commendable companion for
the work-basket, would do well to obtain the daintily bound _Ladies'
Almanac_ for 1863, issued by GEORGE COOLIDGE, 17 Washington street,
Boston, and sold by HENRY DEXTER, New York. It is an almanac; contains a
blank memorandum for every day in the year, recipes, music, and light
reading--and is altogether an excellent subject for a small and tasteful
gift.

* * * * *

A Letter from a brave and jolly friend of ours, now i' the field, says,
that during the Maryland battles,

'We bolted dinner almost at a single mouthful, with shot singing around
us. JIM had the knife knocked out of his hand by a bullet.'

The CONTINENTAL does not wonder that the dinner in question was finished
in one course. Under such very warlike circumstances, we hardly see how
it could have been disposed of in the usual piece-meal manner.

COMFORTED.

Then she arose with solemn eyes,
And, moving through the vocal dark,
Sat down, with bitter, ceaseless sighs,
The river tones to hark--
Deep in the forest dark.

Sick, sick she was of life and light--
She longed for shadow and for death;
And, by the river in the night,
Thus to her thought gave breath--
Her hungry wish for death:

'Shall I not die, beloved, and free
My weary, hopeless, breaking heart?
Shall I not dare death, love,' said she,
'And seek thee where thou art?
_Life_ keeps our souls apart!'

'So weak, my darling, couldst thou be?'
A far voice stirred the pulseless air:
'Thus vainly wouldst thou seek for me--
My heaven thou couldst not share:
Such death were love's despair!'

Then through the long, lone night she prayed;
At last, 'How weak my dream!' said she.
'I'll meet the future unafraid;
I will grow worthy thee--
I will not flinch,' said she.

'I will not leave both souls so lone:
Where thou art, cowards cannot be;
I will not wrong our love, mine own;
At last I shall win thee.'
I will be brave,' said she.

Then she arose with patient eyes,
And, turning, faced the incoming day.
'There, love, the path to meet thee lies,'
Said she; 'I went astray.
But now I know the way.'

* * * * *

The following pleasant bit of gossip is from our 'Down-East
correspondent:'

As I sit down to cover a few slips of paper with a thought or two
(spre