stolen, if not the cattle, at least the property of the American Hercules, and will keep it unless he rise in his might, and crushing the political thief resume his original rights. Now, Mr. Editor, I am disposed to rest here; though not quite so well satisfied as Jonathan Oldbuck was about the locality of Agricola's camp, from those mysterious initials which the mischievous Edie Ochiltree so wickedly interpreted to mean "Ailic Davy's lang ladle," and not "Agricola dicavit libens lubens,” as Monkbarns would have it ;—but do observe, sir, the singular coincidences between cacus and caucus; the one a three-headed rogue-the other a sort of political Cerberus; the first slily taking away the cattle of another-the second insidiously cajoling the people of their rights; the former hiding them in a cave, where they were discovered by their bellowing-the latter betrayed by a bellowing from Maine to Georgia; and finally cacus demolished by Hercules, and caucus easily demolished by the Herculean force of public sentiment. I acknowledge, however, that I am not entirely satisfied, notwithstanding this "confirmation strong," and hope you will speedily relieve the perplexity of Your most obedient servant. P. S. A friend facetiously suggests that caucus is nothing more than a corruption,-Caucus, quasi corkus; that is, shut close the doors that nobody may hear us. THE GIRL OF HARPER'S FERRY. Ah! tell me not of the heights sublime, Of mountains rent in the lapse of time- I'm thinking more of the glowing cheek Who climb'd with me to yon highest peak- She sailed with me o'er the glassy wave, We clamber'd away over crag and hill Dame Nature may sunder the Earth by storms But I like her more in her fragile forms, 1 followed her up the "steps of stone," But I, like Cymon, the gaping clown, Nor thought of the river, the rock, the town, She carv'd her name on the well known rock, You would not have thought me a stone or stock, Insensible rock! how hard thou wert, Hurting her fingers fairy, Deeper she writ upon my soft heart— Ye who shall visit this scene again, Come pledge me high in the brisk champaigne, Or a glass of the palest sherry And this is the name which ye shall quaff, The name of Mary Perry! She's fairer than all your loves by half The girl of Harper's Ferry. MODERN TRAVELLING. Forty years ago I was a great traveller, and was pretty well acquainted with the means of transportation then in use; but about that time, I retired to the country, and settled upon a small farm, where I have, until lately, pursued the even tenor of my way. During the last summer, some business compelled me to set out for a distant point, and I left my little home with extreme reluctance. As I was to travel in a world about which I knew but little, except through the newspapers, I thought it right to rig myself out in somewhat better style than usual, so I put on my best bib and tucker, and repaired to town and sought a barber's shop to get my hair cut, and my beard shaved, humming as I went along the old song, "I called to the barber, come shave me boy, do you hear, And I'll give you sixpence for to spend in ale or beer; Shave me, shave me, barber come shave me, Make me look neat and spruce that Molly may have me." Sixpence quotha! it cost me four-and-sixpence, at the least. When I opened the door, I was so much astonished at the elegance of the apartment, that I drew back, and would have retired, thinking I had made some mistake, when two or three fellows flew out upon me, and began brushing my coat with such impetuous violence that I could not escape from them; indeed it was with much ado that I could prevent my ears from being brushed off by their whizzing brooms. I was as restive, you may depend upon it, as my horse is under a cedar broom; twice they struck me severe blows on the cheek, but always begged pardon, so I could not be offended; and, indeed, I had made up my mind when I left home, not to betray my ignorance of present customs. All this time two small shavers were dusting my boots, and I protest it was with much difficulty I could keep my legs. After considerable suffering on my part, and repeated declarations of my being satisfied with their services, and paying each of them something, (for I saw they expected it,) they desisted. I now expressed a wish to be shaved and trimmed, and was immediately disrobed, and ushered to a high-backed chair, where my head was roughly thrown back, my chin tucked, and the operation of shaving performed in the "twinkling of an ejaculation." It did not take long to cut my hair and strangle me with cologne water; but what was my surprise, when they were done with me, to find the whole of my occiput as bare as the palm of my hand, and nothing left upon my head but a few straggling locks at the side, time having already stripped naked my forehead. I was sadly vexed, but what could I say? I had voluntarily put myself in their power, and was devoutly glad when I got into the street, that I had escaped alive from their hands. Well, I had now paid four-and-sixpence; I had lost all my hair; my face had been scratched by brooms and lacerated by a razor, and I had learned in exchange that barbers were different folks now-a-days from what they used to be, and that men were brushed down like horses-rather a bad speculation! I had not been in this world, it is true, "ever since King Pepin was a little boy," but I was pretty old, and had never been treated so unceremoniously in my life. I had imagined when I entered the house, that I was going into just such a shop as my old friend Kippin used to keep, who received me with the profoundest of bows, and shaved me with a solemnity of manner that suited my temper exactly. No tawdry ornaments hung upon the walls; no mirrors flashed wheresoever you turned; no newspapers lay scattered around; no Helen Jewetts or other engravings caught your eye. His walls were mute as "Tara's Halls". -a piece of broken looking-glass stood upon the table, and an old shavingcan, encrusted with the smoke of a thousand fires, sat disconsolately in the chimney; but, nevertheless, these modern fellows cannot shave as Kippin "used to could." There is too much harry in every thing now-a-days! It is true shaving must be done by steam-the water ought to be hot, but the razor travels too incontinently fast, and the whirlpools in my beard cannot be crossed over with such despatch--but, pshaw! this is nothing to what I have to tell of the changes in this world. My first trip was to be made in a steamboat which was to start (fly perhaps would be a better word) at ten o'clock at night. I had never been in one, having been of the same opinion with old What's-his-name, who never could be induced to go on board, not even when the boat was lying at the wharf without a particle of fire-when urged to go, and told that there was no earthly danger, he always shook his head doubtingly, and declared "there was no knowing what accidents might happen." However, go I must; my business required despatch, and there was no mode of travelling so expeditious. Accordingly, I went on board, and passing the fire-room, where they were just firing up, I stopped with unfeigned horror, and asked myself, if indeed I was prepared to die! I almost fancied myself at the entrance of the infernal regions, and the firemen, all begrimed and black and covered with sweat, seemed like the imps of the devil, tossing the damned spirits into the flames. I shuddered and turned away, inwardly vowing if heaven would be graciously pleased to spare me this time, I would never again voluntarily put myself in the way of being burnt to death. I proceeded to the cabin, which I found, as yet, unoccupied, and you may be certain if the barber's shop had surprised me, my amazement was now complete, at finding myself in the most splendid apartment I had ever beheld. I shall not attempt any description, because I have no doubt, Mr. Editor, you have seen many a one; all I shall say is, that having examined every thing with as much wonder as did Polyglott when "he dinner'd wi' a lord," I laid myself down in a berth, and could not satisfy myself of my personal identity, any more than could he who once went to see some great man, and was treated with so much distinction, that when he retired to bed, he lay some time revolving all that had passed, and the scene around him, and exclaimed, "can this be me." Putting his foot out of bed, (he had a remarkable foot,) egad! he cried, that is certainly my foot. Just so, clapping my hand to the back of my head, and feeling that the barber had nearly |