ertain mastery of figures, without being able to
comprehend any principle of mathematics--Mr. Everett, or some one else,
advertised him as "learned," and ever since he has neglected his fit
vocation to crowd himself into conspicuous places, all over Christendom;
to blow continually his penny whistle in the ears of the little people
called philanthropists; to speak and write in addresses and letters
immense aggregations of ambitious platitudes, to pontiffs, emperors,
kings, parliaments, etc., respecting their particular affairs, all of
which addresses and letters are as cogent as the barkings sent by a
lap-dog toward the moon, and receive from all sorts of people, except
diminutives and impertinents whose profession is "philanthropy," just
about as much consideration as Dian yields to the fast-yelping cur. It
is all unfortunate, for poor Elihu Burritt will never be persuaded that
he is a subject of derision only, instead of admiration; that men pause
to regard him as a miracle of conceit and assurance rather than as a
prophet; and that his commonplaces about "olive leaves," "calumets,"
"universal brotherhood," "fatherland," etc., have no more influence than
the maudlin rigmarole of the madman whose preternatural force is lost in
senility. It is time for Elihu Burritt to go back to his shop: the world
wants a new fool.

* * * * *

JOHN MILLS, remembered by some unfortunate New-Yorkers as John _St.
Hugh_ Mills, has written half a dozen tolerable novels since he went
home, and he is now publishing, in the _United Service Magazine_, a
series of papers illustrative of his American travels, in which he
illustrates his knowledge and veracity by certain anecdotes, which are
described as having occurred on "_the western prairies of Louisiana_."

* * * * *

PRESIDENT HITCHCOCK, of Amherst College, who is capable of a very
conclusive treatment of the subject, has in the press of Philips &
Sampson, a work on the connection of Geology and Religion.

* * * * *

DR. LATHAM'S very important work on the "Varieties of Man," we are glad
to hear is to be republished by the Appletons. Though much less
voluminous than the work of Pritchard, and therefore less particular
generally in its illustrations, it may be regarded as decidedly the most
masterly and satisfactory production that has yet appeared in ethnology.
The prospect of its republicatio