e-ball, given to the
'middling interest' by one of his old neighbors. He went accoutred as a
knight, wearing his visor down. What was his surprise on entering the
room, to find first one and then another member of the motley company
slapping him familiarly on the back, with: 'Halloa! TIBBS! who thought to
see _you_ here! What's the news at Hackney?' In dismay that his ridiculous
secret was out, he hurried from the scene, and hastened home in a state of
great excitement from the mortification to which he had been subjected. 'I
_told_ you I should be known,' said he to his wife; 'I _knew_ I should!'
'No wonder!' she replied; 'you've got your name and residence on your
steel cap: 'Mr. TIBBS, Hackney!'' He had forgotten to remove the address
which the London costumer had affixed to it as a direction! . . . HOW many
thousand times, in thinking of the onward career of our glorious and
thrice-blessed country, have we felt the emotions to which our esteemed
friend and contributor, POLYGON, gives forceful expression in the closing
lines of a beautiful poem of his, which we have encountered to-day for the
first time:

'Oh! long through coming ages, born
When _we_ shall slumber cold and still,
The sultry summer will adorn
The verdant vale and hazy hill;
And Autumn walking even and morn
Through bearded wheat and rustling corn,
See Plenty from her streaming horn
His largest wishes fill.

'Europe's rich realms will then admire
And emulate our matchless fame,
And Asia burn with fierce desire
To burst her galling bonds of shame!
Greece will resume th' Aonian lyre,
And Rome again to heaven aspire,
And vestal Freedom's quenchless fire
From the pyramids shall flame!'

* * * * *

There is a sort of pathetic humor in the following parody by PUNCH upon
the prize exhibitions of cattle in England. A more forcible exposition of
the different condition of the human and brute animal in that country
could not well be conceived. It must be premised that a large hall is
fitted up with pens on either side, and over the head of the occupant
paste-board tickets are appended by the Poor Law Commissioners, detailing
their names, weights, ages, the regimen to which they have been subjected,
and other particulars; as thus: 'PETER SMALL. Aged forty. Weight at period
of admission twelve stone. Confined three months. Present weight nine
stone. Fed principally on water-gru