22 - Society for Mutual Improvement. 
patched a hasty messenger to the 
nearest priest, entreating him to come 
and give the sacrament to their mas- 
ter, who, they said, was lying at his 
last gasp. The priest came imme- 
diately to the castle, and, as he dreamt 
of no trick, he read prayers over the 
swine ; and as he presented the sacra- 
ment all present began to laugh, and 
the swine snapped it out of his hands, 
Whereupon he, in the utmost horror, 
hurried away, but forgot to take his 
book along with him; and, as he rush- 
ed out of the last gate, the castle-clock 
struck. twelve, and immediately the 
building shook and trembled in all its 
gables, and when he turned round it 
was already sunk, and the lake came 
foaming and bellowing up from the 
abyss. Stupified with fear and won- 
der, he could not stir from the spot; 
and, as he stood gazing, a little stool 
came floating to the top of the water, 
and upon it lay the book which he had 
forgot io bring out of the castle. 
The Man and his Shadow. 
One evening, when the moon shone 
bright in the heavens, a man went out 
into the fields; and, as he. walked 
along, his eyes fell by chance on the 
long handsome shadow which he cast 
behind him in the moonshine; and, as 
he plumed himself upon it, a little 
dwarfish man advanced to him, and 
said, ‘That is.a noble shadow of 
yours; will you sell it tome.” There- 
upon the man burst into a loud laugh; 
but when the dwarf repeated his re- 
quest, and showed him several lovely 
white ducats, he began to think him in 
earnest, and the bargain was soon 
struck. Then the little man took the 
shadow, rolled it carefully up, put it 
in his pocket, and went his way. The 
man went likewise home, and was at 
first rather melancholy at his loss; but 
the lovely white ducats soon consoled 
him. A short time after this, he went 
outwith his wife into the fields, and saw 
how finely the corn looked waving. in 
the clear moonshine ; and, as they now 
walked along the fields, the wife sud- 
denly exclaimed, ‘See what a shadow 
I have, — observe its length and 
breadih; but you, man, have no sha- 
dow: what is the reason of that?” The 
man endeavoured to evade this ques- 
tion, but the wife was continually 
harping upon it. Time after time, the 
neighbours and the children came to 
see whether he had any shadow, and 
then they all avoided him; so that, un- 
able at last to bear the universal scorn 
[Aug. Ty 
and contempt, he made away with 
himself. 
Mermen. 
In the year 1619, King Christian the 
Fourth, sent two state-counsellors (Sir 
Oluf Rosenspar and Sir Niels Holk,) 
to Norway, for the purpose of holding 
a court-day ; and it chanced, on their 
return, that the crew of the vessel 
caught, and drew on-board, a mer- 
man, in shape and features just like 
any other man; he staggered about 
for a long time upon the deck, but 
at last he lay down as if he had 
been dead; and when one of the 
by-standers exclaimed, ‘“ What a 
wonderful God that must be who has 
human creatures even in the water ;” 
the merman answered, ‘* Yes; and if 
you knew all I do, you would say so 
indeed; but, if you do not let me this 
moment return to the water, neither 
ye nor your ship shall ever reach the 
land.” Thereupon he would not 
speak another word; but was placed 
in the boat, out of which he sprang 
himself. 
"The year after, when the state coun- 
sellor, Christopher Ulfeld, was sent 
with a ship to Gulland, a merman, 
having black hair and a long beard, 
approached them on their way; he 
seemed to have great curiosity, and 
observed the ship and those that were 
in it very closely; but when one of the 
sailors flung him outa shirt in sport, he 
ducked under, and was no more seen. 
——— 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, ; 
HE desire which your interesting 
Z and valuable periodical publica- 
tion at all times evinces for the diffu- 
sion of knowledge, induces me to send 
you the following outline of an institu- 
tion, which I was permitted to visit by 
a member’s ticket ; and, so well pleased 
was I with the discussion, that I pre- 
vailed on the member above alluded to, 
to furnish me with the following parti- 
culars, which I transmit you for the 
information of your readers. 
This society, which is known by the 
humble appellation of the Society for 
Mutual Improvement, has now been 
established fifteen years, and is an ex- 
cellent model for imitation, as it com- 
bines the advantages of a Book So- 
ciety, with social intercourse and ra- 
tional debates. 
The society devote every Tuesday 
evening throughout the year to the 
discussion of questions similar to the 
subjoined 
