unteers had left the little army. Dunmore had proclaimed martial law in Virginia, and had burned Norfolk; and Maryland was hesitating over propositions looking toward a declaration of independence. It was high time that the "British nest" in Boston, as Washington called it, should be broken up, if possible. In a single night, while a cannonade diverted the attention of the royal forces in the town, Washington threw up on Dorchester Heights a fortification on which Howe next day gazed with consternation. The ground was frozen, and the patriots had made shift with. bales of hay, barrels filled with stones, and with as much of the stiff earth as could be dislodged with pick and shovel in the night. These heights commanded the town, and the British admiral made haste to inform General Howe that his ships could not stay in the harbor if the rebels were to keep their new position. Powder being scarce, the Americans held their fire. A few days after, an attacking column, under Lord Percy, moved out of the town, crossing the bay to what is now South Boston, under the heights, in transports. The assault was deferred until next day, and that night a violent storm burst on the harbor, drove some of the fleet ashore, and so damaged the British flotilla that Percy and his men returned to Boston. Howe called a council of war, and immediate evacuation was ordered.

The embarkation began before dawn, March 17, and by night not a British soldier remained in the town. The fleet anchored in the lower bay, out of the reach of the cannon of the triumphant Americans, and the few hundred Tories who had taken passage for Halifax looked gloomily on the shores from which they were to be exiles. Washington's troops entered the town on the day after the evacuation, though the main body did not move in until March 20. The beloved Commander-in-Chief was overwhelmed with congratulations, thanks and praise, by the delivered inhabitants.

The news of the flight of the British flew fast and far. It was a sad blow to the American Tories; it confirmed many who were halting betwixt two opinions; and it astonished and dismayed the ministers, who had anticipated the speedy crushing of the rebellion in New England. From this time the seat of war was transferred to other Colonies. New England was spared the presence of the oppressor. The event marked an important era in the war of the Revolution. It gave new hopes to the struggling Colonists, and it shed new lustre on the name of the military chieftain whose admirable strategy had accomplished this result.

THINGS WORTH KNOWING.

"Kid gloves" are not kid, but are made of lamb-skin or sheep-skin. "French kid" is frequently rat or monkey skin. "Arabic figures" were not invented by the Arabs, but by the natives of India.

"Tube rose is no rose, but the tuberous palianth (palianthes tuberosa).

"Black lead" does not contain a single particle of lead, but is composed chiefly of carbon.

"Turkish baths are not of Turkish origin; nor are they baths at all. They are hot air rooms.

"Prussian blue" does not come from Prussia, but is the precipitate of the salt of protoxide of iron with prussiate of po

tassa.

"Brazilian grass" does not come from Brazil, or even grow in Brazil; nor is it grass at all. It consists of strips of palmleaf, and is chiefly imported from Cuba.

"Whalebone" is no bone at all; nor does it possess any of the properties of bone. It is a substance attached to the lower jaw of the whale, and serves to strain the water, which the creature takes up in large mouthfuls.

"Sealing-wax" is not wax at all; nor does it contain a single particle of wax. It is composed of shellac, Venice turpentine and cinnabar. Cinnabar gives it the deep red color, and turpentine renders the shellac soft and less brittle.

Burgundy pitch" is not pitch; nor is it manufactured or exported fro. Burgundy. The best is a resinous substance, prepared from common frankincense, and brought from Hamburg; but by far the largest quantity is a mixture of resin and palm-oil.

iron.

Copperas" contains no copper, but consists of sulphate of

"Cobalt," sold as a fly poison, contains no cobalt; but consists of impure metallic arsenic.

"Red precipitate," or red oxide of mercury, is not made by precipitation, but by heating the nitrate of mercury; when precipitated it has a yellowish color.

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AN editor sat down and wrote: White pique costumes are now popular," and the compositor set it up: "White pine coffins are not popular;" which of course they are not.

DEAN SWIFT AND THE TAILOR.

A TAILOR in Dublin, whose shop was near the residence of Dean Swift, took it into the "ninth part" of his head that he was specially and divinely inspired to interpret the prophecies, and especially the Book of Revelations. Neglecting his work, he became a preacher, or rather a prophet, until his customers had left his shop, and his family was likely to famish. His monamania was well known to Dean Swift, who benevolently watched for some opportunity to turn the current of his thoughts.

One night, the tailor, as he fancied, got especial revelation to go and convert Dean Swift, and next morning took up his line of march to the deanery. The Dean, whose study was furnished with a glass door, saw the tailor approach, and instantly surmised the nature of his errand. Throwing himself into an attitude of solemnity and thoughtfulness, with the Bible opened before him, and his eyes fixed on the 10th chapter of Revelations, he awaited his approach. The door opened, and the tailor announced, in an unearthly voice:

Dean Swift, I am sent by the Almighty to announce to you--" "Come in my friend," said the Dean; "I am in great trouble, and no doubt the Lord has sent you to help me out of my difficulty."

This unexpected welcome inspired the tailor, and strengthened greatly his assurance in his own prophetic character, and disposed him to listen to the disclosure.

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My friend," said the Dean, "I have just been reading the 10th chapter of Revelations, and am greatly distressed at a difficulty I have met with, and you are the very man to help me out. Here is an account of an angel that came down from Heaven, who was so large that he placed one foot on the sea and the other on the earth, and lifted up his hands to Heaven. Now, my knowledge of mathematics," continued the Dean, "has enabled me to calculate exactly the size and form of this angel; but I am in a great difficulty, for I wish to know how much cloth it will take to make him a pair of breeches; and, as that is exactly in your line of business, I have no doubt the Lord has sent you to show me."

This expostulation came like an electric shock to the poor tailor. He rushed from the house, ran to his shop, and a sudden revulsion of thought and feeling came over him. Making breeches was exactly in his line of business. He returned to his occupation, thoroughly cured of his prophetic revelations by the wit of the Dean.

HIS HOLINESS, POPE PIUS IX., (whose family name is Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti,) was born on the 13th of May, 1792, at Sinigaglia, in the province of Ancona. He is therefore, in the 85th year of his age, and has occupied the Pontifical chair longer than any of his predecessors-being the only Pope who has proved an exception to the rule, long held to be invariable, that none of them should "see the years of Peter." His Holiness belongs to an illustrious Italian family, and in his early youth he was distinguished for his remarkable sweetness of disposition, and for an active charity beyond his years.

Cardinal Wiseman, in one of his Lectures ("Recollections of the Four Last Popes,") states that, at the age of eighteen, young Ferretti went to Rome, with the intention of entering the body,

guard of Pope Pius VIII., but an epileptic seizure disabled him from entering upon any kind of military service. The reigning Pontiff, remarking in him signs of superior ability, ordered him to make a "novena," or nine days' supplication, for the recovery of his health, and for Divine guidance in choosing his future vocation. He did so; his health was restored, and with its recovery came the resolution of taking holy orders. He accordingly entered a religious seminary, the head of which was so struck by his meekness and piety, that he declared his belief that he was "rearing in him a tender plant, which would one day grow into a great Pope." In due course of time he was admitted into the priesthood, and first exercised his spiritual functions as chaplain in the Hospital of Tata Giovanni, an educational institute for orphans, at Rome, founded by a poor citizen for the benefit of his poorer brethren.

From this quiet sphere of duty Father Ferretti was called away by the Pope, and sent out to South America as auditor to Monsignore Mugi, Vicar Apostolic of Chili. Whilst thus engaged his mind was not inactive; it is said that in South America he gained a deep insight into the political arrangements of foreign States and the conduct of diplomatic affairs; and that this study led him to systematize in writing his opinions on the amelioration of the Italian governments, intending to bequeath them at his decease to the occupant of the Papal throne.

Returning to Europe, Pope Leo XII., appointed him Prelate of his household, and President of the great Hospital of St. Michael, on the Ripa Grande.

In 1829, being then in his thirty-eighth year, he was raised to the Archbishopric of Spoleto, from which see he was transferred, in December, 1832, to that of Imola. Whilst here, his purse and his personal goods were placed by him at the disposal of the poor to such an extent, that his steward often knew not how to provide for the wants of the archiepiscopal household.

In 1840, he was elevated to the dignity of Cardinal by the title of SS. Peter et Marcellinus; and it is said that the only occasion on which he ever quitted his diocese was that of his compulsory visit to Rome to receive his Cardinal's hat.

Pope Gregory XVI.; died on the 1st of June, 1846. The Cardinal Archbishop was summoned to Rome, whilst preaching a retreat," to attend the solemn conclave of the Sacred College, held for the purpose of electing a successor to the Papal chair. The first ballot being unsuccessful, as no candidate had a sufficient number of votes, a second reckoning of votes took place,