th "an air of
calm superiority," are incorrect and objectionable, the fact being that
the Moon has no air at all.

The existence of the celebrated "Man in the Moon" has been frequently
questioned by modern philosophers. The whole subject is involved in
doubt and obscurity. The only authority we have for believing that such
an individual exists, and has been seen and spoken with, is a fragment
of an old poem composed by an ancient Astronomer of the name of Goose,
which has been handed down to us as follows:

"The man in the Moon came down too soon
To inquire the way to Norwich;
The man in the South, he burned his mouth,
Eating cold, hot porridge."

The evidence conveyed in this distich is, however, rejected by the
skeptical, among modern Astronomers, who consider the passage an
allegory. "The man in the South," being supposed typical of the late
John C. Calhoun, and the "cold, hot porridge," alluded to the project of
nullification.

END OF LECTURE FIRST

NOTE BY THE AUTHOR--Itinerant Lecturers are cautioned against
making use of the above production, without obtaining the necessary
authority from the proprietors of the Pioneer Magazine. To those
who may obtain such authority, it may be well to state that at the
close of the Lecture it was the intention of the author to exhibit
and explain to the audience an orrery, accompanying and
interspersing his remarks by a choice selection of popular airs on
the hand-organ.

An economical orrery may be constructed by attaching eighteen wires
of graduated lengths to the shaft of a candlestick, apples of
different sizes being placed at their extremities to represent the
Planets, and a central orange resting on the candlestick,
representing the Sun.

An orrery of this description is, however, liable to the objection
that if handed around among the audience for examination, it is
seldom returned uninjured. The author has known an instance in
which a child four years of age, on an occasion of this kind,
devoured in succession the planets Jupiter and Herschel, and bit a
large spot out of the Sun before he could be arrested.

J.P.

AT AUNTY'S HOUSE

BY JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY

One time, when we'z at Aunty's house--
'Way in the country!--where
They's ist but woods--an' pigs, an' cows--
An' all's out-doors an' air!--
An' orc