THE SUICIDE OF DESPAIR. that its holy yearnings are not always What man has read Le Mie Prigioni to be suppressed, but will be shared by without falling in love with the author? myriads like itself, now suffering the To read Pellico's account of the tender same tortures of spiritual suffocation. regard he had for his parents and friends, To feel that it has a present use for and how he suffered from the misgiv- these emotions, that they are to be ings he felt of their strength to bear the purified, to overcome their natural retrials which they must undergo, and pugnance to the view of others, and to which he would take upon himself and fortify and be fortified by intercourse tenfold to relieve them, seems like the with them. expansion of our own heart and the com- But how sad must they be who, with plete outpouring of all our sorrow to such emotions untarnished, except by the some sympathizing friend, such as we natural blindness or semi-blindness in are doomed to meet only in book or which God has left them, and, unable to fancy. Why is it that language is so un- find a sympathizer, come to believe themit to clothe our inmost and best selves beings wonderfully and fearfully thoughts? Our purest and most solemn made, but made without a purpose or a emotions, when we try to give utter- use! Who fancy they are like some chance ance to them, appear even to ourselves creation whirled into space, unconnected so ludicrous that we force them back, with all previous creations, and not knowwith a stifled smile, and hide them from ing whether they are the first of a new the world, from father, brother, friend, species to be added to, or whether deswife, or even confessor. Or else, in aim-tined to immediate annihilation! What ing at delivering them with the dignity wonder if such spirits should seek to anwe feel they deserve, we make them so grotesque to others that they look upon us as mad. Can it be that these better feelings are not common to all, and that Such thoughts as the above may seem consequently common speech must fail fanciful to a Christian, but they are to find a vehicle to convey them in? daily becoming real-frightfully real. Surely no; for when some happy genius It is said that man cannot help believlike our Pellico, in brief words, makes ing in God. It may be true, but the known their effect upon him, he is taken image of God may become so faint in a in closest friendship by all who hear man as to leave him in doubt whether it him, and untold numbers of hearts re- is not merely the production of his own ceive him with a love impossible to ex- imagination or his nurse's tales. Certain press. And how much sympathy we it is that, over a great number of eduhave with Pellico when his troubles cated minds, the consolations and fears weigh upon him, so that he contem- of religion have no longer any effect in plates suicide, and would resort to it, preventing suicide. And with the inbut for the consolations of religion! crease of population, and the consequentWhat a thought that is-Consolations of ly greater difficulty of the struggle for Religion! What a relief to a poor sen- life, we may expect to see the frightful sitive soul (all coiled round itself to save crime of suicide grow common-to see it from exposure to the taunts and men scornfully try to cast away their sneers of the world) to think that there Maker's greatest gift, which is life-to is some consolation for it! To learn see puny, distracted mortals attempt to

ticipate their coming end! They are too serious to enjoy the things of this world, and what other hope have they?

destroy that which it required a Creator's effort to produce.

PECULIARITIES OF LAKES. Floating islands, in several instances, Can Catholics do nothing to stop this? of considerable size, are found in some of Is it not possible to make these men the lakes of Scotland, Ireland, Sweden, know what life means? To show them Germany and Italy. We have an acthat the joys of the world are not the count of one in the latter country in the only ones to hope for, that others, far following letter addressed by Pliny to higher, will come hereafter, which will Gallus. It is only necessary to remark, satisfy every aspiration of their being? that the lake Vadimon, the scene of It is possible and easy. We need not the phenomenon, is now the Lago di Bassanello: put on haircloth for it, but only let men see the faith which is in us. In afflic"Those works of art or of nation let us be patient, and prove our ture, which are usually the motives of trust in God, who never tries us beyond our travels, are often overlooked and endurance. Let our lives be simple and neglected, if they happen to be within free from harsh judgments on our neigh- our reach; whether it be that we are nabors. Let us avoid and discourage all turally less inquisitive concerning those those expressions of doubt so often heard things which near us, while our which make every good sentiment ex- curiosity is excited by remote objects; pressed a sign of hypocrisy, and every or because the easiness of gratifying a charitable act a bid for popularity. Let desire is always sure to damp it; or, us feed the hungry, clothe the naked, perhaps, that we defer, from time to rejoice with the happy and grieve with time, viewing what we know we have those who mourn, then we shall draw an opportunity of seeing whenever we unto us those who need comfort. And please. Be the reason what it may, it if we can share the distress of the unfor- is certain there are several rarities in tunate, and show that our hearts are and near Rome, which we not only have still warm, and not withered by canker never seen, but have never so much as doubts of our higher self, we shall at- heard of; and yet, if they had been the tract those who are most in need of sym- production of Greece, or Egypt, or Asia, pathy, and they are dearest to God; for or any other country which we admire they who seek sympathy are instinctive- as fruitful in wonders, they would, long by seeking Him, in whom and through since, have been the subjects both of our whom alone they will find it perfect. reading, conversation and inspection. For myself, at least, I confess I have been lately entertained with a sight of A certain physician, when he visited one of these our indigenous singularities, his rich and luxurious patients, always to which I was an entire stranger before. went into their kitchens, and shook My wife's grandfather desired I would hands with their cooks. "My good look upon his estate near Ameria. friends," says he, "I owe you much, for you confer great favors upon me. Your skill, your ingenious palatable art of poisoning, enables us medical men to ride in our carriages; without your assistance we should all go on foot and be starved."

CIT.

As

I was walking over his grounds, I was shown a lake that lies below them, called Vadimon, which I was informed had several very extraordinary qualities attending it. This raised my curiosity to take a nearer view. Its form is exactly circular; there is not the least obliquity

or winding; but all is regular and even, | are alarmed by finding themselves suras if it had been hollowed and cut out rounded by water; and in the same by the hand of Art. The water is of a manner, when the wind drives them clear sky blue, though with somewhat back again, they return, without being of a greenish cast; it seems, by its taste sensible that they are landed. This and smell, impregnated with sulphur, lake empties itself into a river, which and is deemed of great efficacy in all after running a little way sinks underfractures of the limbs, which it is sup- ground; and if anything is thrown in, posed to consolidate. Notwithstanding brings it up again where the stream it is but of a moderate extent, yet the emerges. I have given you this account, winds have a great effect upon it, fre- because I imagined it would not be quently throwing it into violent commo- less new or less agreeable to you than tions. No vessels are suffered to sail it was to me; as I know you take the here, as its waters are held sacred, but same pleasure as myself in contemplatseveral floating islands swim about in it, ing the works of nature.” covered with reeds and rushes, together There are various examples of these with other plants, which the neighbor- floating islands. Those of the lake ing marsh and the borders of the lake Gerdan in Prussia are said to afford sufproduce. These islands differ in their ficient pasturage for a hundred head of size and shape; but the edges of all of cattle, which have actually been found them are worn away by their frequent grazing on them, and noble elms grew collision against the shore and each other. upon one in the lake Kolk, in OsnaThey have all of them the same height bruck. These islands have been formed and motion, and their respective roots, by the gradual agglomeration of vege which are formed like the keel of a boat, table matter, reeds from the marshes and may be seen hanging down in the water, roots of trees, upon which the waters on whichever side you stand. Some have deposited fine sand and gravel held times they move in a cluster, and scem in suspension, and have obviously reto form one entire little continent; some- quired ages for their growth. The great times they are dispersed into different raft near the mouth of the Mississippi is quarters by the winds; at other times, when it is calm, they float up and down separately. You may frequently see one of the larger islands sailing along with a lesser joined to it, like a ship with its long-boat; or, perhaps, seeming to strive which shall outswim the other; then again they all assemble in one station, and afterward joining themselves to the struction in the river, a mass of timber shore, sometimes on one side and some- has thus accumulated, and become contimes on the other, cause the lake to ap-solidated by an interlacing of weeds pear considerably less, till at last uniting and the deposition of alluvium, so as to in the centre, they restore it to its usual size. The sheep which graze upon the borders of this lake frequently go upon these islands to feed, without perceiving that they have left the shore, till they

a production of an analogous kind. This is composed of the wood annually drifted down that river and its tributaries, consisting of the magnificent trees growing upon their banks, which fall into the waters, owing to the floods undermining their foundations and loosening their roots. Arrested by some ob

form what is called "the raft," the dimensions of which in 1816 amounted to a length of 10 miles, a width of 220 yards, and a depth of 8 feet. This is an island afloat in the bosom of the waters,

having externally the appearance of solid certain, but conceived to lie in some loland, for green bushes and a variety of cal and transient variation of the presbeautiful flowers bloom upon its surface. sure of the atmosphere. There is anThe age of the raft, at the time when other phenomenon of which this lake is the preceding dimensions were given, the scene, called the Vaudaise. This is is supposed to have. been not more than the ebulition of its waters, arising from thirty eight years, from which some idea the escape of subaqueous currents of air may be formed of the immense quantity or gases. The agitation produced is at of drift-wood borne down by the waves times so violent as to render the navigaof the Mississippi. The Swiss lakes ex- tion of the lake dangerous. The aphibit some peculiar and interesting fea- pearance of tumult upon the surface of tures. That of Zurich presents annually lakes without any sensible cause for it is what is called the flowering of its wa- far from being uncommon, however ters. This is the appearance upon the strange it must seem to see their wa surface of a very minute vegetation. ters tossing to and fro, in the calmest But the lake of Geneva, or Lac Leman, weather, when not a twig is stirring in furnishes the most remarkable pheno- the woods upon their banks. On the menon. This is generally considered the 1st of November, 1755, without the finest inland sheet of water in southern least apparent cause, agitation seized the Europe. It fills a great cavity in the before peaceful waters of Loch Lomond, rocky strata of Switzerland, extending and they suddenly rose against their about forty-seven miles in its greatest shores to a perpendicular height of two length, and nine miles in its greatest feet, and then subsided below their or breadth. High and rugged mountains dinary level. This was soon afterward form its boundary to the east, with more explained by the co-incident occurrence general slopes to the west, enriched with of the earthquake at Lisbon. But Loch corn-fields, villas and vineyard. The Lomond, along with Lake Wetter, in turbid and discolored waters of the Sweden, often exhibit great disturbance, Rhone are filtered in it, and issue forth the cause of which must lie in thembeatifully clear and pellucid. Owing to selves, and is probably due to the escape this deposition from the river, the lake of currents of air from below their bed, has been largely contracted at the point though obscurity rests upon the manner where the stream enters, so that the of the formation of this subaqueous and Roman town, Portus Valesiæ, which subterranean prison house of the winds was close to the water's edge, is now or upon the opening of its doors. In separated from it by a tract of land more the winter season a lake near Boleslaw, than a mile and a half in breadth. in Bohemia, which has never been Among the peculiarities of the Lake of sounded, also exhibits upon its surface Geneva, is that called Seiches, by the the effects of the action of some interpeople of the neighborhood. It consists nal force; large masses of ice being in a sudden rising of the water in the whirled from it into the air. But, of all form of a tidal wave, sometimes to the phenomena of this kind, those which height of five or six feet in the course of mark the Baikal are the most singular a few hours. A few of the Italian lakes and unaccountable. They give it someand some others of the Swiss, are sub- what of a prophetic character, and ject to the same great undulatory move- would justify in credulity were they not ment, the cause of which is by no means well attested. It is rarely the case,

that its waters are smooth and calm, boats can with difficulty proceed along but when they are so, vessels upon their the surface. This extraordinary fact is surface are so violently shaken as to thus stated: "At the portage or carrymake it difficult to stand in them. There ing place of Martres, on Rose Lake, the is commonly an undulation which the water is only three or four feet deep, and sailors call kolychen or zub, which in- the bottom is muddy. I have often creases, previous to a wind arising. plunged a pole twelve feet long, with as This undulation proceeds from the quar- much ease as if I merely plunged it into ter of the wind, and its increase precedes the water. Nevertheless, this mud has it by about an hour; but while a mod- a sort of magical effect upon the boats, erate wind will be attended with great which is such, that the paddles can with disturbance on the lake, a storm will difficulty urge them on. This effect is produce much less effect. These cir- not perceptible on the south side of the cumstances have some connection with lake, where the water is deep, but is the physical condition of the district-more and more sensible as you approach a focus of earthquakes-but the links the opposite shore. I have been asbetween the two are unknown to us; sured that loaded boats have often been another evidence that, in the physics of in danger of sinking, and could only be the earth, there is much yet beyond the extricated by being towed by lighter reach of our phylosophy. A small ex- boats. As for myself, I have never panse of water near Beja, in Portugal, been in danger of foundering, but I is said to announce a storm by its com- have several times had great difficulty motions; but, in general, the movements in passing this spot with six stout row

of lakes are confined to those produced ers, whose utmost efforts could scarcely by their own river-currents, and the ac- overcome the attraction of the mud. A tion of the external atmospheres. similar phenomenon is observed on the Winds produce an effect upon their sur- Lake Saginaga, whose bottom attracts face, regulated by the extent exposed the boats with such force, that it is only to their influences and the character of with the greatest difficulty that a loaded the surrounding shores. The heavy boat can be made to advance; fortuautumnal gales that sweep over the am- nately the spot is only about four hundred ple volume of Lake Superior rouse it yards over." This statement has reinto tempest, and raise its waters sev-ceived confirmation from the experience eral feet upon the opposite beach; and of Captain Back, during the recent arctic small mountain-lakes are often violently land exhibitions. A part of Lake Huron, agitated by the winds, which rush with likewise, in the same district, appears to greater power through the openings in be the centre of a remarkable electrical their boundary, from the interruption attraction. There is a bay in the lake, which its walls present to their course. over which the atmosphere is constantly The smaller lakes of America, whose highly charged with electricity, and it wild and solitary shores attract the has been affirmed that no person has tourist, have some singular physical pe- ever traversed it without hearing peals culiarities. One of the early explorers of thunder. Lakes differ greatly in of its northern regions, Sir Alexander their color, clearness and depth. They Mackenzie, was the first to notice the are referable to a variety of causes. attractive power of the mud at the bot- The geological character of the beds of tom, which is sometimes so great, that lakes, of the surrounding objects from VOL. III.-11.