which he often introduced in such a ludicrous connexion that the "risibles" of all but himself would be most sensibly affected. The following conversation, or dialogue, (whichever the reader chooses to call it,) between him and his pastor, will perhaps give a better idea of this gentleman than any farther description of ours.

P. For some time there has been a distressing, irrepressible impression weighing down my mind, that it was my unwelcome duty to have a faithful and sincerely Christian conversation with you. I have often thought that in some respects you were exceedingly injudicious, and were pursuing a course preeminently and preponderatingly subversive of your influence among the people. A minister stands in such a peculiar situation before the world, that the most microscopical indiscretion, under disadvantageous circumstances, may sully and tarnish a reputation, which, on account of the delicateness of its structure, should be carefully and conservatively environed and guarded, as a jewel of inestimable worth, indeed, beyond all price. A man who is not a minister of the gospel, may with symmetrical propriety do many things which a minister

cannot do, without deteriorating from his influence to an alarming and calamitous extent. Men in public life should ever remember that the community have an undeniable right to suppose that they will act consummately discreetly, and with unremitting circumspection, in reference to unimportant as well as momen

tous matters.

The more influential a man is, the more watchful and solicitous should he be to conduct with prudence and wisdom. One, even one unwise step taken by you, might be reproductive of infinitely more devastating results, than ten thousand taken by an humble individual like myself.

Your standing in society imperatively demands the most cautious and discriminating discretion; and allow me to say, Rev. Sir, I sensibly feel that you are habituated to a form of expression before the sharp, Argus eyed world, that determinatively degrades the dignity of your character as a minister of the everlasting gospel; and in the concatenation of events, it is impossible to decipher how superlatively terrific may be the disastrous deductions consequent upon this detrimental habit.

Minister. Will you be so kind as to inform me to what form of expression you refer ?

P. I should say, sir, it was a sort of effervescible way of speaking. It apparently results from an irreclaimable hilarity, or an irretrievable irresistibleness of cheerfulness.

M. I do not know that I get your idea. Do you mean that I talk foolishly, or what do

you

P. Oh no! by no means, sir, by no means; do not so grievously misapprehend me as to infer that I would intimate that there is the least stultiloquence in your conversation.

M.

What then do you mean ?

P. I mean sir-I mean that your irrefragable and uncontrollable flow of spirits leads you to make remarks irrelievably irreconcilable with your sacred functions as a minister.

M. I really do not comprehend you, unless you mean to convey the idea that my flow of spirits leads me to make light and frothy remarks.

P. My dear sir, I beg you not to use such language, and so unjustifiably and inappropriately misconstrue my meaning.

M. As then I cannot get your idea from

your language, you must illustrate it by some. of the remarks to which you refer. Tell me some of the things I have said, of the character you mean.

P. My dear sir, excuse me. It would not accord with that reverential deference I owe you, nor with your unbending dignity as a minister, for us to descend to the minutiae of particulars. I only wished to speak of this matter in general. It is perfectly proper to mention it in the abstract, but it would be irredeemably unpardonable to come down to the

concrete.

M. Well then, I do not see but that I must plod on my way without the benefit of improvement from your idea, unless you will mention some particulars, for truly I cannot comprehend it from your general remarks.

P. You will excuse me sir, I am sensible, when in addition to what I have stated, I observe that I have an unconquerable and monomaniac aversion to particulars. Your perceptive faculties will luminously penetrate my idea, upon transcendentally tranquilized reflection; and your supereminent ingenuousness of character will detruncate any suspicion of inter

meddling impertinence on my part; and your imperturbable piety will be distinguished by refreshing and invigorating reflorescence. We will change the subject, sir, if you please. M. Certainly. Have you seen br. Nto-day?

P. I have not, sir; but I enjoyed the supreme gratification of hearing his superexcellent lecture last evening.

M. He is a man of sterling ability. How were you pleased with his sermon to our people last Sabbath morn?

P. No language can express the indefinable and rapturously extatic admiration with which I listened to it. How emphatically splendid was his introduction! What consecutive reasoning in his argument, without the least periphrastical consarcination! And then the peroration, what charming permeably delightful consentaneousness of thought! I never heard anything so ineffably and entrancingly enchanting. I really did not know whether I was in the body or out of it.

M. I was pleased with his discourse, but I think I have heard him preach still better. It was by no means one of his strongest efforts.