some weighty matter resting on his spirits, and this was confirmed by the impressive manner in which the psalm-book was laid aside, intimating that on that evening it would not be used; an occurrence only witnessed once before in the history of the family, and then on an occasion of deep domestic affliction. To Among the inmates of the family were two female domestics, whose services had been enjoyed by them for thirty years, who had been to our friend like children, and who by his agency, under God, had been led to the cross of Christ. These Christian females had saved from their wages, and placed in his hands at interest, sums unitedly amounting to some $500. this fact he most touchingly alluded, adding, however or rather he would have fully added, but for their tearful entreaties that he would never think of it again-that he hoped at some future day to repay the whole with interest. Reading the Scriptures and prayer did not a little to calm the perturbed spirits of the whole household. Not a murmur was expressed or felt in the whole family. consider himself. His labors were abund- "When all thy mercies, O my God, In wonder, love, and praise." Prayer and thanksgiving followed; and, as the family were retiring, the two old female domestics were recalled to receive their money in full, with interest. With tears of gratitude and joy, they returned the deposit, adding to it their latter savings, which their friend had heretofore declined to take, and in his hands all remained till his death. The following day his creditors met, and each received, with interest, the last farthing they could have ever claimed. Cheerfulness and an excellent spirit marked the evening, but an admirable regard was had to the delicacy of their friend's feeling. They discovered, however, that in order to be thus punctual to what he considered his former promise, he had disposed of the policy of a life assurance effected in favor of his family; this, with excellent tact, they regained the following day, and sent it, with an appropriate letter, to their common friend. The blessing of Heaven continued to smile upon him, and during the ten succeeding years he became comparatively rich. At seventy-five, A few days afterward witnessed the meeting of the creditors, and never was a meeting more free from dissatisfaction, or more unanimous in their resolutions. The worthy merchant placed before them his books, made a full and candid exposure of his affairs, and closed with expressing a confident hope that, by installments covering five years, he could pay the last farthing of their claims. To such a proposal they would not listen. They said they had known and esteemed him for many years, that his conduct had always been honorable to his profession, that to some of them he had been a warm friend, and all had more or less profited by their connection with him. Under such circumstances, they were ready to take such dividend as he could pay within a year,"like a shock of corn fully ripe," he without injury to the comforts of his family, and that with them his credit was still good to any amount. The meeting was as gratifying to my friend as such a meeting could be, and one which furnished matter for devout gratitude to the God of his mercies. A year rolled away, a handsome dividend was paid, all were satisfied with the conduct of the excellent deacon, and he was, by a legal document, released from all future claims. Not so, however, did he expired without a moment's warning, amid almost universal sorrow, from disease of the heart, with which he had long been afflicted. EVERY MAN HIS OWN DOCTOR." Since no man," says Bacon, "can have a better physician than himself, nor a more sovereign antidote than a régime, every one ought to follow my example: that is, to study his own constitution, and to regulate his life agreeably to the rules of reason." Editor's Table. THE first six numbers of the National, forming its first semi-annual volume, have been bound in superb style, and are for sale by Carlton & Phillips, 200 Mulberry-street, and at their agencies throughout the country. It is sold, well bound in muslin, and lettered, for $1 50; muslin, gilt, with gilt edges, $1 75; imitation morocco, gilt back, sides, and edges, $2 00; half morocco, extra, marbled edges, $2 00; Turkey morocco, full gilt, and gilt edges, $2 50. The volume contains five hundred and seventy-six octavo pages, and nearly one hundred engravings. It is one of the most elegantly finished specimens of workmanship ever offered by the trade this side of the Atlantic. We are flooded with exchanges. In all cases, unless informed to the contrary, we shall take it for granted that they are regularly supplied with our numbers by agents in their respective localities. When not so supplied, they will please let us know. We have heretofore dropped a gentle hint to our exchanges, respecting "invidious comparisons" in their notices of the National. These comparisons have been exceedingly flattering to us, but at the same time they set up a criterion which we cannot recognize, however favorable may be the verdict thus far rendered by the press. The leading Philadelphia and New-York magazines are placed by their threedollar terms and proportionate size in a category quite distinct from our own; they can be judged according to their pretensions, and fairly compared with each other; but we, with our two-dollar terms and corresponding pages, beg leave to claim an independent judgment. To expect us to present equal pretensions with these "cotemporaries," under such unequal circumstances, would certainly be an exorbitant demand. The notices referred to, though decidedly to our advantage thus far, would tend to bring about this unjust standard of comparison; and the question among readers will come to be, Which of these publications is best? not, Which is best in proportion to its terms and size? Bear in mind, brother editors, the difference, and we beg leave also to remind our own readers of it. Compare us with any two-dollar magazine in the nation, and we will abide the result; but to expect us to make two pounds weigh as heavy as three, is to demand a miracle which we confess we have not yet learned to perform. We have given, from the French, an interesting sketch and estimate of Margaret Fuller d'Ossoli; in our present number we present the first of a series of articles, also by a French hand, respecting another celebrated woman, Madame Guizot, the wife of the French statesman and philosopher. The two characters will afford a striking contrast in almost every respect, except their masculine vigor of intellect. Madame Guizot was eminently womanly in all her sentiments-she was more English than French in this respect. Religion had a profound, yet benignly beautiful influence upon her character. Unlike Margaret Fuller, her temperament was bland and even felicitous. Her struggles in early life were more severe, because more real, than those of Margaret Fuller; but amidst them all she maintained the noble repose of her nature. Her literary labors were often elaborate, but she could turn from them with facility to the duties and graces of social life. There is much of Madame de Stael's depth in her more labored works, and they present also traits of beauty and versatility. Her influence on her husband was important, and the account of their marriage will be found quite romantic. This sketch will narrate her literary labors in detail. Though life with her was, through her Christian appreciation of it, a sunny pilgrimage, notwithstanding its struggles, inward and outward, death was even more beautiful. While her distinguished husband was reading aloud, at her bedside, a sermon of Bossuet on Immortality, she serenely passed away to its realization. But we are anticipating our author; we commend his sketch as much to our male as to our female readers. We recommend the lovers of poetry among our readers not to pass over without examination the brief article on Bennett's Poems. It contains some very beautiful specimens. Our portraits are done by some of the best artists in New-York; they are drawn by Walling and Oertel, and engraved by Orr and Kinnersley; the excellence of their execution is obvious to the most casual observer. In respect to their actual resemblance to the originals, we must remark that they are accurate copies of either daguerreotypes or accredited extant portraits. These we obtain from the friends of the originals, and use them on the responsibility of the former. Our artists are instructed to "follow copy." There has been but a single instance in which they have not succeeded well. Its The interesting article on Samuel Drew-the Shoemaker of St. Austel-in one of our late numbers, was credited to the Workingman's Friend, (London.) We learn that it was originally from the pen of our editorial confrere, the editor of the Richmond Christian Adrocate. peregrination through the literary world is quite creditable to Dr. Lee, who claims it as his own bantling. This sort of vagabondism is no detraction from either parent or child. We cannot, therefore, repent of sending it again on the "rounds." Elihu Burritt is as remarkable for his indomitable perseverance in the philanthropic schemes he has undertaken, as for his singular learning and his singular genius withal. He is still in Europe, contending "with might and main" for his Quaker-race principles, notwithstanding all the reverses of the subject on the Continent during a few late years. Various other reforms share his labors, particularly that of Ocean 66 sentiment for which we pleaded as the remedy for unnecessary sectarianism, we do not believe exists; far otherwise. We wish we could console ourselves with the encouraging view of our friend; but it is impossible with the evidences to the contrary which the Christian world still presents. We spoke favorably of the "Evangelical Alliance" in the article referred to; that movement showed a right but partial public sentiment. It showed that among a class of select minds, scattered over Protestant Christendom, and some of them leading spirits of the age, a correct sentiment had “ already obtained;" but while the attempt at 66 211 Postage. He has made an appeal within a few months to our own citizens on this subject, entreating their coöperation with its friends in England. We should like to insert his letter at length, but have not room. He affirms that the reform is almost certain of success in Englandthe great impulse given to emigration by the golden attractions of Australia-the new "Exodus," as the British journalists term it--has brought the subject home to the hearts of the people. But its leading advocates wish to have it assume at once the importance of a great international-a universal measure. They are mostly 'peace men," and doubtless they look to its pacific tendencies, its moral and social influence on the nations, and on their relations to each other. This is an attractive aspect of the subject, and not altogether imaginary. This binding together of the nations of Christendom in the peaceful ties of commercial and social relations, is the right way to neutralize old prejudices, to dispel the still lingering clouds of old nightmare traditions in both religion and politics, and to spread over the masses of the people the sunlight of right and genial public sentiments. God speed the design, and help all good men who labor and pray for it, especially our wholehearted countryman, Elihu Burritt. He shows, in his letter, that England and America "can establish this system over more than threefourths the globe without the concurrence of any other nation whatever." There is a consideration to inspire your best ambition, people of the United States! This great stride forward in the progress of the world could be taken at once if you should consent. What can we do toward it? Set the public opinion in the right direction, and it is done. A rectified public opinion is what we have contended for in these columns, as the great condition of all reforms. Let us labor for this. "It is probably the fact," says Mr. Burritt, "that nine-hazards of the design. The public sentiment is tenths of all the correspondence of the world that crosses the sea, is conveyed in British and American vessels. If, therefore, these two governments can be brought, by a pressure of public opinion, to unite in establishing an Ocean Penny Postage, so far as it lies in their united power, they could alone confer the boon, almost to the full extent of its blessing and beneficence, upon the family of man." "We think, however, we cannot be mistaken in attributing The Christianity required by the Times' to our friend of the National; and whether we agree with all the views it contains, or do not, we cannot but admire the aim and object of it, and the felicity with which they are presented. We may have supposed the very 'public opinion and sentiment' which he thinks is the main thing to be sought for by the Christian Church already obtains, and was embodied in the platform agreed upon by the Evangelical Alliance' of 1846; that what remains to be done is to manifest Christian unity by its fruits, by devising and executing some plan of operation in which the common object of Christian association -the salvation of the world-can be aided by harmony of feeling and labor, without intruding upon any of the existing organizations of the evangelical Churches." So speaks our brother editor of the Christian Advocate and Journal in a notice which contains some further compliments, and which, coming from such a source, we cannot but highly appreciate. We differ from him, however, on the subject in question. The public Alliance" showed this, its subsequent conparative failure showed that the real public sentiment-the sentiment of the Christian world generally-was not prepared for it. That sentiment, we think, is yet to be created before we "can manifest Christian unity by its fruits, by devising and executing some plan of operation in which the common object of Christian association, the salvation of the world, can be aided." Is it not the case that most attempts at union among our numerous sects fail, or come to worse results than mere failure? The Bible Society is almost the only exception. One or two other. "union" schemes have had some, but not entire success. What is yet wanted is an improved public sentiment. So sensitive and even squeamish is still our sectarian temper, that we can hardly meet for the very purpose of reconciliation without exasperating our discords. If a few large-hearted men can be gathered together from the length and breadth of the Church without this liability. yet who doubts it in respect to the Christian masses, or even the ordinary Christian leaders. It is, in fine, our humble opinion, that attempts at practical union are, as yet, the chief not sufficiently improved for them. The least machinery that "World's Conventions," or local conventions for Christian Union can have, the fewest secondary plans, the better. They will do wisely, we think, if they confine themselves, for the present, to the one purpose of creating a right public sentiment, preparatory to the more practical plans of the future. A clerical friend writes us respecting our article on the subject: "Some points contained in it have engaged my attention for years. You have spoken boldly, and I trust that it will not be in vain. Alas! these evils are perfectly monstrous. When will they end? I like your remedy. The correction of public sentiment upon the subject, this is the proper mode. We must make the thing hateful and odious in the eyes of men, as it is in fact, and then it will die." The doctrine asserted in our article, that "the creation of a right public sentiment, not the contrivance of schemes, is the task of the true reformer," we hold as the summary and true philosophy of reform, especially of such reforms as this. The negative process of undoing a great evil by undermining its lodgment in public prejudice, must precede the positive one of substituting in its stead a real good. Even where that evil may be beset with great perplexities, the demand "What is your remedy?" is not at first a relevant one, and is oftener presented for the purpose of forestalling attempts at reform, than of securing better direction to them. If asked what we would do in such cases, the appropriate reply is, We will do that which must be first done -correct public opinion; and what comes appropriately afterwards, will come but the better by this preparation. That any state of things is a public evil, is reason enough for attempts to correct public opinion respecting it, even though the direct means of correcting the evil itself should not be apparent. And we hold it to be a law of the moral world, as infallible as any of its laws, that a right public opinion being given, the right practical process will be found. The principle is not merely applicable to the case now in hand, but to public evils generally, and especially to such as the world is most liable to despond over, or, more commonly perhaps, to interdict from discussion as too formidable for remedy. Pour the light upon such evils if you can do nothing more, pour it all over and around them; if it cannot remedy them, it will, at least, enable you the better to understand and manage and endure them. As to this evil of sectarian bigotry, we abhor it with a heartfelt hatred; as our brother editor said of another great evil, we "hate it and love to hate it." And we repeat, what we have before said, Let us not ask for remedies; we begin the legitimate remedy when we discuss the evil. Settle once the conviction of its moral enormity, drag it out before the gaze of the Church with its genuine attributes of deformity and mischief, and you will compel Christian men to think, and talk, and pray against it; they will emancipate themselves personally from its influence; one after another of its manifestations will give way, one after another of its modes of action be denounced and abandoned, and thus might we hope that slowly but surely it would give place to an era of genuine and general catholicism. Meanwhile, we look upon the Christian Alliance as one of the best means of promoting this improvement of public opinion. If it will not encumber itself with too much apparatusif it will not complicate its plans with designs, which, however good in themselves, have no immediate relation to this one purpose-it may yet become the center of the growing evangelical liberality of the age. A reader inquires respecting the origin of a well-known line on the Miracle of turning the Water into Wine. The London Notes and Queries (an invaluable authority in literary and antiquarian questions) has some learned notes on the matter in its number for October last. It says:— Campbell (Essay on English Poetry, dc., p. 224, London, 1848) traces the matter to its source by producing the following, from an epigram by Richard Crashaw, the friend and intimate of Cowley: "Lympha pudica Deum vidit et erubuit." "When Christ, at Cana's feast, by power divine, After all, may not Crashaw have been indebted to Psalm lxxvii, 16?— "The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled." We give an illustrated article on the "Five Points Mission" in the present number. It is from the pen of a lady whose name is most worthily associated with that experiment of Christian philanthropy, and who is intimately acquainted with its entire history. The sketch will be continued in our March number. A "festival" in behalf of the Ladies' Home Mission, under whose auspices the Five Points reform has been attempted, was held at the Metropolitan Hall, gratuitously granted by Mr. Harding for the occasion, on the seventeenth of last December. A concert was given in the afternoon, which was numerously attended notwithstanding the rain; and in the evening a speech was delivered by John B. Gough, preceded by an address from the ladies of the Society, read by Rev. Mr. Hagany, and followed by a call for donations by Rev. Mr. Foster. Mayor Westervelt presided, assisted by Dr. Bond, Seth Grosvenor, Francis Hall, Henry Sheldon, and William E. Dodge, Esqs. It was one of the most spirited occasions we have ever witnessed. The magnificent hall was crowded, and as the assembly had come together with a philanthropic sympathy for the object of the meeting, all were actuated by a benevolent and cheerful spirit. The very hilarity of generous feeling prevailed throughout the exercises, and the contributions announced at the conclusion amounted to about five thousand dollars. cess to the noble women of New-York, who have undertaken the redemption of the Five Points! Suc In the numerous sketches of Wellington, which have appeared since his death, we have seen but few references to his wife. A Liverpool paper gives us a few glimpses of the Duke's marital history:— "Young Wesley wooed, but did not win, Catherine Pakenham, daughter of the Earl of Longford, whose seat was close by Dangan Castle, in the county of Meath, afterward the residence of Feargus O'Connor's family, and now gone to the dogs by being appropriated to the pigs. Gloria virtutis umbra-renown is the shadow, i. e. the constant companion, of virtuewas the motto of the earl; but as he could see little virtue in a penniless ensign in a marching regiment of foot, it is to be supposed that he disbelieved in the likelihood of much praise, and still less of solid pudding, falling to the lot of the embryo grace, but then graceless scapegrace, who wanted to be his son-inlaw; for Arthur had a sort of Marquis of Waterford repute at the time. Well, our ensign, as we said. having nothing but his epaulettes, got the cold shoulder from Kate's papa; and, accordingly, in a fit of the sulks, set off for Holland, where the French were making the Dutch caper like Bedouin Arabs, and were causing John Bull to perform hornpipes by no means to the tune of Jack's the Lad.' Returning to England, he sailed from the coast of Norfolk to India, and then, coming back with the spoils of Seringapatam, Longford shortly jumped to the conclusion that he was most virtuous because he had been most fortunate, and suggested that Miss Pakenham should forthwith become Mrs. Wellesley. for so the patronymic was now spelled by command of the head of the family, the Indian Marquis; and. strange enough, at the same time Napoleon knocked out the u of his family name to un-Italianize it. there was difficulty in the way which must have daunted Arthur more than did the passage of the Douro a couple of years after; yet he got over all as he alone could. He had been some fifteen or sixteen years away; was of the very anti-enthusiastic age of thirty-eight; the lady was not only no longer young, but no longer even passably pretty, and had But had the small-pox in a very marked manner. Never theless, like a true knight as he ever was through life, prizing veracity before and above all things, he kept his word, wed her, and ever treated her with respect. She on her part adored him above all things, just as Josephine loved Napoleon, even more than a new bonnet, or as Sarah loved John, Duke of Marlborough, beyond her money-bags and beyond her revenge, these three decidedly strong-minded females,' scorning the green-eyed monster that gives nervous ladies the jaundice. The Duchess of Wellington was preeminently proud of her stupendous spouse, and of everything that belonged to him, and used to feed his famous charger, Copenhagen, with bread out of her own hand in the paddock at Strathfleldsave-the highest honor ever paid to a horse since Caligula made his steed a consul and gave him gilt oats. How uniform has been the devotion of the fair to the brave in all times and climes! The report of the Superintendent of the Census, made to the present Congress, is a most interesting document. It contains a table of the Churches in the United States, which, as it is an official document, we take to be the most accurate statement on the subject yet given to the public. It gives twenty of the leading denominations, classifying the remainder as "minor sects," and states their respective number of churches, the "accommodations" or sittings in these churches, and their property valuation. We insert the table as well worth examination : Number of Aggregate Total value of 845.810 7,973,962 Baptist.. 8,791 11,261,970 252,255 1,709.867 965.880 3,268,122 ers. one-thirty-third of the whole number reported? The Methodists have more than one-third of the aggregate number, and the Baptists nearly one-fourth. The whole amount of "accommodations" in the nation is short of fourteen millions; but this, considering the proportion of population which can find it possible to be simultaneously present at church, is a large supply, the best, probably, possessed by any one of the large nations of Christendom. It gives one church for every five hundred and fifty-seven free inhabitants, or for every six hundred and forty-six of the entire population. The average number the churches will accommodate is three hundred and eighty-four, and their average value is $2,400. Churches are more numerous, in proportion to the population, in Indiana, Florida, Delaware, and Ohio, and less numerous in California, Louisiana, and Iowa. Those in Massachusetts are the largest, and have the greatest average value. The aggre gate Church property of the country is given at about eighty-six and a half millions. The comparative feebleness of Popery among us, as shown in these tables, accords with the statements of the Report respecting immigration. We have had quite exaggerated apprehensions on this subject. Of our twenty-four millions, only about two and a quarter millions are natives of Europe. This is less than ten per cent. About one million of these are Irish, a people who have been supposed to be more numerous than the whole foreign-born population reported by the census. Upon the whole, then, this report throws a favorable light on the religious aspects of the country. Protestantism is keeping vigorous pace with the progress of our population. Popery is certainly much less formidable than has been supposed, and the foreign ingredient of our population is yet small enough to be readily diluted and diffused in the aggregate mass. 108.100 Auspices of a great and happy destiny still cheer us; let us have confidence in them and in the institutions which produce them. 371,600 2,867,886 94.245 14,636,671 443,347 14,369,889 8,973,838 46,025 690,065 741,980 Total........36,011 13,849,896 $86,416,639 This outline will surprise some of our readThe Unitarian "accommodations"-less than one hundred and thirty-eight thousandseem small for a denomination of so much sway in the eastern States. The Swedenborgians, with their fifteen churches and about five thousand" accommodations," appear much more diminutive than they are generally supposed to be; the representation of the Roman Catholics is, however, most surprising. Is it possible that, after all our deprecatory lamentations over the national perils of Popery, it has but one thousand one hundred and twelve churches, which can accommodate only six hundred and twenty-one thousand hearers ?not one-eleventh of the number of churches belonging to the Methodists, scarcely more than one-eighth the number of the Baptists, not onefourth the number of the Presbyterians, and not The last British Quarterly Review contains a very able article on Shakspeare and Goethe, in which the "melancholy" of Shakspeare is discussed at considerable length. The writer contends that the great dramatist was "apt to sink into that state in which thoughts of what is sad and mysterious in the universe most easily come to us"-that he was, "even in his solitary hours, an abject and melancholy man rather than a man of active, firm, and worldly disposition. Instead of being a calm, stony observer of life and nature, as he has been sometimes represented, he was a man of the gentlest and most troublesome affections, of sensibility abnormally keen and deep; full of metaphysical longings; liable, above most men, to self-distrust, and despondency, and mental agitation from causes internal and external, and a prey to many secret and severe experi |