by the hand, and introduced them to the circle of females already assembled.

Mrs. Bluemits was not an avowed authoress; but she was a professed critic, a well informed woman, a woman of great conversational powers, &c. and, to use her own phrase, nothing but conversation was spoke in her house. Her guests were therefore always expected to be distinguished, either for some literary production, or for their taste in the belles lettres. Two ladies from Scotland, the land of poetry and romance, were consequently hailed as new stars in Mrs. Bluemits' horizon. No sooner were they seated, than Mrs. Bluemits began:

"As I am a friend to ease in literary society, we shall, without ceremony, resume our conversation; for, as Seneca observes, the 'comfort of life depends upon conversation."" "I think," said Miss Graves," it is Rochefoucault who says, the great art of conversation is to hear patiently and answer precisely."

"A very poor definition for so profound a philosopher,” remarked Mrs. Apsley..

"The amiable author of what the gigantic Johnson styles the melancholy and angry Night Thoughts, gives a nobler, a more elevated, and, in my humble opinion, a juster explication of the intercourse of mind," said Miss Parkins: and she repeated the following lines with pompous enthusiasm :

Speech ventilates our intellectual fire,
Speech burnishes our mental magazine,
Brightens for ornament, and whets for use.
What numbers, sheath'd in erudition, lie,
Plung'd to the hilts in venerable tomes,
And rusted in, who might have borne an edge,
And play'd a sprightly beam, if born to speech---
If born blest heirs of half their mother's tongue !"

Mrs. Bluemits proceeded:

"'Tis thought's exchange, which, like the alternate push Of waves conflicting, breaks the learned scum,

And defecates the student's standing pool."

"The sensitive poet of Olney, if I mistake not," said Mrs. Dalton, "steers a middle course, betwixt the somewhat bald maxim of the Parisian philosopher, and the mourn

ful pruriency of the Bard of Night, when

he says,

"Conversation, in its better part,

May be esteem'd a gift, and not an art."

Mary had been accustomed to read, and to reflect upon what she read, and to apply it to the purpose for which it is valuable, viz. in enlarging her mind and cultivating her taste; but she had never been accustomed to prate, or quote, or sit down for the express purpose of displaying her acquirements; and she began to tremble at hearing authors' names familiar in their mouths as household words;' but Grizzy strong in ignorance, was nowise daunted. True, she heard what she could not comprehend, but she thought she would soon make things clear; and she therefore turned to her neighbour on her right hand, and accosted her with-" My niece and I are just come from dining at Mrs. Pullens -I dare say you have heard of her-she was Miss Flora M'Fuss; her father, Dr.

M'Fuss, was a most excellent preacher, and she is a remarkable clever woman."

"Pray, Ma'am, has she come out, or is she simply bel esprit?" inquired the lady.

Grizzy was rather at a loss; and, indeed, to answer a question put in an unknown language, would puzzle wiser brains than her's; but Grizzy was accustomed to converse, without being able to comprehend, and she therefore went on.

"Her mother, Mrs. M'Fussbut she is dead-was a very clever woman too; I'm sure, I declare, I don't know whether the Doctor or her was the cleverest; but many people, I know, think Mrs. Pullens beats them both."

"Indeed! may I ask in what department she chiefly excels ?"

.

"O, I really think in every thing. For one thing, every thing in her house is done by steam; and then she can keep every thing, I can't tell how long, just in paper bags and bottles; and she is going to pub.

lish a book with all her receipts in it. I'm sure it will be very interesting."

"I beg ten thousand pardons for the interruption," cried Mrs. Bluemits, from the opposite side of the room; "but my ear was smote with the sounds of publish, and interesting-words which never fail to awaken a responsive chord in my bosom. Pray," addressing Grizzy, and bringing her into the full blaze of observation, " may I ask, was it of the Campbell these electric words were spoken? To you, Madam, I am sure I need not apologize for my enthusiasm-You who claim the proud distinction of being a countrywoman, need I ask-an acquaintance ?"

All that poor Grizzy could comprehend of this harangue, was, that it was reckoned a great honour to be acquainted with a Campbell; and chuckling with delight at the idea of her own consequence, she briskly replied

"O, I know plenty of Campbells; there's the Campbells of Mireside, relations of ours;