terialism and atheism may seem so absurd to you, that you may | bright visions of those who have toiled to discover a perpetual think that natural science cannot possibly suffer from them; and motion." yet if you will become acquainted with what has been written of late years, on scientific subjects, you will find traces of them where you would little suppose they had ever entered. Had the labor, and talents, and time, which have been wasted in fruitless attempts to establish them, been spent in the careful study of matter, and the laws which an all-wise Creator has impressed upon it, we should have known much more of our world than we now do. When natural science is pursued in a proper manner, and with a proper spirit, its effect is always to deepen the feeling of pious reverence which once found expression from the lips of one of old; How manifold are thy works, O Lord! in wisdom hast thou made them all.'” The lecture concludes with a sober and yet quite an animating survey, prospective of the fields of discovery still open before the chemical profession. We insert the closing sentence. The author adduces many instructive instances in illustration of the main position of his lecture: namely, that discarding mere hypotheses, holding mystery to be either mere vacant territory to be occupied as speedily as may be by the light and truth and facts of science, or else such terra incognita as the impenetrable desert or the bottom of the sea, which are never to be explored and understood by us in this world. We are to carry the torch of experiment into every obscurity in nature where access is practicable, and following in the path of discovery wherever it has gone before us, making the acquaintance of the whole community of mind employed in experimental science; and thus we are to move on, in the style of this advancing age," with experiment and observation as our guide." The claims of chemistry are quite creditably set forth under the following heads: First. "Its effect in disciplining the mind." Second. "Its connection with other studies of practical importance as well as its own practical character." Third. "The interesting character of the information which it imparts." Under the second head, a rapid view is given of the uses of chemistry in the mineralogical and geological surveys and explorations, and as yet unfulfilled purposes of the states of this union. The most interesting of which, to this community, of course is their own Virginia, with her vast territory and incalculable mineral resources. Under the last head, important instances are given by way of illustration, which we insert. "A long time since, a similarity was noticed between some of the phenomena of electricity, galvanism and magnetism; within a few years, chemists have suspected their identity; we now know them to be identical. We know that it is the same agent, which in one set of circumstances, in the form of electricity, we see leaping from cloud to cloud; in another, in the form of magnetism, putting forth its utmost effort to turn the well-poised needle to the pole; and in yet another, as the galvanic fluid, tearing asunder pieces of nature's neatest workmanship. But how is it that these changes are effected? what are the laws which govers its changes? in fine, what is this agent itself, this Proteus of the material world? These are questions yet unsolved, and who shall present the world with their solution? To state another instance. Some years since, it was discovered, that a galvanic current was capable of causing motions in the magnetic needle; and shortly after, that it was capable of imparting magnetism itself; and that too, so far as we yet know, to an unlimited extent. By an application of the principles Involved in these two discoveries, it was found that a galvanic battery was capable of imparting motion to pieces of metal, when properly arranged. I suppose none of you are ignorant of the application which has lately been made of this knowledge, to the purpose of generating motion. Is this power capable of unlimited increase? or is it capable of increase to such an extent as to make it of real value, in assisting us to perform the business of life? If it is, what are the most economical and advantageous ways of generating and applying it? Should it prove to be, what it now bids fair to be, we may yet realize many of the "Our fathers pressed forward, when they had nothing but the few bunches of Eshcol, as evidence of the fertility of the land; we certainly will not remain idle, when with our own hands, we have already gathered the rich clusters which have ripened in its sunshine." The lecture is a well thought and well expressed composition. There is no declamation in it, and no ambitious writing. Such is not, apparently, the character of the writer's mind. No doubt he could not have been where he is if it had been. As, however, Mr. A. is a very young man, he will, we may allow, excuse a hint or two which may be of use to the public in any of the literary or scientific contributions with which he may favor us in future. First. There is some evidence, in the pamphlet before us, of a too hasty preparation. An allusion to former times, especially a definite and minute allusion to the less common documents of human history, such as give interest to some of these pages, and such as the man of science is apt to make, is easily rendered much more satisfactory and instructive by a date, or a notice of its synchronism with some familiar name, or even with some name that merely ought to be more familiar than it is. Such things gradually and very profitably fill up that map of human history as well as of science which every reading man's memory is endeavoring to make out and preserve. Second, and principally. A much more strongly marked arrangement of the subject or subjects brought within the scope of the lecture, would have located the instruction it contains much more permanently in the understanding and memory of the reader. Even numerals and italics have their use in this respect; but the regular laying out in the first place makes the directory both easy and worth while. The symmetrical and copious shelving off seems to call for the open lettered label. These hints are given to Mr. A. in the freedom of one who both wishes him well, and expects a good deal of him in the department of science, and of liberal education, to which he has been called; and they are accompanied by his best wishes at the same time for Washington College, with the character and interests of which Mr. A. has identified himself for the present, as also for the science of chemistry, and the interests of learning and the world. THE FLOWER AND STAR. The Flower beheld the Star above, SONG. Air, Mrs. Mc Donalds. Oh trust not her love, 'twill endure but a day, And delights in still roving from flower to flower. Oh trust not her love, for 'tis not like that star, Oh trust not her love; how unlike to that flower, Oh trust not her love, she will wind the soft chain THE BACHELOR'S DEATH-BED. Mr. Ethelwaite sick! exclaimed I, hastily leaving my bed. What is the matter? I saw him this afternoon, and he seemed unusually well. "I don't know," said the little boy," but mammy heered him groanin', and did'nt like to go and see, 'cause he always looks so cross at her; so she sent me down to call you." and his gold-headed cane was grasped by a hand of most aristocratic proportions. Bowing to the elder's complimentary welcome, he observed," In passing your little village yesterday I was so much pleased with its neatness and quiet, as to be tempted to stop and examine it more closely. The result is, I have been taken with the idea of terminating in it the span of my existence. Will you be kind enough to inform me if there are any vacant pews in your church?" "We have several," replied the pious elder, almost revering the devotion that made God's worship the first care of its possessor—“ we have several, but they are in a lonely, unfrequented part of the church, and may be disagreeable to you. But my own is too large for my family, and I need not speak of the pleasure it will afford me to have you aid us in filling it. The insignificance of the offer emboldens me to make it, and my gratification will be so great as to make your acceptance of it a personal favor." "Pardon me," said the stranger, his eyes glistening as if the voice of sympathy was an unwonted sound; "I appreciate your kindness, but if the pews you speak of are lonely, they will present fewer objects to withdraw us from our motives of entering them. Even the house of God is not sacred from the world, and if I have not begun to justify, I have ceased to condemn their weakness, who attempt to exclude it from their hearts, by secluding from it their senses." The good elder said not another word, but, taking his hat, they quietly walked towards the Poor man! poor man! filled my sighs continu-church; one, with his eyes lifted in praise to ally, until I had completed my preparations for braving the inclemency of the weather. But let me not forget my readers are unacquainted with the individual so abruptly introduced to their notice. On a fine morning in the month of May, a message came to one of our church elders that a stranger wished to see him. "Indeed!" said the good man, putting on his best coat in some little confusion; for a stranger was a rare phenomenon in our village, and those who did visit us were of a class seldom disposed to trouble the elders,—except, indeed, to gull their simplicity with some proverbial "notions." But the trepidation of the kind elder had no effect on his politeness. Down he went, to meet the unexpected visitant, with as much gravity as if he had in mind the apostolic injunction," let your deacons be grave," yet as cordially as if he felt himself equally enjoined to be "given to hospitality." The stranger exhibited, in manners and dress, the model of a finished gentleman. He was, perhaps, fifty years old, and dressed in black, with extreme neatness. A pair of gold spectacles did not obscure the expression of his calm blue eye, heaven that he had at last found an Ararat for the ark of his wanderings, and the other, with his bent to the ground in humility, to think how far his conceptions of devotion and charity were surpassed by those of his companion. Nothing occurred to disturb their meditations, until the rusty key grated in the lock of the old church door, when they passed down the aisle, to examine the pews. Just as the stranger had selected one for his use, he happened to cast his eyes back towards the pulpit, and was startled to observe beside it a marble slab, sacred to the memory of Dorcas Lindsay—who had been, indeed, a Dorcas to our village. Without stopping to read the catalogue of her virtues, he rushed out, leaving the worthy elder, who had not observed the cause, almost petrified with astonishment. Even the little boys snatched up their marbles and ran to hide themselves, as he brushed down the street, striking the ground violently with his cane, and muttering," Now may God forgive these worse than heathen, who defy him in his own temple with a graven image, and beside the elevated stand of his ministering servant, record the qualities of a human idol; that the virtues of the one, as recorded on the dead marble, may be set over against the perfections of the other as proclaimed by his living oracle-and that idol a woman! The world has long ago sickened me with its man-worship-but woman-worship!—I had thought that left for the fools of France." Reader, our devout, godly stranger was not only a misogynist, but a monomaniac. A year had rolled by, during which my attentions to our unfortunate invalid had been most assiduous. I had seized every pretext of giving him such medicines as would have a sympathetic influence on his mind, and easily persuaded him to a regular course of diet and exercise. Hitherto I had forborne any allusion to the topic of his aversion, and been very careful to avoid, in his presence, the mention of even the feminine pronoun. I had been at the hotel, visiting a patient, and was leaving it, when he entered. There was that in his quivering lip, slightly frothed, and his hur-But by this time I felt warranted to experiment ried tone as he demanded his horse of the landlord, on the success of my measures. that not only excited my curiosity, but awakened my sympathy. I paused at the door, in anxiety to see more of one whose agitation was so unwonted. Scarcely had I been there a moment, when he came out and stood on the sidewalk before me. Never had I seen our little village look so lovely. The long row of china-trees on either side glowed with an unwonted freshness. The balmy breath of spring was laden with their perfume, and groups of children were sporting under their This garden was delightfully situated in our shade, like cherubs in the garden of innocence. suburbs, and belonged to the miller of our village. The scene went to the heart of the singular being | His wife, in their respective concessions of“ suum before me, and when he turned to countermand cuique," had received it as her special charge, and his order, it was with the same bland expression in which he was first introduced to the reader. Since the harp of the shepherd-king was removed to heaven, man has found no music like the laugh of childhood, to calm the whirlwinds of the soul. Its silvery echoes break upon us amid the clouds of life, and we almost fancy a voice above us, say-of the girls should inadvertently intrude upon us. ing, "Come up hither." Its world is, indeed, a Thanking her for her kindness, and observing that world above our own. Like the topmost of Baby- her suggestion in regard to the girls had anticilon's hanging gardens, it is canopied by heaven's pated my chief design in waiting upon her, I withserenest blue. The dew falls upon it in all its drew, feeling in my breast the alternations of hope freshness. The bright sunbeams dance on its and fear— foliage, and play upon the brows of its sylph-like inhabitants-lighting them to enjoyment, us to toil. Never is man so happy as when he can leave the world below him, join their innocent revels, and fancy himself a denizen of their world in miniature. The most hardened must melt, the most profligate must be abashed,—the proudest must be brought low, in the presence of those, of whom, "such is the kingdom of heaven." Some kind ladies to whom I had mentioned the fact of his derangement, were in the habit of sending him, in my name, occasional presents of fruit. On the day after his reception, in this way, of a fine saucer of strawberries, while he was expressing his sense of my kindness, I casually proposed a walk to the garden whence I had obtained them. He immediately assented, and the following afternoon was fixed upon for our walk. made its beauties her special boast. To this good lady I bent my steps, with the information of our intended visit. She expressed her gratification in the most lady-like terms, both on account of our proposed call, and that I had given her previous intimation; because she could thus see that none "Like light and shade upon a waving field, At the appointed time we started on our proposed walk. He was a most interesting companion, and well versed in general literature. Our way was so beguiled by his fine fund of anecdote and judicious remarks, that the beauties of the garden It is needless to recount how my acquaintance broke upon us before we had imagined our walk began with this singular individual; how it was half completed. This, of all others, was the very ripened into friendship, or from friendship into the thing I most desired, and to prevent his mind from most deep-rooted affection. It is not difficult for being suddenly called off, I engaged him so deeply sympathy to gain the attention of its object under in the discussion pending between us, that we any circumstances, and especially of one so alive to were delightfully seated in the shady arbor, before its yearnings as he of whom we are speaking. It he seemed even to notice that we had entered the was not immediately that I ascertained either the garden. When he realized the little paradise into existence or extent of his malady, but our subse- which we had entered, and saw before us a table quent intercourse displayed it to me in all its fea-on which were placed some delicious strawberries, tures. I might win a smile by depicting the his admiration knew no bounds. While he was ludicrous extremes to which it often carried him; expressing his sense of the kindness displayed by but to this day his memory rests upon me like the owner of the garden, I interrupted him by pall, and laughter at his expense would sound like saying-Well, we shall make but a poor return, the laughter of demons. unless we pay some attention to the strawberries a her bounty has prepared for us. Afraid to give | female teacher, and the trustees of our female him an opportunity of replying, or even speaking, academy advertised for the purpose of obtaining I hastily handed him the sugar and cream, which, one. Shortly after the publication of the adverto my infinite delight, he took without remark. It tisement, a letter was received from a lady stating is as impossible for me to describe, as it is to forget, the sensations of joy that almost convulsed me, when I observed that my allusion to the sex of our hostess had fallen from me unnoticed. Afraid lest my emotions should betray themselves, I hastened back to the topic that had occupied us on our entrance, and found him as ready to renew the discussion as myself. It is unnecessary to tax the reader's patience by a detail of the daily visits we continued to make to the same place. Suffice it to say, that I continued to make casual mention of the sex, and was daily more and more pointed in my allusions. I could observe no change in him on these occasions; he only seemed not to notice my remarks. Yet it was a matter of delight to me that he would at all suffer them to be made in his presence, since, formerly, the least mention of the feminine gender of any species whatever, would produce upon him a sensible expression of disgust-an allusion to a woman, had never failed to call forth a torrent of invective. I pursued my original plan with him for weeks. Every opportunity of introducing the subject was embraced, and with more and more satisfying results. At length I ventured, occasionally, to touch upon instances where women had proved signal blessings to the world. He would listen to me-and that was all. that she had but lately arrived in this country from London. On her voyage she had suffered shipwreck, and was now a stranger among strangers, and destitute. She had left England because she was friendless, and it had been her design to engage in teaching from choice, even if shipwreck had not made her anxious to do so, from necessity. The delicacy of language in which the note was couched, and here and there a tear, which had blotted its pages, together with the unfortunate circumstances of the writer, won the sympathies of the trustees, and they sent for her immediately. It is thirty years since she came among us, but I remember her first appearance as if it was but yesterday. She had the brow of a queen and a full black eye, that might once have been bright and flashing—but sorrow had softened it. A gold chain around her neck was attached to a miniature almost concealed by her belt. This was the only earthly treasure the waves had left her. I had never been in the habit of looking at Mr. Ethelwaite, when conversing with him in this way, lest he might suspect some design; but a deep groan hastily arrested me, and turning towards him, I saw the very soul of agony depicted on his features. The veins of his forehead stood out like cords, and were swelled almost to bursting. His eyes seemed starting from their sockets-his mouth was slightly open, as if to drink in every word that fell from my lips. One afternoon the miller himself made one of our party in the little summer-house. Just as he was becoming warmly engaged in conversation, a servant came with a message requiring his personal attendance. He left us, expressing his sorrow that he was called away so soon, and begging that we would not let his departure affect our stay. Scarcely had he gone, when Mr. Ethelwaite re-me lead you home, you are unwell. marked, "How rarely do we meet with such unaffected urbanity in the lower walks of life." Shocked beyond the power of speech, I took his arm to lead him home. Hastily repulsing my attempt, he gasped out " Dorcas Ad- Lindsay?—Go on." Ah, said I, he owes everything to his wife. He was once a degraded sot, but her affection and her prayers won him back to the paths of duty. She in turn owes everything to one who has entailed a debt of gratitude upon us all. I mean Dorcas Lindsay, to whose worth the marble slab in our church is a feeble tribute. I do not like the practice of blazoning forth the virtues of the creature in the temples of the Creator, but Miss Lindsay was of so pure and saintly a nature, that we could hardly reckon the atmosphere of earth her natural element. My dear sir, I have no more to say. She lived among us like a saint, and died as she lived. "The miniature?" Let She carried it with her to her dying day, and by her own request I had it buried with her in her coffin. "Was it this?" grasping my arm, fixing his hair in a particular way that displayed a large scar, and glaring upon me with his eyes as if he would pierce my very soul. The miniature certainly had a scar upon the head, but it was of quite a young man. Do let me lead you home. "Was it this?" dashing his hand into his pocket and out again, with a miniature which he held full before my eyes, his own glaring upon me, as before. What could I say? The miniature in his hand was fellow to the one I had buried with Dorcas Fearing that the eulogium into which I had been drawn would make him impatient, I changed the tone of my discourse, by remarking-Her manner of coming among us was rather mys- Lindsay. terious. We had long felt the want of a good | He rightly interpreted my silence. Gradually his muscles relaxed, till he sunk upon his seat | effort-said faintly,-" You will-find-all—exwith a deep groan. I took his arm, and led him plained-in-that-." I followed with my eyes forth like a little child to my own house. All that the motion of his hand, as he pointed to a small night, all the next day, and all the night follow-writing desk, and when I turned them on him ing, he was in a raging fever. On the morning again, he was dead! of the second day he fell into a sleep so hushed, that my wife, who was standing with me by his bedside, gently felt his pulse. The touch aroused him; and opening his eyes he grasped her hand, saying, in a subdued voice, "Dorcas, have you come back to me?"" His brain was still confused, NIGHT.* By Professor C. C. Felton. N. N. N. but his senses were gradually returning. When The sun goes down; along the western sky Lies the warm flush, a sea of gold, outspread 66 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF LIVING AMERICAN POETS AND NOVELISTS. "You will show me her grave," said he, as he pressed my hancl, at parting. I bowed assent, and the next day complied with his request. After this, I visited him daily for three days, and always found him writing. It was on the night of the third day, that the little boy came for me, as above. With a mind full of solicitude, I reached his door. I could hear him pacing the room in violent agitation, and venting, at intervals, groans that came from his soul's deepest chambers. I rapped, but received no answer. I rapped again, but still no answer was returned. I mentioned JAMES FENIMORE COOPER, ESQ. my name; still he continued walking to and fro. I repeated it, louder. The sound arrested him. He Until near the close of the last century, Amerisuddenly unlocked the door, and then went on pacing the room and groaning. I entered, and can literature was of an extremely miscellaneous what a sight met my vision! There was Mr. character, and sustained by no writers who were Ethelwaite, his coat soiled and muddy, his features authors by profession. Occasionally, a lawyer, a worked up to the highest pitch of anguish, and divine, a politician, or a schoolmaster, might turn aside from the serious business of his life, and ever and anon, venting those unearthly groans that even now chill my blood. He held two compile or compose a book upon the subjects conminiatures, one in each hand, at which he alter- nected with his individual pursuits; and incipient nately gazed, after which he would groan out-poets, lovers and wits, adorn the pages of the two "Too true! too true!" He took no notice of my entrance, nor of my entreaties that he would lie down. At length he suddenly turned to me and said vehemently, "God has sent you here. Too true! too true! This night I entered her grave, and found the miniature that was to be, to her, my type, during my absence. She was too happy as she gazed on it, and the fiends of hell first envied, and then stole her joy. Oh!-my-Go-" The rush of thought choked his utterance. He would have fallen, but I caught and bore him to the bed. His breath became harder and harderhis groans less and less audible-when suddenly raising himself, he grasped my hand with a dying or three magazines then existing, with quaint sonnets, ballads, squibs, elegies and epigrams: further than this, American literature had neither form nor comeliness. We except here the diplomatic correspondence of Washington, Lee, Hamilton, Adams, and other distinguished writers and scholars of the revolution; compositions, which for elegance of diction, strength and directness of expression, and Roman vigor of style, are surpassed by no writings of a later period, and may compare with the best of the brightest era of British literature: it is alone of literature as a pursuit, of authors by profession, to which these remarks have reference. After Americans became | *Copied from the American Monthly Magazine. |