e! what opaline skies! what amethystine day-breaks! what
incarnadine sunsets we should have! The palette for that work was laid
by angels, from tubes long hidden in the choicest crypts of the vast
elaboratory, and those transcendent tints.

'Nature's own sweet and cunning hand laid on,'

Painted! to be sure.

'For this wicked specimen of infidelity, I was presently overpaid by a
charming bit of belief. At the further end of the great tent was a case,
containing divers wax effigies of eminent personages; the Czar, Prince
Albert, General Spitzentuyfel--what know I? You may see them any day,
(if you happen to have two York shillings,) at the sumptuous home to
which they have returned from those travels. There they stood, side by
side, an imposing company, forever shiny in the face, like Mrs.
Wittitterly's page, and with eyes magnificently superior to any thing so
sordid as speculation. All were finely befrogged, and ruched, and
epauletted, and, for the most part, they sported moustaches. It happened
that I had the latter adornment--a variety then--on my own mug.

While recognizing them--they were old acquaintances--I felt a gentle
pull at my skirt, and looking down, was aware of a little _tot_, some
three years old, who asked, pointing to the counterfeit presentments in
the show-case: 'Did _you_ come out o' there?' The innocent! he little
knew what an extinguisher he was clapping on me. 'No, sonny,' said I,
looking down on the little nose, itself a bit of wax, between two
peaches. The soft impeachment proceeded--'Well, where do yer belong? do
yer belong in with the _bear_?' for there was a plantigrade there too.
But I reckon that will do for bears, this time.'

'I should think so! They'll be dreaming about 'em all night.'

'Dick, how much of all this is true?'

'The whole, barring a few verbal interpolations.'

'Wal, I've seed shows,' moralized Jonas, 'a good many on 'em; but I
couldn't tell the yarns about 'em that Mr. Richard, here, does. He
figurs on 'em considerable, I 'xpect.''

* * * * *

FUGITIVES AT THE WEST.

A distinguished French writer once remarked, that the position of the
colored race in America includes in itself every element of romance. The
fortunes of this great human family; its relations to the white race,
with which it is growing up side by side; its developments, its
struggles, and its coming destiny, must hold in the future an historic
interest of whic