the desert, like a great thought which lifts itself occasionally from the arid surface of a soul which time and sorrow have strewn with desolation. I meditated over these monuments through all the accidents and all the hours of the day. Sometimes, the same sun which had seen laid the foundations of these glorious cities, went down, in majestic splendor before me, upon their ruins. Sometimes, the moon, lifting her orb through the pure heavens, and pouring her mild radiance over broken urns and scattered dust, revealed to me the pale tenements of the dead. Oftentimes, under the ray of that trembling star which wooes the soul to revery, I have fancied the genius of memory seated all pensive at my side." "But I forbid myself to dig into the coffined secrets of the departed, where I disturbed but too often the repose of guilty dust. I wished to see if the races of living men would present to my contemplation more of virtue or less of sorrow, than departed nations. As I walked one day, in a great city, in passing behind a gorgeous palace, in a retired and deserted court, I perceived a statue which pointed with its marble finger to a spot made famous by a sacrifice. I was struck with the solemn stillness of the place. The wind alone, sighed mournfully around the tragic marble. A few laborers were seated, with an air of indifference, about the foot of the statue, and idly whistled as they plied their stone dressing craft. I asked of them what meant that monument. But few of them could, with difficulty, tell me its import, and the others were totally ignorant of the catastrophe which it cominemorated. Nothing could have given me a more just estimate of the events of life and the littleness of man! Where now are those who filled the world with the noise of their amazing pomp? Time makes a step, and the entire earth is changed." "I sought, above all things, in my travels, artists and those divine men of song, who celebrate the gods, with the music of the lyre, and sing the happiness of nations which honor law, religion, and the tomb. These children of song are of heavenly origin, and possess the only celestial talent known upon earth. Their life is at once simple and sublime; they celebrate the gods in golden numbers, and are at the same time the most artless of men, they are either superhuman or as little children; they expound the laws of the universe, and are unable to comprehend the most trivial affairs of ordinary life; they have sublime ideas of death, yet pass as unconsciously from life, as new-born babes." "Upon the mountains of Caledonia, the last bard, whose voice of song had disturbed the silence of those desert places, recited to me the poetic numbers in which a hero of old, consoled his declining age. We were seated upon the moss-eaten rocks; a torrent rolled its waters at our feet, a roe-buck sped past at a distance, and was lost amid the ruins of a fallen tower, and the sea-breeze swept mournfully over the heath of Cona. Now, christianity, daughter also of the mountains, has planted the cross upon the monuments of the heroes of Morven, and has swept the harp of David, by the borders of the same stream which heard the wail of Ossian's minstrelsy. As peaceful, as the divinities of Selma were warlike, she tends innocent flocks on the battle-fields of Fingal, and into the darkness where murderous phantoms dwelt, she has sent her angels of light and her ministers of peace." [To be continued.] THE UNITED STATES ILLUSTRATED; IN VIEWS OF CITY AND COUN- TRY. EDITED. Six numbers of this interesting work, each containing four engravings, have been issued. The subjects illustrated, have been selected under the guidance of a discriminating judgement, and engraved in a style highly creditable to the artist. But the work commends itself to the patronage of the west upon other grounds: the interesting views which it contains of western scenery are calculated to invite those who travel for either pleasure or profit to visit the Mississippi and Missouri, instead of limiting their excursions, as heretofore, exclusively to the Eastern States. Among the engravings published, we notice Itasca Lake, Falls of St. Anthony, Little Falls of St. Anthony, Brown's Falls, Fort Snelling, Mouth of the St. Croix River, Cliffs below St. Paul, and Nauvoo. For sale by C. Witter, No. 38 Walnut street, St. Louis. Price, single number, 50 cents; single volume $5. VENICE; THE CITY OF THE SEA. By EDMUND FLAGG, late Consul of the United States at the port of Venice-Author of "The Far West," The Howard Queen," &c. &c. This work, in 2 vols., has been received this month, and is for sale by Adams, 112 Fourth street. Price $2.25. Various reasons combine to render it one of peculiar interest. We intend to state them at length and publish a review of its merits soon; and hope that this production of western intellect may be universally read and liberally reviewed by the literati of the West--that they may study to promote a system of mental economy, to save an immense waste of talent, stimulate many a germ of genius, and develop the intellectual resources of the material-minded people of the Mississippi Valley. Fragment of Faust.* FROM THE GERMAN OF GOETHE. Bells ring and Choir sing. CHORUS OF ANGELS. Christ is arisen! Joy to all mortal men, FAUST. What deep, pure humming, what a clear bright tone, The Easter-festival's first hallowed hour? CHORUS OF WOMEN. With spice and incense, We embalmed him with care, We, faithful, intense, With sad hearts, laid him there; We cleanly wrapped 'round, Ah! though these finding CHORUS OF ANGELS. Christ rose to ensure FAUST. What seek ye earnestly and kind, Ye heavenly tones in dust here earthly? Ring ye around where yielding men ye find. The message I hear well, faith only is unbirthly; Faust, having devoted himself to the learning of the world and mastered it, feels disgust at its emptiness, and, in despair of any satisfaction on earth, determines to commit suicide. On the eve of the day which commemorates the Resurrection of Christ he puts the chalice to his lips.-Junior Editor. In wonder is faith lovingly enshrin'd, Yet was I used in youth to love to hear this tone; The kiss of heavenly-love, with tender rush, Thrilled me when young on solemn Sabbath mornings, And then the bell-tones rang full of mysterious warnings, And prayer was then a burning joyous gush; A mild, unspeakably mild longing Made me through woods and meadows far off go. I felt a world within me grow. This song announces sports of youth, their lively pealing, Kind recollection holds me now with child-like feeling Oh! sound forth now your sweet, your heavenly strain, CHORUS OF FOLLOWERS. Now has the buried one, His loved ones, has he not! CHORUS OF ANGELS: Christ is arisen! From corruption's womb, he, Ye who praise him in deed, The stringency experienced in the money market for some time past, and the prospect of a war between Russia and Turkey having changed the commercial aspects of this and other countries, we have concluded to place before the public the result of our reflections touching the consequences of these events. If we recur to the industrial history of the United States, we shall find no period in which the people have been more generally employed or better rewarded for their labor, than during the last three years; nor has there been a time, we believe, when labor was more wisely directed. Why, then, should a difficulty arise in the money market, especially when we are receiving gold from California at the rate of about $5,000,000 per month? We answer, because the demand for money arising from the excessive importation and consumption of foreign commodities, the expansion in the price of all kinds of property, the accumulation of the precious metals in the public treasury, and the numerous railroad schemes recently projected, exceed the supply. Credit accumulating, became too abundant, and being subject to the laws which govern the price of other commodities, dealers became cautious and would purchase only the best qualities. The lower grades depreciated and ceased to be marketable, confidence, one of the principal agents of commerce, was weakened, and the necessity of supplying its place with money at a short notice, required unusual exertions, well calculated to create a panic. It is fortunate for the country, however, that this state of things occurred at so early a period, for, even if money could |