would present identical conformations-but the sympathy of the nervous energies marks the subtle difference. Thence I again affirm that the moral acts upon the physical, and vice versâ, by the most delicate sympathy and wonderful

laws.

We wish all our readers to "digest" well these very sensible and important observations. We do all of us offend so much against our best friend, that we require continual admonition.

The Stomach tells us many other curious things; and among others, cautions lovers in particular to take care how they offend. His advice is good, and it is worth recording. Hearken, young people; aye, and old people too!-

But we have now given a very fair insight into the nature and object of this work, which every stomach ought to purchase for its own individual benefit. We did purpose extracting the Minister's permission as to what, and how much, might be partaken of at dinner-time. But this would occupy more space than we

can afford.

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MARVELS OF THE CREATION.

THE MARINER who first crossed the central Atlantic in search of a new world, was astonished when, on the 19th of September, 1492, he found himself in the midst of that great bank of sea-weed-the sea-weed meadow of Oviedo-the Sargasso Sea which, with a varying breadth of 100 to 300 miles, stretches over twenty-five degrees of latitude, covering 260,000 square miles of surface, like a huge floating garden, in which countless myriads of minute animals find food and shelter. Now, it is the eddy of the numerous sea rivers which collect in one spot, and the cold water of the Northern Atlantic mixing with the warm streams of the western and southern currents, which produce the temperature most fitted to promote this amazing development of vegetable and animal life. What becomes of the dead remains of this vast marine growth? Do they decompose as fast as they are produced? or do they accumulate into deposits of peculiar coal, destined to reward the researches of future geologists and engineers when the Atlantic of our day has become the habitable land of an after-time?

In the chart of the Pacific Ocean, we are presented with another remarkable instance of the influence of sea rivers on vegetation. From the shores of South Victoria, on the Antarctic continent, a stream'of cold water, 60 degrees in width (our readers will recollect that in high latitudes the degrees of longitude are very narrow), drifts slowly along in a north-east and easterly direction across the Southern Pacific, till it impinges upon the South American coast to the south of Valparaiso. There it divides into two arms; one of which stretches south and east, doubles Cape Horn, and penetrates into the south-western Atlantic; the other flows first north-east, and then north-west, along the shores of Chili and Peru,carrying colder waters into the warm sea, and producing a colder air along the low plains which stretch from the shores of the Pacific to the base of the Andes. This current, discovered by Humboldt and called after his name, lowers the temperature of the air about twelve degrees; while that of the water itself is sometimes as much as twenty-four degrees colder than that of the still waters of the ocean through which it runs.

The cold air seriously affects the vegetation along the whole of this coast; at the same time that the cold stream raises fogs and mists, which not only conceal the shores and perplex the navigator, but extend inland also, and materially modify the climate. The beautiful and beneficent character of this modifying influence becomes not only apparent, but most impressive, when we consider, as the rain

map of the world shows us, that on the coast of Peru no rain ever falls; and that, like the desert Sahara, it ought therefore to be condemned to perpetual barrenness. But in consequence of the cold stream thus running along its borders," the atmosphere loses its transparency, and the sun is obscured for months together.

"The vapors at Lima are often so thick, that the sun seen through them with the naked eye assumes the appearance of the moon's disc. They commence in the morning, and extend over the plains in the form of refreshing fogs, which disappear soon after mid-day; and are followed by heavy dews, which are precipitated during the night." The morning mists and the evening dews thus supply the place of the absent rains; and the verdure which covers the plains is the offspring of a sea river. What a charming myth would the ancient poets have made out of this striking compensation!

'TIS SWEET,-'TIS SAD!

'Tis sweet to mark the violet blow,
A spot of Heaven on winter's snow;
To feel the balmy South, in airs
That tremble sweet on icy stairs;
And warmth to buried flowerets bring,
While birds their first blithe carol sing.

"Tis joy to mark the tiny face
Ripen with traits of blooming grace;
To see the light, thro' dawning sense,
Of meaning and intelligence,-
While lisping murmurs, careless wiles,
Deepen to words, and tears, and smiles.

"Tis joy to mark the love we store,
From little grow to more and more;
Nurtur'd by gentle looks and deeds,
To those fair buds, the little seeds,
That swell with strength and beauty now
To bloom on love's eternal bough.

"Tis sad to mark the leafy fringe
Of woodlands take a deeper tinge;
Amid the fall of ripen'd fruit
The forests don their russet suit;
To note, while breezes moan and sigh,
The glorious works of nature die.

And sad to gather round the bed
That shrouds in gloom the silent dead;
To hear the stifled sob, the prayer,
From lov'd ones breath'd oppress the air-
To take one last deep look, and then
To mingle in the strife of men!

But sadder yet to feel the love
We fondly priz'd all earth above,
Grow cold and careless day by day,
Till all like dreams hath passed away,-
And joys so bright in days of yore
HAVE FLED, TO BEAM ON EARTH NO MORE!

PERCIE.

EATING AND DRINKING,

A WORD TO THE WISE.

JULY is a tempting month to all who love to indulge in the good things of this life. But-be it borne in mind, the stomach, as we have elsewhere shown, cannot be offended with impunity. If over-loaded, it will kick; if cruelly treated, it will have its revenge. A word just now to the summer traveller may not be out of place.

The chief cause of most of the diseases to which

the human body is subject, is a superabundant acid in the stomach; and that superabundance of acid is occasioned by overloading the stomach with food or drink. For the stomach can digest only a certain portion of food in a given time, namely, that which is in contact with its sides. All the rest must wait its turn; consequently, if the stomach be over-loaded, the superabundant food will ferment and generate an acid; and the portion of food thus fermented and converted into acid, when it comes, in its turn, to be spread over the sides of the stomach, for the purpose of being converted into chyle-frets and irritates the stomach by the acrid and corrosive qualities. This very often produces inflammation more or less violent, which is indicated either by heartburn, eructation, stomach-ache, or some other distressing sensation.

"SEASONABLE CURIOSITIES" IN THE ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE WORLDS.

We have now arrived at the precise time of year, when it becomes fashionable for papers to record not only what does happen, but, more particularly, what does not happen. The consequence is, a hearty laugh got up at the expense of truth. But we really must fire a shot at the offenders.

With regard to animals and their instincts, birds, insects, &c., the marvels now publishing are indeed "remarkable." The principal

"observers" of these matters are the Scotch

papers, and other of our northern neighbors. Already we have seen particulars of a Sturgeon weighing 753 lbs. Also, of some astonishingly-large pike (one weighing 103lbs.), &c. Our old friend," the cauliflower," has again been chronicled. His size, this year, is even more colossal than usual. He mea. sures now, ten feet around the waist, and has grown to the height of eight feet, sixinches. We are looking anxiously for our other extraordinary birds and animals which choose friends, the gigantic gooseberries; and those such extraordinary situations for their nests and summer residences. These, however, are appearing one by one. Several " plants have been made upon us, to give insertion to these imaginary wonders, but we are proof against every kind offer of the sort.

The three papers most distinguished for these before unheard-of marvels of nature, are the Dumfries Courier, the North British There are many others; but these "do" the Daily Mail, and our own Morning Herald.

Nor is this the whole of the injury. If the effect of the acid be not arrested, all the organs which sympathise with the stomach partake of the distress, in proportion to their previous constitutional strength or debility. Numerous instances occur in medical annals, of death having been occasioned by inordinate eating. Sir Everard Home mentions an instance of a child losing its life from eating too large a quantity of apple-pudding. Mor gagni relates an account of a like fate happening to a woman from eating too large a quantity of onions preserved in salt and vinegar. And Bon-heavy' work. netus, in his Sepulchrum, states the case of a boy who died in three hours from eating immoderately of grapes. In each case, the stomach, when opened, was quite tense, and, consequently, its powers of action perfectly paralysed.

Let us here put in a good word for STRAWBERRIES. Of all fruits, they are the most innocent. Indeed, they deserve all the good things that can be said of them. They are beautiful to look at, delicious to eat, have a fine odor; and are so wholesome, that they are said to agree with the weakest digestions. It is recorded of Fontenelle, that he attributed his longevity to them, in consequence of their having regularly cooled a fever which he had every spring; and that he used to say, "If I can but reach the season of strawberries!" Boerhaave looked upon their continued use as one of the principal remedies in cases of obstruction and viscidity; and in putrid disorders. Hoffmann furnished instances of obstinate disorders cured by them, even consumptions; and Linnæus says that by eating plentifully of them, he kept himself free from the gout. They are good even for the teeth.

As regards summer diet generally, the lighter the food the better. Avoid all condiments; study simplicity; let pure spring water be your "nectar," and live in the open air.

As the last-named paper comes daily before the London public, it will speak for itself. Meantime, let us prove our case as regards the other two. We do so at random-having left lots of other curi. osities imbedded in their printed columns.

We must, of course, give the Dumfries Courier precedence; and two specimens shall suffice. The first extract tells of the doings of a pair of starlings, "on matrimonial thoughts intent :”—

Our readers, says the wag, are familiar with the tall signal posts at railway sta tions, on which large balls are run by pulleys and cords, to intimate, by their being lowered or elevated, when the way is, or is not, clear for a coming train. One of these balls at the signal post on the Ardrossan line, near Kilwinning, lately attracted the notice of a couple of starlings on matrimonial thoughts intent. With much labor they forced their way into the centre, and proceeded, despite all interruptions, to construct a nest. The ball has to be lowered and elevated 14 times a day; but this did not interfere with the proceedings of the happy pair, and in due time four eggs were deposited in the moveable nest. Our last despatch informs us that the female is still sitting closely, quite undisturbed by the

frequent process of being let down within a very few feet of the ground, and raised again. There is every probability of her hatching her young; and if so, we believe the circumstances will be quite unprecedented.

The italics will show how much of the foregoing we believe to be "remarkable," ever excepting the waggish pen-man. We happen to know something about the starling; and have therefore a right to take an interest in his peculiarities.

The next observation taken by our intelligent Scotch luminary, has reference to a rabbit. He very appropriately calls it a “knowing rabbit :”

A gentleman, he says, residing in a small town in this country (we should like to be informed of the names of the small town and the gentleman), has a favorite rabbit at present engaged in rearing a numerous progeny. They are not able to use their rodents (!) very well as yet, and there fore require a good deal of nourishment from their

mother.

It appears in evidence, that the servant neglected to bring the milk from the cow at a certain hour of the day, as usual. 66 Map," the rabbit, resented this as follows:

As the forgetful girl stooped down to smooth Map's "fur, the animal scratched her hand in a very angry manner; and then hopping off, lifted the milk dish in her teeth, and set it down before the careless provider. At the same time she said very distinctly, though not in words (this was puzzling!),-Don't attempt to humbug me with your caresses, but go and bring me my milk.

It would be "wicked "in us, to italicise any of the above. It reads best as it is!. We come now to immortalise the North British Daily Mail, and let his "robin speak first :

THE ROBIN.-A curious instance of the familiarity and sagacity of this little bird is to be seen at a house near Roseneath, where a young gentleman occupies one of the upper rooms as his bedchamber. In one corner stands his clothes'-bag, and in the mouth of it the owner found one day a robin's nest built, and filled with eggs. The little pair had taken advantage of the window being left open, to occupy such a singular locality for their breeding place. The eggs are by this time hatched, so that the parent birds have to be early astir to find food for their little ones; indeed, much earlier than the other occupant of the room. The young robins can't wait for their early breakfast until their fellow lodger gets up, and the old birds are driven to the necessity of awakening him, which they do at an early hour every morning, by flapping their little wings in his face-when he gets up, and kindly opens the window for their free egress and ingress.

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will, we fear, somewhat injure our eminent oculists:

covered with a white speck, that it was rendered A little girl had her left eye so completely sightless. A few days since, while amusing he self out of doors, a dove descended from a neighboring dwelling-house; and, as if in search of food, removed the speck with its bill, without causing the slightest injury-so that ever since, the vision of the girl has been perfect. We think we have

case.'

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66 now 'proved our

We pass over other records in the above two papers--showing how two knowing chickens jumped out of one Shanghae pullet's egg; how a tom-tit built its nest and reared its young in a poisonous gas-tube, &c., &c. Suffice to say, the jokes are rich.

Our only object in this article is, to teach our readers how to divine "fact from fiction;" and to tell them "why" OUR JOURNAL does not record the many interesting occurrences that appear in so many parts of the country, in the summer season.

OUR MIRROR OF THE MONTHS. JULY.

First, April. She with mellow showers
Opens the way for early flowers,
Then, after her, comes smiling May,
In a more rich and sweet array.
Next enters June, and brings us more
Gems than those two that went before,
Then, lastly, JULY comes; and she

More wealth brings in than all those three.

THE MONTHS OF APRIL, MAY, AND JUNE, have paid us their annual visits; and having fulfilled their mission, they have gradually melted away. We could not, during their sojourn amongst us, exactly tell what their mission was; for each of the months, this year, was unusually eccentric, and played us tricks innumerable. thrice put away our over-coats, and had to bring them out again. We shelved our umbrellas too; and found more use for them than ever!

We

three fair maidens; and seems to have JUNE, however, was the least fickle of the intended us much good. Her golden days, and genial nights, have produced golden results. The valleys have shouted, and the birds have sung. Flowers have raised their heads in every direction; and all the fruits of the earth give promise of a most abundant supply.

We have not parted from June, without bearing in lively remembrance the "little kindnesses" she has done us. She invited us forth far and near; she has shown us sights that no Emperor could command; introduced us to scenes of loveliness that no tongue could describe, no pen give even an

idea of; and she has fully prepared us for what is now to follow. We have rambled hither and thither, and been fairly fascinated with what we have seen. All nature has appeared gay and animated; all creation happy.

Not the least part of our enjoyment, has been the society of our vernal and summer songsters; whose voices have filled the air with rejoicing. As early as 2, a.m., have we risen to greet them, and bid them good morrow. From our open casement, we have listened to their "matins" with rapture; and heard them rehearse their ceaseless songs of praise till we have caught the very spirit of their music. Oh! what calm delights are those, which hold the mind spell-bound whilst contemplating the world and its Maker! To see and hear how these little creatures worship; and to reflect how wE, "reasonable creatures," worship-opens the door to reflections which are certainly not unprofitable. Their worship is adoration; ours, for the most part, dry, formal "duty.' They never neglect their worship. Let us hope we are as particular :—

The feather'd tribe can chant their lay,
And hymn their great Creator's praise;
But man, for whom on every thorn
The daylight falls, till close of even,
Ungrateful views each sun-bright morn,
Nor whispers forth a prayer to Heaven.

Nor must we forget that the feathered tribe never retire to rest at this season without attending "vespers." They literally sing themselves to sleep. Thus are they consistent worshippers, and surely patterns for us to follow.

But we must leave the past ("chewing the cud" of what has given us so much pleasure), and come to the present. We are in JULY. The year has now attained its manhood. The sun has intense power. Everything yields to its influence, and marvels are worked every hour. We advised our readers, long since, to make much of the refreshing green whilst it lasted. WE did. Our eye was never removed from it long together; so highly did we estimate its loveliness. It is now gone; and will return no more. Summer is now perfect. The month is fairly poised between the seasons of growth and decline. It stands forth in all its prideat once strong, full-grown, glowing, and beautiful.

The trees, which hitherto boasted of lightgreen tender leaves, are now in full foliage. Their vesture has darkened into a rich sobriety. Their youthful days are over. Flowers of every kind abound in the garden. Many too, of the richest brilliancy, are scattered over mead and mountain, over heath and glen. All is bright and hot. Thunder makes us sensible of this, every now

and then. So do the numerous tribes of insects, that hum around us in the lazy listlessness of their joy. This is the beginning of our benignant mother, Nature's triumph. She looks upon the work of her hands, and behold it is good-very good. So lavish is she of her favors, so determined that we shall all be happy, that she provides an abundance of everything. The poor are not forgotten. The fruits of the earth are in excess; there is more than sufficient for man and beast. It is Nature's own holiday. "Let the world rejoice and all that is in it. Let the sea make a noise, and all that therein is!"

"Tis now that God, and Nature, poetry and benevolence, call us forth. We must not be selfish. We must not overtask ourselves. We must not forget that

"To day we live,-to-morrow die." We owe a duty to ourselves and to each other. Anxiety must be laid aside for a time, and must band together in brotherly and sisterly love. So, up with you, all ye who are morbidly inactive:

we

Awake! awake! the flowers unfold,
And tremble bright in the sun;
And the river shines, a lake of gold,-
For the young day has begun.
The air is blithe, and the sky is blue,

And the lark, on lightsome wing,
From bushes that sparkle rich with dew

To Heaven his matin sings.
Then awake! awake! while music's note
Now bids thee sleep to shun;
Light zephyrs of fragrance round thee float,
For the young day has begun.

We are now about to change one pleasure for another. We have had the song of the birds, early and late. We have enjoyed it to perfection. It is now gradually growing faint, and it will soon cease altogether. The nightingale is hushed. The cuckoo is with us; but very shy, and very silent. The blackbird sometimes favors us with a happy chant from the top of a high tree; and the thrush, too, occasionally throws in a few of his joyous notes; but they are only occasional. The rose fades on the way-side bough. Dust and heat strive for mastery over the leaves; and the corn begins to grow pale in anticipation of its impending fate. The grass has already fallen.

Do you not smell the aroma from yonder hay-field? And hark! there is a ringing of the scythes on every hand. There is the laughter too, of the hay-makers, the sound of the sheep bell, the bleating of sheep, and the lowing of oxen. Sit beneath a shady tree and watch the movements of these hardworking people; then see if memory will not call to mind the scenes of early youth, and make you happy. Quitting the hay

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