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Peaceful as the nature of the frog is, he has many enemies, and especially is the watchful stork the most dangerous to him at night. The crow too annoys him, and even men join in the persecution. To the epicure his delicate thighs are always dainties. One French cook, a cruel tormentor, in the time of Napoleon, realized from his peculiar "frog-pastries,' a fortune of two hundred thousand francs. Even Science makes war upon him. How many does the knife of the anatomist dissect! how many breathe their last gasp under the air-pump's exhauster! and even upon the half-dead the galvanic battery exercises its powers.

Thus celebrated has the frog become in nature's catalogue. His wonderful transformations, from the fish-like egg to a Stentor with powerful lungs, are strange changes enough to attract the notice and study of man. We have read a good deal, and scribbled some, about the butterfly and its mysterious chrysalis, as beautiful images of immortality, and so they are. Has not this little animal similar striking traits? He has, besides, a prognostic sense of the weather, when Jupiter Pluvius will open the flood-gates of heaven, and when Phoebus, after cloudy days, will again ascend the skies in his chariot of gold. Thus he enioys a kind of prophetic authority. The Koran relates that when the Chaldeans had cast Abraham into the flames, the frogs kindly came to his deliverance, spitting into the fire and extinguishing it. Hence Mahommed commanded them to be respected, for having saved the patriarch fron a fiery death.

With the songsters of the fields and the woods, in the height of summer, the frog grows mute, concealing himself in his hole: the spiritual part of him falling asleep, the whole animal becomes changed. Here, without fresh air or food, he lies and freezes, to be reanimated again, like a spring-born child of our earth. For the space of twice ten years thus his life endures, between the summer's joys and a long winter sleep.

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Not all thy glory, gentle morn, can turn that gloom to gold,

Nor all thy silver lure a star to light a single fold;

For, like a banner weirdly wove in wild Campania's

loom,

That cloudlet's volume swells aloft, as dark and dead as doom.

Good-night fair moon!-good night again, pale

I've

That

captive to the cloud;

seen a dearer light than thine extinguished by

the shroud.

cloud is edged with silver now; its gloom is

webbed with gold;

The stars shine through it everywhere-a pearl in

every fold!

THE TOILET.

(Specially from Paris.)

FIRST FIGURE.-Dress of cigar-coloured silk, with a half-long skirt surmounted by a puffing of the same, bordered at top and bottom with a narrow velvet to match, put on like flounces and in small flutes. Tunic in front and behind. Close-fitting jacket of the same form as the tunic, and caught up in the same style. Velvet waistband. The body closes straight down in front; the sleeves are tight, ornamented in the epaulet style, with velvet like that on the tunic; the same velvet is put at the end and runs up the side, forming a point near the elbow. Collar and cuffs of stitched cambric. Fanchon bonnet of cigar-coloured velvet, with tea-roses at the side, and black lace barbs. Russia leather boots. Kid gloves.

SECOND FIGURE.-Dress of green Pékiné satin, with a train and quite plain; black velvet jacket raised at the sides, cut round in front and behind, trimmed with a cigarette fringe in gimp; bows of narrow satin mixed with gimp made very full, and fastened down in the middle with a velvet agrafe in the butterfly form. Black satin waistband. Small butterfly bow placed at the end of the sleeves. Black velvet ribbon and diadem comb in the hair. Black satin boots.

Short dresses for the street, the promenade, and the dance are just now in the ascendant; but the skirts for walking costume are not quite so short as they were, while those for evening dress are decidedly shorter. Dinner dresses, on the contrary, are made with extremely long trains, and the Polignac, which is one of the newest and most elegant dinner toilets, requires thirty-eight yards of silk! Striped satins of the richest description are being used for petticoats, and these stripes are usually of the brightest colours. Judging by the style of dress in this gay capital one would think that

purses filled to repletion were the order of the day; for velvets, changeable-silks, and brocaded satins of the most gorgeous appearance, and fabulous price, shine and scintillate and glow wherever fashion gathers its followers together.

Watteau skirts are worn over satin jupons, one of black velvet garnished with guipure looked remarkably well over a skirt of Grenadier satin.

For grand dinners, petites soirées, and the opera, low dresses are much less worn than in bygone years. These are reserved for réunions dansantes, and instead of them open or square corsages are worn, which are becoming to everyone. If very much dressed, the corsage is simply ornamented with a Valenciennes, tucked within it. The throat is discovered, and a medallion suspended by a velvet completes the toilet.

If less dressed, a guimpe of white muslin, richly trimmed with Valenciennes and a jabot, in which a woman of taste puts two or three bright things of diamonds, rubies, or emeralds. Poplins, especially, Irish poplins, are in great demand this season. The light colours make up charmingly for evening dress, and they have this advantage, that, when soiled, they will dye and look equal to new; while a dyed silk is never fit for anything but a house-dress.

Cloth dresses, or suits, are also in vogue, and, trimmed with fur, are the ideal of winter dress.

Walking dresses, which are usually made with two skirts, may be economised in expensive materials by having the under-one half composed of Alpaca or twill. Corsages, when open, are frequently made with revers another colour, or piped with the contrasting colour of the dress. For brunettes, black and button-d'or or gold colour is much in request.

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