city. 66 ETHER. SOME SPECULATIONS ON AN ABSTRUSE POINT BY JAMES MCCARROLL. From Cairo to Suez the journey was formerly | sticks facing it almost on a line with the head of the tomb. accomplished by camels. At present the desert is traversed The queen thus royally reposing was a niece of Casimir by a navigable canal that brings the waters of the Nile to III., and wife of the Great Jagellon, Ladislaus V., who Lake Timsah, and enables the transit to be effected in died in 1434. boats. Our engraving represents the caravan on its return from Mecca, at the moment when the hadjis are embarking on the fresh-water canal, homeward bound. A letter from an American lady makes the following allusion to this scene: Suez, April 11.—We have had a great treat-the arrival of a long train of Mecca pilgrims, on their way back from the 'Hadj.' They are most of them Syrians or from Upper Asia, and are going by canal to Port Said. Twenty-six hundred of them are on their way northward, and several thousand more are to follow. Except that they are never astonished at anything, I should think they would open their eyes at seeing a great rushing sea traversing the hitherto trackless desert. I did have hopes of buying carpets from them, but their bundles seem to be mostly old clothes and bedding." SPRING AND EASTER. BY THE AUTHOR OF CHRONICLES OF THE SCHONBERG COTTA FAMILY. SMILE praises, Oh sky! Soft breathe them, Oh air. Below and on high, And everywhere! The black troop of storms Has yielded to calm; Awake thee, Oh Spring! Ye flowers come forth, With thousand hues tinting Ye violets tender, And sweet roses bright, With pure lilies white. Sweep, tides of rich music He lives, as He said; Unharmed from the dead! Clap, clap your hands, mountains! Leap, leap for joy, fountains! Tomb of Queen Ann Jagellon, in the Cathedral of FEW tombs are grander than that of Queen Ann Jagellon, a queen whose dynasty not only, but whose kingdom, is of the past. It is in the chapel of the Kings Sigismund. Above the chapel-door are three ancient paintings. The central one represents Sigismund I., the other two are portraits of Ann Jagellon, as queen-regnant, and as a widow. The tomb has a recumbent statue of the queen in her royal attire, exceedingly well cut in red granite. Behind the tomb is a marble throne, above which two angels of gilt bronze support the crown of Poland. An altar stands in front in an arch rich with basso-relievos, two massive candle He who travels deep into the darkness approaches the light-not the darkness of ignorance or superstition, however, but that which necessarily embarrasses all profound research, and separates the grosser forms of matter from the sublime realities that lie beyond. Although science may properly be termed the glory of the intellectual world, I venture to surmise that, recently, some of its votaries have not been pursuing their investigations on a sufficiently elevated plane. They have not, in my opinion, sought to relate cause and effect in the broadest and most logical sense, or establish the conviction that there are other than merely material forces at work in the grand economy of the universe. And, yet, they seem to have had opportunities of distinguishing themselves in this relation, that, fully improved, might possibly have resulted in the lifting of a corner of the vail that hangs between all mortal vision and the more immediate presence of the Great First Cause. In advancing the now generally accepted theory that the boundless realms of space are filled throughout with an invisible and intangible medium, or essence, called ETHER, it appears, as inseparable from this proposition, that not only matter per se, but all its modifications and configurations, are nothing more than simple expressions of this allpervading something-this sublimated element, that passes through the diamond as if it were an open window, and that reigns as free and as absolute in the cold, dark bosom of the granite mass as it does in the measureless, sunlit spaces that stretch among the stars. As no two particles or atoms of anything conceivable can possibly occupy the same space, this deduction regarding matter is obviously in logical sequence with the ubiquity of ETHER; and, such being the case, it ought not to be difficult of comprehension that this latter self-existent soul of things, so to speak, which is subject to no law, possesses, in its omnipresence, one of the attributes of Deity. Should this be conceded-and I see no good reason why it should not-we instantly emerge into broader light through the channels of inductive reasoning, and are led at once to the conclusion that, possibly, the possession of one infinite attribute involves that of all the rest. Certainly, in submitting that of Omnipresence to the ordinary standards of human judgment, we shall be able to discover, without much difficulty, that it is the very life-blood, as it were, of Omnipotence and Omniscience, as disassociated from it these become utterly impossible. It is the great body of which they may be called the heart and the head, or, more properly, the mind and the soul; for it seems sufficiently plain that Omnipotence and Omniscience are rather faculties of the Infinite Existence, than the Infinite Existence itself. It is, in addition, quite obvious, to me at least, that Omnipresence involves a condition of being, savoring of distinct entity or individuality, however sublimated and inexplicable such entity may be. This may, I am aware, be called hazardous work; but the age is one of bold flights and experiments, and I am only speculating in the regions of metaphysics. Having dared so much, however, I shall venture still further, and submit respectfully, that there are some grounds for adopting the idea, if not the belief, that ETHER is absolutely the body of the Deity Himself, and that the countless worlds throughout infinite space, as well as all things visible and invisible, are the work of its myriad, ubiquitous hands. And, now, let us endeavor to discover how far this proposition is sustained by Science and true Philosophy-by observation and education; for it is upon these corner-stones only, that I shall attempt to rest this theory of mine-if mine it be. Let me, then, in the first place, direct attention to the fact, that Light and Heat, which are the two great, primary factors in the production and maintenance of all animal and vegetable life, are declared, upon the highest scientific authority, to be but simple expressions of ETHER, or the visible operations of what I shall venture to term, God's Right Hand and Left. These operations, which are characterized by a power and an intelligence that transcend not only all human comprehension, but the comprehension of even the highest order of created beings, have for their object the accomplishment of projects and designs, possible to an All-wise and an All-powerful God only, and of a grandeur and dignity, commensurate with His infinite greatness and goodness: The formation of new worlds, and the sustaining and beautifying of those already in existence; the administration of all law, and the development of life and happiness, and of higher physical and mental conditions throughout the ages of eternity. Turn where we may, from the modest violet at our feet to the stars that strew the fields of space, and we find Light and Heat performing the miracles of creation in connection with other expressions of the divine body of the ETHER, which is the source and executive of all law. In the majestic command, "Sit Lux!" we can venture to suppose that simultaneous with the sublime expression, God stretched forth His omnipotent Right Hand, "et Lux fuit!" It was the first visible expression of His power in the work of creation; and as heat was inseparable from it, the inference is logical, that both these omnipotent factors are His Right Hand and Left, which, multiplied to infinity, are engaged, without cessation, in all the glorious work that feast the senses and the understanding, and that make His great Name worthy of all honor and praise. This subject will, I am satisfied, increase in interest the more we investigate it; and, perhaps, lead us to the conclusion already glanced at, namely: that ETHER is the source of all natural phenomena, and of all law. The vibratory theory of Light, Heat and Sound would seem to point in this direction, as the very existence of three of our senses, Seeing, Feeling and Hearing, seem to depend solely upon it. And if three of our senses are indebted for their functions to vibrations of the ETHER-for I don't take the atmosphere into consideration here-why not Taste and Smell also? The optic nerve is, as we all know, appealed to by the ETHER, why not the gustatory and the olfactory likewise ? And, besides, when the ETHER is, if we are to credit the researches of scientists, subject to no law, should we not sequentially and in view of its attributes make it the source of all law? But as this branch of the subject might betray me into a discussion which would exceed the bounds that I have set to myself in this brief paper, I shall, for the present, leave the case with the intelligent and speculative reader; but not without a hope that I may one day return to it with a larger knowledge respecting it than I now possess, or than is to be found in mere text-books. THERE is a beautiful precept which he who has received an injury, or who thinks that he has, would for his own sake do well to follow: "Excuse half and forgive the rest." AT PASSOVER. BY CORA WILBURN. THE time draws nigh of high commemoration,. When Israel's jubilee Sounded in triumph of deliverance glory By Egypt's hymning sea; When, at the mandate of the One Eternal, We live in peace in a broad land of plenty, No threatening phantoms of a rule oppressive We stand erect, no longer bowed in serfdom With duty, love unto His mercy rendered, The Pillared Rocks of Colorado. THE buttes, composed of gypsiferous strata, are of many hues, from light gray to slate, then pink, purple and brown. The morning sun shines in splendor on the painted faces of orange and vermilion sandstone masses, the silent angles on fire, the re-entering angles buried in warm shadows. At a distance, cliff escarpments of this sandstone appear as long banks of purple clouds piled high into the heavens. The cause of this scenic element is undeniably the result of erosion; indeed, the whole of the Colorado plateau is justly regarded as the most magnificent example on the face of the earth of how much the land may have its features altered by the agency of running water. Geologists have demonstrated that the entire basin was once covered by a continuous sheet of soft middle and upper cretaceous shales, of which scattered mounds and millions of loose fossils remain, the surfaces between being firm for the last fortnight, the sleeper sprang to his feet, and was petrified on discovering where he was; but Nicholas only laughed, and dismissed him with a compliment on his promptitude. RIO DULCE, GUATEMALA. lower cretaceous sandstone, or still older rocks. There is no doubt that, previous to the erosion of the gorges, the table-land was buried under two thousand feet of soft strata, all of which has been carried away except these fragmentary relics, which, being of a harder composition than that surrounding, or of volcanic formation, have obstinately resisted denudation. The climatic conditions are such that the rocks are swept down as fast as disintegrated, which gives the THE Rio Dulce, which empties into the Amatic Gulf, a harder rock an unusual advantage in withstanding erosion; part of the Bay of Honduras, is the outlet of the Laguna and cliffs, isolated buttes, are the natural result. The of Isabal, a shallow lake, lying nearly east and west, and scenery of this description is very similar to that in the extending from Isabal to Balize. Its chief tributary is the noted 'Garden of the Gods," near Denver.-National Polochia, of which, indeed, the Rio Dulce is, in reality, the Repository. The Courier from the Seat of War, and the Emperor of Russia. SHORTLY after the commencement of the great struggle in the Crimea, an officer was sent from Sebastopol with important dispatches, which he was ordered to carry with all speed to St. Petersburg, and deliver into the emperor's own hands. The immense length and multiplied hardships of the journey, which was performed entirely by sledge, such as our illustration shows, and in the depth of Winter, proved too much even for the military hardihood of the messenger, who arrived at the capital in such a state of exhaustion, that he had no sooner reached the Winter Palace and presented his dispatches than he staggered back against the wall and fell asleep. Nicholas, having perused the papers, turned round, and perceived the condition of his courier. He spoke to him, touched him, shook him, in vain. At length he stooped down and shouted, in the gruff voice of a Russian postmaster : "Vashe prevoschoditelstvo, lôshadi gotovi !"-" Your excellency, the horses are ready!" At these words, which he had heard several times a day continuation. The Rio Dulce-Sweet River-is spoken of by travelers as one of enchanting beauty, its tropic vegetation rich and charming, especially where its drooping vines, its vivid colors, its feathery palms, contrast with the perpendicular rocks which so frequently rise from the water's edge to become, in the brilliant sunlight, almost as liquid to the view as the water that mirrors them below. It is a pity that so beautiful a river offers, in the human habitations on its banks, so little to attract, so little in harindeed, a place called Livingston, but its people are only mony with what Nature has done. Near its mouth there is, the forlorn negroes of that coast. THE soul which is sprinkled with the blood may now, with holy boldness, seek and claim the protection of God's righteousness and justice, which were formerly against it, and feel it has a right to do so, because it is now in possession of Christ; and the justice of God now, as it were, replies: "I will, I will, dear soul, protect you; you little thought when I was in pursuit of you that it was to bring you back to your Redeemer, nor shall I ever cease to protect you till I lay you safe in His arms.-A. Cameron. THE AMIABLE LOUISA. BY JOHN S. C. ABBOTT. The circumstances related in the following narrative are of recent occurrence, and the reader may rely upon the strict truth and faithfulness of the description. SHORTLY after my settlement in the ministry, I observed in the congregation a young lady whose blooming countenance and cheerful air showed perfect health and high elation of spirits. Her appearance satisfied me at once that she was amiable and thoughtless. There was no one of my charge whose prospects for long life were more promising than her own, and perhaps no one who looked forward to the future with more pleasing hopes of enjoyment. To her eye the world seemed bright. She often said she wished to enjoy more of it before she became a Christian. Louisa-for by that name I shall call her-manifested no particular hostility to religion, but wished to live a gay and merry life till just before her death, and then to become pious and die happy. She was constant in her attendance at church, and while others seemed moved by the exhibition of the Saviour's love, she seemed entirely unaffected. Upon whatever subject I preached, her countenance retained the same marks of indifference and unconcern. The same easy smile played upon her features, whether sin or death, or heaven or hell, was the theme of discourse. One evening I invited a few of the young ladies of my society to meet at my house. She came with her companions. I had sought the interview with them, that I might more directly urge upon them the importance of religion. All in the room were affected; and she, though evidently moved, endeavored to conceal her feelings. The interest in this great subject manifested by those present was such, that I informed them that I would meet, in a week from that time, any who wished for personal con versation. The appointed evening arrived, and I was delighted in seeing, with two or three others, Louisa enter my house. I conversed with each one individually. They generally, with much frankness, expressed their state of feeling. Most of them expressed much solicitude respecting their eternal interests. Louisa appeared different from all the rest. She was anxious and unable to conceal her anxiety, and yet ashamed to have it known. She had come to converse with me upon the subject of religion, and yet was making an evident effort to appear indifferent. I had long felt inter ested in Louisa, and was glad of this opportunity to converse with her. "Louisa," said I, "I am happy to see you here this evening, and particularly so, as you have become interested in the subject of religion." She made no reply. "Have you been long thinking upon this subject, Louisa ?" "I always thought the subject important, sir, but have not attended to it as I suppose I ought." "Do you now feel the subject to be more important than you have previously?" "I don't know, sir; I think I want to be a Christian." "Do you feel that you are a sinner, Louisa ?" "I know that I am a sinner, for the Bible says so, but I suppose that I do not feel it enough." "Can you expect that God will receive you into His favor while you are in such a state of mind? He has made you, and He is now taking care of you, giving you every blessing and every enjoyment you have, and yet you have lived many years without any gratitude to Him, and continually breaking His commandments, and now do not feel that you are a sinner. What would you think of a child whose kind and affectionate parents had done everything in their power |