nd seeing no bright prospect for the
future, he enlisted as a common soldier in the United States' service.

'He had not been in his new vocation long, before he was called upon,
with other troops, to defend our citizens from the attacks of the
Indians. But when the troops had nearly reached their place of
destination, that 'invisible scourge,' the cholera, made its appearance
among them. Desertion was the consequence, and among others who fled,
was the subject of this article.

'He returned to New York--made application at several different offices
for employment, without success. In a few days news came that he had
been detected in pilfering goods from the house of his landlord. A
warrant was immediately issued for him--he was seized, taken to the
police office--convicted, and sentenced to six months' hard labor in
the penitentiary. His name being published in the newspapers, in
connection with those of other convicts--was immediately recognised by
the officer under whom he had enlisted.--This officer proceeds to the
city--claims the prisoner--and it is at length agreed that he shall
return to the United States' service, where he shall, for the first six
months, be compelled to roll sand as a punishment for desertion, serve
out the five years for which he had enlisted, and then be given up to
the city authorities, to suffer for the crime of pilfering.

'It is thus that we see a young man, of good natural abilities,
scarcely twenty-three years of age, compelled to lose six of the most
valuable years of his life, besides ruining a fair reputation, and
bringing disgrace upon his parents and friends, from the apparently
harmless desire of seeing dramatic performances. Ought not this to be a
warning to others, who are travelling on, imperceptibly in the same
road to ruin?'

* * * * *

Theatres are of ancient date. One built of wood, in the time of Cicero
and Caesar, would contain 80,000 persons. The first stone theatre in
Rome, was built by Pompey, and would contain 40,000. There are one or
two in Europe, at the present time, that will accommodate 4,000 or
5,000.

In England, until 1660, public opinion did not permit _females_ to
perform in theatres, but the parts were performed by boys.

If theatres have a reforming tendency, this result might have been
expected in France, where they have so long been popular and
flourishing. In 1807, there were in France 166 theatres, and