Bats make no nests. Their homes and nurseries are those places to which they cling in darkness. They have two young at a time, and are mammiferous; it is upon this fact mainly that their right to be classed among fowl is denied. They are said to be very strongly attached to their offspring-these hang fast to their parents where they hang. When the old bat is compelled to leave them, to go out after food, she takes them carefully off from herself, and hangs them up against the wall, where they adhere by clinging in silent patience until she returns. Of all the varieties of this animal, there is none so remarkable as the vampire bat. Of this there are several species, different in size, from two to four feet in the spread of their wings, and from the size of a pigeon up to the size of a hen. These exist in large numbers in the hot countries, especially in America. These fearful creatures have a most voracious appetite, and feed on almost any kind of living creatures. Like all bats, they love loneliness and desolate places. Here they hang suspended, with their claws fastened to the limbs of trees, and their heads downwards; and hence they sally out in troops in the night in search of prey, and to suck the juice of the palm fruit, of which they are very fond. What is most fearfully interesting about these vampire bats, is the fact that they suck the blood of bird, beast, and man! To accomplish their purposes, they steal up to them when they are asleep, and in some way not fully known, softly open the skin into a vein, and fastening their mouth upon it like a leech, extract vast quantities of blood, and often produce death! To make their victim sleep more soundly, that thus they may effect their ends the more successfully, they keep fanning him with their wings, while they are destroying his life. This fanning, in those warm countries, produces a most pleasant feeling; and this, combined with the ever-increasing weakness which results from the loss of blood, causes the person to become insensible to pain, and thus he sweetly falls into that sleep which knows no waking! There are many accounts upon record, of the manner in which these dreadful bats do their deadly work. We will give one case. "Captain Stedman, while sleeping in the open air in Surinam, was attacked by one of these bats. On awaking about four o'clock in the morning, he was extremely alarmed to find himself weltering in congealed blood, and without feeling any pain. He says that these animals, knowing by instinct that the person they intend to attack is in a sound slumber, generally alight near the feet; where, while the creature continues fanning with his enormous wings, which keeps the person cool, he bites a piece out of the tip of the great toe, so very small that the head of a pin could scarcely be received into the wound, which is consequently not painful. Yet, through this orifice, he sucks the blood until he is obliged to disgorge. He then begins again, and thus continues sucking and disgorging till he is scarcely ably to fly; and the sufferer has often been known to sleep from time into eternity!" One species of the vampire bites in the ear instead of the toe; and sometimes fastens itself upon other parts of the body, but always in places where the blood will flow most readily. The thought is fearful, of being thus soothed and fanned into the slumbers of death!-to fall under the power of such fascinating charmers, who beguile us with a temporary and illusive pleasure, "Till on our browes, death, counterfeiting sleep, Is not this, however, a most apt and impressive similitude of that still more fearful vampire Sin, which feeds upon the blood of souls, and which, while it fans them pleasantly into carnal rest, is, at the same time, soothing them softly into the slumbers of eternal death! THE VAMPIRE OF SIN. In dreary dens and dusky regions of the earth, The ruddy cheek, the life so glad and light, Inflamed with wine and lust." Ho! tempting sight- The feast is o'er-the mirthful dance is past, In silence now, the vampire, Sin, that feeds "ONLY ONE." ONE hour lost in the morning by lying in bed, will put back, and may frustrate all the business of the day. One hole in the fence will cost ten times as much as it will to fix it at once. One unruly animal will teach all others in its company bad tricks. One drinker will keep a family poor and in trouble. "One sinner destroyeth much good." MIDDLE NAMES. AMONG the Romans it was quite customary to have middle names. There is perhaps scarcely a distinguished individual, whose name has been handed down to us, who had not a middle name. It was usual with them to have what we call a Christian name to distinguish the individual. So, too, they generally had surnames to distinguish the family. In addition to these, too, there was a middle name to distinguish the tribe from which the family originally sprung. Thus in the name Marcus Tullius Cicero, Tullius denotes the tribe from which the family of the Ciceros, and Marcus the orator, in particular, was derived. This, it will be seen, was an admirable arrangement. It gave the Roman citizens an opportunity of calculating the relationship of such as came from the same family; it enabled them also to trace their pedigree to the early periods of the republic, when these different tribes took their rise. It showed also who were Roman citizens, and in this way served to connect the different members of the community by closer and more lasting ties. It served the additional purpose of designating such of the tribes as were most productive, and who consequently cultivated the domestic virtues to the greatest extent. In our country, it is said, there are some small communities in which children receive a middle name from the surname of their mother. To this there can be no objection. It certainly meets all the demands of a middle name. And whilst it distinguishes individuals of the same name belonging to different families, it accomplishes an additional object to preserve in the family the name of the mother. As the hearts of the father and mother are united and concentrated in their children, so might their names be united in the names of their children. I do not say this with the wish to establish it as a rule, or to dictate to those whom such matters belong. I only give my view. De gustibus non disputandum est.-Every man to his taste. By far the greater part, however, of middle names in this country, are given with no such intention, as is seen in the above instances. If they are to subserve any purpose whatever, it is usually to distinguish an individual from some other of the same name, but of a different family. Further than what is useful in the case, however, there is no concern. This agnomen consequently may be anything and everything, provided it meets such a use. And it is truly wonderful to see how people can bring together the strangest and most conflicting terms, so as to make what they regard a round and full name. Oftentimes there is no proportion in the size of the words-no music in the flow of syllables, or possibly the juxtaposition of the two names may suggest some ridiculous association. But it is not intended to make any serious objection to this practice on the score of mere taste. A useful design is certainly accomplished, and may he regarded as something good. A word, however, respecting the middle names which have no special reference to parents or ancestry, and which are not designed for the purpose as just mentioned. No one can make me believe that the multitudes of middle names which may be observed upon taking up any one of our public prints are necessary to distinguish the members who have sprang from the same parent stock. The truth is, we have not so many large families in this country to make this necessary. To our shame it must be spoken; and, judging from the indication of our present degeneracy, it is to be feared that we never will. The more probable state of the case is that our good fathers and mothers in America have fallen into a whimsical practice of giving their children such party-colored names. Perhaps they are unable themselves to assign any good reason for doing so. It may, however, be traced to the doting fondness of parents, who imagine it will give additional importance to their children by giving them swelling names. As a letter usually stands for the middle name, they may suppose it adds dignity to a name, or in some way invests it with an air of mystery. It matters, not, hvwever, in what way it is to be explained. It should certainly be regarded as a whim, into which the present generation has fallen, from which they ought to rescue themselves as soon as possible. It matters not though the names of lawyers, doctors and preachers are gilded over in this way. It may, nevertheless, be a freak. It is certain that our staid fathers of the Revolution would charge us of levity. Among the honest names that grace our broad Declaration, middle names are comparatively scarce. The next generation, unless it becomes more finical than ourselves, will pronounce the same decision upon us as a people. T. A. CONSOLATIONS. BY PARK BENJAMIN. IN the lonely passage through the world which I till now have made, My childhood knew misfortune of a strange and weary kind, WHATEVER may be the quantity of sleep required, early rising is essential to health and promotes longevity. Almost all men who have distinguished themselves in science, literature, and the arts have been, as Mr. Macish states, early risers. The industrious, the active-minded, the enthusiast in pursuits of knowledge or gain, are up betimes at their respective occupations, while the sluggard wastes the most beautiful period of his life in pernicious slumber. Homer, Virgil, and Horace were all represented as early risers. The same was the case with Paly, Franklin, Priestly, Parkhurst, and Buffon, the last of whom ordered his servants to awaken him every morning, and compel him to get up by force if he |