affing.

"Oddsfish!" says Dick, "the sack is rare,
And rarely burnt, fair Molly;
'Twould cure the sourest Crop-ear yet
Of Pious Melancholy."
"Egad!" says I, "here cometh one
Hath been at 's prayers but lately."
--Sooth, Master Praise-God Barebones stepped
Along the street sedately.

Dick Wildair, with a swashing bow,
And touch of his Toledo,
Gave Merry Xmas to the rogue
And bade him say his Credo;
Next crush a cup to the King's health,
And eke to pretty Molly;
"'T will cure your saintliness," says Dick,
"Of Pious Melancholy."

Then Master Barebones stopped and frowned;
My heart stood still a minute;
Thinks I, both Dick and I will hang,
Or else the devil's in it!
For me, I care not for old Noll,
Nor all the Rump together.
Yet, faith! 't is best to be alive
In pleasant Xmas weather.

His worship, Barebones, grimly smiled;
"I love not blows nor brawling;
Yet will I give thee, fool, a pledge!"
And, zooks! he sent Dick sprawling!
When Moll and I helped Wildair up,
No longer trim and jolly--
"Feelst not, Sir Dick," says saucy Moll,
"A Pious Melancholy?"

THE LOAFER AND THE SQUIRE

BY PORTE CRAYON

The squire himself was the type of a class found only among the rural
population of our Southern States--a class, the individuals of which are
connected by a general similarity of position and circumstance, but
present a field to the student of man infinite in variety, rich in
originality.

As the isolated oak that spreads his umbrageous top in the meadow
surpasses his spindling congener of the forest, so does the country
gentleman, alone in the midst of his broad estate, outgrow the man of
crowds and conventionalities in our cities. The oak may have the
advantage in the comparison, as his locality and consequent superiority
are permanent. The Squire, out of his own district, we ignore. Whether
intrinsically, or simply in default of comparison, at home he is
invariably a great man. Such, at least, was Squire Hardy. Sour and
cynical in speech, yet overflowing with human kindness; contemning
luxury and expense in dress and equipage, but princely in his
hospitality; praising the olden time to the disparagement of the
present; the mortal foe of progressionists and fast people in every
department; above all, a philosopher of his own school, he judged