neighbors remarked the attention with which I 

 looked upon the figure or child, whichever it was ; 

 and the nearest one informed me, as far as I could 

 understand him, that the little thing up there was 

 really the child of the woman with the pale face, 

 who was dancing just then so merrily ; the whole 

 festivity taking place, in fact, only on account of 

 that little angel. I shook my head doubtfully : 

 and my neighbor, to convince me, took my arm, 

 and led me to the frame, where I had to step 

 upon the I hair and nearest table, and touch the 

 cheek and hand of the child ! It was a corpse ! 

 -And the mother, seeing I had doubted it, but 

 was now convinced, came up to me, and smilingly 

 told me it had been her child, and was now a 

 little angel in heaven. The guitars and cacaes 

 commenced wildly again, and she had to return 

 to the dance. 



I left the house as in a dream, but afterwards 

 heard the explanation of this ceremony. If a 

 little child, I believe up to four years of age, dies 

 in Chili, it is thought to go straight to Heaven 

 and become a little angel ; the mother being 

 prouder of that — before the eyes of the world at 

 least — than if she had reared her child to happy 

 roan or womanhood. The little corpse is exhibi- 

 ted then, as I had seen it ; and they often con- 

 tinue dancing and singing around it till it displays 

 signs of putrefaction. But the mother, whatever 

 the feelings of her heart may be, must laugh, and 

 sing, and dance. She dare not give way to any 

 selfish wishes, for is not the happiness of her 

 child secured ? Poor mother ! 



This little episode has something touching 

 about it. Were it not for the " little 

 pictures of saints, small lighted wax candles," 

 and other mummery, one would almost feel 

 inclined to respect the feeling that so readily 

 resigned the child into the hand of its 

 maker. But natural affection must have 

 some outlet ; and no doubt the mother pines 

 in secret when no eye sees her. It must 

 be so. 



As regards the eternal happiness of little 

 children taken away early, there cannot be 

 two opinions on that subject. Yet must 

 sorrow prevail for a time. It is a wise law 

 of nature. 



THE GENTLE SEX. 



Women have always held sway in this lower 

 World. It is said that one Francis was the first 

 monarch who introduced ladies at his court. He 

 remarked, in a style of true gallantry, " that a 

 drawing-room without ladies, was like the year 

 without the spring ; or rather, like spring without 

 flowers." We must imagine however, in compli- 

 ment to his taste, that the female costume of that 

 period was very different from what it is at present. 

 Women of the present age bear very little resem- 

 blance indeed to flowers — unless it be artificial 

 flowers ; and as for their " fragrance," it is impor- 

 ted either from Persia, or the depots of Paris. 

 Flowers still remain natural. Women do not. 

 But as fashions change, let us hope we shall in 

 this matter return to the "good old times." 



Few are aware of the wonderful events in the 

 economy of our planet, and of the application 

 of human industry and science involved in 

 the production of the coal that supplies the 

 metropolis of England. The most early ages 

 to which we can carry back its origin, was 

 among the swamps and forests of the primeval 

 earth, where it flourished in the form of 

 gigantic Calamites, and stately Lepidodendra, 

 and Sigillariae. * From their native bed, these 

 plants were torn away by the storms and 

 inundations of a hot and humid climate, and 

 transported into some adjacent lake, or estuary 

 or sea. Here they floated on the water, 

 until they sank saturated to the bottoms ; 

 and, being buried in the detritus of adjacent 

 lands, became transferred to a new estate 

 among the members of the mineral kingdoms. 

 A long interment followed, during which a 

 course of chemical changes, and new combi- 

 nations of their vegetable elements, have 

 converted them into the mineral condition 

 of coal. By the elevating force of subter- 

 ranean fires, these beds of coal have been 

 uplifted from beneath the waters to a new 

 position in the hills and mountains, where 

 they are accessible to the industry of man. 

 From this fourth stage in its adventures, our 

 coal has again been moved by the labors of 

 the miner, assisted by the arts and sciences 

 that have co-operated to produce the steam- 

 engine and the safety-lamp. 



Returned once more to the light of day 

 and a second time committed to the w 7 aters, 

 it has, by the aid of navigation, been conveyed 

 to the scene of its next and most considerable 

 change by fire ; a change during which it 

 becomes subservient to the most important 

 wants and conveniences of man. In this 

 seventh stage of its long eventful history, it 

 seems to the vulgar eye to undergo annihila- 

 tion. Its elements are indeed released from 

 the mineral combinations they have main- 

 tained for ages, but their apparent destruction 

 in only the commencement of new successions 

 of change and of activity. Set free from 

 their long imprisonment, they return to their 

 native atmosphere, from which they were 

 absorbed to take part in the primeval vegeta- 

 tation of the earth. To-morrow, says Buck- 

 land, they may contribute to the substance 

 of timber, in the trees of our existing forests ; 

 and having for awhile resumed their place in 

 the living vegetable kingdom, may ere long 

 be applied a second time to the use and bene- 

 fit of man. And when decay or fire shall 

 once more consign them to the earth, or to 

 the atmosphere, the same elements will enter 

 on some further department of their perpetual 

 ministration in the economy of the material 

 world. 



