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administration of justice was in all lands better than it had previously been at home. The continuous feuds between tribes, and the internal party strifes, which had previously disturbed many countries, also ceased. The tyranny of the Emperors, whose memories are branded in history, rested more especially on the Roman aristocracy, and not, at least much less, upon the provinces.

The union of the various parts of this large empire with cach other and with the centre of power was now restored on a gigantic scale; the means and ways of intercommunication became manifold; a network of well-built military and public roads extended itself gradually over the whole empire; and the national post, which had already been established by the first Emperor, was extended into all provinces.

The establishment of the Monarchy was, therefore, for the greater portion of the people and individuals united under the Roman sceptre, a beneficent event. Many lands, as Gaul, Spain, Africa, also Egypt and Syria obtained greater security in their possessions and rights; they took part in the general intercommunication and life, as this was carried forward between the three parts of the world which lay around the Mediterranean Sea, and their present blooming state compared favorably with its previous condition before they had been incorporated into the Roman Empire.

PYRAMIDS IN TAHITI.

Our repast over, the Tahitian beckoned me to follow him, and leading the way through an entangled glen, amidst rocks and waterfalls, he came upon an extensive pile of stonework in the form of a low pyramid, having a flight of steps on each side. My surprise was great at the sight of such a structure in an island where the best houses are built of bamboo. I found that on pacing the building, it was about 200 ft. long by about 95 ft. broad, and from 40 ft. to 50 ft. high. The foundation of this remarkable structure consisted of rock stones, the steps being of coral, squared with considerable neatness, laid with the utmost regularity; and the entire mass appeared as compact as if it had been erected by Europeans. The size of many of the blocks is remarkable, but they bear no marks of the chisel, nor is it easy to understand how they were transported by savages unacquainted with mechanical science, from the sea-shore to their present position. Who could have raised this imposing mass? was a question that involuntarily arose in the mind. It is scarcely possible that the present race of islanders, or even their ancestors, could have performed such a task. They are unacquainted with mechanics, or the use of iron tools to shape their stones with. From all that could be gleaned from the guide, and from other natives afterwards, I felt convinced that they knew nothing of its history, for as it was beyond their comprehension, they naturally said it was built by the gods, and was as old as the world.-Colburn's United Service Magazine.

CAN A STAGE-DRIVER REFRAIN FROM SWEARING?

BY THE EDITOR.

It is a fact, known to all observers, that profane swearing always abounds most extensively along our public thoroughfares. If the oaths that fall along the lines of our rail-roads and canals were all congealed into some visible form, they would be found to lie along all these routes thick as pebbles along water courses, or the leaves "in the vale of Valambrosa." What a resurrection there will one day be along these lines, and how the lightning of God's justice and judgment will kindle up to horrid flame among these heaps of wrath "treasured up against the day of wrath!"

Men are sometimes inclined to imagine, that, in this respect, the former times were better than the present. We are, however, of opinion, that the only reason why there was less profane swearing in former times is because there were less inhabitants in the country; and there were not so many thoroughfares to which this miserable vice could be gathered, and thus be brought under the public eye. It is, however, not necessary that we should decide this question now. Certain it is, that there was enough of it in former times, and there is as much of it now as ever the devil himself can desire to see.

How fearfully this wickedness prevailed among the old time stage drivers, we had opportunities of knowing in crossing the Allegheny Mountains in the stage on several different occasions. The defiant crack of the whip, and the accompanying oath, seemed to belong together, so that the one was as often heard as the other. Had the oaths uttered in a single one of those trips of two days and two nights been written down and printed, they would have filled a very respectably sized volume! Had every oath barked a tree, there would not have remained a single unscathed tree within ten miles of the turnpike, between Philadelphia and Pittsburg. We still shudder at the bare recollection of the profanity of those drivers -a perfect generation of ghouls and harpies, they seemed to be.

Only one trip-and that the last time we crossed those mountains in the stage-only one trip we made, when there was no swearing, save only by the first driver, during the first ten miles. The reader is anxious to know how that came to pass, and he shall know.

This last trip of old time Allegheny mountain staging, we made in the winter of 1843. Reaching the road at a point on the east side of the mountain, we applied for a seat for Pittsburg. We were informed that the stage was running full of through passengers, and that the prospect of getting in was poor. Sure enough, so we found it. When the stage arrived, every seat was occupied.

The only course left us was to stay behind, or to take a seat outside with the driver, hoping that some of the passengers would at times exchange with us for a short distance, as we had done with others on former trips. In this, however, we were disappointed. The cold weather, and the snow which then already commenced falling, and which fell on us eighteen inches thick during the first night, made the insiders proof against all politeness. They had evidently not only read Chesterfield in vain, but also a great portion of the Bible. Our greatest comfort in the face of this selfishness was, that we had been capable of something better towards a friendly lawyer, whom we took with us a few winters before from Wheeling to Hagerstown, relieving him nearly half the time.

As we had plenty of selfishness and snow, we were determined that we would have no swearing in our part of the box, if there were any way to prevent it. With this in view, we began to set our ingenuity to work. Our object was to prevent each successive driver from swearing, to have an opportunity to deliver a lecture on the wickedness of the practice to each one, and to do all this without giving offence. The plan to be pursued must meet all these ends. This was the business on hand.

The first ten miles, as already intimated, we had to hear with patience; but before we got to the end of that driver's course, our plan was devised. As soon as we were mounted beside our new driver, something like the following conversation was had be

tween us:

"Who," we asked, "is the man that drove us over the last beat?" "His name is John Cowder."

"Has he been driving long on the road?"

"O yes, about twelve or fifteen years."

"He seems to be a good driver. I was delighted to see how well he manages his horses; practice makes perfect."

"First-rate driver-been long enough on the road."

"But I was surprised to find that he had one shockingly bad habit"

"Dont drink a drop, as I know on."

"That is a fine thing; as a man who has a load of human life behind him ought certainly to keep sober. But he swears awfully !" "That he does."

"I have not heard such terrible swearing for many a day." "That's so he is a boy at that."

"It was very unpleasant to ride beside him, and to be compelled to hear it. He even swore at his faithful horses without any cause. He seems not even to know when he doos swear."

"Not him-it's as natural to him as to eat. He dos'ent know half the time when he does swear."

"That shows that he has followed the practice for a long while." "O yes, ever since I know him, and that's ten years-he is a great swearer-kind a'rough manners and ways he's got about him

"Is it possible he has been so long accustomed to such a wicked practice? But is it not a singular habit? And just as foolish and wicked as it is strange."

"That's what I often said. There's no earthly use in it. Just a fashion; and, as you say, a foolish fashion. And it is'ent right in the bargain. It's forbid in the commandments-them as is out of the Bible, we used to learn by heart in school."

"Certainly it is forbidden; and God says He will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.'"

"Yes, them's the words."

It is not necessary to relate the whole conversation which extended over his whole route to the next stopping place. Only, as the reader may suppose, we made out to bring forward every consideration against the wicked practice we could muster-showing that the habit is meaningless, useless, unmanly, disrespectful to men, and hateful in the sight of God. We related to him the famous story of "Pipes and tobacco, tobacco and pipes," which so effectually ridicules the senselessness of profanity. We gave him the benefit of all the instances we knew of sudden judgments which had fallen upon profane persons in the very act! In short, we entertained him to the utmost of our ability on the subject. Besides, we got him to say yes, to every word, and at times even to help us along in the work by remarks of his own.

He

We got along finely together, agreeing fully on every feature of the subject. Between us we did full justice to the subject. did not swear a single time! Whether it was not his habit to swear, we are not able to say; but certain we are, that once in his life he drove over his beat without indulging in it. If this was not the first time, he heard wholesome doctrine enough to make it his last, provided he benefited by our mutual canvass of the subject.

"Ho! ho!" we were at the station. We parted good friends; and he actually seemed to have formed an attachment to his travelling companion; for he turned and said, "Safe journey," as we mounted the box for another beat.

As soon as our new driver had taken his sent beside us on the box, and had turned his team fairly out upon the pike, the following conversation began:

"Who is the driver that brought us to this station?"

"His name is Tom Burky."

"He seems to be a good driver, and a very pleasant fellow."

"He is all that-have known him this many a day."

"I found the greatest difference between him and the one before him."

"Cowder? But he's a first rate driver too?”

"O yes, he knows how to manage his horses. But I found him such a dreadful swearer; don't think I ever head so much swearing in the same time."

"I tell you, he is good at that too."

"But what a difference between him and the last one. He did not swear a single time in the whole route; and I find he condemns the practice in toto. I have heard persons say, that most of stagedrivers swear; but so far as my experience goes, he is an exception certainly."

But there's no use in it.

"Good deal of swearing on the road Just a fashion-and not a very nice one at that." "When I heard that the other driver was so much given to it, I was only the more pleased to hear nothing of the kind from the last one."

"O yes, Tom and me's great friends-always been so. He's got some respect for himself. And, just as you say, swearing is a mean practice anyhow."

"I believe all men regard it in that light. Even those who are in the habit of it, do not defend it as either nice or necessary."

This brought us fairly into the subject. The reader may be sure it was kept up through the whole route as before. Our new friend gave us all the aid we could ask, assenting to all we said, and putting in his own remarks, if for nothing else, to convince us that he was on the right side of the important question. We had the whole thing, and agreed perfectly! If any thing, the old conversation had increased in interest and point, as we ourselves got better command of the subject by exercise. If ever the sin of profane swearing got a good overhauling, it was from the combined endeavors of the two occupants of that stage box. The reader may be sure, that there was no swearing from that box and from that driver; and we parted mutually as good friends at the end of his

route.

Mounted beside our next driver we, of course, repeated the same introduction, the same lecture, with the same application. There was only this difference, that we had now two good examples to set over against one swearing driver. Keeping the same background, the noble figures in our picture increased in number. Thus "as the tale grew longer the tub grew stronger." Besides this, we grew more familiar with our subject, and were enabled to enrich our illustrations of the meanness and wickedness of profanity. As present company" did not swear! no offence was taken at any thing that was said; on the contrary, all was endorsed frankly and often with zeal and emphasis.

We shall never forget one of the drivers, who, as we well saw, found it not a little difficult to maintain his position among our "excellent examples" over against the poor sinner with whom our ride began. Just as he was halting his stage before te Hotel in Greensburg, a parcel of hogs, that had been driven out of the yard, rushed wildly in among his horses. "Clear out you"-exclaimed our driver who was still on the box beside us He checked himself at the word "you," but barely soon enough; for we heard a kind of after initial sound of a word, which indicated that he intended to add something more-perhaps dunces, or something of the kind; but nothing was heard save the single initiatory d-! As he was one of the drivers that did not swear, and had, as we are witness, not sworn through his whole beat, charity requires us to suppose that he intended to say "dumb dunces" or something of that kind!

In due time we entered Pittsburg. It was the most interesting

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