FOREIGN AND MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 



Meantime Mrs. Hill had prepared a delightful supper, without seeming to give herself 

 the least trouble. Peter came precisely at the right moment, and, as he drew a pail of 

 water, removed the towel from the well-sweep, easily and naturally, thus saving his wife 

 the trouble. 



" Troost would never have thought of it," said his wife; and she finished with an 

 "Ah, well!" as though all her tribulations would be over before long. 



As she partook of the delicious honey, she was reminded of her own upset hive, and 

 the crisp-red radishes brought thoughts of the weedy garden at home; so that, on the 

 whole, her visit, she said, made her perfectly wretched, and she should have no heart for 

 a week; nor did the little biisket of extra nice fruit, which Mrs. Hill presented her as she 

 was about to take leave, heighten her spirits in the least. Her great heavy umbrella, she 

 said, was burden enough for her. 



" But Peter will take you in the carriage," insisted Mrs. Hill. 



" No," said Mrs. Troost, as though charity were offered her; " it will be more trouble 

 to get in and out than to walk" — and so she trudged home, saying, " Some folks are born 

 to be lucky." 



Alice Cart has been pronounced by the reviewers to be the superior of Miss Mitford, 

 whose rural sketches of England have so long held the highest rank in this kind of com- 

 position. Clovernook is, in short, one of the most popular books of the season, and if 

 any of our readers, who wish to enjoy a real American country book, have not already 

 met with it, we commend it to them, with the fullest confidence, as one of the best of fire- 

 side companions. 



/nrngE null SJlisrrllnnrnns lintim 



The Snake Plant of South America. — 

 Venomous serpents abound in all the tierras 

 calientes Chot lands) of America. The fre- 

 quent fatality following their bite — particularly 

 among the Indians, who roam barefoot through 

 the tangled woods — renders the knowledge of 

 any counteracting remedy a matter of great im- 

 portance to these people. In conseijuence, much 

 diligence has at all times been used in seeking 

 for such remedies; and many, more or less 

 efficacious, have from time to time been dis- 

 covered. 



That of surest virtues yet known is a plant 

 called the guaco — the sap of whose leaves is a 

 complete antidote against the bite of the most 

 poisonous reptiles. The guaco is a species of 

 willow. Its root is fibrous, the stem straight 

 and cylindrical when young; but as it approach- 

 es maturity, it assumes a pentagonal form, hav- 

 ing five salient angles. The leaves grow length- 

 wise from the stem, opposite, and cordate. They 

 are of a dark green color mixed with violet, 

 smooth on the under surface, but on the upper 

 rough with a slight down. The flowers are of 

 a yellow color, and grow in clusters — each calyx 

 holding four. TV.i corolla is monopetalous in- 

 fundibuliform , and contains five stamens uniting 

 anthers into a cylinder which embraces 

 le with its stigma much broken. 



The guaco is a strong healthy plant, but grows 

 i only in the hot regions, and flourishes best in 

 the shade of other trees, along the banks of the 

 streams. It is not found in the colder uplands 

 (tierras frias ;) and in this disposal nature 

 again beautifully exhibits her design, as here 

 exist not the venomous creatures against whose 

 poisons the guaco seems intended as an antidote. 



That part of the plant which is used for the 

 snake-bite is a sap or tea distilled from its leaves. 

 It may be taken either as a preventive or cure: 

 in the former case, enabling him wlio has drank 

 of it to handle the most dangerous serpents with 

 impunity. For a long time the antidotal quali- 

 ties of the guaco remained a great mystery, and 

 was confined to a few among the native inhabi- 

 tants of South America. Those of them wlio 

 possessed the secret were interested in preserv- 

 ing it, as through it they obtained considerable 

 recompenses, not only from those who had been 

 bitten by venomous snakes, but also from many 

 who were curious to witness the feats of these 

 snake-tamers themselves. However, the medi- 

 cinal virtues of the guaco are now generally 

 known in all countries where it is found; and its 

 effects only cause astonishment to the stranger 

 or traveller. 



Being at Margarita some time ago, I heard 

 of this singular plant, and was desirous of wit 



