the waist and sleeves of your dresses, when constructed according to the modern fashion of those ladies, who wish to display the line of beauty of their neck and shoulders in its most fascinating aspect. The true diamond fall of the shoulders, those lovely outposts of the citadel of maternal love, is directly the reverse of that hard and corset-compelled cadet-like set of the bust upon the trunk, that some ladies feel compelled to adopt, because God has given their muscles and breasts, those noble proportions adapted to the full nourishment of their offspring. Not that we advise them to wear their dresses like an Indian squaw or Otaheitean; but we would fain preserve their children from the evil consequences of crippling the fountain of its life blood, as it starts from the benificent hand of nature on its pure and holy errand. If you who do not yet fulfill this endearing office, would permit its free and unshackled attainment, avoid we beseech you in your early youth, that rigid "clothes line" which sometimes borders the top of your dress, and falling often full four inches below your shoulders, shackles and pins your arms to your sides like a fowl's wings trussed for the spit. This is often productive of unsightly tumors in the tissue directly under the skin; we have repeatedly been obliged to employ the knife for their removal; all surgeons are aware of this cause of their very frequent occurrence. Let the top line occupy what anatomists call the outer third of the collar bone, that crosses the chest on either side at the base of the neck; in winter let it pass quite to the base of the neck. In summer it may begin to curve at the shoulder tip. Let not the line extend across the chest in an unbroken curve, but let it fall downwards in the middle, and reveal the beauties of that swan-like line of the neck, that loses itself between the breasts; this is consistent with great beauty of form in the dress, and perfect modesty in the wearer.

There is no objection in young persons of good health,

going with bare arms even in winter, if they have the good sense to use temporary sleeves that admit of removal on entering the opera or ball-room: in winter, they certainly are not to be neglected without danger.

At the opera, they should have the means of instant protection at hand, as some men, who are permitted to call themselves gentlemen, never think of closing a door, and the universal and national failing of neglect of duty by all public servants of inferior station, throws every opera-goer upon her own watchfulness, if she is to escape pleurisy.

The long and extremely pointed waists (now to be seen in their highest perfection in the Bowery), have been entirely overdone; if the ladies will pardon us, we may again with propriety compare them when thus dressed, to a fowl whose pelvic dimensions are excessive, or a badly calculated automaton, that is all breast, hips, and legs, and no body. The fowl when showing his beauties on the lawn, has the advantage of a tail to counterpoise the disproportion so visible in his fellow on the table; the size of our modern drawing-rooms, will not allow the ladies to avail themselves of that graceful resemblance, the train. This pointed arrangement of the waist, is moreover the fruitful cause of those frequent displacements of an important internal organ, that entails more lasting misery upon her, and hands down to her posterity a catalogue of diseases, that our space will not allow us even to enumerate; in some of our past efforts, we have endeavored to give a faint outline of their consequences. Neither is it our present intention to say much on the subject of the corset or tightness of the dress; we reserve them for future articles on the heart and lungs. It is only necessary here to remark, that any degree of tightness that will in the slightest manner interfere with respiration and the heart's action, must immediately diminish the vitality of the blood, impair digestion, and produce red hands, headache, want of expression in the eye, dullness of

perception, and displacements of the uterus. It is quite useless for the mother to endeavor to make any estimate for us of the tightness of her daughter's dress. We have too often been appealed to by both mother and daughter to decide upon that matter, to place any reliance upon the judgment of either party, if desirous of being in the fashion or "looking decent." This latter expression, is the ultimate appeal to your opinion as a gentleman, and is generally answered by capitulation. The advantage of print, allows us to avoid striking our colors, and to throw our ultimatum boldly at the feet of conventionality, and nail our flag to the mast with the inscription: "Free breath, or red hands, headache and consumption.

On the subject of the skirts, both topographical and profound, we feel the necessity of great caution. The traveller who ventures to explore an unknown country, feels his dangers as he approaches the interior, and the necessity of calling up all his expressive amiability of feature, to protect himself from the danger consequent upon misapprehension of the object of his visit. If it is finally concluded that the ladies are not to wear pantaloons, we take it for granted they are to have the control of the usual quantity of skirts; we design to point out how they may sustain the load, with that fortitude and resignation characteristic of the sex; we only wish to give the spine and the shoulders their share of the infliction. We shall therefore take time to consider what is to be said on this subject, and give the result hereafter.

SCENES IN COUNTRY PRACTICE.

THE BAPTISM OF LOVE AND TRUST-LOST FROM EARTH, FOUND IN HEAVEN—THE IDIOT BOY-AN IMPRESSIVE LESSON.

PHYSICIANS Will understand what I mean when I talk of night and darkness. Not night, when every star like a regal jewel sparkles in her diadem; but night, unrobed of gem or queenly beauty, when darkness becomes seemingly palpable to outward sense. Such phases in the out-door world are strongly marked in every doctor's almanac, and to a selfish lover of ease would anathematize our profession. "Tis true, home and home comforts are best appreciated when thus contrasted with angry elements.

Sleet had fallen through the day, and strong north-east wind had converted every icy particle into a barbed arrow. My ride had been a heavier tax upon my energy than every day's footing up could claim. A toilsome, harassing duty, performed from common love to suffering humanity-a cheerful, self-denying one, for particular love to self and family. I blush to have uttered this last sentiment, for 'tis all unworthy the character of men who sacrifice so much upon the altar of their profession. Fee or no fee, should not be the question; but rather, can I save that man to the world, that mother for her family, that babe for the arms of her who bore it? Such is the language of every one who carries a doctor's heart in his bosom, a doctor's soul in his countenance, or a doctor's practice in his life. You will remember, dear Doctor, that I had returned from such a

day's labor, weary, hungry, and half-frozen, some hours after a night of such gloom had cast its shadow abroad, when I found your cheerful face at my humble board. A warm fire, a cup of tea, and better than all, the smile which said, We shall be so happy now, soon put things to right, with both outer and inner man. There is no alchemy like woman's love, and the social companionship of an old friend, to change life's ills to bliss and blessedness. I marvel, with you, that her heart's crucible should sometimes only hold its dross. In a few hours we had adopted Shakspeare's insurance for digestion, and were sweetly sleeping, safe from ghostly intrusion. At least so I thought, until startled by a rap at my door-prophetic to me that death stayed not his mission for the tempest, though its wail was like a madman's shriek. Never did I feel less humanity in my nature, nor more inclined to compromise with duty, forgetful of my Christian mission to heal the sick; forgetful of my spirit's baptism, when set apart and consecrated by my Alma Mater, for my Master's use.

I remember it with pain-for I asked impatiently, perhaps unkindly from the messenger, what was the necessity for this untimely errand. The door opened so reluctantly upon its hinges, that self-reproach had begun its work before the youth, choked in his utterance, and half-blinded by his tears, could reply. But I waited not; the heart's telegraph had done its work: "Richard was himself again." No delay was now desired, nor was the storm remembered. I recognized the boy, and in doing so, I knew that some fearful change had swept over the life-strings of one of God's sweetest instruments. Two days previous, I had visited my patient, and as usual found her cheerful, and to appearance even happy; and though I knew that every affection was packed up, and journeying towards heaven, still I saw nothing to warn me that she would follow so soon. Our ride passed in silence; neither wishing to intrude upon the silent