"Grieve not; the soul shall soar away on high, Enclosed no more by clay or fear of death." Reveal, blest spirits, to this mortal eye Sights which we pant for in our faltering faith! 'Jones" said Snudggers, as Jones finished reading, "accept my sincere gratitude, and believe me this is the happiest moment of my life. If there is anything that can smooth the rough road of science, it is to feel that our labors are appreciated by men of high intellectual parts. It has too often been the case that men who have trodden the path of science before me, have labored through poverty to death, their noblest efforts unappreciated, and their only reward the proud consciousness of the inestimable value of their discoveries to man. a circle similar to this, is favorable to the the dark. Now my theory is, that this fluid, by its unknown qualities, forms an element peculiarly adapted to the existence of spirits, and is a medium by which they about our earth. We can easily conceive descend from their high homes to hover something in the peculiar arrangement of abundant production of this spiritual element, and forms a chain by which man may for corroboration, which I mentioned, I commune with immortals. The unlooked found in the person of a heathen-I must say a pagan. In the course of my diligent researches I had inquired of a Chinaman if the phenomenon existed in his country, and to my surprise (for I had thought it perfectly new) found that it did. He informed me that by placing a piece of light-wood (which everybody knows to be a particular ities of which are not only highly compatikind of decayed wood; the peculiar qualble with the pre-conceived idea of the After this touching speech, which was delivered with that effect which only odious force, but rather coufirm that supposition) upon the head, in a few moments Snudggers could give, the circle was formed differing to the previous sitting, you will see the evil spirit-you are not, of and their chief proceeded to enlighten his course, to take the word in its literal meaning, but as one by which, in their imperfect followers in nearly these words: Since our former sitting I have devoted much knowledge of our language, they express time to the study of our present pursuit. their idea of spirits." Now I find that the rigid silence we kept at the Snudggers in his c'ear and convincing other sitting, is not necessarily to be pre-existence of an odious force becomes highly argument," with this coroborative fact, the served,- -a sober tone of conversation in no way affects the manifestation. “After this beautiful tribute to my poor talents, by one so justly celebrated for the unrivaled soaring of his thought, I shall gird myself more cheerfully to meet the difficulties of my pursuit." 66 I also find it advised by some, that if any one becomes impressed involuntarily with an idea, he should write it down, as it may be the premonitory symptoms of an impressive medium;-I have accordingly placed writing materials upon the table, and I hope if any one feels a strange thought, he will not hesitate to write it down. As to the causes of these manifestations, I have not yet arrived at any conclusion, there are so many advanced; but I have fixed upon one far more plausible than the rest, which I have found coroborated in a very unlooked for direction. This theory supposes the existence of a subtle fluid called the odious force, [It is probable that the distinguished Snudggers meant odic force, and had either mistaken the term, or substituted, odious, as "a more properer word.”-Ed.] which pervades all nature;-similar in its characteristics, though much more subtle, to electricity;indeed some think it a refined form of that element. It is held that this fluid is perceptible to our unaided senses, in the form of a faint halo around a person or body in continued plausible, and we have only to pursue our investigations with diligence to arrive at this great truth." The convincing power of this argument was resistless; even Weeks looked less skeptical than usual, and the gravity of conviction settled upon the features of the whole circle as they relapsed into silence. The silence had lasted some time when Blodget gravely took the pencil, wrote a few words and resumed his former position without uttering a word. Snudggers seized the paper as hastily as his diguity would permit, and read: with angels, but like swine, will grovel in | who, judging from his writing at this point, filth rather than seek fairer fields-he soon was highly excited. shall see his error." "The simile," said Jones, "so beautifully sim-." "Mr. Sulks" broke in the enraged Snudggers, "I am astonished to see this. I intended these investigations should not be more famous for their depth, than their originality-and here I detect, hidden in the nicest disguise, a base attempt at imitation, unworthy any member of this circle,-I hope I shall see no more such!" Sulks' look of grave importance changed to one supposed to be exceedingly familiar to shepherds; Jones color heightened at the misapplication of his favorite eulogy; Weeks seemed inwardly pleased; O. Sluppy abstracted as ever, and Blodget imperturb able. 66 Again the silence had lasted long, when Saudggers gravely said, "If there are any spirits present they will please tip the table." Every member of the circle held his breath as they saw the table slowly tip towards Blodget and O. Sluppy, and as slowly regain its former position. There they are," was the sententious remark of the celebrated Snudggers. "What a peculiar sensation" cried Jones, eager to wipe out the shame of his late blunder, "I felt as if I soared aloft on airy wings." -Will the spirits communicate with us to night?" asked Saudggers, "if so please tip the table,"the table rose. "Ask them if there is any hope for Ireand," said O. Sluppy, coming out of his abstract fit. "I wish you to hold your tongue," replied Snudggers, withering him with glance, I have a course of my own which I shall pursue." a 66 "O for a tongue to curse the slave Whose treason, like a deadly blight And blasts them in their hour of might!" sat perfectly silent, at this point jumped up Weeks, the skeptical, who heretofore had exclaiming, "I'll not take that in, I'm no sardine; nobody needn't tell me that old Blodget's paws didn't tip that table." Weeks," indignantly said Snudggers, cried Weeks highly excited "to be hum"you'r a fool." "I'm not fool enough," bugged by two such conceited and conStung by this slanderous insult on his fair temptible old noodles as you and Blodget." character, the dignified Snudggers for once forgot his dignity, and rising in trembling rage, he shook his fist in unpleasant proxworld's opinion-"You are too d-d ultra imity with Weeks' nose, and reiterated the to admit facts." Those words were like a spark in Weeks' magazine of wrath, he exfist, came in such a forcible contact with ploded, and a fragment. supposed to be his Snudggers' nose, that it sent that great personage reeling to the floor. A STRIKING ILLUSTRATION OF THE ODIOUS FORCE. As editor of these papers, I now arrive at a point where it becomes incumbent on me to cast some inferences, and draw some conclusion from the terminating incidents. I might tell you how some things nurse in themselves the seed of their own destruction:-I might tell you of other men, equally illustrious with the great Snudggers, whom ingratitude more strong than trai tor's arm. quite vanquished." But I will not. I will give the concluding scene in Learly the words of the late Mr. Snobs, "So the struck eagle, stretched upon the plain, Weeks tore furiously round, profanely exclaiming, "let me maul him, I'll give him spiritual rappings to his heart's content!" and he would doubtless have been as good as his word, but he was forcibly restrained from his charitable intentions, by Sulks and Jones. The great Snudggers rose to his feet, a beautiful exemplification of the sentiment, that : "Truth crushed to earth shall rise again." The hasty indiscretion of the moment was gone, and his mighty intellect was now clearly in the pursuit of knowledge under difficulties Smiling though the blood and tears which covered his face, he exclaimed, "Gentlemen, I consider this exhibition of the odious force, perfectly satisfactory. However unworthy," he continued glancing at the chafing Weeks "the instruments which Providence places in our hands, the truths arrived at through their instrumentality, are none the less beautiful. Through the agency of that base person, (pointing a scornful finger at Weeks) I saw the spiritual element revealed in the form of a thousand brilliant stars,-and I now arrive at the conclusion, that the odious force, though much more powerful, is of a similar character with Feline elec tricity." THE SEAT BY THE COTTAGE DOOR. Oh! sweet was the spot, by the side of the cot, Where we sat in the bright summer hours; A PRETTY PIECE OF BUSINESS. - An amusing incident occurred the other day in a fashionable private boarding house on street, Sacramento, in the following manner :-A young married couple, occuPying one of the front parlors on the ground floor, were startled by a gentle rap at the door, and simultaneously a faint noise, much resembling the cry of a young infant; and, on opening the door, found a beautiful child, about a month old, lying on the door-rug. The youthful bride, with excited and wondering surprise, strained her eyes to their utmost extent, as she started back exclaimgood heavens! where'd that come "Sure enough!" said her friend Mrs. emerging from a door-way opposite," why, somebody has left it there for you, no doubt!" Well, I won't have it! I want no children, except my own!" and stepping over it she ran to the door to see which way the supposed presumptuous donor had ran; meanwhile the husband of the lady, in a state of excitement and con ing: from?" Where the bees hummed all day, on the white blos- sternation, rushed out to the garden gate, somed spray. In love with the beautiful flowers. Where the sweet humming bird, scarce the rosepetals stirred, As it darted the tall sweet brier o'er, That clambered and spread, round the casement o'er head, Near the seat by the old cottage door. looking now one way and now the other, to endeavour to discover and bring back the unfeeling trespasser upon the hospitality and peace of strangers, declaring that it was "a pretty piece of business," and he'd "let e'm know that they had put it in the wrong box-this time." A simultaneous burst of laughter from a dozen voices, revealed to the unsuspecting couple that they had been "sold," as the baby had been borrowed for the occasion. 66 I wonder what is the matter with my watch," said a friend of ours in the presence of a little blue eyed girl of about five years of age" it stops and goes at intervals to suit itself-surely it must want cleaning." Oh no, papa, it cannot want cleaning," replied the little maid, "for yesterday I washed it well myself, and hung it on the clothes-line to dry, just the same way as Bridget does the clothes, papa, on washing day!" Ah you little puss you," said her father, laughing, "watches, my love, are not 66 cleaned in the same way as clothes are.' "No! papa ?" "No my child." Here the whole process of cleaning watches had to be fully explained to the intelligent little one before she could be fully satisfied of the difference between the two. How suggestive to parents that they be patient, and well informed, gentle and instructive, that in due season the seed thus sown may prodace a harvest of blessedness upon their own heads, as well as upon those of their children. RAFFLED OFF. Heigh ho! it's very strange that when a fellow is going along at a quiet easy sort of a jog, that people can't let him alone but no, they must keep chucking him under the ribs, and singing out, old Bach! old Bach old Bach! I'm tired of it, and if they don't quit, I'll whip somebody. There's an old woman over the way, who, every morning when I take the watering pot, and with my big straw hat, wrapper and slippers on, go into the garden, she must come to her door and laugh; if she don't mind, I'll bay a large dog, and then-but I know what ails her, she has a daughter-but she need'nt come over for any more books, and sit, and talk, and bother, and tell me that this ought to be fixed so, and this so-I am going to have things just as I like, and do just as I please. But let me tell you how I was served the other night. An old friend of mine turned Benedict, and I received a card intimating that my presence would be agreeable at a certain time. I was simple enough to go, and there I found quite a party of both sexes, including eight marriageable young ladies. During the evening several of the company commenced to twit me upon my tenacity to Bachelordom, and were quite Bevere. One cruel, heartless individual, proposed to raffle me off-just think of it! -raffle me off. The proposition took like wild-fire-a hat was instantly procured, and eight slips of paper prepared, seven blank, and one with my name inscribed thereon, indicating the prize. The company seemed to enjoy the fun (?) hughly, particularly the eight young ladies, who entered the scheme with an avidity only equalled by one Jack Warner, upon a certain occasion after a plum. The drawing commencedNo. 1, blank; No. 2, ditto; No. 3, same; No. 4-ha! the prize! Matilda Buckheart | How she was the fortunate young woman. was congratulated and envied, and how happy she looked. What an air of exultant pride she wore; and how they heaped their congratulations upon me, poor, miserable sinner that I was-sold! sacrificed to a freak of fortune, which made me the property of Miss Matilda Buckheart. Miss Matilda and myself met that evening for the first time, and in conversation with her just before the raffle, I learned that if she had many faults, she had at least one virtue, and that, the tact of speaking openly and freely-nothing superficial about herher expressions were uttered boldly, with no attempt to conceal simple facts. In form she was short and stout, with a large round face, as expressive as a baked applemouth very large, eyes very small. I was introduced to, and at once entered into conversation with her. How long have you been a resident of the valley, Miss B.?" "Do you like California?" Wal, I reckon I do-why, when I was in Missouri, I was right slim, just look now how fat I am!" And here she thrust a hand upon each hip, threw her shoulders back, opened her eyes to their full extent, and looked straight at me. How she startled me. I could but confess that she was looking remarkably well, but begged her to excuse me for a moment as I wished to speak with a friend in the adjoining room. I rushed out of the house and sat upon a log in the back yard until I recovered, when I ventured in again. And this was the young woman who had won me. Happy fellow! I need not tell you that I remonstrated against such a proceeding, and entered a solemn protest. A judge was appointed, who declared that everything had been done in strict accordance with law, and that beyond a doubt I was the property of Miss Buckheart-but upon one condition could be released, and that was, to be blind-folded and tied in a chair, when each of the eight young ladies BY J. D. BORTHWICK. We little thought when Mr. B. was a blue-shirted fellow miner and neighbor of ours, on Weaver Creek, in 1851; that (although a countryman of Robert Burns') "a chiel's amang ye taken notes, and faith he'll prent 'em," or we might have conducted ourselves with more decorum as chairman (on a pork-barrel) of the miner's meeting described in these pages. But how often is a man deceived by appearances-especially in California?—and how often too has the self-sufficient and impertinent clerk, who put on more airs than his employer, been reproved by the manly intelligence and hugh purse of the roughly clad miner? No wonder that "stove-pipes" then were at a discount, when they were chiefly associated with the empty and supercillious heads of "young bloods" or "gamblers; "and "purple and fine linen" with those who preyed upon the very vitals of a miner's earnings. Mr. Borthwick, however, has entered into the spirit of his labors, and presented to us a faithful and graphic picture of the early days of mining experiences in California; which, while it takes us back among the times and scenes of the past to amuse and instruct, also affords us an excellent opportunity for constrast with the present. Six years of change in a new and constantly changing State-especially in such an one as this are productive of great changes, indeed; and we say six years' because Mr. B. has written with "first CALIFORNIA FEVER IN THE STATES-THE START-NEW YORK ΤΟ PANAMA-SHIPBOARD-CHAGRES-CROSSING THE ISTH MUS-THE RIVER-CANOES-GORGONA. About the beginning of the year 1851, the rage for emigration to California from the United States was at its height. All sorts and conditions of men, old, young, and middle-aged, allured by the hope of acquiring sudden wealth, and fascinated in California, were relinquishing their existwith the adventure and excitement of a life ing pursuits and associations to commence a totally new existence in the land of gold. The rush of eager gold-hunters was so great, that the Panama Steamship Company's office in New York used to be perfectly mobbed for a day and a night previous to the day appointed for selling tickets for their steamers. Sailing vessels were despatched for Chagres almost daily, carrying crowds of passengers, while numbers went by the different routes through Mexico, and others chose the easier, but more tedious passage round Cape Horn. The emigration from the Western States was naturally very large, the inhabitants being a class of men whose lives are spent in clearing the wild forests of the West, and gradually driving the Indian from his hunting-ground. said, that they are never satisfied if there is Of these western-frontier men it is often any white man between them and sundown. They are continually moving westward; for as the wild Indian is forced to retire before them, so they, in their turn, shrinktheir own labors cause to appear around ing from the signs of civilization which them, have to plunge deeper into the forest, in search of that wild, border-life which has such charms for all who have ever experienced it. To men of this sort, the accounts of such a country as California, thousands of miles to the westward of them, were peculiarly |