It seeks the far, far distant shore,
Obeying Nature's rules;
Then rolls away on to the sea,
Like human life successively,
Back to return no more!-
Ah, yes! Experience tells us so,
Impeded not by grief or woe,

Our days and years still onward flow,
To Death's dark dreary shore.

T. ROBERTSON.

A DIALOGUE.

SCENE-A Bookseller's shop in the Modern Athens-Enter Lady Acres, (accompanied by her little daughter, Miss Lucy Acres) in a Victoria-velvet mantilla, hat of the same, with a paradise plume-Miss Lucy in a cashmere shawl, dress very short, with elegant white culottes, a pair of laced prunella boots, trimmed with fur, and a hat of blue velvet, with corresponding plume.

Lady Acres (on entering the shop,)—" Pray, Mr. Prentice, have you got any new books which you can recommend? I am going to the country, and wish to take some along with me."

Mr. Prentice-" We have a great variety of new publications, madam; but if your ladyship will step into the adjoining room, there is a good fire, and you can look over some of them at your leisure."

Lady Acres walks into a room with a green door, full of

elegant engravings, and little Miss Lucy skips after her.

Mr. Prentice-"And now, madam, what kind of books shall I show you? Here are some new pamphlets on the non-intrusion business."

66

Lady Acres " No, no; I am quite sick of that subject, and entre nous, I cannot understand it."

Mr. Prentice-" Then, here are some pamphlets of Dr. Pusey, and the Oxford Tracts, which are making such a noise at present."

Lady Acres-" Dr. Pusey! I never heard of him! Who is he?"

Mr. Prentice-"I am surprised that your ladyship has not heard of him; he is the great champion for the English Church being of apostolic descentbaptism by water being regeneration-and, I believe, goes so far as to say, the Prayer-book is of equal authority with the sacred Scriptures."

more;

Lady Acres "Oh, no; you need not tell me any I hate all controversy,-I want no controversy -I read my Bible, and go to the parish church, and no Dr. Pusey shall confuse my brains."

Mr. Prentice-" Your ladyship is quite right." (Lays his hand upon another pamphlet,)" Here is an address to the ladies upon the abolition of the Cornlaws, and a paper for the ladies of Great Britain to sign, will your ladyship give us your name?"

Lady Acres-"Oh, no, no. Corn-laws! I did not know there were any Corn-laws at all; but, indeed, I never trouble my head about laws of any kind; I leave all that to Sir John." (Some one enters the shop.) "Mr. Prentice, do attend to your customers; I'll amuse myself looking at some of these annuals.”

Mr. Prentice-" I beg your ladyship's pardon; all

our young men have gone out to-day to attend a public meeting."

Exit into the shop Mr. Prentice, leaving the door open-a respectable looking country-woman makes a curtsy to him Mr. Prentice-"Oh! is this you, Jenny Thomson? How do you do? what has brought you to town in such cold weather?"

Jenny-" Why, Mr. Prentice, I canna say that it was just wi' my wull, for I had a great washing yesterday, and I'll hae little eneugh time to get them a' sorted and mangled and ironed, before Saturday. Our Jamie has got a sair hoast; but, reason or nane, he wud hae me to come in to the toun, and just sign the paper, which he said wud like be in your shop, about having the Rail Engines no to gang on the Sabbathday, and keeping wiselike folk fae the kirk. Quo' I to the gudeman, 'I did nae ken that I could hinder it ga'en; I can stop the mangle, nae doubt, wi' my ain arm.'' Haud your tongue, Jenny,' quo he, and do my biddin; ye dinna understand it; just gang awa to Mr. Prentice and sign; he'll no bid you do onything wrang.'

6

Mr. Prentice-" There is a lady in the room, Jenny, waiting; so just sit down, my good woman, till I return and then I shall speak to you."

Jenny-"Before ye gang, there's just ae thing I would like to speer at you,-dye ye ken if there's ony paper that a body could sign for reformin' the washin laws?"

Mr. Prentice smiles-"I know of none, Jenny; but what have you to complain of?"

Jenny--" Ou, sir, the lowness o' our prices; and

the unraisonableness o' mony folk we hae to deal wi'; for, whether the wather be foul or fair, claise maun be dried, and claise maun be sent hame, and if even a dud is torn it maun be made up."

Mr. Prentice-" Well, Jenny, sit down, here are some tracts on cruelty to animals, which ye may take with you."

Jenny "Thank you, sir; but I'll ca' back again in the evening, when you are more at leisure; and the next time I cum to toon, I'll bring a hen and twa three eggs; we have very cruel carters about us; I'm sure they hae muckle need to get a hearin' about their cruelty to the beasts." (Exit Jenny Thomson.)

Mr. Prentice-(returns to Lady Acres,)—“ I beg your ladyship's pardon, but it was an old and respectable servant of mine from the country, about a little business."

Lady Acres "I overheard a part of the conversation, though I cannot say I entirely understood her dialect; I thought I heard something about cruelty to animals. I know there was a society of that kind in London; however, I do not trouble myself about that either, for both Sir John and myself are very kind to our horses, and Lucy quite spoils our little darling lap-dogs, Frisk and Snap. Frisk is so nice he will eat nothing but chicken, and Snap the legs of hares. But, by the way, if not giving you too much trouble, as the day is cold, will you order my coachman to drive about while I look at the books."

returns

Mr. Prentice goes out, executes the command, then "Here, madam, are a great variety of travels to the Holy Land, Missions to Jerusalem, &c., and researches in Egypt, America, and the Uni

States; but, perhaps, I had better give you our catalogue to look over."

Lady Acres "Thank you, but I have no time to look at catalogues. How beautiful some of the new Annuals are; what a number of lady authoresses there are now-a-days; it is quite the fashion; every lady writes a book. I daresay I must write one myself."

Mr. Prentice-"I am sure when your ladyship favours the world with any thing from your pen, I shall be happy to be your ladyship's publisher."

In the interim Lucy Acres has been examining a great variety of gaily bound little volumes, on a table entirely covered with ornamental articlestakes up Hood's Comic Annual, and exclaims-" Oh, mamma! here is a delightful little book-pray let me have it, it is so very funny, and it will make Johnny so laugh when we get home."

Lady Acres takes up the book and looks at it"Child, it seems perfect stuff; why would you fill your head with such nonsense."

Lucy-"Oh, dear mamma, do let me have it the pictures are so very funny."

;

Lady Acres, softening-" Mr. Prentice, what kind of a book is it? Is it quite harmless-for I am very particular as to what Lucy reads?"

Mr. Prentice-“Quite so, maʼam; it is merely ridiculous."

Lady Acres " Then, Lucy, you may have it; but remember it is instead of your Christmas-box." Lucy, with delight-" Oh! mamma, how good you

I do so love it (to the bookseller,)-do pack it up in one of those beautiful pink sheets of paper."