means of acquiring wealth or station. Thousands fail in business by attempting too many things at once, or by turning from one thing to another before anything is fairly accomplished. Generosity is another prominent trait of his character. While he has literally strown the path of the poor with many of the comforts of life, these favors have redounded to his own prosperity. Never have the poor applied to him for aid and been turned empty away. Even the stranger, when overtaken by want, hath repeatedly shared in his bounties, and gone on his way rejoicing. For the last twenty years, his donations to different benevolent objects, have averaged over one thousand dollars per annum, amounting to a much larger yearly sum within a few years past. He is, notwithstanding the profuse hand with which he scatters, steadily increasing in wealth, thus demonstrating the Bible doctrine, that the liberal soul shall be made fat. Mr. P. is a model of persevering industry, and his success in life only illustrates what may be accomplished by others who will make similar exertions. The healthful tone of our government encourages industry and tends to elevate the poor man who desires to rise to an eminent position in society. Let the example of him whose character we have here so briefly and imperfectly drawn, stimulate the young to make like exertions to overcome want and rise to the enjoyment of similar blessings. THE GOLD PEN. BY J. S. HARVEY. The Age of Gold is at hand-he that doubts it can have no faith in omens. There are those who affirm it has come already -that we live in a golden age of avarice. I mean the age of fabled gold," so beautifully dreamed of by the ancient poets, in distinction from the brazen, and iron ages. "The Pen" has become golden! that instrument more powerful than the sword, more wonder working in fact than the enchanter's wand in fable-which has done, and is yet to do so much for human happiness-is now made of polished gold. Beautiful invention! Whisper me, Fancy, of what features in American literature is this predictive? Of brilliancythat is obvious: the sheen of such a pen ever present to his eye, will, by the principle of association, incite an author to polish his sentences. Of high artistic excellence: nothing is easier than to write in a slovenly manner with a goose-quill; but now the perfect instrument will shame the imperfect work should a writer allow careless diction to flow from a golden pen. Clearly too, is this invention ominous of solid, pure, imperishable worth in future authorship. Who would write cheap literature with a gold pen? Brilliant powers will be devoted to the best purposes. How "full of meaning" the fact, that of all the implements of art or trade in existence, that of the author alone, is best made of pure gold. Hitherto geese could boast that they furnished the pens with which human wisdom was written: but a new era is dawning-this invention is its orient star! Am I transcendental? Let us then reason upon the subject coolly and succinctly. The easy flow of composition depends much upon ease of penmanship. Many a thread of argument has been broken by stopping to mend a pen: often has the author from the interruption of nibbing his quill, omitted to point his sentences: but now, once upon the track, he need never stop till his ink-stand is dry; so that not a good thought can escape him if he once catch sight of it. Further, no fact is more striking in the psychological history of man than the change of associated ideas to concrete ones. A regular catenation of laws and causes, has often produced less effects through reason, than has a casual association of images through the medium of the imagination. Granting that this has always been a prolific source of error and evil-must it forever be so? May we not at last obtain advantages from the " unreal" that we have failed of extracting from the "real"? And may not this charming association of gold with authorship begin a revolution in its character that reason, conscience, and criticism could not effect? indicating that the golden age of avarice is fading in the west, and that of literature brightening the east? I leave to the reader if this is not good reasoning as the subject admits of; and as good metaphysics as Bishop Berkley's nonsense. The patriarch of old wished that his doleful complaints might be graven with an "iron pen." We conclude that was the Iron Age. An era of sharp controversy, factious contention, and paper wars, would be appropriately symbolized by the steel pen. Those ages are vanishing away-retreating like dark clouds in the east, when the sun looks forth and paints upon them the celestial bow. In future may we anticipate that brilliant pens will write sterling sentiments, and win "golden opinions." "The Pen" is a metonymy widely significant compared with "a pen." Thus we find Scott metonymized under the figure of "the great modern pen." In like manner we speak of "reading an author," instead of his book; while the genius or ability displayed in it, is often, by an easy trope, predicated not of himself but of his pen. This figure will admit of subdivision by the use of a specific adjective:-thus authors may be classified as they of the gold pen, the silver pen, the iron pen or the steel pen. Many a beautiful gift has never been given solely because the would-be donor could not decide on a pretty or fitting selection. As this precious gem of art will solve all such perplexities and furnish an appropriate present for every occasion or any person, it is easy to infer that the epoch of gold pens will be distinguished for kind feeling and generosity. In those future happy days, when not a single adult will be found in the United States, barring idiots, who cannot read and write, we expect that these nice articles will become a kind of circulating medium for compliment and friendship. Easily transmissible even by letter, durable, useful as it is, he that cannot think of any thing else to give as a keepsake, will give a pen. Cutlery instruments are reported to divide love, and therefore unsafe presents; a pen would be a perfectly safe gift, and any person to whom it might be unacceptable could not deserve a remembrancer of any kind. That stereotype gift, a silver cup, precious as it is, has ill associations, recalling to thought a bad habit which the human race is determined to break off. Even he who gives his friend a splendid new book is liable to give what is worth but little. Mounted with a heavy gold case, elegantly wrought, such a pen will be an offering beautiful enough for a monarch or a president. Swords of honor, of costliest workmanship, are conferred upon fortunate soldiers. We look for a Golden Age when authors who have gallantly waged war against vice and folly, and done their country good service on the side of truth and virtue, will receive from municipal corporations, or legislatures, presentation pens of exquisite beauty and richness with appropriate devices. Like a sword to the warrior, such a gift will reward them for labors past and invite them to new achievments. "STOP WHEN YOU GET THROUGH," should be neatly engraved on the gold pen of every author and authoress. The greatest writers that ever lived have been they who knew what not to write. A critic might object to this motto that the sentiment is homely, or the style jagged-that it embodies a meagre, mean truism, void of sense or poetry-that it would be as useful as a board put up in Broadway with this inscription-" do not run your heads against this brick wall." No five words in the language, however, convey a shrewder generalization of wisdom. The blunt emphasis of those two harsh monosyllables, "get through," clenches the meaning; and its plain old fashioned Saxon-English style makes this a choicer motto for authorship than the daintiest bit of an Italian sonnet in existence. To say that it amounts to an obvious truism is to express the reason for which I select it. Like the man who hunted all day for his spectacles and found them on his eye-brows, authors have overlooked this maxim because of its obviousness, and disobeyed it because of its familiarity. No one could imagine that Philip of Macedon would long forget he was a mortal man; yet so treacherous was his memory on this point that he employed a slave to cry in his ears daily, "Philip, thou art mortal!" The words inscribed over Cotton Mather's study-" Be short"are the only rule that can rival this in appropriateness: but that fails in respect of generalization, for there might be exceptions to it, whereas to this there could be no exception. Should any say that he can never get through the subject he is entering, that try as long as he may he can never express the inexpressible," this motto would caution to stop before he begins. It might catch the eye of the transcendentalist while his pen is galloping across his page, and induce him to draw rein, and benefit mankind by digging in his garden. No work has come down to us on the stream of time from remote antiquity that you could not clasp between your thumb and finger; the ponderous authors have all sunk like lead to the bottom. Humble Esop's Fables have survived thousands of learned tomes that went to heat the baths of Alexandria. Of literary glory, they have often gained most who sought it least. To seek supremely is to forfeit Fame: that capricious goddess spurns from her feet all abject worshippers: they only are crowned with her unfading garland who pay their devotions in the temple of Truth. An immortal book is a beautiful proof of the soul's immortality. Shall that which is made be more enduring than its maker? Man's material works, like his material frame, slowly but surely decay the best productions of his mind live not only with a perpetual, but a growing existence; they realize a perennial youth; and attest in this world his immortality in the next. Thus to delight and profit mankind through ceaseless ages, is the most exalted achievment of mind! Little wonder that the dazzling prize should attract a countless throng of aspirants. Lament we that so many thousands fall short on the race-that the toils of those who succeed are infinitely surpassed by those that fail? That were absurd. What if in the Olympic foot race, the laurel crown had descended on the brows of all the competitors instead of the single victor? Honors like diamonds are precious in proportion as they are scarce. This paucity of success hath ever been and must be the grand stimulant to intellectual exertions, which in themselves are profitable. Did all obtain who seek fame, the result would be similar to that of success in finding the Philosopher's Stone, which by transmuting the base metals, might increase gold, but would diminish riches, by taking from that its greatest value, rarity. DEVOTED FRIENDS. BY MRS. L. H. SIGOURNEY. The insect tribes go wandering by, With zephyr, sunbeam, flower and tree,— And shapes the warlike wasp, with care, So with the birds; careering high, Some straw to weave their nests, they spy, Then close, in curtained cells they bide, Some snatches of their heaven-taught lay But ye, meek Friends, with love so true, |