production, and given to them somewhat of their peculiar power. But that he possessed a spirit of genuine patriotism—that he saw and lamented the great evils under which his country was laboring, and put forth this effort for their removal, we think, is sufficiently obvious to every candid mind; and such will be the honorable tribute of the impartial Future.

A SOUTHERN CHRISTMAS.

"One word to such readers, judicious and wise,
As read books with something behind the mere eyes,
Of whom in the country perhaps there are two,
Including myself, gentle reader, and you.

All the characters sketched in this slight jeu d'esprit,
Though it may be they seem here and there rather free,
And drawn from a mephistophelian stand-point,

Are meant to be faithful and that is the grand-point.”

Fable for Critics.

WHAT Strange beings are parents! Full of love and tender anxiety, by the influence of both they are continually forming opinions ill-judged, and jumping at conclusions unfounded, so far as extraneous circumstances are concerned. Where their children are interested, they are devoid of suspicion, filled with happy confidence: but whatever circumstances may surround these pledges of their affection, they look with distrust and guarded suspicion, lest from them a contaminating influence may proceed.

For instance: a son is sent to college, in a year his parents come to visit him, they stop at a public house, perhaps the only one in the place, there they observe some twenty or thirty young men daily frequenting the bar-room; then with ill-judged haste, forgetting how many there are who never enter these drinking shops, they jump to the conclusion that the students are too dissipated for their innocent offspring, and decide that it were far better they had kept their unsophisticated son at home, amid scenes I venture to predict far more open to temptations of every kind.

To such parents I would urge the moral of the little incident which I am about to relate, as indicating the state of morals at home as not much higher than that in any college in the United States. And I would premise by stating that every word I am going to say is to my certain knowledge literally true.

It was no longer than last Christmas, a bright, sunny, cheerful day as it was in the little village of D, that some fourteen young men, wearied with the duties of a twelvemonth past, were assembled in the hospitable mansion of one of their number, all primed, and ready for any kind of spree that might turn up. Judging from the frequent attacks that were made upon a huge bowl of smoking punch, placed upon

the table before them, and the jolly state of mind in which we find them, they had already imbibed a quantity sufficient to banish dull care from their midst.

It was eleven in the morning, and already had they finished the bowl twice filled to cure the aching of heads fevered by the previous night's frolic. Jokes flashed as the quick repartee was exchanged, eyes sparkled as the merry story was told, the joyous song rung loud and clear despite the dense clouds of tobacco-all, all betokened the highest stage of fun and good-humor. The sweet notes of that good old song, Crambambuli, were still echoing through the walls, as a loud knock was heard at the door and an unexpected visitant appeared. Gentlemen, His Honor the Mayor requires your presence immediately, at the court room, to answer to the charge of breaking the peace last night."

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An instantaneous silence! For the fact was, they had commenced their Christmas the eve before, by breaking into the belfry, alarming the town, disturbing the blues, etc, etc, and I only wish you could have seen the comical expression which sat upon their sobered faces, as with one accord they turned to him who sat at the head, and looked to him for an answer. He, nowise daunted, and assuming a dignity ill-according with his tottering head and stammering voice, soon replied, "Go to him that sent you, and say we never breakfast until eleven. Let him examine all witnesses, and we will come at twelve, to hear the decision."

A burst of laughter greeted this rough and ready answer, and stuttered eulogiums were passed upon the beauty of its diction. After a few more pulls at the horn, the crowd arose and proceeded in mock ceremony to the office of "His Honor the Mayor." There standing before his awful tribunal, this dreadful sentence was pronounced:

"Young Gen-til-mens, your conduct doit avoir un plus grand punishment but in want d' evidence, I am oblige pronouncer you acquitted. You are honorablement discharged."

Now inasmuch as our worthy Mayor is to act a most conspicuous part in our narrative, a short description of him may not be malapropos. He was one of those jolly old Frenchmen, the personification of good living in his person, the essence of wit beaming from his eye. He had gained his election in a characteristic manner. Each of the regular candidates, anxious to gain his ends by un grand coup de main, had brought him forward, that upon him they might each throw the disaffected of the other, and thus secure their own majority. The day came, our little Frenchman in the chair, the votes were called-an equal number for each, himself included: he gave the casting vote for himself and therefore was elected. Thus elevated to the mayoralty by his own means, he determined to prove himself worthy of his constituents, and therefore abandoned his former tippling habits. His head mounted with a huge wig, scarcely concealing the little chubby cheeks, which would show forth the effects of jovial habits, his little round paunch artificially enveloped in the drapery of the huge chair of state, his merry eye peering out with humorous glances, which nongh

could restrain-all displayed how vainly, yet how industriously, he endeavored to accommodate himself to his new position.

But to proceed;-our crowd of acquitted youngsters, pleased with the magnanimous conduct of the worthy dispenser of justice, decided unanimously that they could do no less than invite him to dine with them, which they accordingly did. Now there was a hard struggle going on in the breast of monsieur C., as he heard this unexpected proposal, and the sparkling eye betokened the eager readiness with which he wished to catch at the offer, yet there was a little something which whispered, "keep out of temptation," and following the impulse, he was about to decline the invitation: but then visions of the delicate steaks of veni. son, lubricated by the sparkling champagne, caused a sudden reaction in his sentiments, and so he determined to compromise the matter. "Gen-til-men, I am vera heureux accepter your invitation, but il faut remind you dat I nevare drink anything but le claret, and il faut dat you ne pas offrir l'eau de vie or champagne."

"You shall swim in claret, my dear sir," resounded a number of voices, and in a whisper, " your head with something else."

Oh unfortunate Monsieur C., knew you but one half of what is meditating for your benefit, how gladly would you even now shrink back ere it is too late. But no: they are already seated in the light buggies and as they return to the house at a racing speed, songs and glees rise loudly on the air. The home was not far from the town, and our party were arrived, their abstinence just sufficiently long to create a new desire for another pull at the never-failing punch bowl. But it was very near the dinner hour, so that the attack was not very vigorous, monsieur C. rigidly refraining from touching anything as yet, because the claret had not made its appearance. Conversation was resumed, both sober and wild, by the company, with the exception of two, whose motions in an adjoining room deserve our notice for a moment. Here were the host and one of the original number, who had conceived a plan as original as amusing, and were now busy in the preparations for its accomplishment. A dozen bottles of claret lay before them, from each of which they were extracting about half its contents, and refilling with strong Cogniac Brandy. This done, they replaced the corks, and then joined the party in the sitting room, soon after which dinner was announced.

And oh, what an assemblage of delicacies met the glistening eye of our Epicurean Mayor. At each end a large wild turkey, well dressed and seasoned with delicate spices, the tender ducks, with their champagne sauce, chickens in every style, all manner of vegetable rarities, while between every dish were posted, like sentinels, the sharp Heidsick and the desired claret. Tender strips of newly killed venison were writhing and jumping above the flaming spirit lamps, which burned bright and steadily to preserve the viand hot and tempting-rich woodcock, partridges, quails, the result of their own sportive amusement, combined to make the catalogue complete, and the desires satisfied, while the close attention of the servants, and the rich display of plate in which all was served, evinced that nothing had been forgotten by their hospitable host.

The first course was over, the fresh shad had been shown full justice, the turkeys were attacked, the ducks dissected, and all were busily at work in the task of demolishing. Pop goes a cork-pop-pop, go two others, while the effervescing beverage is cautiously and scientifically dispensed in the needy glasses. Brightly did the eyes of Monsieur C. glisten and sparkle as he saw his favorite liqueurs flowing plentifully around; but still firm to his principles, he restrains the officious servant as he would fill too his glass, with the ready exclamation-" Sacre Dieu, non, non-ne pas pour moi; I dreenk de claret. Monsieur, vid your permission-I feel my glass." And suiting the action to the word, he poured out a plentiful supply of the suspicious looking fluid, and, with a graceful wave of the head, tossed it off to the health of the party. "Vera fine claret, tres, tres fine! It ees si long time I av drink de claret, dat I croyais it vas l'eau de vie-mais it ees grand, tres grandle bon claret toujours ave the gout of good brandy."

Glass after glass did he drink of the mixed liquor, each time extolling more and more legrand liqueur, with a volubility of tongue only surpassed by the brokenness of his language. Full of mirth and wit, he afforded plentiful supplies of amusement, increasing as the contents of the bottle would diminish-unsuspicious, never dreaming that he was the butt at which were flung all the shafts of raillery and sarcasm, he still went on imbibing, until the little stock of sense still remaining in his pericranium was fast disappearing. Then he commenced to grow belligerent, and mounted on the table commenced lounging most furiously with a carving knife at all the champagne bottles. "Eternel enmity pendant toi et moi !" A lunge-"I nevare drink you more!" another lunge" Vive le claret." A third and desperate lunge, which sent him sprawling on the table, upsetting two or three decanters, and sending a score of tumblers tumbling about the floor. His feet resumed, the spirit of his dream was changed. One more potation, and he was showing to his young friends the new polka step, of which, if it consists in tottering contortions of the body and hopping movements of the legs, he most certainly gave an excellent imitation. Then he was the Mayor again, as he strutted in the dignity of his station and stuttered out the admirable Shaksperian epithet " Ricarde est soi-meme encore”—until at last wearied and tired, he doffed the warrior, the dancer, and the Mayor, and comfortably assumed the new capacity of the beast, by choosing his deserved position under the table.

Meantime our friends had not been idle. The champagne had flown rapidly round the festive board, and as rapidly to their reeling brains. Songs and jests, puns and witticisms, sarcasms and repartee were liberally dispersed, as the sparkling wine went round. It was a scene of mirth and jollity, of boisterous fun and frolic, far exceeding any spree of college life. Wave after wave of curling smoke rose gracefully above, until a knife could cut the mass, so dense it really was. Cigar after cigar was tried and smoked, regalias, as well as all kinds of Havanas, liquor after liquor poured freely on the pregnant board. So one might easily judge that ere long many others would follow Monsieur C.'s bestial example, unless a truce was quickly made. A happy

thought soon struck them, however, and one which they immediately proceeded to put into execution.

Poor unfortunate Monsieur C., was it not enough that you were enticed into scenes long since fors worn, and to taste of the liquid long abandoned! Ye shades of injured virtue, why rise ye not in judgment against these sacrilegious polluters and stop their endless persecutions!

Up stairs they went, and commenced to rummage among the drawers for some fantastic dresses which had been used a year before, in the performance of some private threatricals. Among the large assortment, they chose an old dress, fitting close to the body, so used by the character of the clown. This they ornamented, by daubing red and black paint in various figures, representations of the dinner scene, etc, etc, until they pronounced it sufficiently unique to be used. Down again they went, there finding poor C. still industriously engaged in his snoring employment, and evincing no signs of locomotive power. Bodily they lifted him upon the table and stretched him at full length, amid stammering maledictions pronounced upon their heads by the stationary Frenchman. There perched, they deliberately proceeded to unclothe the unfortunate Mayor, but not without vigorous opposition on his part. "Wife, wife, I am not drunk-I can aller coucher myself-Prenez garde. I weel deshabillera myself. I am de tête of our famille. Prenez garde."

Our friends, taking the cue from his speech, humored his homebound fancy and assumed the capacity of wives, so far as the caudling was concerned. By the soothing epithet of husband-darling-dearthey succeeded in pacifying him to a state of submission, until they came to putting on the clown's dress. Then his slumbering senses for a moment returned and he insisted with demoniacal force that, “dat vas nevare his robe de chambre. His robe vas vite and nevare fit trop tight. He nevare could sleep in une robe, qui vas made of de sticking plastaire." Another dose of brandy-claret succeeded in again restoring him to his former stupefied condition, and, with the exception of when they were enveloping his nose with the garment, he was comparatively docile. There he writhed and howled like a squalling child, swearing to his wife that there "was no grog blossom on that membare of his body, du tout, and he could not ave it all plastaired up."

At length, however, they succeeded in accoutering him in his new attire, which sat so closely around his plump little frame, that at every movement some crack would be heard, as a seam would be unripped. But from this they had not much to fear, for he lay like a mesmerized patient, stupid and inactive until moved by the will of his tormentors.

There they left him, wrapped in his deep sleep, as securely as in his many-colored garment, and forthwith proceeded to accomplish the second part of their most unrighteous plot. With spirits elated and mirth full for action, they drove into the town, borne quietly thither by two mettlesome mares of the generous host. Arrived there, they eagerly inquired for the sexton of the place, whose residence, when found, they quickly reached. As soon as they could obtain an audience, they stated that a friend was in a situation requiring the hearse, and, as