ful images associated only with high thoughts,
until the burlesque writer, in his beggary of wit and invention, takes
them as the facile material out of which he can raise a laugh. Our
complaint is twofold: first, that these subjects are soiled in our
imaginations; secondly, that there is no compensating pleasure in the
burlesque itself. The tendency is earthward, coarse, vulgarizing. It
spoils a whole world of fancy, and it keeps down the creation of comic
subjects by supplying writers with an easy and certain success. Surely,
there is folly and humbug enough living and lying in the open day to
supply the satirist with material. Surely, these imitators of LUCIAN
(unconscious imitators, no doubt, for many of them never read a line of
his dialogues) would be better employed in imitating the _spirit_ of his
works as well as the mere contrivance for producing the ludicrous, than
in devastating Fairy Land for materials. It would be more difficult, no
doubt, but is _that_ a sufficient reason for abstaining?

Music may be parodied with success, and without evil consequences. That
lies in the nature of music, which cannot be degraded. Let a hoarse,
beery voice, chant slang words to a melody of Mozart, and the next time
you hear the melody, it is as fresh and beautiful as if it had never
been turned "to such vile purpose;" but it is not so with the beautiful
creations of impassioned fancy. Fancy is a Butterfly which must be
delicately handled; if rude fingers tamper with it, the flower-dust is
rubbed off and the gay insect perishes.

JOHN ADAMS UPON RICHES.

In the thirty-sixth year of his age, John Adams made the following entry
in his Diary. He was then practising law in Boston, though living in
Braintree.

"It has been my fate to be acquainted in the way of business with a
number of very rich men--Gardiner, Bowdoin, Pitts, Hancock, Rowe, Lee,
Sargent, Hooper, Doane. Hooper, Gardiner, Rowe, Lee and Doane, have all
acquired their wealth by their own industry; Bowdoin and Hancock
received theirs by succession, descent, or devise; Pitts by marriage.
But there is not one of all these who derives more pleasure from his
property than I do from mine; my little farm and stock and cash afford
me as much satisfaction as all their immense tracts, extensive
navigation, sumptuous buildings, their vast sums at interest and stocks
in trade yield to them. The pleasures of property arise from
acquisition more than possession, from