THE GARDEN.-DECEMBER.

"Full knee-deep lies the winter snow,
And the winter winds are wearily sighing;
Toll ye the church-bell sad and slow,
And tread softly and speak low,
For the old year lies a dying."

Bedding Plants.-See that these are abundantly supplied with air when the weather serves. Water with care, and early in the morning, as nothing is more injurious than damp. The soil must not be allowed to get too dry; and if the drainage is perfect, they will bear a good supply when necessary, but it must not be allowed to lie about. It is also a good thing to make fires occasionally, giving with them a great abundance of air, to regulate the temperature. If preserved in cold pits, much less water must be made to serve than where there are means to dry it up. Be sure to guard against exciting them into growth at present.

Rose Garden.-It is a practice with some good Rose-growers to take up, at this season, all Teascented and other Roses requiring protection, and lay them by their heels under a north wall, so close that they may be readily protected. On a small scale, I have found it to answer perfectly. The planting of hardy varieties should be deferred for a time now, unless the weather should be particularly open and mild. See that all newly-planted ones are well mulched, and secured from winds.

Florists' Flowers. For general directions see preceding calendars. Carnations and Picotees should be sheltered through the winter from cutting winds. Those in store pots in cold pits will require plenty of

Herbaceous Garden.-The frosts have now de-air and careful watering, keeping them rather dry stroyed every vestige of beauty in this department for some time. See that ample protection is afforded to all choice and tender sorts, as we may reasonably anticipate severe weather; and if the sites of the plants are well marked, a slight pricking over will do the borders no harm, and looks much neater. Leave nothing standing that is likely to decay: it is both unsightly and injurious. Cuttings of Hollyhocks may be put in on a gentle bottom-heat, and seedling plants pricked out, which, with care, will flower next year.

than wet. If the weather proves severe, most of the beds, and patches of bulbs, should have a liberal covering of decayed leaves-particularly such as Lilium lancifolium, Turban Ranunculus, Ixias, and others of the like tenderness. Dahlias, of course, are all up and partially dried in an airy shed. The stems may now be cut off, and the roots stored secure from frost and damp, with the stems downwards. Small copper wire is the best material to fasten the labels to the roots; and, with care, will last many years.--J. W. C.

OUR CONSERVATORY.

VENUS AKESTRIA.

BY W. ALLINGHAM.

O Maryanne, you pretty girl,
Intent on silken labour,
Of sempstresses the pink and pearl,
Excuse a peeping neighbour.

Those eyes, for ever drooping, give
The long black lashes rarely:
But violets in the shadows live;
O raise them full and fairly!

Hast thou not lent that flounce enough
Of looks so long and earnest?
Lo, here's more "penetrable stuff,"
To which thou never turnest.

Ye graceful fingers, deftly sped!

How slender and how nimble !

O, might I wind their skeins of thread,
Or but pick up their thimble!

How blest the youth whom love shall bring,
And happy stars embolden,
To change the dome into a ring,
The silver into golden.

Who'll steal some morning to her side
To take her finger's measure;
While Maryanne pretends to chide,
And blushes deep with pleasure.

Who'll watch her sew her wedding-gown,
Well conscious that it is hers;
Who'll glean a tress without a frown,
With those so ready scissors,

Who'll taste those ripenings of the south
The fragrant and delicious--
Don't put the pins into your mouth
O Maryanne, my precious!

I almost wish it were my trust
To teach how shocking that is;

I wish I had not, as I must,
To quit this tempting lattice.

Sure aim takes Cupid, fluttering foe,
Across a street so narrow;

A thread of silk to string his bow-
A needle for his arrow!

-Fraser's Magazine.

THOUGHTFUL HOURS: BY A FAST MAN.

Husband and wife should run together on an equality: it is dangerous for either to take the lead. The most difficult driving is that of a tandem! * *

Be not too ready to pronounce that, what you think a bad youth, will necessarily become a bad man. Yonder sturdy oak may have grown from an acorn that had been rejected by a hog! * *

How often we hear the harsh expression"A good-natured fool!"-as if the milk of human kindness was always adulterated-like our common milk in London-with calves' brains!

For a heavy fellow to try poetry, is like a hod-man marching up Jacob's ladder loaded with bricks.

Your gentlemen, who are mad about ancient

descent, should adopt the rag-shop's announcement-"The best price given for old bones."

A white ash is the sign of a good cigar-as a fair memory of a good life.

MUSQUITOES.-These troublesome insects seem nearly equally annoying throughout the New World. I do not think them at all worse in Jamaica, than in Canada or Newfoundland, perhaps not so bad. In marshy places, even in England, the punctures of these minute tor

Many young military men are merely orna- mentors (for musquitoes are merely gnats) are ments-like "arms" put on "spoons."

-Punch's Pocket-Book.

as painful, and perhaps as numerous, as in many parts of Jamaica. Some situations are of course more subject to their presence than others. MATERNAL AFFECTION OF THE CROCODILE. Blue-fields, situated on a rising ground, open -After burying the eggs in the soil, to be there and exposed to the invigorating sea-breeze, enmatured by the sun, the female visits from time joys a remarkable immunity from them. The to time the place in which they are secreted, and, humid forest harbours them, especially in the just as the period of hatching is completed, ex- mountains; and in many cases the roads are alhibits her eagerness for her offspring in the most quite free from them, where if you step into anxiety with which she comes and goes, walks the wood on either side, though only a few around the nest of her hopes, scratches the paces, you would presently be surrounded by fractured shell, and by sounds which resemble their shrill trumpets, and covered with their the bark of a dog, excites the half-extricated bites. There is a good deal of difference in the young to struggle forth into life. When she character of the wounds inflicted by different has beheld, with this sort of joy, fear, and species: those that frequent the lowlands (Culer anxiety, the last of her offspring quit its broken pungens, for example) are of larger size, sing casement, she leads them forth into the plashy with a graver sound, and insert the proboscis pools, away from the river, and among the thick often without any present pain, but a hard white underwood, to avoid the predatory visits of the tumour presently rises on the spot as large as a father. In this season of care and of watchful- silver threepence, which itches intolerably, and ness over them, she is ferocious, daring, and remains attended with dull pain and tension for morose, guarding with inquietude her young many hours. The mountain musquitoes are wherever they wander. She turns when they generally very much smaller, C. fasciatus, for inturn, and by whining and grunting, shows a stance, a minute species: they are more pertiparticular solicitude to keep them in such pools nacious, associate in more numerous swarns, only as are much too shallow for the resort of emit a sharp shrill hum, and produce a sudden the full-grown reptile. When I was in Yasica, twinge as they pierce the flesh, as if a spark of a river district of that name, as many as forty fire had fallen on it. A violent itching is the had been discovered in one of these secret re- immediate result, but it soon goes off, leaves sorts; but in half an hour, when the boys who scarcely any perceptible tumour, and is soon had found them out returned to visit their hiding-forgotten. These, however, are more intolerable place, they saw only the traces of the coming than the former, the recurrence of the sparkand going of the watchful parent who had led like prick at every moment, or rather all over them away to some further and safer retreat. In the exposed parts of the person at the same mothis period of their helplessness, the mother ment, is too maddening to be endured; and it is feeds them with her masticated food, disgorging almost impossible to face a phalanx of these tiny it out to them as the dog does to its pups. In adversaries, where they are numerous, without general it is rarely seen otherwise than crouching some device for keeping them off. A fragment with its belly to the earth, and crawling with a of the earthy nest of the duck-ants (Termites) curvilinear motion; but at this time it may be answers well for this purpose; being ignited, it observed firmly standing on its feet. This is continues to smoulder a considerable time, sendthe attitude of anger and attack; and its springing forth a large volume of smoke; this carried is quick-a sort of agile leap, by no means short in the hand, and waved to and fro, is the most in distance. During all this time of protection effective weapon against these winged warriors. and dependence, is heard the voice, by which—Ibid. the young makes its wants known, and the parent assures its offspring of its superintendence. It is the yelping bark of the dog, and the whining of the puppy. From all these facts I take it that when the sound of the dog's bark is heard, the Caymans press to the spot from which it issues, agitated by two several passions-the females to protect their young, and the males to devour them; and to this, and not to their predilection for the flesh of dogs, are we to ascribe the eagerness with which they scud away, agitated by that voice which in the one case is the thrilling cry of danger, and in the other the exciting announcement of food.-A Naturalist's Sojourn in Jamaica: By Philip Henry Gosse,

SATIRE.-A little wit, and a great deal of illnature will furnish a man for satire; but the greatest instance of wit is to commend wellTillotson.

fools that have not sense enough to be honest. TRICKS and treachery are the practice of

-Anon.

CHINESE MAXIMS FROM THE CRYSTAL
PALACE.

Let every man sweep the snow from before his own door, and not busy himself about the frost on his neighbour's tiles,

Great wealth comes by destiny, moderate to one of its carriers. The carrier falling sick, wealth by industry.

The ripest fruit will not fall into your mouth. The pleasure of doing good is the only one that does not wear out.

Dig a well before you are thirsty.

Water does not remain on the mountain, nor vengeance in a great mind.

sent out a boy to deliver the papers, who, being unacquainted with the round, was followed by the dog, who stopped at the door of every subscriber and wagged his tail, never missing one in a list of six hundred. At the door of all subscribers who had not paid for their paper for a length of time, the dog was heard to howl!

SILENCE.-Zeno, of all virtues, made his choice of silence; "For by it," said he, "I hear other men's imperfections, and conceal my

A LIKELY DOG.-The Albany Knickerbocker gives an account of a wonderful dog belonging | own."

66

LITERATUR E.

THE KEEPSAKE (1852). Edited by Miss in the pages of a first-rate magazine, and in Power.-(Bogue.)-The first idea of the literary toxicated its editor with delight in procuring "Annual" as a Christmas and New Year's Gift, them. To be sure Carlyle calls his article an was a happy thought;" and what was intrin- extract from an unpublished work by an Amesically good five-and-twenty years ago, cannot rican friend; but no lover of the great Scottish be intrinsically bad now, provided it have kept philosopher can have any doubt about the roundpace with the changes and improvements that ing of his periods, or mistake the words of the progress of time demands. With regard to another for his, any more than they would take the Keepsake we positively assert that this is the gaspings of an accordion for the swell of a the case. We know very well that it is the cathedral organ. Dickens's "To be Read at fashion to talk of the palmy days of the Annuals Dusk," is a semi-supernatural story—or stories as of days gone by; and certainly when fashion, rather-full of fine fancies, and picturesque that emblem of caprice, sets up its hoot and its description, reminding the reader (being fully as cry, the noise is not easily to be quelled. There good) of those exquisite short tales which apis no help but patience; and though meanwhile peared under the head of " Master Humphrey's a great deal of injustice is perpetrated, by-and- Clock." Albert Smith also contributes an exby the truth again comes to light. We most cellent sketch, "Alexandria to Cairo;" and sincerely believe that the Annuals were first run there is a vivid ghost-story, entitled "Hartsore down by a set of newspaper writers, soi disant Hall;" while Mrs. Abdy, Mrs. Shipton, Maria critics, but in reality disappointed authors, who, Norris, and the accomplished Editress herself, without talent or repute, failed to get themselves supply stories of first-rate quality. In the admitted into the charmed circle of " Keepsake" poetical department shine Barry Cornwall, or "Souvenir" contributors. Things are very Monckton Milnes, Lord John Manners, C. H. different now: within the last dozen years a Hitchings, W. C. Bennett, Mrs. D. Ogilvy, and new race of reviewers has sprung up, men of other poets of less note, but great merit; one of wider capabilities, finer appreciation, and much the characteristics of the Keepsake being, that nicer honour; but still, as they seem to have articles without popular names to recommend felt no particular vocation to write up the An- them, have a sterling excellence about them nuals-probably really never looking into them which piques curiosity to know who are the -a certain repute for frivolity (the mud flung authors. In short the present volume will bear at them) has to some extent remained unre- comparison with any of its predecessors. The moved. Half-a-dozen old favourites have died engravings have been executed under the superof the slander, gone out of existence from the intendence of Mr. Frederick Heath, who eviworld of things that are; but the KEEPSAKE, dently inherits his father's taste and talents, and the strongest it would appear of its race, comes are from drawings by the first artists. The to us as the last leaves are falling, and in its ac- portrait of Lady Dorothy Nevill, engraved by customed suit of crimson and gold looks like a Mote, after Buckner, is very beautiful; and Christmas visitor whom we should be sorry in- "The Farewell," "Helen," and "The Orphan," deed to miss. We open at the first page, "List are likewise among our favourites. of Contributors." Ha! what names are here? Teazle," a characteristic and highly-finished Thomas Carlyle and Charles Dickens to begin plate, has suggested an apropos chapter by with; and their articles-believe us, dear reader | Mrs. Newton Crosland, in which we believe -are by no manner of means those " sweep- some truths about the drama are expressedings of the study" which the decrier of the heterodox as at the first sight they may appear. annual always pronounces its articles with a "name" attached to be. By no means, but THE PARLOUR LIBRARY. papers that would have shone forth with honour | M'Intyre.)-Two recent numbers of this excel,

Lady

(Simms and

lent work consist of James's "Convict "-thus | 'Midst sweet groves shall rise remembrance of that reproduced in a cheap form-and an original novel by Marriott Oldfield, entitled, "The Two Friends; or, Life is earnest." The latter is undoubtedly an interesting story, thoroughly healthy in tone, and contains occasionally passages of power. Nevertheless, it is somewhat deficient in that subtle delineation of character which is always to be recognized in a first-class novel.