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PORTSE

PEN-PORTRAIT OF THE EX-EDITOR.

DORTRAIT painters, especially if they have obtained eminence in that noble profession, need not be surprised if in passing along the street some day their own handsome profiles should salute them through the bow window of an humble member of the fraternity with a right hearty "Good morning, sir!" Sketchers need not be surprised if some owner of a goose-quill should try his hand to bring before the public gaze outline delineations of their personnel.

attempt we have chosen a great subject. There are few men who enjoy a higher, a more extensive, or better earned popularity than the Rev. ABEL STEVENS. Wherever his name is met with it is always in such connection as to convey the impression that its wearer is no ordinary character. The reverend gentleman having now been before the public in the character of preacher on extraordinary occasions, as lecturer on every variety of subject, as journalist, and author, his name It must be confessed that for our first has become a "household word." But VOL. XI.-8

there are thousands to whom the name is thus familiar who never saw the man. Will such allow us to introduce our distinguished guest to them? On his part the introduction is acknowledged with a smile and the warmest cordiality.

The first time we saw Dr. Stevens was in New Bedford, Mass., in the June of 1845. He was fashionably, but not foppishly attired. A slight, but symmetrical form was clad in a well-fitting coat and accompaniments. When the back was turned we saw hanging from the pocket about one half of a white silk handkerchief. By the whole combined, man, garb, and movement, our attention was arrested, fixed, and fascinated. Of a friend close at our side we inquired, "Who is that?" "That," said he, "is Abel Stevens. "Abel Stevens!" we exclaimed. The demolished fragments of the creation of our imagination were immediately scattered to the four winds by the sudden concussion from the living, moving reality now before us.

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Imagine, if you can, how we must have been taken aback in being compelled to exchange our ideal of aldermanic proportions for a "pocket edition of humanity," our venerable editor for a comparatively young man. Here, then, was the veritable Abel Stevens, the man we had long and earnestly desired to see, right before

us.

He is now in our sanctum, sitting for his likeness, our optics are ready, and the plate is dropped into its socket. Now, then, we hope the sun will shine clearly through our skylight, so as to enable us to present a life-like ambrotype.

It will already have been inferred that we are not to bring forth a physical giant. Dr. Stevens is rather below the medium height, with not the least tendency to corpulence. But in the absence of unusual height and redundancy, he presents a personal appearance of much more than average beauty. The good taste with which he dresses sets off his almost perfect symmetry to great advantage. In walking or standing the head maintains an erect position, and the whole form is straightened up to his full height, unless, perchance, somewhat thereof may be lost by "leaning," as Paddy would say, "t'other way."

But let us turn to the expressive part of our subject, the head. The countenance is oval; its deep pallor and sunken

cheeks betoken hard and intense study. combined with much physical indisposition. The nose is a model of Grecian beauty. The lower part of the chin is thin and prominent. Seldom has it been our lot to meet with so fine a pair of eyes. They are of a very dark brown, and in the repose of the countenance beam with a mild benignity and unmistakable intelligence. When Mr. Stevens rises to speak he removes his glasses. It is then those "windows of the soul" begin to sparkle with a brilliancy seldom seen elsewhere. As the speaker warms up into his theme and throws out his " thoughts that breathe" in "words that burn," these "indexes of the soul" sparkle with a luster that dazzles the beholder and hearer.

The forehead is high, broad, and expansive, with a fullness of development seldom met with. Manifestly a giant mind is hid beneath it. The head is well, but not profusely covered with hair of a soft texture, slightly inclining to black. Whiskers of the same color cover a large portion of each cheek. Since this fashion has prevailed the two branches have been allowed a downward course until they have united together and spread themselves under the chin and about the throat.

As a preacher Mr. Stevens commenced his career while yet a mere boy. But those juvenile performances were of such a character as to preclude the necessity of the admonition from the lips of his seniors in this sacred calling, "Let no man despise thy youth." While the youth of the speaker was the attractive magnet in gathering large audiences, the astonishing eloquence, pathos, and power with which he proclaimed his heavenly message retained and augmented the wondering throng. And now that the novelty of boyishness has passed away, what else but the transcendent charm which characterizes the delivery of these discourses of an hour and a half in length retains to their close with ever increasing interest the crowds who listen to him?

We first heard the subject of this sketch at the anniversary of a missionary society. The address delivered on that occasion will not soon be forgotten, either by ourself or the hundreds then present. We hesitate not to pronounce it the finest stream of platform eloquence ever poured upon us. Taking into account thought, imagery, language, management of voice,

gesticulation, action, earnestness, and whatever is comprised in effective speaking, we never expect to hear its like again, unless it be from the same lips. From those same lips we may yet have a renewal of what we deem one of the most ecstatic periods of our whole life, although we have heard many of the greatest men to be found on this continent, or on the British isles, who have spoken upon this most stirring of all themes, the emancipation of the morally enslaved race of man from the tyranny of sin.

it, and now stands before you in the transparency of noon-day. All this has been done with a few well-chosen and pertinent words. The speaker resumes his seat and is soon absorbed in thought. No one rises to reply, for nothing more is needed. The chair puts the question, and a unanimous vote settles it forever. Never, perhaps, was this rare faculty more strikingly displayed than during the session of the General Conference in Pittsburgh, in the spring of 1848.

he was suddenly and unexpectedly charged by a member with giving, through that journal, such reports of the doings of Conference as were not strictly correct. This charge upon the Eastern editor, we have said, was unexpected, and took him by surprise. But though surprised, he was not unprepared for a reply which must have astounded, and did most certainly silence his antagonist. That reply was published, and called forth the most unmeasured eulogiums of every intelligent reader. And well it might. Rarely has the senate chamber, the halls of jurisprudence, or the sanctuary, been the theater of such unanswerable logic, or such glowing eloquence. That off-hand, purely extemporaneous effort might serve as a perpetual warning for all mere pigmies not to wake

Some of your readers may perhaps reIntimation has been made that the sub-member that, as editor of Zion's Herald, ject of this sketch ranks high as a member of deliberative bodies. In this character we have had frequent opportunities of witnessing his power over other minds. The last session of the Providence Conference is the only one at which we have not seen him present. His absence at this time was occasioned by his being traveling in Europe. During the session he intrudes not himself upon our notice, as though he were the only one present capable of speaking upon the question under discussion. He speaks but little, but never to little purpose. If he rises to speak, it is frequently when some knotty question is on the tapis, and its knots have been multiplied or made more intricate by some of the previous speakers. He rises slowly, with eyes fixed upon the floor. The most nervous and impulsive, on wit-up the sleeping lion. Its effect upon the nessing this deliberative movement, make no attempt to gain the floor before him. In this respect there is a deference paid to him akin to that offered to venerable and distinguished rank and high official grade. Silence pervades the entire assemblage. Uni-him in this character from our pen. His versal attention is waked up. Every eye is riveted, every ear is open. A stranger would at once conjecture that something unusual is expected. Before rising, the speak cr doffs his glasses; these on rising are held by one side of the frame between the thumb and forefinger of one hand, and are made to perform a few revolutions round the wrist. The fingers of the other hand are run a few times through the hair on the fore part and sides of the head. The chair is addressed in the most deferential manner, and the speaker plunges at once into the subject. He has seen it in all its bearings, and with all its intricacies, and will soon cause you to see it with equal clearness. The question is soon divested of all the difficulties which had surrounded

intelligent body before whom it was delivered was manifested by his election to our highest denominational editorial post.

Dr. Stevens has been too long before the public as an editor to call for any notice of

late editorial post we have always considered as the most critical and difficult it was possible for our Church to assign to any of its servants. If we have come at a correct knowledge of facts, it was designed that THE NATIONAL should not, on the one hand, be so grave as to deter the unconverted from its pages; nor, on the other hand, so light and frothy as to fall under the censure of the prevailing literature of the day. Its purpose was to break the spell which binds the votaries of the fictitious trash by which our land is flooded. With these limitations on either side, would it have been possible to have found a man who could have given us a production more in character with the design of its projectors? Should pastors, parents, and guard

ians of youth but take hold of this magazine as its merits deserve, such a mental and moral revolution would soon be achieved, as is most devoutly to be desired. As an author it is superfluous to speak of our subject. In this character "his own works praise him in the gates." As a tourist let his recently published letters, from the European continent, testify of his wide-awake look-out, his Yankee inquisitiveness, acuteness of observation, keenness of discrimination, historical knowledge, political information, ecclesiastical lore, facility in writing, and felicity of description. In the language of the Celestials, may Abel Stevens "live a thousand years."

CURIOUS ANIMALS.

but in less than fifteen days they gain considerable growth and activity, and disperse to seek their own food.

This abundant multiplication is turned to good account under some circumstances. The keepers of reptiles in menageries sometimes raise these mice in great numbers, as food for those creatures which refuse dead prey. It is known that many serpents of this kind only require food at long intervals, and the white mouse serves them admirably.

This creature is found not only in our temperate climates, but also in the north and south of the two continents. Some authors pretend that they came originally from the north of Europe, but no facts yet stated seem to confirm this opinion.

The Zerda is a small and very rare carnivorous animal, principally found in Don

HE white mouse, sometimes called the gola, Sennaar, Libya, and sometimes at

in color of the common gray mouse, (Urus muscolus.) Its fur is a brilliant white, its eyes a rosy red. These colors are transmitted by generation.

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All its characteristics, except color, are the same as those of the little troublesome nibbler that often swarms in our habitations and annoys us by its ravages. It has the same instincts and the same temperament. Notice its habitual bearing it is timid by nature, and only becomes familiar by necessity mark with what peaceful hesitation it puts out its head from its narrow dwelling, whence it only issues to seek its food; but it does not go far, and runs back on the slightest alarm. It may be tamed to a certain degree, but it never becomes seriously attached to its keeper. The white mouse does not inspire that sort of horror which many feel at the sight of the common gray mouse, a sentiment which, we think, is only inspired by the little surprises and annoyances which he

occasions.

In many places in Europe, but still more commonly in China, the white mouse is raised in a kind of domesticity. They are easily kept on bread, cheese, lard, butter, and green salad, of which they are very fond, and generally all the aliments which man prepares for himself satisfy their appetite.

They multiply in a manner truly prodigious. A litter, usually numbering five or six, is produced in twenty-five days. The little ones are at first naked and blind,

English traveler of the last century, first advised zoologists of the existence of this animal, and he has a cut of it in his fine work containing an account of his Abyssinian and Nubian journey in 1768 to 1772.

The Zerda is only about two thirds the height of an ordinary fox, and its length, from the end of the nose to the root of the tail, is about ten inches. Its general physiognomy is also that of the fox, but it has one peculiarity, its ears are disproportionately large, and the inside filled with long and fine hairs, tufted at the border, but more scattered in the center.

Its color is a fine russet dun, verging on the white beneath, tail nearly black, a tawny spot under each eye, the pupil very large and very black, the iris a deep blue; head small compared with the rest of the body; the nose slender, the end pointed, black, and very smooth; teeth long and very sharp; legs slender; toes long, black, and crooked; claws not retractile.

Few animals have given rise to so many doubts and discussions relative to the real place which it should occupy in the scale of mammifers. Bruce did not venture to pronounce upon its affinities; Buffon, who received from Bruce a description of the new genus, partly designated it as anonymous, and found it related to both the hare and the squirrel.

Other naturalists have allied it to the dog. At last the more intelligent study of its zoological characters, particularly those of its skeleton, has proved that the

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