An Irishman, who was giving his testimony in the Boston Municipal Court lately, convulsed the bar, tickled the jury, and raised a smile on the bench by the following statement: "Ye see, may't plaze yees, that this man got a stroke and fell down. Everybody round called out, 'Ow, he's kilt, he's kilt!' Thin I steps up, and I hollied out to the crowd, If the man is kilt, why don't yees stand back and give him a little air!'"

AN UNANSWERABLE ARGUMENT.-At an association dinner, debate arose as to the benefit of whipping in bringing up children. Old Mr. Morse took the affirmative. His opponent, a young minister, whose reputation for veracity

THE H's.-There is nothing funnier in Cockto that veracious historian Thackeray, when he is in doubt which to prefer of his two lady loves, Mary Hann and Hangelina. He writes:

"There they stood together, them two young women. I don't know which is the ansamest. I couldn help comparing them; and I coodn help comparing myself to a certing Hannimle I've read of, that found it dif ficklt to make a choice betwigst 2 Bundles of A.”

IMPROVED SHAKSPEAREAN READINGS.-A teacher in one of the schools is in the habit of giving his pupils in composition, extracts from poems, the Bible, etc., which the scholars are required to transpose into their own language; making all the blind or doubtful passages plain. One day he gave out the following, from Shakspeare's play of "Othello;"

"Trifles light as air, are to the jealous confirmation strong, As proof of holy writ."

One little fellow who stood at the head of his class in philosophy and chemistry, immediately wrote and handed in the following transposition:

"Trifles, weighing fifteen and a half pounds to the square inch, are as good proof to jealous folks as a verse of the Bible."

The Bible and Slavery. By Rev. CHARLES EL LIOT, D.D., (Swormstedt & Poe, Cincinnati.) This is a calm, logical, and exhaustive examination of the teachings of the book of God upon the subject of slavery. In successive chapters are considered Patriarchal Slavery; Egyptian Bondage; the Mosaic Code, in its classification of servants, its constitutional laws, and its practical workings; the Roman Law on Slavery; the Teachings of the New Testament, as found in the Four Gospels, and more especially in the Epistles of St. Paul. With that minuteness of research for which the author is remarkable, and with manifest honesty of purpose, he brings a well-trained mind and the results of long and careful study to bear upon the subject. Extracts would give but a faint idea of the compactness of the author's logic, or of the strength of his arguments. We may, however, quote a passage or two, which indicate the results reached in the process of the examination. On the curse pronounced against Canaan, as found in Genesis ix, 25, our author says:

"It is assumed, without proof, that slavery was prophesied rather than mere service to others, and individual bondage rather than national subjection and tribute.

"The curse pronounced neither fell on Canaan nor his wicked father, but upon the Canaanites. These

people were exceedingly wicked. (Lev. xviii, xx; Deut. ix, 4; xii, 81.) Their profligacy was great, but it was not the effect of the curse; it was the effect of their conduct. The prediction of crime neither brings crime into being, nor does it justify it. Pharaoh might say with our pro-slavery men: Thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and they shall afflict them four hundred years.' Prophecy is no excuse for slavery, or any other wrong. Our Saviour declares, It must needs be that offenses come, but woe unto that man by whom they come !' "It is not historically true that the Africans are descended from Canaan. Africa was peopled from Egypt and Ethiopia, and it was settled by Misraim and Cush. (Gen. x, 15-19.) The other sons of Ham settled and afterward, to some extent, the Grecian and Roman Egypt and Assyria, and, conjointly with Shem, Persia, empires.

"The history of Canaan's descendants verifies the prophecy. They first became tributary to the Israelits; then to the Medes and Persians; then to the Macedonians, Grecians, and Romans, successively; and finally they were subjected to the Ottoman dynasty, under which they yet remain. Thus Canaan has been for ages, mainly, the servant of Shem and Japheth, and secondarily of the other sons of Ham.

"As the Africans are not the descendants of Canaan, the assumption that their enslavement fulfills the prophecy is not correct. Besides, only a fraction of the Africans have at any time been the slaves of other nations. If it be objected, however, that a large majority of the Africans have always been slaves in Africa, we answer, this is not true in point of fact, as the greater portion of Africa is not a slave country, as far as we can learn, though represented such by proslavery men; and if they were even so, Canaan, in

brand as disreputable and wrong. No pursuit, the exercise or results of which are not beneficial to mankind, should ever be engaged in. There is enough useful work in the world for all. We need not look beyond the beneficent arts of life for an avocation. To make money by a business which has a tendency to injure mankind, to spread disease, demoralization, and crime over the land, is hardly less criminal than downright robbery and murder. In the words of a popular preacher: A useless calling is disgraceful; one that injures mankind-infamous."

"It will not do to praise one occupation above another; that is best for each man which he can best perform. It is the soul that works which ennobles the work, and it ennobles any work. There is nothing which man can do which does not become grand and noble, if only it is done largely enough and well enough.

Mormonism: Its Leaders and Designs. By JOHN HYDE, JUN., formerly a Mormon Elder, and Resident of Salt Lake City. (W. P. Fetridge & Co.) Mr. Hyde dedicates his book to "honest believers in Mormonism," among whom he ranked himself for several years. Recently, however, he was led to see its abominable enormities and utterly to renounce it. He determined, he tells us, to make known his personal experience, and fully and fearlessly to expose the delusion. This he has done in the volume before us. From internal evidence there is good reason to believe that his statements may be relied upon. He writes like a man of truth, in a style remarkably free from everything like exaggeration; and while we have little hope that his book will be of beneficial tendency to professed Mormons, it is exceedingly valuable as a revelation of facts connected with this huge system of abominations.

The inhabitants of Salt Lake City, he tells us, are about fifteen thousand, very few of whom are Americans, the large majority being English and Scotch. On the subject of Polygamy Mr. Hyde says:

"The Mormon polygamist has no HOME. Some have their wives lotted off by pairs in small disconnected houses, like a row of out-houses. Some have long low houses, and on taking a new wife build a new room on to them, so that their rooms look like rows of stalls in a cow-barn! Some have but one house, and crowd them all together, outraging all decency, and not leaving even an affectation for convenience. Many often remain thus, until some petty strife about division of labor, children's quarrels, difference of taste, or jealousy of attention, kindles a flame, only to be smothered by separation. When they live in different houses, they generally have different tables, and the husband has to give each house its turn to cook for him, and honor their tables with his presence in rotation. The evenings at his disposal, his constant distribution of himself among them, has to be by rule. Jealousies the most bitter, reproaches the most galling and disgusting, scenes without number, and acrimony without end, are the inevitable consequences of the slightest partiality. It is impossible for any man to equally fove several different women; it is quite possible, however, for him to be equally indifferent about any number. The nature most in unison with his own, will most attract him. The most affectionate will be certainly preferred to the least affectionate. I am acquainted with scores of polygamists, and they all have favorites, and show partiality. To feel partiality, and not to exhibit it, is unnatural. To exhibit it, and for it to pass unnoticed by a jealous women, is impossible. For it to be noticed, is for it to be reproached..

"The utmost latitude of choice is permitted to the faithful in their selection of wives. It is very common for one man to marry two sisters; Brigham advises, indeed, that they both be married on the same day, 'for that will prevent any quarreling about who is first or second! A R. Sharkey has married three sisters, one of whom was married to, and divorced from another man. A George B. Wallace left a wife at Salt Lake and went to England to preach. He made the acquaintance of a very worthy man named Davis, who had three fine-looking girls. Mr. Davis and family were persuaded to embrace Mormonism. When Wallace returned, as he occupied a high position in the Mormon Church, he appropriated Church moneys for the emigration of Mr. Davis and family to Salt Lake City. Poor, and under obligation to this man, and by 'counsel' of Brigham, Davis gave him his three daughters, to all of whom he was married; and, when I arrived at Salt Lake, were all living with Mrs. Wallace, proper, in a little two-roomed house. Wallace kept a butcher's shop, and it was currently reported that he was engaged with others stealing cattle and selling the meat on his premises. A Curtis E. Bolton is married to a woman and her daughter. A Captain Brown is married to a woman and two daughters, and lives with them all. When their children's children are born it will be bewildering to trace out their exact degrees of relationship.

This may appear disgusting enough, and prove deg. radation enough. A G. D. Watt has excelled either of them. He brought from Scotland his half-sister to Salt Lake City; took her to Brigham, and wished to be married to her for his second wife. Brigham objected, but Watt urged that Abraham took his halfsister, and reckoned he had just as much right as Abraham.' The point was knotty and difficult. If Abraham's example justified polygamy, then it must equally justify this action. God blessed Abraham although he did it,' say the Mormons, and ought to bless me if I do it too.' The girl happened to be goodlooking, though, and so, to cut this gordian knot he could not untie, Brigham took her himself. So far so well. But she was not contented, or Brigham bad reconsidered the matter, or from some cause, after a few weeks he told Watt that, after all, there was force in his argument, that it was just as lawful in him as in Abraham, and, accordingly, G. D. Watt accepted his half-sister to wife from the arms of Brother Brigham! This piece of complaisance recommended him to the favorable attention of the anthorities,' as a good illus tration of the childlike simplicity and implicit obedi ence of which they so constantly preach."

The strange fanaticism which induces such a state of society is not stranger than the despotic tyranny of Brigham Young, and the superstitious obedience paid to it by his dupes.

"Mr. Eldredge had a daughter, handsome, intelligent, and amiable. She loved a young man, and he her. Brigham's nephew, Joseph W. Young, saw and liked, but was disliked by her. He spoke to Brigham, who told Eldridge that he had to marry his girl to Joseph W., that it was his "counsel," and that every man must be master of his household.' Her wrung heart, her crushed love, her blasted hopes, and her stifled aversion yielded at the shrine of this monster superstition, and she married Joseph W. Young. Bishop Hoagland had a daughter, Emily. A Mr. J. C. Little was married, and not desirous to become a polygamist. Kimball commanded him to take this girl, commanded Bishop Hoagland to give her, and commanded Emily to have Mr. Little. Indifference was overcome, the warm hopes of a girl's heart for a fond young husband, torn up like weeds, and she married, and she wept! Z. Snow had been one of the Utah judges, was a Mormon, kept a store, offended Brigham, who cursed him most fearfully; reproached, rebuked, charged, threatened him, and finally commanded him to go on a mission to Australia, for at least three years. Z. Snow was a man of education, a lawyer, had fought his way to the bench, a man of money and business, had struggled with the world and had conquered; but yet, like a child, he bowed his head to Brigham's withering rebukes, fearful criminations, merciless anathemas; left his family, gave up his business, said nothing, accepted the appointment, and is now in Australia, preaching Mormonism! I could name a score of such evidences of the cruelest tyranny and the most superstitious obedience. Mormonism, at Salt Lake, is a whirlpool; once get into the stream, and you must either be sucked down into its vortex, or else be cast out bruised and broken."

Of Mormon literature we are told that

"They publish a weekly paper at Salt Lake, which is almost wholly filled with the autobiography of Smith, and sermons of the First Presidency. It neither gives honest reports of speeches, nor correct statements of facts. Much talk has been made about getting up a separate paper, devoted to scientific and literary purposes; but its friends are afraid the Church might become so fond of it, as to hug it to death, as it has their literary institutions. They publish a weekly sheet at San Francisco, California. Its editor, workmen, and even devil, are all on mission;' get nothing but food and raiment; but are therewith content.' Their sincerity cannot be doubted, whatever be said of their intellect. The Mormon dribbles out its weekly quantum of saintly notice and opinion at New York. A Luminary hardly lit its own path into obscurity at St. Louis, Mo. At Liverpool they publish & Millennial Star. By compelling the believing to take several copies, they say they have a circulation of over sixteen thousand. At Paris they published L'Etoile du Deseret, but the star has set. Zion's Panier floated at Hamburg; a month's wind blew it into shreds. They still publish periodicals in the Welsh and Danish lan

guages.

"Of their standard works, the 'Book of Mormon, although most mentioned, is not the principal. The 'Doctrines and Covenants,' containing some of the Revelations that Smith pretended to obtain, is viewed as the law of God to this generation.' Its contents are very miscellaneous, comprising the organization of the Church; revelations as to priesthood, and cattle medicine; chewing tobacco, and sending out missionaries; endowments from on high,' and 'building taverns; supplying all the wants of my servant Joseph; and anathematizing apostates, etc., etc. Besides these, Smith attempted a new translation of the Old and New Testaments. This translation, however, is kept very secret, the people not being able to bear it now.' Some singular extracts from it have reached their presses, but the impression they created was not favorable. More than Jew ever read, or Christian ever conceived, and far more than Hebrew or Greek MS. ever contained, is to be seen in Smith's new translation of the Bible. While at Nauvoo Smith obtained four Egyptian mummies. In the bosom of one of them, a MS. was pretended to be found. Smith gave out that he made a translation,' and the result was, A Book of Abraham.' He announced it (Times and Seasons,' vol. iii, p. 704), A Translation of some Ancient Records that have fallen into our hands from the Catacombs of Egypt, purporting to be the Writings of Abraham, while he was in Egypt, called the Book of Abraham, written by his own Hand on Papyrus.' This was received with especial unction by the devout. Although evidently the work of the same hand as the Book of Mormon, Smith had somewhat improved himself in the use of words. It contains several singular engravings, a chart of astronomy, and is altogether quite unique. The Apocalypse of St. John occupied the attention of Smith, and he composed ‘A Key to the Book of Revelations.' The Bible student would be startled at some of its views. As Smith had to labor to sustain his reputation as a prophet, accordingly, in December, 1830, he issued a Revelation, pretending to contain a prophecy of Enoch,' 'A revelation of the gospel to Adam after he was driven out of the Garden of Eden.' These, which are of course morceaux choisies to the Church, have been collected and bound together into a little work called the 'Pearl of Great Price.""

In the perpetuity of the Mormon system our author has little faith. He thinks that with the death of Brigham Young it will inevitably collapse. Speaking of this strong-minded leader he says:

"I have seen and heard him very often: privately conversed with him; watched him in his family and in his public administrations; carefully endeavored to criticise his movements, and discover his secret of power, and I conscientiously assert, that the world has much mistaken the ability and danger of the man.

"This is independent of his system; that is a piece of gross fraud, but it is a proof the stronger that he must be something of a man, to make so much out of so poor and ridiculous a foundation. In a few years he will follow others to the grave; Mormonism will lose his clear head and his iron fist. Under the vacillating weakness of Kimball, or the impetuous thoughtlessness of the old apostate, Hyde; the abstract pon

derings of O. Pratt, or the good-natured want of energy of George A. Smith; the self-confident and self-exothers, Mormonism will decline. It must live its day, hibiting egotism of Taylor, or the wild theories of the and die. Brigham is its sun, this is its day-time. Delusions have arisen in all ages; like meteors, the more rapid their progress, the more heat and light they have evolved-but the more speedy has been their extinction. It has been thus with other systems of imposture, and will be so with this."

We have exceeded our limits, but we cannot close without a word as to the admirable manner in which the publishers have done their work. It is beautifully printed and embellished with numerous engravings, including likenesses of Brigham himself, his illustrious predecessor, Joseph Smith, and his son, elder Kimball, and elder Pratt.

In one large royal octavo volume the Messrs. Appleton & Co. have published a Cyclopedia of Sermons, compiled and originally published in England in five volumes, by JABEZ Burns, D.D. The discourses and sketches are between three and four hundred, from various recent authors of different religious denominations. There are thirty-three on the parables of Christ; twentyseven on his miracles; quite a variety on the general subject of missions; for the dedication of churches, for ordinations, on revivals, and a great variety of general miscellaneous subjects. Of course they vary greatly in style and in merit, but the entire selection gives a very favorable idea of the state of the pulpit in Great Britain, and will be valuable as affording suggestions and hints to preachers everywhere.

The REV. W. MORLEY PUNSHON is just now attracting great crowds in England by the eloquence of his pulpit addresses and lectures. He fully equal to the Baptist Spurgeon. His lecis a Wesleyan, and by some is thought to be ture on John Bunyan was received with tumultuous applause by a crowded assembly at Exeter Hall. It has since been published, and exhibits, we suppose, the peculiar traits of Mr. Punshon's style-witty, satirical, practical, and pathetic by turns; its faults being those of an over-vigorous imagination, and an inflation of language, occasionally bordering upon bombast. It is evident, however, that he is determinedly in earnest, and speaks to be felt and remembered.

Abolitionism is considered by many people as a dreadful disease. It has been supposed to be confined entirely to sections of the country on this side of Mason and Dixon's line. Sporadic cases, however, are met with in the does occur in that region it is generally very South; and, what is very remarkable, when it

violent. The latest case is that of a native of North Carolina by the name of HINTON ROWAN HELPER, who has just published, in this city, a volume entitled, The Impending Crisis of the South; How to meet it, in which he uses language of the strongest kind, and arguments that are not easily answered, looking, as he does, at the "great evil" merely from an economical and political point of view. He says:

"Whenever we speak of gentlemen of the South, or of gentlemen anywhere, we seldom allude to slaveholders, for the simple reason that, with few exceptions, we cannot recognize them as gentlemen. It is

only in those rare instances where the crime is mitigated by circumstances over which the siaveholder has no control, or where he himself, convinced of the impropriety, the folly, and the wickedness of the institution, is anxious to abolish it, that we can sincerely apply to him the sacred appellation in question, an appellation which we would no sooner think of applying to a pro-slavery slaveholder, or any other pro-slavery man, than we would think of applying it to a borderruffian, a thief, or a murderer.""

Mr. Helper makes great use of the statistical tables of the late census to show the degradation and the impending ruin of the slave states, and aims to arouse the non-slaveholders, who are a large majority even at the South, to throw off the incubus and extirpate the entire system. We have not space to quote largely, but make room for his propositions, as condensed by himself, and commend the volume to religious apologizers for the system, both North and South. Without at all adverting to the teachings of Christianity, Mr. Helper proposes for the adoption of his fellow-citizens in all slaveholding territory:

"1. Thorough organization and independent political action on the part of the non-slaveholding whites of the South,

"2. Ineligibility of slaveholders; never another vote to the trafficker in human flesh.

"3. No co-operation with slaveholders in politics. No fellowship with them in religion. No affiliation with them in society.

really written by a lady. The poem is handsomely illustrated and well printed. A few of the opening lines will give a good idea of its scope and style:

"A tale I'll unfold which shall cast in the shade
All the sorrows of woman, wife, widow, or maid.
"Tis a tale of strong men, not more startling than
true,

Of strong vigorous men who have nothing to do.
For if ladies of fashion have nothing to wear,
"Tis a comfort that fashion herself is quite bare;
If disconsolate widows mourn over their dead,
There is peace in the grave for the low-coffin'd head;
And if destitute orphans have very slim fare,
Like chameleons they seem to grow fat upon air;
But these men whose sad fate I'm deploring to you,
Are just dying by inches of nothing to do."

MR. BONNER, to whom we are indebted for "A Child's History of Rome," has published in similar style, in two very neat volumes, with numerous illustrations, A Child's History of Greece, which appears quite worthy of a place in company with his former work. Many adults as well as children will derive instruction from its pages. (Harpers.)

5. No recognition of pro-slavery men, except as ruffians and criminals.

"6. Abrupt discontinuance of subscription to proslavery newspapers.

"7. The greatest possible encouragement to free white labor.

8. No more hiring of slaves by non-slaveholders. 9. Immediate death to slavery, or, if not immediate, unqualified proscription of its advocates during the period of its existence.

10. A tax of sixty dollars on every slaveholder for each and every negro in his possession at the present time, or at any intermediate time between now and the fourth of July, 1863, said money to be applied to dhe transportation of the blacks to Liberia, or to their colonization in Central or South America, or to their comfortable settlement within the boundaries of the United States.

"11. An additional tax of forty dollars per annum to be levied annually on every slaveholder for each and every Negro found in his possession after the fourth of July, 1863, said money to be paid into the hands of the Negroes so held in slavery, or, in cases of death, to their next of kin, and to be used by them at their own option."

It always seemed to us as evincing very poor taste and little ingenuity on the part of Congress, to give to the Northwest Territory the name of Washington. The number of towns, villages, and counties already bearing that honored name is past reckoning up. But the deed is done, and the territory is-Washington. A valuable addition to our scanty knowledge respecting it is made in a volume from the press of the Harpers entitled The Northwest Coast; or, Three Years' Residence in Washington Territory. By JAMES G. SWAN. It is embellished with numerous wood-cuts, and the author's descriptions of the country, with the habits, customs, and manners of the natives, will be read with interest.

Nothing to Do, an Accompaniment of "Nothing to Wear," is not exactly a parody upon the latter, but was evidently suggested by it, and was

Dr. Watts in 1750. Containing as it does a systematic arrangement of the blessed promises of Scripture, there is no better pocket companion for the disciples of the Saviour.