SERVICE OF PLATE TO MR. SEWELL. 177 
calibre and action ; and although the proper circulation may af- 
terwards be a little disturbed, the fever will seldom rage again 
so high as it did ; and, by and by, all settles down into the de- 
sirable and healthy condition of good fellowship, and hearty co- 
operation, and mutual esteem. 
And now a word or two of ourselves and our Periodical. We 
know that at Christmas-tide our friends are much engaged in 
the usual and harmless festivities of the season, and also in 
preparing for the collection of those honoraria to which they are 
so deservedly entitled ; we therefore expect that our periodical 
for January and February will not contain the average number 
of interesting and useful communications. We did not, however, 
anticipate that this year they would have been so sadly and 
glaringly deficient. We distrusted — no, not for a moment — the 
good wishes and the zeal of those who had been co-operating with 
us in the accomplishment of the noble purpose to which The Ve- 
terinarian is devoted, but we cannot say that we were happy. 
We are so now, and fully; for, far and near, there seems to have 
been a common feeling among us — that mysterious sympathy, 
which, defying all space, binds together all good hearts, and tells 
to each what is passing in every other bosom. Contributions 
have poured in upon us, which have made the present number one 
of which we may justly be proud, and enabled us to lay by a 
little stock for future, although not for long use : and almost 
every correspondent has, in the private and valued corner of his 
letter, expressed, in the kindest and strongest terms, his good 
wishes and his intentions. To every one of them we tender our 
thanks. May they be as happy as they have made us ! May 
the tide still flow on! The present is a right good English num- 
ber. Although we will glean useful information from every 
source, we should like to see two or three numbers like this be- 
fore we step again out of our own country. The communica- 
tions now lying by us shall appear in the order in which we 
received them, with the exception of two which we could find 
it in our hearts to publish — but the writers will be sufficiently 
punished by the perusal of the present number. 
VOL. ix. a a 
