erties which constituted his "furnished lodgings," and consisted of very little more than pens, ink, paper-six treatises, eight epics, and nine novels! to me, in the several apartments, and among| dreary afternoon in September; and in the rest, large alcoves of printed tables, "melancholic moode and accentes lowe" which must have cost a vast deal of time he began taking an inventory of the propand patient labor. A sort of telegraphic pole shoots up far above the roof of the Observatory, to which is attached a large black ball. This ball falls at one o'clock precisely, so that all who can see it and wish to be perfectly accurate, may regulate their time-pieces accordingly. France has her Royal Observatory, and other European nations have theirs; but there is no one in the world, from which Longitude is reckoned, especially in navigation, a tenth part so much, as from Greenwich. Of course she claims the proud pre-eminence, of standing exactly in the centre of the world. CHELSEA HOSPITAL. This Hospital stands on the north bank of the Thames, about as far above London as Greenwich is below; and is intended to be that in all respects for the army, which Greenwich is for the navy. The buildings and grounds are very inferior, and the number of pensioners, I believe, is not so large here as there. Superannuated and decrepid soldiers, however, are as well taken care of in one, as sailors, in the same condition, are in the other; while in this, as well as that, the halt, the maimed, and the blind,' present to the eye of the Christian philanthropist, an affecting picture, though one of the least shocking, of the miseries of war. Yours, &c. FROM THE LONDON COURT JOURNAL. THERE is no mania so general among the readers of fiction as the mania for incident-incident of all kinds. The dialogue may be brilliant, the descriptions beautiful, the characters original, the sentiments noble and well expressed; no matter: your book must have a duel in it, a "sudden death," a " found drowned," a "dreadful murder," or a "mysterious disappearance." We record the following " incident," in the hope that such as may be going to dine -ravenously hungry-upon a "three vol. post oct." will not find their appetite impaired by a "relish" that owes its existence to real life. "What a place for a gentleman to live in!" said Henry Evanshaw, a victim of the Greek and Latin incompetency system, as he sate in his back attic, which "served him for parlour, and kitchen, and all," one Henry had again resigned himself to the gloom of contemplative retrospection, when the accents of his landlady broke upon his ear-not "like Houri's hymn," but in as tone the very reverse of that kind of voice which has been pronounced to be " a most excellent thing in woman"-intimating that the "postman" had been again with the letter from Brighton, and had again "re-1 fused to leave it" save for prompt payment. This was from his father, to whom he had written two days previously for another " last supply." In the evening Mr. Evanshaw was pass ing a neighboring coffee-house to which he sometimes resorted, and longing to be post sessed of such a sum as would justify him in entering, when he was accosted by its proprietor-" I think, sir, your name is Evanshaw?" "It is," said Henry, and tailors and bai liffs alternately passed before his eyes. "I have a parcel for you, sir, left this afternoon;" and in two minutes the packet was placed on the table at which Henry had now seated himself, and the poor scholar was left monarch, pro tem., of all he sur veyed. A flush of hope crimsoned his hungered cheek as he broke the seals of the packet; it was but momentary, and the sigh that instantly followed bespoke the man whom experience had taught to expect disappoint ments, but whose sanguine temperament bade him hope the best. The packet contained a letter, and a hundred pound Bank of England note! The former had neither signature nor date, nor was the address of the writer mention ed; further, the handwriting was perfectly unknown to him. The contents were as follows: "Mr. Henry Evanshaw is informed thats if he will go this night to 11 street, Cavendish square, he will find apartments fitted up for his reception, and the people of the house ready to pay him every attention. Mr. H. E. is further informed that, if he will call to-morrow at Messrs. Drummond's, he may, on stating his name and the above address, receive the sum of 2501; and that such sum may be had by him, on En personal application, every quarter. closed is a hundred pound note." A Royal salute, a discharge of artillery, would convey but a faint idea of the echoing rat-tat-tat which astonished the intellects of the inhabitants of street, Cavendish square, as the clock struck ten on the night of the day when our incident commenced. The lion's head, had it been a real one, would have ached until the following Christmas. "Mr. Evanshaw, I presume?" said the Jandlady: "pray walk up stairs, sir. The gentleman in blue told me to be prepared to receive you at about ten: we have just inished. The gentleman in blue, I'm sorry to say, sir, left about three minutes ago." These last observations of the landlady were just concluded as the parties entered The drawing-room. The effect this prodused on our hero, as he entered, was very imilar to that which the palace of the three asters had upon the fisherman in the Arabian Nights. Astonishment is said to be the result of ignorance: all marvelling, herefore, must be excused a man who for The last eight years had been doomed to the bare walls and sterile interior of a poet's altre. The room he entered was a noble one. The finest Turkey carpet hushed the tread of the delighted feet, rich crimson velvet Curtains helped to inclose the warmth imparted by the cheerful fire, and the imagihation partook of their fervid glowing-of their gorgeousness. A mirror, which reach ed the ceiling, was hung over the white marble mantel-piece; the walls were plentifully adorned with a few of the choicest pictures of the old masters, with the excephon of that opposite the fire-place, which was totally covered by a mahogany set of pok-shelves. And "Round the lamp of fretted gold Bloom'd flowers in urns of China's mould." The other room contained all the appurihances of an elegant sleeping-apartment. But one thing surprised him more than this. The books, the papers, the beloved kstand, the gift of a dear friend, and all at he could have cared for in the abject werty from which he had just been resled, were there: less than three hours efore, they had Jain scattered about the briorn attic in - lane! He had thus sothing to regret-every-thing that could contribute to his well-being, mental and physical; misery seemed to have been Changed into happiness as suddenly and unaccountably as Harlequin changes a beefsteak into a beautiful goddess. Verily, if, as Bishop Berkley contends, our life is but a dream, what a supper must many of us have caten before we first went to bed! What a very improper quantity of superfluities we must have indulged in, that such not-to-be-accounted for and contradictory things take place; that misery and happiness come and go-now one and now the other; that now we are beloved, now hated-now weeping, now laughing, in short, how very good an argument it is in support of the Bishop's theory, that our life is so like the dreams that we have on our beds of down or fiinty couches-equally parodoxical, absurd, and useless ! Weeks passed away, during which Henry heard nothing of the "gentleman in blue," whom he half suspected to be a relation of the "gentleman in black." He nevertheless had done little else than enjoy himself in the company of his delightful old authors -friends, who had been his only ones in need, and to whom he now felt increased gratitude, as well as respect and affection. There are few pleasanter places than a public exhibition room-the realm of color, delight, and refined enjoyment. About a theatre, we know not why, there is an inherent appearance of dissipation; the effort to get at pleasure strikes us more than the pleasure itself; everybody laughs, but apparently only because others do; and, furthermore, the fatigues of the day have left the revellers weary and listless. But a morning exhibition-with the sun pouring in through the windows, the sleep freshened faces, the sociable mingling of the enjoyers, the moving to and fro, the approving hum, short, the animation that is really partaken of by every one-is a remnant of the golden time; a place apart, sacred to innocence and knowledge-a temple fit to adorn the purity of a poetical paradise. Mr. Evanshaw agreed with us, and, after he had been there some two or three hours, found that he had not yet done one room. in He was now struck by a particularly fine picture of Edwin Landseer's, and sate down on a bench to enjoy it at his leisure. He had not been long seated thus, when a gentleman, who had, unperceived by him, placed himself by his side on the bench, observed to him that he thought the picture he was looking at was the finest in the room. The stranger was a man of proportions the very smallest, though delicately moulded; and his deportment had that character which is implied, though not expressed, by the word gentlemanly-a mix- his companion, who, with an un-English ture of elegance, modesty, and self-con- cordiality, yet with the truest and most sciousness. His features were handsome, but chiefly remarkable for sweetness of expression and that patient quietude which is the result of either past suffering or habits of study. His dress, by the way, was blue. "I am happy, sir, in being able to agree with you," said Evanshaw. "That picture of Landseer's has, to me, more genius about it than any other I have seen,-more truth. The artist has a power greater than any other of expressing what he feels; and it is this power to express, and not to feel only, which constitutes the fine painter as well as the fine poet and musician. But there are many other very beautiful pic tures." "There are, indeed," replied the stranger: "you will forgive me if I am mistaken in judging from your last observations that you are disinclined to make comparisons." " I did not mean so by what I then said. I simply wished to cultivate a feeling of gratitude for anything of the beautiful that an artist gives us, however little that beauty may be. I will not forget, in my admiration of Landseer's genius, the feeling and truth of that little landscape yonder. dewdrop is lovely, though the smile of my mistress is more so; and certain troubles, sir, have made my heart bound forward with the deepest gratitude to the mind that can bring a smile from my heart, or for an instant unnerve the frown that suffering has placed upon my brow." A "I cordially sympathise with you in that feeling," returned the stranger; "that theory has been my comfort through lifehas enabled me to encounter poverty with a light heart." "What would become of love," asked our hero, " if that theory were not the true one? What would become of association? That one finest thing which our experience had taught us, and that one only, would then be beloved by us, and the whole wisdom of natural picty' be done away with. In fact, it is impossible for humanity to feel otherwise, seeing that it is a creation whose happiness is half generated by inemory-by the past, however sad or various." Some time passed, and the two gentlemen seemed little inclined to drop a conversation in which their own separate views and opinions discovered themselves to be so agreeably in unison. The lateness of the hour, however it was nearly four o'clock-obliged Evanshaw to think of returning home, and he intimated as much to DO deferential politeness, proposed that they "Yes, some ten years ago." The er Alps are dear mountains to me. "Did you ever meet in Italy with "Do you know him?" "Strange to say, though I have seen every morning for many years, I do know him. I mean in the profound acce ation of the word. If I did know him should have mastered one of the greati metaphysical difficulties in the world." "You speak in riddles. Can I see him "That is for you to say. I should thi you might, for he sits close to you at t instant." And with these words the stra ger bared his wrist, and discovered to friend the scar made by a wolf's teeth. The friends were now in each other's arm There was too good an understanding ween the friends-the faith of each in other's nobility of nature, set all entreason the part of the one, and all refusals obliged on the part of the other, quite of the question. They felt, as it were, the same heart. any years have passed away, during on period the two friends have not been separated. They took up their abode ther the day after their meeting at the bition; have both married since; and, their respective children, still have roof covering them, are, while we are ing, in the very best health (we drank with them last night,) and as young at and as full of hopefulness and kind ines, as they were twenty years ago. H. H. OM THE LONDON COURT JOURNAL. long since our eye was attracted by on the finger of a lady from the Sise; not a jewelled ring, nor "the gold ring" of matrimony, but a rough, string of iron. Our surprise at so para decoration to a fair hand, was ased on learning that it was worn as a entive against rheumatism; and that far rings were commonly worn for the purpose, by educated persons in Ireas well as by the "peasantry."-breeding suppressed an outward but we must confess we smiled indy. Happening to mention the subsoon afterwards, we were told, to our greater surprise, that an Illustrious onage once actually wore a magnet as eventive of some disorder. And presafter, we read in the papers an adverment from a German Doctor, professing ure nervous diseases with the magnet! uch musing in these matters," we found it was for its magnetic virtue that this was worn by our Hibernian friend. shing to know more of this matter, we uled ourselves of the introduction of a medical friend, and attended at the Westminster Medical Society, for three successive Saturday evenings, to hear the subject discussed, which-as we candidly confess we knew nothing of the matter previously, is saying something for our patience, as well as for the interest of the subject. On the first evening, Dr. Schmidt (for that is the name of the professor) read his paper on the subject in which he told us that magnets, and, before they were invented, loadstones-had been employed from time immemorial for curing various diseases; and that the amulets of which we read were magnetic. Of course, these were considered by the vulgar as magical remedies; but those, who prescribed their use were acquainted, though imperfectly, with their physical properties. He, it seems, had been led to investigate the subject by meeting with a pedlar-quack, who went about selling small magnets to cure tooth-ache and head-ache; and finding from his own observation that cures were actually effected in some slight cases, he inferred that with larger magnets more serious disorders might be cured. Accordingly he tried to make more powerful magnets; but soon found he could not get beyond a certain point. He pursued his experiments, however, and the result of his research was the discovery that magnets had been previously made upon wrong principles; and that the laws laid down were directly the converse of the true theory of magnet magnetism. It has been hitherto supposed that the opposite poles of the magnet, which attract each other, and are called the friendly poles, keep up between them the stream of magnetic fluid; Dr. Schmidt found the reverse was the fact; that a north pole strengthens a north pole, and a south a south in a magnet, and that each pole creates its like in a piece of iron placed near it. Acting on this principle, Dr. Schmidt has succeeded in constructing magnets of unheard of power, which afford the strongest evidence of the correctness of his theory; and applying these magnets in such a manner that the magnetic stream is directed over the diseased part of the body, he is enabled, as he states, to cure, various disorders of the nerves. Dr. Schmidt does not profess to cure all diseases with the magnets, for he is no quack, but a scientific physician. He employs it in diseases of the nerves merely, and those only when the function is disordered, not where there is any organic defect. Magnetism, he tells us, and so does Dr. Faraday, pervades the universe. That man. Dr. Schmidt speaks English with this power exists, the mariner's compass scholar-like correctness, and even elegance. proves; and the recent experiments in electro-magnetism show that chemical decomposition is the effect of magnetic agency. Whether this impalpable-this "imponderable power," is a curative agent, remains to be proved to our satisfaction. Dr. Schmidt, however, is not the first physician who has been of this opinion. When Mesmer-whose delusion of animal magnetism arose out of the extraordinary effects of mineral magnetism-made so much noise with his pretended cures, the Academy of Medicine at Paris appointed a committee to investigate the subject of mineral magnetism: and the result was a report in favor of the curative effects of the magnet.Now, if with comparatively weak magnets, applied according to the old theory, any remedial effect was produced, how much more efficacious must be the powerful magnets of Dr. Schmidt, applied according to his new theory ! Dr. Schmidt has, it seems, been very successful on the continent: and at Berlin two dispensaries of magnetism are established, where his magnets are used. He did not bring forward any cases of his foreign practice, feeling that they want the necessary proof of authenticity; he however referred to the continental medical journals, especially that of Professor Hufeland of Berlin, councellor of state and first physician to the King of Prussia, for corroboration of his statement of the success of the magnetic practice. In this country, Dr. Blundell has employed the magnet under Dr. Elliotson's surveillance; but there was a difference of opinion among the medical gentlemen present at the meeting of the Westminster Society, as to the result: one said the effects were transient, another that there were, in mercantile phrase, "no effects." Indeed so much diversity of opinion prevailed, that the only conclusion came to was that Dr. Schmidt should be afforded every facility for trying his magnets on patients whose disorders he should consider curable by their means. He has many incredulous minds to convince, but none, we believe, that are not open to conviction. It is but justice to Dr. Schmidt, to say that he courts medical investigation and opportunity of proving his statements. Indeed his appearance and manner are recommendations which, though merely personal, are not to be overlooked, indicating as they do intellectuality, sincerity of purpose, and the fine feelings of a gentle In the course of the discussion he was several times called upon to reply to the ques tions and objections, in one or two instances not very courteously urged; which he did with promptness, point, and good humor, evincing no lack of spirit or energy, but controlled controll by suavity and mildness. The principal diseases which Dr. Schmidt named as having cured by the magnets are as well as we remember, tic-doloureux neuralgic-pains, deafness, affections of th eyes, head-ache, tooth-ache, and rheuma tism; but each and all only in so far as th nerves were disordered. The magnet act by strengthening weak and calming irrita ted nerves, with an accession of magnet fluid, which is considered to be akin to th nervous energy. FROM THE NATIONAL GAZETTE. A YOUNG LADY, who resides in the cour try, has her chamber in the third story of lofty house, at no great distance from extensive wood or park. The window are furnished with venitian shutters, lear ing a space of about six inches betwe them and the glass sashes. Early in th last winter, the lady observed that a beau tiful flying squirrel had sought this refug from the season, and snugly located himse there. She gave the little stranger a kin and hospitable welcome, feeding him plen tifully with choice nuts and other dainti and leaving him at liberty to go to his wor and return at his pleasure, which he daily. After a short time, he brought companion to share the comfort and luxu when the window was raised for the curi What sort of intelligence existed between little animals and their friends in the woods, l they could communicate to them the good quar they had discovered, and induce them to follow this el-dorado? The first adventurer, who may called the Columbus of the settlement, must be been able to inform his followers of the warm hou and delicious fare prepared for them, and perha he allured them by describing the gay and gent spirit and captivating casms of the fair patrones |