to the cause of her death, and has wished to examine; but I
said no, for I am a philosopher, and it is no use looking for causes
after effects; but I have done since her death what she never would
permit me to do during her life. I have had her head shaved, and
examined it very carefully as a phrenologist, and most curiously has she
proved the truth of the sublime science. I will give you the result.
Determination, very prominent; Benevolence, small; Caution, extreme;
Veneration, not very great; Philo-progenitiveness, strange to say, is
very large, considering she has but one child; Imagination very strong:
you know, my dear boy, she was always imagining some nonsense or
another. Her other organs were all moderate. Poor dear creature! she
is gone, and we may well wail, for a better mother or a better wife
never existed. And now, my dear boy, I must request that you call for
your discharge, and come home as soon as possible. I cannot exist
without you, and I require your assistance in the grand work I have in
contemplation. The time is at hand, the cause of equality will soon
triumph; the abject slaves now hold up their heads; I have electrified
them with my speeches, but I am getting old and feeble; I require my son
to leave my mantle to, as one prophet did to another, and then I will,
like him, ascend in glory.--Your affectionate Father:--

"NICODEMUS EASY."

From this it would appear, thought Jack, that my mother is dead, and
that my father is mad. For some time our hero remained in a melancholy
mood; he dropped many tears to the memory of his mother, whom, if he had
never respected, he had much loved; and it was not till half an hour had
elapsed, that he thought of opening the other letter. It was from Dr
Middleton.

"My Dear Boy,--

"Although not a correspondent of yours, I take the right of having
watched you through all your childhood, and from a knowledge of your
disposition, to write you a few lines. That you have by this time
discarded your father's foolish, nonsensical philosophy, I am very sure.
It was I who advised your going away for that purpose, and I am sure
that, as a young man of sense and the heir to a large property, you will
before this have seen the fallacy of your father's doctrines. Your
father tells me that he has requested you to come home, and allow me to
add any weight I may have with you in persuading you to do the same. It
is fortunate for you that the estate is entailed, o