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and indolence. Experience has taught us its value as a domestic charm. Many an irksome hour has it relieved-many an hour which might have been wasted in fretfulness, folly, or scandal, has been healthily occupied in this " Gymnasium of the Mind." Every young lady, therefore, will act wisely in acquiring and cultivating a knowledge of this king of pastimes, and thus adding its fascinations to the attractions of HOME.

It is our intention every month to devote a page of our periodical to the insertion of Chess problems or games of Chess. The solutions to the problems will be given in the number succeeding that in which the problems appear, and each of the games will be accompanied by a copious analysis.

We cordially invite those of our subscribers who may be desirous of obtaining information upon Chess or Chess literature, to communicate freely with us, and the information they may seek shall be most readily imparted to them.

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READING FOR THE YOUNG. To the Editor of "Home Thoughts." SIR,-As the mother of a family, I venture to address you on a subject which I consider of vital importance to youth. Should you concur with me, after reading my observations, I hope you will, by affording them space in an early number of "Home Thoughts," give me an opportunity of exposing what I consider to be a systematic attempt to demoralize the rising generation, through the medium of the press-that powerful instrument for good or for evil. If there be any truth in Colson's remark, that "books have more influence on the happiness of mankind than all the governments on earth," I am sure I should, were I known to them, receive for this exposure the thanks of all parents who have at heart the welfare of their children, and especially of their daughters. I particularize daughters, because females, having usually more time at their own disposal than the other sex, are more likely to be affected by the evil to which I allude. It is time now that I should explain myself.

'

Having occasion to call on a friend this morning, I amused myself during her temporary absence in turning over the pages of some numbers of a cheap and widely-circulating periodical which was lying on her table. The Magazine, the name of which I think it unnecessary to mention, addressed itself especially to the female part of the community. I observed that certain parts of each number were entitled respectively Cupid's Letter-bag," and "The Sybilline Interpreter." The first professed to be communications from young persons, whose Christian names or initials are given, to the Editor of the Magazine, requesting his advice under circumstances which are detailed, relative to what I have sometimes heard miscalled "affairs of the heart." Though unwilling to defile your pages with anything of so immoral a tendency, I think it necessary to transcribe one out of the ten or twelve cases which every month disgrace the pages of this periodical, in order to prove to you that the charge I have made is not unfounded.

DROOPING SNOWDROP. (Greenwich)-" Being in a very distressed state of mind, I should esteem it a great favour if you would give me a little of your kind advice on the following subject:-Having been several times to a theatre in London, I have there become enamoured of a certain performer whose name I dare not mention; but I would give the world could I but gain an introduction to him; for, strange to say, I have never spoken to him, though each time I see him I come home more dejected than ever. Do pray advise me, and you shall accept my grateful thanks."-We advise SNOWDROP, by all means, to gain an introduction to the party "who so enamours her," as (without disparagement to the profession generally) a hero on the stage is anything but a hero off it. The glare of gas-light and the glitter of tinsel go far to delude "unthinking maidens." The gentleman may be all she pictures him; but she would do well to inquire into "his private character.”

I appeal to you, Sir, to decide whether anything could have been devised that was more likely to sap the foundation of that morality, modesty, reserve, and purity of character on which all Englishwomen pride themselves, and which it ought to be the aim of every mother to instil and cultivate in her daughters. Let us imagine what would be the feelings of one of your numerous readers on discovering that her own daughter had been the writer of this effusion, bearing the signature of "Drooping Snowdrop." What humiliation! what grief would she not experience! Then, if I mistake not, she would review her own conduct towards her child, and tax her memory to ascertain whether she herself, either by bad example, by indifference, or by thoughtlessness, was not in some measure answerable for the misconduct of her daughter. Perhaps at this juncture she might, in mere absence of mind, lay her hand upon the periodical in question, and her eye, glancing over Cupid's Letter Bag," she would immediately perceive the corrupt source which had polluted her daughter's mind, and caused her to forget the modesty of her sex. would she wish, but too late, that she had not suffered herself to be misled by a name, which, by appealing to the purest affections, promised better things, and that she had herself read the books she had placed in the hands of her daughter, or at least had permitted her to read. But if the parent is reprehensible for admitting these works into the domestic

Now

circle, what shall we say to that person who, as Editor of a periodical, in his endeavour to increase the sale of his works, betrays his high vocation of promoting virtue and morality, of extending knowledge, and cultivating the minds of his readers, by stimulating the passions and debasing the minds of youth, encouraging them to apply to a stranger for advice under circumstances which they are ashamed to reveal even to their own parents! Strong in the general honour and modesty of our sex, Mr. Editor, I venture to deny, and I think you will agree with me, that the cases to which I refer are not what they profess to be, genuine communications from young persons; I believe that they are entirely the production of the Editor of the Magazine in question, and his object in giving them a place in the Magazine is too palpable to require any further exposure on my part. But even if the inquiries were genuine productions, the Editor alone is answerable for the flippant answers, which can only emanate from himself. I must, however, express my surprise that a publication of such immoral tendency should have found sufficient encouragement to issue so many numbers, as I observe have been already published. I have been informed, and you will be so good as to correct me if I am wrong, that twenty thousand copies of these small periodi

cals must be sold in order that the undertaking may pay its expenses. Now, Mr. Editor, only imagine what must be the pernicious effects of introducing this moral poison into twenty thousand families! That it should gain admittance into the domestic circle we can only account for by supposing that those whose duty it is to select proper works for the perusal of families, have either from thoughtlessness or want of time, not made themselves acquainted with the

contents of the book; for I am sure no parent would, knowingly, admit such a work within the precincts of "Home."

But I have not yet done with this periodical. "The Sybilline Interpreter," which occupies so many columns of each number, is scarcely less objectionable than Cupid's Letter Bag." Correspondents are invited to send queries, relating to

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you

This "Sybilline Interpreter" is, as and I need not remark, even if there will observe, a sort of fortune-teller; were no other objection to it, that it enCourages the wish still felt by the idle and ignorant, and by them only, of prying into futurity.

On the entrance of my friend, I drew her attention to the objectionable articles in the Magazine; as I expected, having but little leisure for reading, they had escaped her notice. She fully concurred in my remarks, and before I took leave of her I had the satisfaction of seeing her lock up the numbers, and as I returned home, of leaving a note from her at her bookseller's, forbidding him to send her any more numbers. I assure you the subject made such an impression upon my "Home Thoughts," that I could not rest until I had written this letter to you, and endeavoured to put parents on their guard with respect to these cheap periodicals. I wish, Mr. Editor, and I am sure many other parents will concur with early number of "Home Thoughts," reme, that you would write a paper in an commending what books the young should be allowed to read, and what should be avoided.

And now, hoping you will allow the importance of the subject to be my apology for troubling you with so long a letter, I subscribe myself,

Mr. Editor,

Your very obedient Servant,
AN ENGLISHWOMAN.”

[We concur so entirely in the views of the writer that we have inserted her letter at length. It is not our practice to indulge in commentaries on our contempo

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raries; but we feel it our duty, in the present case, to raise a warning voice against the debasing tendencies of these publications, which, under the specious pretence of conveying instruction and amusement, have a demoralizing effect upon youth. We have noticed in many cheap periodicals, passages quite as immoral as that quoted in the letter of our Subscriber, and we earnestly recommend all those who have the care of youth to read the "Answers to Correspondents" in these magazines before they suffer them to be introduced into the family circle. We shall take an early opportunity of complying with our correspondent's wishes, that we should write an article "On Reading for the Young," a subject which we consider will be full of interest for our readers.-ED.]

ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES.

THE PASSENGER PIGEON.

THIS extraordinary bird, whose powers of flight are almost incredible, is a native of America, overspreading that country in countless myriads during the breeding season. It is well that its power of wing is so great, for were the enormous flocks to be confined to one place, they would be as devastating as a swarm of locusts. They have been killed in New York with Carolina rice still in their crops. As their digestion is remarkably rapid, they must, in this case, have flown between three and four hundred miles in six hours, giving an average speed of a mile per minute.

At the breeding season the overwhelming multitudes of Pigeons that settle on one spot are almost incredible. Wilson, the celebrated American ornithologist, who was present at one of these breeding places, gives the following account :

"Not far from Shelbyville, in the state of Kentucky, about five years ago, there was one of these breeding places, which stretched through the woods in nearly a north and south direction, was several miles in breadth, and was said to be upwards of forty miles in extent! In this tract almost every tree was furnished with nests, wherever the branches could ac

commodate them. The pigeons made their first appearance there about the 10th of April, and left it altogether, with their young, before the 25th of May.

"As soon as the young were fully grown, and before they left the nests, numerous parties of the inhabitants, from all parts of the adjacent country, came with waggons, axes, beds, and cooking utensils, many of them accompanied by the greater part of their families, and encamped for several days at this immense nursery. Several of them informed me that the noise in the woods was so great as to terrify their horses, and that it was difficult for one person to hear another speak, without bawling in his ear. The ground was strewed with broken limbs of trees, eggs, and young squab pigeons, which had been precipitated from above, and on which herds of hogs were fattening. Hawks, buzzards, and eagles, were sailing about in great numbers, and seizing the squabs from their nests at pleasure; while from twenty feet upwards to the tops of the trees, the view through the woods presented a perpetual tumult of crowding and fluttering multitudes of pigeons, their wings roaring like thunder, mingled with the frequent crash of falling timber, -for now the axe-men were at work, cutting down those trees that seemed to be most crowded with nests, and contrived to fell them in such a manner, that in their descent they might bring down several others, by which means the falling of one large tree sometimes produced two hundred squabs, little inferior in size to the old ones, and almost one mass of fat.

"All accounts agree in stating that each nest contains only one young squab. These are so extremely fat, that the Indians and many of the whites are accustomed to melt down the fat for domestic purposes, as a substitute for butter and lard."

WE should embrace Christianity, even on prudential motives; for a just and benevolent God will not punish an intellectual being for believing what there is so much reason to believe; therefore, we run no risk by receiving Christianity, if it be false, but a dreadful one by rejecting it, if it be true.-COLTON.

SPRING IS COMING.

SPRING is coming, spring is coming,
Birds are chirping, insects humming;
Flowers are peeping from their sleeping,
Streams escaped from winter's keeping.
In delighted freedom rushing,
Dance along in music gushing,
Scenes of late in deadness sadden'd,
Smile in animation gladden'd;
All is beauty, all is mirth,
All is glory upon earth.

Shout we then with Nature's voice,
Welcome Spring! rejoice! rejoice!

Spring is coming, come, my brother,
Let us rove with one another,

To our well-remember'd wild-wood,
Flourishing in nature's childhood;
Where a thousand flowers are springing,
And a thousand birds are singing;
Where the golden sunbeams quiver
On the verdure-girdled river;
Let our youth of feeling out,
To the youth of nature shout,

While the waves repeat our voice,
Welcome Spring! rejoice! rejoice!

JAMES NACK.*

THE LIGHT OF HOME.

My boy, thou wilt dream the world is fair,
And thy spirit will sigh to roam;

And thou must go; but never, when there,
Forget the light of home.

Though pleasure may smile with a ray more bright,

It dazzles to lead astray:

Like the meteor's flash, 'twill deepen the night,
When thou treadest the lonely way.

But the hearth of home has a constant flame,
And pure as vestal fire :

"Twill burn, 'twill burn, for ever the same,
For nature feeds the pyre.

The sea of ambition is tempest tost,

And thy hopes may vanish like foam;
But when sails are shivered and rudder lost,
Then look to the light of home ;-

The writer of this poem is deaf and dumb, and has been so from his childhood; yet his poetical writings, in almost every variety of measure, are distinguished for more than common melody of versification.

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And there, like a star through the midnight

cloud,

Thou shalt see the beacon bright; For never, till shining on thy shroud,

Can be quenched its holy light.

The sun of fame, 'twill gild the name;
But the heart ne'er felt its ray;
And fashion's smiles, that rich ones claim,
Are but beams of a wintry day.

And how cold and dim those beams must be,
Should life's wretched wanderer come!
But, my boy, when the world is dark to thee,
Then turn to the light of home.
MRS. HALE.

THE WATERFALL.

I LOVE the roaring waterfall,
Within some deep, romantic glen:
Mid desert wilds, remote from all

The gay and busy haunts of men;
For its loud thunders sound to me
Like voices from Eternity.

They tell of ages long gone by,

And beings that have passed away,
Who sought, perhaps with curious eye,
These rocks where now I love to stray;
And thus its thunders sound to me,
Like voices from Eternity.

And, from the past, they seem to call
My spirit to the realms beyond

The ruin that must soon befall

Those scenes, where grandeur sits enthron'd; And thus, its thunders sound to me, Like voices from Eternity.

For I am on a torrent borne,

That whirls me rapidly away,

From morn to eve,-from eve to morn,----
From month to month,—from day to day:
And all that live and breathe with me,
Are hurrying to Eternity.

This mighty cataract's thundering sound,
In louder thunders soon must die :
And all these rugged mountains round,
Uprooted, must in ruin lie:
But that dread hour will prove to me,
The dawning of Eternity!
Eternity!-that vast unknown!

Who can that deep abyss explore?
Which swallowing up the ages gone,
And rolls its billows evermore!
O, may I find that boundless sea,
A bright, a blest Eternity!

REV. DR. RAFFLES.