bacum by an European on this continent. The probable results of this discovery are so vast as to baffle conjecture. If it be objected, that the smoking of a pipe would hardly justify the setting up of a memorial stone, I answer, that even now the Moquis Indian, ere he takes his first whiff, bows reverently toward the four quarters of the sky in succession, and that the loftiest monuments have been reared to perpetuate fame, which is the dream of the shadow of smoke. The Saga, it will be remembered, leaves this Bjarna to a fate something like that of Sir Humphrey Gilbert, on board a sinking ship in the "wormy sea," having generously given up his place in the boat to a certain Icelander. It is doubly pleasant, therefore, to meet with this proof that the brave old man arrived safely in Vinland, and that his declining years were cheered by the respectful attentions of the dusky denizens of our then uninvaded forest. Most of all was I gratified, however, in thus linking forever the name of my native town with one of the most momentous occurrences of modern times. Hitherto Jaalam, though in soil, climate, and geographical position as highly qualified to be the theatre of remarkable historical incidents as any spot on the earth's surface, has been, if I may say it without seeming to question the wisdom of Providence, almost maliciously neglected, as it might appear, by occurrences of world-wide interest in want of a situation. And in matters of this nature it must be confessed that adequate events are as necessary as the vates sacer to record them. Jaalam stood always modestly ready, but circumstances made no fitting response to her generous intentions. Now, however, she assumes her place on the historick roll. I have hitherto been a zealous opponent of the Circean herb, but I shall now reëxamine the question without bias.

I am aware that the Rev. Jonas Tutchel, in a recent communication to the "Bogus Four Corners Weekly Meridian,” has endeavored to show that this is the sepulchral inscription of Thorwald Eriksson, who, as is well known, was slain in Vinland by the natives. But I think he has been misled by a preconceived theory, and cannot but feel that he has thus made an ungracious return for my allowing him to inspect the stone

with the aid of my own glasses (he having by accident left his at home) and in my own study. The heathen ancients might have instructed this Christian minister in the rites of hospitality; but much is to be pardoned to the spirit of self-love. He must indeed be ingenious who can make out the words her hvílir from any characters in the inscription in question, which, whatever else it may be, is certainly not mortuary. And even should the reverend gentleman succeed in persuading some fantastical wits of the soundness of his views, I do not see what useful end he will have gained. For if the English Courts of Law hold the testimony of gravestones from the burial-grounds of Protestant dissenters to be questionable, even where it is essential in proving a descent, I cannot conceive that the epitaphial assertions of heathens should be esteemed of more authority by any man of orthodox sentiments.

At this moment, happening to cast my eyes upon the stone, whose characters a transverse light from my southern window brings out with singular distinctness, another interpretation has occurred to me, promising even more interesting results. I hasten to close my letter in order to follow at once the clue thus providentially suggested.

I inclose, as usual, a contribution from Mr. Biglow, and remain,

Gentlemen, with esteem and respect,
Your Obedient Humble Servant,
HOMER WILBUR, A. M.

By the fault o' the North in misplacin' the switch.

Things wuz ripenin' fust-rate with Buchanan to nuss 'em;

But the People-they would n't be Mexicans, cuss 'em!

Ain't the safeguards o' freedom upsot, 'z you may say,

Ef the right o' rev'lution is took clean away?

An' doos n't the right primy-fashy include
The bein' entitled to nut be subdued?
The fect is, we'd gone for the Union so
strong,

When Union meant South ollus right an’
North wrong,

Thet the People gut fooled into thinkin' it might

Worry on middlin' wal with the North in the right.

We might ha' ben now jest ez prosp❜rous ez France,

Where p❜litikle enterprise hez a fair chance, An' the People is heppy an' proud et this

hour,

Starns with pedigrees to 'em like theirn to the foe,

Or, when the vamosin' come, ever to find Nat'ral masters in front an' mean white folks behind?

By ginger, ef I'd ha' known half I know

now,

When I wuz to Congress, I would n't, I SWOW,

Hev let 'em cair on so high-minded an' sarsy,

'thout some show o' wut you may call vicyvarsy.

To be sure, we wuz under a contrac' jes' then To be dreffle forbearin' towards Southun men;

We hed to go sheers in preservin' the bellance:

An' ez they seemed to feel they wuz wastin' their tellents

'thout some un to kick, 't warn't more 'n

An' felt kind o' 'z though they wuz havin' their wills,

Which kep' 'em ez harmless an' cherfle ez crickets,

While all we invested wuz names on the tickets:

Wal, ther' 's nothin', for folks fond o' lib'ral consumption

Free o' charge, like democ'acy tempered with gumption !

Now warn't thet a system wuth pains in presarvin',

Where the people found jints an' their frien's done the carvin',

Where the many done all o' their thinkin' by proxy,

An' were proud on 't ez long ez 't wuz christened Democ'cy,

Where the few let us sap all o' Freedom's foundations,

Ef you call it reformin' with prudence an' patience,

An' were willin' Jeff's snake-egg should hetch with the rest, you writ "Constitootional nest?

Ef

over the

But it's all out o' kilter, ('t wuz too good to

last,)

Andy Johnson or some one to lend 'em the wit

An' the spunk jes' to mount Constitootion an' Court

With Columbiad guns, your real ekle-rights sort,

Or drill out the spike from the ole Declaration

Thet can kerry a solid shot clearn roun' creation,

We'd better take maysures for shettin' up shop,

An' put off our stock by a vendoo or swop.

But they wun't never dare tu; you'll see 'em in Edom

'fore they ventur' to go where their doctrines 'ud lead 'em :

They've ben takin' our princerples up ez we dropt 'em,

An' thought it wuz terrible 'cute to adopt

'em ;

But they'll fin' out 'fore long thet their hope's ben deceivin' 'em,

An' thet princerples ain't o' no good, ef you b'lieve in 'em ;

It makes 'em tu stiff for a party to use, Where they'd ough' to be easy 'z an ole pair o' shoes.

If we say 'n our pletform thet all men are brothers,

We don't mean thet some folks ain't more so 'n some others;

An' it's wal understood thet we make a selection,

An' thet brotherhood kin' o' subsides arter 'lection.

The fust thing for sound politicians to

larn is,

Thet Truth, to dror kindly in all sorts o' harness,

Mus' be kep' in the abstract,- for, come

to apply it,

You're ept to hurt some folks's interists by it.

Wal, these 'ere Republicans (some on 'em)

ects

Ez though gineral mexims 'ud suit speshle facts;

An' there 's where we 'll nick 'em, there's where they'll be lost :

For applyin' your princerple 's wut makes

it cost,

An' folks don't want Fourth o' July t' interfere

With the business-consarns o' the rest o the year,

No more 'n they want Sunday to pry an' to peek

Into wut they are doin' the rest o' the week.

A ginooine statesman should be on his guard,

Ef he must hev beliefs, nut to b'lieve 'em tu hard;

For, ez sure ez he does, he'll be blartin' 'em out

'thout regardin' the natur' o' man more 'n a spout,

Nor it don't ask much gumption to pick out a flaw

In a party whose leaders are loose in the jaw :

An' so in our own case I ventur' to hint Thet we 'd better nut air our perceedin's in print,

Nor pass resserlootions ez long ez your arm Thet may, ez things heppen to turn, du us harm;

For when you've done all your real meanin' to smother,

The darned things 'll up an' mean sunthin' or 'nother.

Jeff'son prob❜ly meant wal with his "born free an' ekle,"

But it's turned out a real crooked stick in the sekle;

It's taken full eighty-odd year — don't you

see?

gone out Long 'z you keep the right limits on freedom o' speech.

warn't none too late, neither, to put on the gag,

For he's dangerous now he goes in for the flag.

Nut thet I altogether approve o' bad eggs, They're mos' gin'lly argymunt on its las' legs,

An' their logic is ept to be tu indiscriminate,

Nor don't ollus wait the right objecs to 'liminate;

But there is a variety on 'em, you'll find, Jest ez usefle an' more, besides bein' refined,

I mean o' the sort thet are laid by the dictionary,

Sech ez sophisms an' cant, thet 'll kerry conviction ary

Way thet you want to the right class o'