enderness.

Suddenly a shriek--the voice of FLORA--breaks the silence:--

"It rains!--oh, my complexion!"

"Rains?" thunders the regenerated BUMSTEAD, in a tone of inconceivable
triumph. "So it does. Now then, ALLIE, do your duty;" and, with a softly
wooing, hospitable air, he opens the umbrella and holds it high over his
head.

By a common instinct they all swarm in upon him, craning their heads far
over each other's shoulders to secure a share of the Providential
shelter. The glare of the great bonfire falls upon the scene; the rain
pours down in torrents: they crowd in upon him on all sides, until what
was once a stately Ritualistic man resembles some tremendous monster
with seventeen wriggling bodies, thirty-four legs, and an alpaca canopy
above all.

THE END.

* * * * *

THE RACE OF THE DAUNTLESS AND CAMBRIA.

Punchinello's Sporting Special went down to Sandy Hook last week to
supervise the race between the _Dauntless_ and the _Cambria_. The affair
was consequently a great success.

Attired in white corduroy breeches, a blue velvet waistcoat, and a light
boating-jacket of yellow flannel, your reporter left the Battery at 6
hrs. 22 m, and 5 secs, on Friday morning, and steamed slowly down the
bay in the editorial row-boat _Punchinelletto_, which was manned by an
individual of remarkable oar-acular powers. So highly was he gifted
indeed in this respect, that your special was enabled to predict the
result of the aquatic gambols with perfect accuracy, as it afterward
appeared. Having got the yachts in position, he gave Messrs. BENNETT and
ASHBURY an audience, in which it was settled by your representative
that, owing to a split in the _Cambria's_ club-topsail, both parties
should carry their block-headed jibs; and the contest was begun.

In his anxiety to see fair play, however, your reporter at first
innocently took the lead, shooting off, at the given signal, far in
advance of the two yachts. His surprise was therefore great when the
latter suddenly hove to on their beam-ends, and declared an armistice,
to permit of Mr. ASHBURY'S publishing the following:

_Card_.

Much as I appreciate the kindness and attention extended to me on all
previous occasions in these waters, I must still politely insist that
the _Punchinelletto_ relinquish her natural and perhaps unavoidable
tendency to take the wind out of everybody's sails, and submit to remain
in the wake of these yachts du