SELECT PASSAGES.

[From St. Pierre's Studies of Nature.]

I.

I remember that, when I arrived in France, in a ship which was returning from the Indies, as soon as the sailors perfectly distinguished the land of their native country, they became almost entirely incapable of attending to the ship. Some fixed their eyes upon it, incapable of turning them away; others put on their best clothes as if immediately to disembark; there were some who stood talking to themselves; and others wept. As we approached, the confusion of their senses increased. Having been absent during several years, they admired incessantly the verdure of the hills, the foliage of the trees, and even the rocks of the shore, covered with sea-weeds and mosses; as if every object was new to them. The spires of the vil lages in which they were born, which they recognized among the distant fields, and named one after another, filled them with extacies of joy. But when the vessel entered the port, and they saw upon the quays their friends, their fathers, their mothers, their wives, and their children, who held out their arms, while their eyes were dimmed with tears, and who called them by their names, it was impossible to keep one of them on board: they all leaped ashore, and it was necessary, according to the custom of that port, to hire another set of seamen, to bring the ship to anchor.

What, then, should we do, if we could distinctly see that heavenly country where all whom we have most loved reside? If we were assured by demonstration that another world exists, I persuade myself that, from that moment, every occupation here would cease. All the laborious and vain anxieties of this life would have an end. The passage from one world to the other being within the reach of every man, who would stay in this? But nature has covered the path with obscurity, and placed doubt and apprehensions as sentinels.

II.

Complaints have always been made that the unworthy frequently enjoy the gifts of fortune, while the virtuous are destitute. We are often incorrect in our estimate of merit: not so much that we overrate ourselves, as that we undervalue others; and this results not from injustice, but from ignorance. But virtuous persons are sometimes destitute not only of the blessings of fortune, but of those of nature : To this, says Saint Pierre, I reply, that this misfortune often turns to their advantage. When the world persecutes them, they are generally driven into some illustrious career. Misfortune is the road to great talents, or, at least, to great virtues, which are far preferable. "It is not in your own power," said Marcus Aurelius, " to be a natural philosopher, a poet, an orator, or a mathematician; but it is in your power to be virtuous, which is better than all."

III.

Being at Marlay, I walked among the thickets of its magnificent park, to see the groupe of children who are feeding with vine branches

and grapes a goat that is represented at play with them. Near this admirable piece of sculpture is a covered pavilion where Louis XV. on fine days, sometimes partook of a collation. As it was showery weather, I entered it for a moment, for shelter. I found three children there, that were much more interesting than the marble children. Two very pretty little girls were employing themselves with much assiduity in gathering from around the arbor, bundles of dry branches that the winds blow from the trees, which they put into a basket that stood upon the king's table, while a little boy, badly clothed, and very lean, devoured a morsel of bread in a corner. I asked the tallest of these girls, who was about eight or nine years of age, what she meant to do with the wood that she was so eagerly collecting? She replied, "You see, sir, that little boy there-he is very miserable! He is sent out all day long, to gather wood: when he carries home none, he is beaten when he picks up some, the Swiss, at the entrance of the park, deprives him of it, and uses it himself. He is faint with hunger, so we have given him our breakfast." After answering me thus, she and her companion filled the little basket. They put it upon his back, and ran before their unfortunate friend, to see if he could pass in safety.

TRUE POLITENESS.

Politeness is a just medium between formality and rudeness: it is in fact good nature regulated by quick discernment, which proportions itself to every situation, and every character; it is a restraint laid by reason and benevolence on every irregularity of temper, of appetite and passion. It accommodates itself to the frantic laws of custom and fashion, as long as they are not inconsistent with the higher obligations of virtue and religion.

To give efficacy and grace to politeness, it must be accompanied with some degree of taste as well as delicacy; and although its foundation must be rooted in the heart, it is not perfect without a knowledge of the world.

In society it is the happy medium which blends the most discordant natures; it imposes silence on the loquacious, and inclines the most reserved to furnish their share of conversation; it represses the despicable, but common ambition of being the most prominent character in the scene; it increases the general desire of being mutually agreeable takes off the offensive edge of raillery; and gives delicacy to wit; it preserves subordination, and reconciles ease with propriety; like other valuable qualities, its value is best estimated when it is absent.

No greatness can awe it into servility, no intimacy can sink it into a coarse familiarity; to superiors, it is respectful freedom; to inferiors, it is unassuming good nature; to equals every thing that is charming; studying, anticipating, and attending to all things, yet at the same time apparently disengaged and careless.

Such is true politeness; by people of wrong heads and unworthy hearts disgraced in its two extremes; and by the generality of mankind confined within the narrow bounds of mere good breeding, which is only one branch of it.

FOR THE HALCYON LUMINARY.

MASONIC.

When the Grand Master and Great LORD of all,
Call'd up from chaos this terrestrial ball,

He gave the Word, and swift, o'er eldest night,
Beam'd the first dawning of celestial light.
Confusion heard His voice, and murm'ring fled,
Whilst Order rul'd and triumph'd in its stead:
Discordant atoms, rang'd from pole to pole,
Forgot to jar, and peace possess'd the whole :
The fiercest foes in mutual concord strove,
And all (at once) was harmony and love.

By this example taught, FREEMASONS join,
And full in sight pursue the heavenly Sign.
With Love's firm bands connected, hand in hand,
On Friendship's solid base secure we stand;
While confidence and trust, by turns impress'd,
Beam heavenly influence on each conscious breast.
No party feuds, no fierce intestine jars,
No senseless tumults, no pernicious wars,
Disturb our calm repose, where peace alone
In decent order fills the friendly throne.

Can Wisdom's self a nobler method find,
To charm the soul, and harmonize mankind,
Than jests like ours, who labor still to improve
Unblemish'd truths, firm faith, and mutual love?

And ye, who (unconscious of the heavenly ray)
May smile, perhaps, at what these numbers say,
Confine the rash reproach, and, warn'd, forbear
To spurn our laws, because some brothers err.
In nature's fairest products faults arise;
But shall we thence all harmony despise?
Or think creation's beauteous scheme undone,
Because some spots appear upon the sun?

FLATTERY.

The coin that is most current among mankind is flattery; the only benefit of which is, that by hearing what we are not, we may be instructed what we ought to be.

VALUABLE INVENTIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS.

MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS.

A machine for moulding and manufacturing of brick from the clay in its crude state, has lately been invented by a gentleman of this city, which promises to be of great utility to the ingenious inventor and the public generally. From the calculation of judges skilled in machinery, it is supposed to be capable of completing between 30 and 40,000 bricks in one day; requiring no more hands to work it than what the common method takes to make 5000 in the same time. From a survey of the machine, and its importance, it may be called the most valuable improvement discovered for many years.

CYLINDRICAL BRAD MACHINE.

We understand a patent is about being taken out for a new Cylindrical Brad Machine, which is to cut 1000 nails or brads in a minute. The plate is vibrated by means of a slide acted on by inclined planes on the pulley or band-head. The inventor is a Mr. Turner, who is now setting up one at Ellicott's Mills, in the neighborhood of Balti

more.

CRIMSON DYE.

Doctor Adam Seyber, of Philadelphia, has succeeded, by several processes, to fix the elegant crimson inherent in the juice of the pokeberry, philolacca decandra. He has varied the shades from the brightest crimson to a fire red, which, in many cases, may be substituted for inferior scarlet. From these discoveries cochineal may, in many instances, be dispensed with.

The counsellor Dorasan, a gentleman well known throughout Russia by many useful discoveries, has lately succeeded in a very interesting experiment upon the grains of the basella ruba; he has produced from them a color equal in brilliancy to that of cochineal. This plant may be cultivated with little trouble in the southern parts of the Russian empire; and already one pound of the color it gives may be hought at the rate of one ruble and twenty-five copecks, while a pound of cochineal costs fifty rubles.

Query. "May not this discovery contain the secret hitherto known only to the Tartars, of imparting a brilliant red to the pith of trees, which when boiled and cut into given shapes, forms those beantiful beads, to which we give the name of Tartar coral?"

METHOD OF PRESERVING BACON FROM BEING RUSTY.

When the bacon has been salted about a fortnight, put it into a box of the size of the pieces of bacon, covering the bottom of the box with hay, wrap up each piece of bacon in hay, and between every piece put a layer of hay. This will preserve bacon from rusting, and keep it a twelve-month as good as the first day.