sent us an account of it at the time. On a certain day, at a church a short distance outside the walls of the city, the Catholics placed a figure of our SAVIOUR, richly clad in crimson velvet and gold, upon an ass, elaborately bedizened with ornaments and trappings, and preceded by priests and children, fantastically costumed. They advanced to the gates of the city, which of course, to preserve the 'keeping' of the scene, were closed. After a short parley, and certain ceremonies, the portals were thrown open, and 'JESUS entered Jerusalem,' followed by an immense concourse. He visited the various churches, collected alms, and finally departed. The 'show' was rather tedious, and greatly excited the contempt and ire of a wild Kentuckian, who gave free vent to his 'sentiments' on the occasion. A Catholic, who was also watching the procession and the ceremonies, undertook to explain what it was of which they were typical; that it was to represent the triumphal entrance of JESUS into Jerusalem, etc. 'Stranger, you can't come that rig onto me; you can't make me b’lieve that our SAVIOUR ever rode into Jerusalem on sich a half-grown jack-ass! An appeal however to one of his own countrymen, who stood by, compelled him, though reluctantly, to relinquish that ground; but he continued: 'Well, he mought 'a done it; it's a good while ago, though, and a great ways off; but I'll tell you what, stranger, you can't make a free American citizen believe that he ever rode into Jerusalem on a jack-ass, dressed up as Richard the Third, any how! This seemed to be a poser, and the argument' was suspended. . . . MESSRS. HEWET, TILLOTSON AND COMPANY, at Number 59 Beekman-street, are publishing, in the most superb manner, a fac-simile copy of the Abbottsford Edition of the Waverley Novels. All the original illustrations, faithfully copied, are given entire, and on tinted back-grounds, while the paper and printing are of the very best description; and yet the work is afforded at a dollar a volume! We predict an immense sale for this edition. . . . OUR old friend ANDREW STEVENS, of the well-known firm of BURR AND STEVENS, looks out, from the pleasant windows of his establishment, on the south side of the New-York Hospital park, Broadway, upon the first green of spring and the last fading green of latest autumn; a beautiful and easily-accessible locale; and if any of our town readers desire to purchase rare jewelry, diamonds, or precious stones, or to have these set, or re-set, in tasteful and fashionable forms, this is the place for 'that same.' We' speak the things which we do know.' . . . We have always been under the impression that the very essence of inebriety was contained in these lines of BURNS:

'IT is the moon, I ken her horn,
A-blinkin' i' the lift sae hie;

She shines sae bright to wile us hame,
But by my soul, she 'll wait a wee!

"Who first shall rise to gang awa',
A fause and coward loon is he,
Who first beside his chair shall fa',
He shall be king amang us three,' etc.

But a friend has sent us a letter which he received recently from a roystering blade then 'in town,' dated ‘One o'clock by the stars,' which out-BURNS BURNS; it absolutely reels and staggers. Here is a single passage: "To-night, as usual when I'm seventy-five cents in the dollar gone, the moon and stars are 'bound to shine,' and to have me gazing at 'em for a time and a half a time. I seem then always to recognise that 'oldest inhabitant' up there. When my stock of sobriety is not quite so low in the quotations, and classes at about half a goneness, the study, phiz-ically, of the features in the moon is certain to arrest my homeward steps. I'm aware of the immense

and partick

perspective, but yet how distinctive that forehead, those brows, that nose, partick❜larly, that great mouth! DIAN forbid his opening it! T would take a half a million of such fellows as QUINTIUS CURTIUS, who holed himself in Rome one day, to stop it. As for the stars, I tried to count'em, but one of us would n't stand still, and they were too far off for me to recognise their features; but after steady gazing, lamp-post in hand, I could see the difference in their expressions. There were lots of merry ones, with a jovial twinkling look, as if they were ready for a frolic, or a wink at VENUS, when she 'd come round. Then there was a camp-meeting of sober, quiet, reproving-eyed fellows; but that dog-star! what a con-con-founded sirius look he has !' Slightly maudlin, it strikes us, and yet not without a certain degree of humor, which it is difficult to avoid smiling at. . . . THE following passage from BULWER embodies, to our conception, a very striking and admirable simile: 'As the moon plays upon the waves, and seems to our eyes to favor with a peculiar beam one long track amidst the waters, leaving the rest in comparative obscurity, yet all the while she is no niggard in her lustre; for although the rays that meet not our eyes seem to us as though they were not, yet she, with an unfavoring loveliness, mirrors herself on every wave; even so, perhaps, happiness falls with the same power and brightens over the whole expanse of being, although to our limited perceptions it seems only to rest on those billows from which the rays are reflected back upon our sight.' . . . MESSRS. PHILLIPS, SAMPSON AND COMPANY, Boston, are publishing in numbers, play by play, a superb edition of SHAKSPEARE's dramatic writings. The types are large and clear, the paper excellent, and the illustrations superb. It will be the cheapest and best edition of SHAKSPEARE ever issued in America. . . . ‘Not a word about these fish,' said a friend of ours, in the trouting season, to a companion who had been as luckless as himself in a day's sport of 'that kind.' You see, he had bought the string from a lad who knew how to' wile the silver prey' and therefore had had what is called 'good luck.' 'Did you catch all these?' asked the landlord, on the return of the anglers at night-fall, examining the string. 'Of course I did,' replied our friend; 'how else should I have them?' 'Oh, ay,' said the landlord; but addressing our 'friend's friend,' he added: 'Did he catch 'em, though?' 'All that I know about it is,' replied the other, with great solemnity, 'that when he got 'em he told me,' If you hear any questions asked, not a word about these fish! That's all I know about it!' A doubt was at once raised, which it was quite impossible subsequently to remove. . . . WE are glad to hear that Mr. WILLIAM P. MULCHINOCK, of whose rare poetical gifts we have already made mention, and exhibited examples, in these pages, contemplates the speedy publication of a volume of poems. We bespeak for the book, in advance, the liberal favor of the public. Mr. MULCHINOCK is a poet of true feeling and of fine imagination; he is young, with a wife and children dependent upon his exertions for support; and he is, moreover, an exile to this land of the free from his own unhappy Erin. Yet he bides his time, and is' hopeful amidst his sadness.' 'Though the world,' he says in one of his recent poems:

...

THOUGH the world has might to sever
Many a closely-woven tie,

That some hearts love fondly ever,

A believer, I.

'Dreaming still, and still believing

That mankind will yet descry,

GOD himself console the grieving,
And raise up the lowly, high:

Of this faith, so grand and holy,
Let the atheist doubt and lie,
In a spirit meek and lowly,
A believer, I.'

We shall present, in our next number, an original and striking poem from the pen of Mr. MULCHINOCK, which reached us at too late an hour to be availed of for the pre

sent issue.

AMONG the pictures drawn at the late Art-Union distribution were four small but very beautiful landscapes by Mr. H. J. BRENT, the distinguished landscape-painter. There may now be seen at his rooms, Number 79, White-street, near Broadway, two of the most charming pictures we have ever seen from his pencil; views of Seaton-Castle and of Seaton-Chapel, both situated amidst the finest scenery in Scotland. The tone and handling of these pictures is truly masterly. Our respected contemporary of the National Intelligencer' may congratulate himself upon the possession of a faithful and very beautiful picture of the 'halls of his fathers.' We regard Mr. BRENT as among the very first of our artists in landscape. WE think there is 'mischief' in the Sketch of a Modern Fashionable Party.' We agree with the writer however in many of his positions. The 'meanness of mere display' is well hit off. 'Bad wine out of golden goblets' is not an uncommon occurrence with these people. 'M. P.' should sit down, some pleasant day, with the 'Laird o' Wallabout;' sensible, witty, but slightly satirical W- N; acute, quickreasoning, and appreciative B- ―s; humane, dignified, and close-judging T―E; jovial and inimitable B——μ, and cool, yet warm-hearted and genial H—R; 'M. P.' should 'sit at meat' with these, to appreciate a most vivid contrast with his sketch. WE have seen nothing to equal in beauty or convenience the smaller prayer-books issued by Messrs. STANFORD AND SWORDS. They open, and remain open, so easily, are distinguished by such excellent printing and paper, and are bound in such tasteful style, that they may almost be regarded as a luxury. The same publishers have issued, in 'gay attire,' a very large assortment of attractive and good works for children and youth. THERE is a puritanical device on foot to abolish Santa-Claus! 'ABOLISH SANTA-CLAUS!' This single exclamation, from the great mouth of the juvenile PUBLIC, will put an end to that plot. ABOLISH SANTA-CLAUS!!' Pass the slogan! . . . ONE of the most attractive lounges' for an hour, in NewYork, is the magnificent establishment of WILLIAMS AND STEVENS, near Leonardstreet, in Broadway. It is literally crowded with rare varieties of paintings, prints, and other works of art. . . . THE very day on which we received 'W.'s fervent inquiry for, and warm eulogium upon, ' JOHN WATERS,' came, in his matchless chirography, the admirable paper from his facile pen to be found in preceding pages. . . . NuMEROUS articles from welcome new and favorite old contributors will be more particularly referred to in our next. . . . WELL, how do you like us in our new dress? We make no promises for the future, for you have known the EDITOR hereof during nearly sixteen years' constant acquaintance, and will require none at his hands. That he will do his best, with the abundant matériel which he has in store, will be taken for granted; and so, long-time readers, without farther remark, A Happy New Year' to you all! ... BRINGING out a late and early number in almost immediate juxtaposition, we have found ourselves unable to notice adequately, or even at all, several new voJumes, booklets,' addresses, periodicals, etc., which had been sent us for review. Among these are the following, concerning which, 'more anon:''LAMBERT'S Popular Anatomy and Physiology,' profusely illustrated; 'Poems of ALICE and PHŒBE CAREY;' Mrs. WILLARD on the Circulation of the Blood; 'The Little Savage,' by Captain MARRYAT; Flemish Tales,' by Miss LYNCH; The King of the Hurons,' by the author of the 'The Last of the KNICKERBOCKERS;' WOOD's Sketches of South America, Polynesia, etc.; HEADLEY'S Miscellanies;' 'The Parterre,' a pretty volume of verse by a modest young writer, Mr. D. W. BELISLE, from whom our readers have sometimes heard; volume first of GOLDSMITH'S Miscellaneous Works, CLEVELAND'S 'Greenwood Directory,' etc., etc. . . . ‘ENOUGH said.’

THE KNICKERBOCKER.

VOL. XXXV. FEBRUARY, 1850.

No. 2.

HOW TO PROSPER: OR THE FATAL MISTAKE.

BY A. B. JOHNSON, ESQ.

Of the few overgrown fortunes that have been made in our country, the greater number seem to have fallen into the possession of naturalized citizens rather than natives, notwithstanding the superior shrewdness with which our self-complacency is prone to endue Yankee intellect. Of our naturalized citizens, the French, with GIRARD as the exemplar, seem to have accumulated the largest fortunes; and the Germans, with ASTOR in the foreground, seem to stand next in the grade of wealth-accumulators, although possibly they may contend for precedence over the former class; while the Scotch, with ROBERT LENOX at their head, or DUNCAN of Providence, or GREIG of Canandaigua, may be unwilling to concede a preeminence to either of the others.

Among the successful Germans, in a moderate way, one some years ago resided in Baltimore, who, from the humble employment of a blacksmith, had arrived at the possession of a pretty large estate. How his name was pronounced and spelled in German is uncertain; but it had become Anglicised into the word 'Heapupit.' He was an old man at the period of our last war with Great Britain, but still occupied in commerce, which occasioned frequent visits by him to New-York, where his present historian became accidentally acquainted with him, at a private boarding-house. As his humble origin was known to the boarders, they took an interest in the conversation of the old man, although his language and manners retained many traces of his early rough employments, but modified by a quickness of perception and shrewdness of remark, which are apt to appear in self-made men. perceived that his conversation was listened to attentively, and he seemed gratified with the homage thus given spontaneously to his sagacity; and he often remarked to young men, that the great point for a man to discover was what he is fit for; when this is learned, the pro7

VOL. XXXV.

He

gress of a man toward wealth becomes sure, although it may be slow. He was fond of adding, in illustration, that he had lost much time fruitlessly as a blacksmith, before he discovered that he was not fit for that business, but was for mercantile pursuits.

He began merchandising and matrimony together, and to economise time and money turned a necessary preliminary journey to Philadelphia into a wedding tour. The facilities for travel were not good in those days, and as he wished to enjoy the journey with his bride, he hired a one-horse chaise, in which he and his wife left Baltimore on the morning of the wedding. The day was as bright as the occasion, and the bride had tasked all her pecuniary resources not to discredit by her dress the elevated position of a merchant's lady, into which she was emerging from a condition as humble as her husband's. She gloried in the possession of a pea-green silk pelisse, with a silk hat to match; and her appearance, when thus arrayed, and sitting in the chaise, fully justified her judgment in their procurement.

The happy husband was perhaps as proud as his wife, but his pride rejected externals and rejoiced in a purse which, though not very large, yet contained what with prudence would supply the expenses of the journey and obtain the few special articles of merchandise whose procurement constituted the great object of the expedition. But every thing in nature seems to conspire against pride. They had not travelled many hours in their open vehicle over an intensely dusty road, before the husband saw with alarm that the dust was making fearful havoc with the fine habiliments of his bride, and especially with her hat. She had, unconscious of the mischief, applied repeatedly her moist hands (the temperature was July) to adjust the hat, as the current of air or jolting of the chaise disturbed its proper position, and every touch had combined with the dust in leaving the marks of her pretty fingers distinctly and indelibly imprinted on the silk. Nor was that the whole mischief: the dust had insinuated itself into all the seams and crevices of the hat and ribbons, and aided by a soft moisture exuded from parts beneath, the whole superstructure was so pitilessly ruined, that when they arrived at Havre-de-Grace, where the night was to be passed, and where some cousins of the bride resided, a new hat became indispensable. The fortune of the wife had been expended on the bridal-dress, so the new hat had to be procured with the money of the husband, causing an inroad that he had not anticipated; but his gallantry conquered his avarice, and he determined that the joys of the honeymoon should not be frustrated by the accident. His resolution was happily seconded by finding at the only milliner's shop in the little village a beautiful white hat, just suited for a bride, and which indeed had been made for one; but the accommodating milliner could make another in sufficient season, and would even allow a trifle for the spoiled green; hence, by the expenditure of some nine dollars the breach of costume was repaired, and the bridal twain were again happy, and departed hopefully in the morning with an immunity against dust, for its wings had been dampened during the night, and its flying effectually prevented, by a copious rain.

Bright again was the sun and gay the leave-taking at Havre-de-Grace;