having strolled into a theatre, where he found a "popular vocalist"
pumping away at the "_Ship on Fire_" with all his lungs, and the old
gentleman was about to quit the theatre at the end of the performance
when he was suddenly seized, dragged on to the stage, exhibited to
public view, and loudly cheered as the happy winner of "a free passage
to America." To appear ungrateful for a boon which seemed to be thought
so enviable was impossible, and the poor old gentleman was obliged to
give his name and address on the spot, to enter into arrangements for
meeting the ship at Liverpool, and pledge himself to an emigration which
would separate him from a capital business, a devoted wife, and an
affectionate family. The feelings of that wife and family may be
conceived when they found by the next day's paper--received by the early
morning mail two hundred miles from London--that the husband and father
had so far forgotten the ties of home and kindred as to have become the
subject of "a free passage to America." It is true that, after a
frightful nightmare, in which he heard a wild chorus of "Cheer, boys,
cheer," interrupted by moans of "Ha! 'tis the night watch!" with
occasional shrieks of "I am not mad! I am not mad!" he rose with a
determination to relinquish his precious prize, and resigned to some
more appreciating hands his "free passage to America."

* * * * *

VERY GOOD OF THE POPE.

The Pope, according to his frequent custom, has recently caused prayers
to be offered in all Continental Catholic churches, for the conversion
of England. This is very good of him, though it may be very unnecessary.
The POPE declares--sorrowingly--that this England, "once the island of
the blessed," has been "for a long while past caught in the errors of
heresy"--"has fallen from the true belief,"--and is oppressed by "dark,
false teaching, which keeps it from the knowledge of the truth." All of
which evils His Holiness prays may be put away from us, that we may all
see the true light, which is the POPE'S eye--all salute the true faith,
which is the POPE'S toe. We repeat, however, that we object not to the
prayers of the POPE'S Church; but we do most vehemently object to the
bolts and bars with which such supplications are wont to be associated.
For instance, we have no objection that the DUKE OF TUSCANY should pray
for the conversion of MISS CUNNINGHAME, but we do object--and might feel
disposed to urge suc