M'me de Blinval has returned to her estate at Berry. In the beautiful days of summer, at the foot of an old willow, on a seat of moss fragrant with wild thyme, may be often seen two pretty young girls, conversing pleasantly together, with a basket of cherries beside them, and a beautiful goat lying at their feet on the flowery turf.

If there is anything in this world for which Mark Forrester has a dislike, it is a great, proud, noisy peacock. I am willing to admit that so far as outside appearances go, they are very gaudy, and I suppose many people would call them beautiful; but there seems to be so much show and parade about them, so much pride and importance about all their movements, that I always associate them in my mind with a pop-gun. I can endure the strutting of a huge gobble turkey very well. His movements are generally upon the shabbygenteel order, and he shows himself to be humbug at once. But he

is a useful bird, and I am inclined to overlook his follies for the good he does. But the peacock is harbored principally for ornament, and has very few pretensions to usefulness.

A few days since I went a short distance into the country to visit an old acquaintance. He resides in a still, secluded spot, down in a valley, shaded with trees, which exhibits every appearance of a peaceable home. This is just such a place as I should like to live in, said I to my friend, as we were walking over his garden. I had no sooner spoken these words than a great peacock, which sat upon an old tree a short distance off, commenced his disagreeable yelling. I am sure the noise of the Indians, spoken of by Miles Hawthorne, cannot be much worse. And the most provoking part of it was that he seemed to be calling me, "Old Mark! Old Mark!" After getting entirely out of breath, he put on a most vain appearance, and spread out his tail until it was larger than a cart-wheel, eying me all the while, as though I had come all the way to see and admire him. He was a fine-looking bird, and if he could have left off all appearance of vanity, I might have been tempted to applaud his performance.

It may be that I was offended at his calling me names. You have doubtless all heard of Teddy, the Irishman. Teddy was returning from work, one evening, and I suppose he was not just then strictly a temperance man. Well, he sat down on the bank of a pond to rest. Just then a frog put up his head and began to sing, "Teddy got drunk! Teddy got drunk!" "Shut your mouth, ye spalpeen," said Teddy. "I have taken no dhrap the day at all at all ;" and splash went a big stone at the offender's head. The noise started other frogs, and in a few moments Teddy had more than he could do to silence their slanders. At length the row became general, and Teddy was obliged to give up in despair and go home; but he always shunned the pond afterwards.

A person went into a shoemaker's shop to purchase a pair of boots. The price was three dollars, and he gave the shoemaker a ten dollar bill, which he was obliged to get changed in an adjoining store. After the purchaser had been gone some time the merchant discovered that the ten dollar bill was counterfeit, and he at once returned it to the shoemaker, who gave him good money for it. Now the question is, how much did the shoemaker lose?

I GAVE you, on a preceding page, a sketch of diamond mines. I now have a word or two to say about tin. Tin has been found in several countries, but very few mines have proved of any great value. The tin mines of Cornwall, England, are the best. It is supposed that these mines have been worked over two thousand years. There are between twenty and thirty now in use. descent to them is by a perpendicular pit called a shaft. A rope with a bucket, or kibbut, at each end, is fixed to a windlass at the top, and a load carried up and another one down at the same time. The descent in one of these buckets is rather hazardous, though accidents rarely occur.

The

When the vein of ore is first discovered, it is frequently less than an inch thick; but as the miners follow it, it increases, and becomes more valuable. The adjoining rock is blasted with gunpowder, to get at the ore conveniently. Frequently the vein ceases abruptly, as if it had been suddenly snapped off. When such is the case, experienced miners soon discover the disconnected part, and proceed again in their excavations. The tin mines now worked at Polgooth, in Cornwall, are nearly seven hundred feet in depth. The water which accumulates at the bottom of the mines is generally pumped out by steam-engines of great power. Sometimes, when the mine

is on high ground, the workmen pierce a passage from the bottom sloping downwards to the level country, to let the water run off. These passages are called adits, and they are sometimes dug at the expense of several years' labor.

When the ore is brought to the surface of the earth, it is thrown into heaps, and broken with large hammers. In this broken state it is carried to the stamping-mill, where it is turned into a sloping trough, and a small stream of water assists it in sliding down into the case where the lifters work. These are pieces of timber, shod with large masses of iron; they are raised and let fall again by a water-wheel. The ore is repeatedly washed before it is brought to be melted. When melted, it runs into large oblong moulds, each of which contains about three hundred weight of pure tin. It must now be conveyed to some one of the stannary towns, to be marked and assayed, or, as they call it there, coined. This is done by officers appointed by the Duke of Cornwall. They cut off one corner, and then stamp it with the proper seal and the name of the melter. This gives assurance to the purchaser that it is pure tin, and tells all whom it may concern that the duty, which is four shillings on a hundred weight, has been paid. There are laws, called stannary laws, by which all these mines are regulated. Every case relating to them must be tried before their own courts, and cannot be removed elsewhere.

The whole conduct of the mine and miners is under one person, called the captain of the mine. Beside knowing the proper methods of getting the ore out of the rock, he must have some knowledge of mechanics, algebra, and geometry. He would be unfit for the office, if he could not at any time point out, upon the surface of the earth, the spot exactly over that where the miners were operating; so that, if it should be necessary to sink another shaft, he could conduct it perpendicularly down to the very spot where it is wished for though at a great depth in the earth, and notwithstanding all the windings of the mine.

Tin has been found in the mountains of Saxony, in Germany; in Spain, near Portugal; in some parts of Asia; and in South America. A mine is also in existence in the island of Banca, near Sumatra.

M. F. Well, this is a storm. When I gave out the subject, water, at our last meeting, I did not anticipate the pleasure of coming to see you with a wet jacket. But I see you have a good warm fire, so I shall soon be comfortable. I am glad to see so many new faces here to-night. Be assured, none of you will regret your time spent in search after knowledge.

Henry I hope you will tell us about the clouds and rain tonight. It is a subject closely connected with water.

M. F. We shall not reach that at present. The formation of clouds, and the causes of rain and snow, are not easily understood. Yet, by and by, I hope to be able to discuss the subject so as to give