ntly advancing in prosperity and greatness--the
national debt adding stability to the Government, and taxation giving
caution and stability to the transactions of private life.

APHORISMS.

NO. I.

One of the most sublime of all facts beneath that of the Divine Being,
appears in the existence of an immortal soul. There it stands--once for
all, once forever. The earth might be wasted away, at the rate of a
single grain in a century, without passing the very infancy of our
spirit's life. How insignificant, in the comparison, a world like our
own, in all its temporal aspects. What the future duration of the earth
may be, we have no means of knowing; but if less than endless, it is of
little moment in the presence of the least capacious human soul.

THE LOVE LUCIFER.

CHAPTER II.

I find myself writing upon matters connected, at least, with, religion,
with the thought of saying something useful--of presenting a valuable
experience, if not a valuable congeries of new ideas. Most readers
deeply interested in religion are, by this time, demanding that I show
my colors--present my creed; otherwise they will shut themselves up from
my influence. As I write, church bells are ringing. I know that many of
those who now assemble to hang with a deathly solemnity upon the lips of
preachers--while death, hell, heaven, eternity, atonement are the
themes--will say: 'He treats lightly the most serious matters: he treads
with dancing pumps on holy ground.' Now I claim to be, above all things,
an earnest, solemn person. Yet do I verily believe that there is a
humorous side to all subjects, that is not ignored by even the loftiest
beings; and that, in a restricted sense, it may be said of all
well-balanced persons, as a philosopher has said of children: 'Because
they are in innocence, therefore they are in peace; and because they are
in peace, therefore all things are with them full of mirth.' It must be
admitted, however, that if the 'orthodox' creed is wholly correct, we
find in the Puritans and their existing imitators the only consistent
Christians. In view of the inevitable damnation of a majority of the
race, they set their faces against all mirth; would eat no pleasant
bread, and wear no beautiful raiment. I followed them to the letter,
till, the 'naked eye' not being wholly blinded, nor the ear deafened by
theologic din, I saw that nature, in all her guises and voices, was
firmly opposed to all such gloomy dogm