the present day in scenes of amusement for the young, excepting spinning frolics and apple cuts.

At last, however, a down-Easter ventured his way over stones and stumps, with one horse and wagon loaded with puppets, and such an apparatus as would enable him to give an exhibition in buffoonery, as the citizens of Newton had never before witnessed, the corners of the streets, and the pumps thereof, with the two stores and two Inns, were soon placarded, setting forth an array of amusements, the like of which never occurred in the brightest days of Shakspeare. The hoop,- marbles, ball, and even books which had before pleased, had now lost their charms. Although every child's eye (with not a few adults) beamed with joy at an early hour of the day in anticipation of the announced evening's performance, still it was left for mine to droop in despondency. My father was absent from home about ten miles distant, in the exercise of his profession as a physician, and I further well knew that without his accompanying me I dared not "see the Elephant." The room where the puppets were to be exhibited was lighted-playmates running from every direction of the village to gain an entrance-with me all I supposed was lost, when to my great joy and satisfaction I discovered my father on horseback wending his way homeward. With tears in my eyes I asked him if I might go that night and see the puppets dance, which other boys had told me was a beautiful sight and had already commenced. He assured me it had not, although the door was opened for the reception of visitors, still the performance would not commence under half an hour; having full confidence in his word, and being taught prompt obedience, I became calm and resigned.

And in a few minutes taking his hand, I was conducted into a thronged assembly, greeted by instrumental music. On the rising of the curtain, a little old gentleman and lady, in height about eighteen inches, called Punch and Judy, made their appearance on a small stage or platform, very obsequiously bowing and courtseying to their audience; after which in strains of the warmest conjugal love-kissed with arms around each other's neck-Punch called upon the musician for an appropriate tune whereto he and his wife Judy might dance. The request was complied with, and the little old gentleman and lady commenced (which

I supposed was all real), several feats of agility, mostly confined to the feet-passed and repassed each other, hopped, jumped, wheeled about and turned about, to the great amusement of all the children present. Such was the ecstacy realized on my part that I cried for joy, which being observed by my aged sire caused him to smile-an evidence of his happiness in finding his son pleased, not however without a mixture of regret for my want of rationality. Punch and Judy finishing their dance, immediately made their exit, as I supposed into a rear room, upon which my father commenced a comment on the whole scene, as follows: "My son, what you have just seen was not real, but a mixture of imitations, or falsehood covered with disguise. Punch and Judy are nothing but pieces of inanimate matter, and every part of their bodies, covered and uncovered is the work of art and not of nature. The eyes are glass, the sockets in which they are set are formed out of wood by a carver, together with the ears, nose, mouth, chin, arms, hands, legs, and feet; the articulations of their joints are produced by small wires so constructed as to be governed by the draw of a larger one unseen to you, by a man behind that screen (pointing to a large piece of green baize about ten feet long, and reaching from the floor nearly to the ceiling). As he passed along in his explanations, he also defined in child-like style the meaning of imitation, disguise, inanimate, art; and at this latter word he took occasion to teach me the difference between art and science, and resuming the definition of words, explained to me the meaning of socket, carver, articulation (when applied to joints), constructed, governed, screen, which course he had always pursued, and subsequently practised throughout his life when in oral conversation. First scene closed as just named, a second opened by what was denominated in the bill of advertisement, babes in the wood, which was so represented as to show a wicked uncle contracting with two mercenaries for the death of a nephew and niece, aged about four and three years old, whereby he might obtain their large inheritance, which, being concluded, he made his exit. When the hired villains immediately on horseback conducted the children into a wild'erness of great extent-one more compassionate than the other refused to execute the murderous bargain, and in a quarrel with his relentless comrade

slew him and instantly fled, leaving the children alone wandering to and fro in the woods until nearly dark, without being able to retrace their steps-when for want of food, fatigue of the day, and exhaustion of strength, reposed themselves under the boughs of a mighty oak, and soon fell asleep in each other's arms, where robins covered them with leaves. The next day at the dawn of morning, renewed their efforts to find a way out of the woods, but fruitless as before, accompanied with loud lamentations, famished for want of food again about sun-set, cried or wept themselves to sleep-to awake no more on the shores of mortality, and in like manner the kind services of the bird covered their little bodies-succeeded immediately by a convoy of mimic angels conducting them above (in appearance) to the realms of bliss. The whole scene was solemn and imposing, causing like the first (though under different influence), tears again to flow down my little placid cheeks, creating at the same time in the countenance of my father evident satisfaction of pleasure in beholding the tender and virtuous emotions of my heart.

This second scene closed, there was yet a third to be presented, during the intervals of which my father made several comments on the inordinate love of money, which had so governed the uncle as to prompt the murderous act in connection with a diabolical violation of the tie of consanguinity, and all laws governing social, moral, and religious duties incumbent or binding on man.

Next the providence of God, in the kind offices of the robin, and although the appearance of an immediate conveyance of the children in the bosom of their heavenly father, was calculated to show the benefits that finally await the innocent, still he believed the representation of the angels to be a direct act of blasphemy.

The third and last scene introduced Punch and Judy, not however under the same influence or feelings of courtesy and respect for their audience, or in as happy and friendly a state of mind towards each other as in the first scene, but rushed upon the stage highly excited, and in language loud, criminating and recriminating each other, soon leading to blows.

In the height of which, the devil was represented as coming up from below, belching forth from his mouth sul

phuric flames, long tail, horns on his head-feet cloven, who without any ceremony, seized upon the rioters and conducted them below to the regions of interminable misery; this last scene caused me to shrink from fear, and clinging to the arm of my father, appeared to say-protect me; having as little knowledge of security as a little child of two years old with his head under mother's apron, or the ostrich when chased by the hunter mounted on horseback, on the ocean's beach thinks itself secure if in sand it can only cover its head.

On our way home he resumed further comments on the exhibition, observing first that the fear I manifested during the last scene was a natural inherent principle of man, and could only be removed by the grace of God, who would never withhold the consolation of peace and security from those who sincerely loved and kept his commandments.

Whereas "the wicked flee when no man pursueth," and I trust my son, your course of conduct through life will never cause you to be ashamed to live, or afraid to die, and as to the last scene of the puppets which we witnessed this evening, I am clear in the opinion as in the second that it was profane and alien in the sight of Heaven.

And the principal reason for not permitting you to visit those kind of shows or exhibitions without my presence, is to protect and guard your mind against poisonous, false, and erroneous implantations, which otherwise might be made, and although I would not carry out in your education to the full extent of certain measures which the Spartans practised (particularly in making their servants drunk in order to show their children the evils therefrom), still such is the power and force of ocular demonstrations (that in subsequent years should our lives be spared), I may deem it proper to let you visit a theatre, where you may see pictured almost to life in the tragedy of the Gamester, the baneful influence of gambling.

In the London Apprentice, or sometimes called George Barnwell, the blighting influence on a youth, who, when basking in the mild sunshine of innocence and virtue, was caught like a bird in the fowler's snare by a wicked Millwood, whose fatal charms allured, seduced, and at last dragged him down into a gulf of infamy, shame, and

misery, accompanied with blushes of conscious guilt-a thief- -a fornicator, and afterwards-the murderer of his beloved uncle, for which latter deed he expired on an ignominious gallows.

And although Barnwell's tender age, without counsel, father or mother, may have caused him to become an easier prey still, "All for Love, or the World well lost," shows that a wicked cunning woman in the person of a Cleopatra could seduce and hurl from his kingdom, even the cool, sagacious Anthony, at a moment, too, when he sought her destruction as queen of Egypt.

The tragedies of "Julius Cæsar," and that of "Richard the Third," point to plunder, blood and carnage, without regard to age or sex, as the legitimate offspring of inordinate ambition, while it is left for an Othello to show the despicable character of a liar and a mischiefmaker, in causing seeds of jealousy to be so sown and rooted in the mind of a husband by a villanous Iago, as not only to destroy the strong bond of true conjugal affection, but lead to the death of a fond and affectionate wife, as represented in the beautiful and innocent Desdemona, and afterwards again by the same hand the assassination of him whose diabolical plot in creating jealousy had its origin in covetousness, desiring the station of Cassio, whose overthrow he only contemplated without any design upon the natural life of Desdemona, though through slander he was willing to doubly murder her.

Although a kind explanation with comments had been furnished by my father in relation to the exhibition just witnessed, with several unseen theatrical amusements, still I was left in ignorance as to the true cause by which the puppets appeared to speak or move, and notwithstanding during certain seasons (when not in time and place), he was very austere and repulsive, yet sacrificed much in answering all my childish questions, and a great number seemed rather to please than if I remained a mute, idle, or unobserving child. "My son, the seemed conversation of the puppets to which you so attentively listened this evening, proceeded from the same man who I told you held the long wire behind the screen, by an art, styled ventriloquism, possessed but by few persons, and a dangerous talent often producing death; as instead of naturally rising from the lungs it is drawn up from the