About this poor lady, who was modest and innocent as Susannah, Philip had heard some wicked elders at wicked clubs tell wicked stories in old times. There was that old Trail, for instance, what woman escaped from his sneers and slander? There were others who could be named, and whose testimony was equally un"It is for one of his grand ceremony parties," truthful. On an ordinary occasion Philip would urged the Little Sister. "You can't come to no never have cared or squabbled about a question quarreling there. He has a good heart. So of precedence, and would have taken any place There's no good quarreling with assigned to him at any table. But when Mrs. him. Oh, Philip, do forgive, and be friends!" Woolsey, in crumpled satins and blowsy lace, Philip yielded to the remonstrances of the wo-made her appearance, and was eagerly and remen, as we all do; and a letter was sent to Hampstead, announcing that Mr. and Mrs. P. F. would have the honor of, etc.

were in full colloquy about the weather, the nursery, and so forth-and Woolsey and Mugford giving each other the hearty grasp of friendship. Philip, then, scowling at the newly-arrived guests, turning his great hulking back upon the company and talking to his wife, presented a not agreeable figure to his entertainer.

"Hang the fellow's pride!" thought Mugford. "He chooses to turn his back upon my company because Woolsey was a tradesman. An honest tailor is better than a bankrupt, swindling doctor, I should think. Woolsey need not be ashamed to show his face, I suppose. Why did you make me ask that fellar again, Mrs. M.? Don't you see, our society ain't good enough for him?"

Philip's conduct, then, so irritated Mugford, that when dinner was announced he stepped forward and offered his arm to Mrs. Woolsey; having intended in the first instance to confer that honor upon Charlotte. "I'll show him," thought Mugford, "that an honest tradesman's lady who pays his way, and is not afraid of any body, is better than my sub-editor's wife, the daughter of a bankrupt swell." Though the dinner was illuminated by Mugford's grandest plate, and accompanied by his very best wine, it was a gloomy and weary repast to several people present, and Philip and Charlotte, and I dare say Mugford, thought it never would be done. Mrs. Woolsey, to be sure, placidly ate her dinner, and drank her wine; while, remembering these wicked legends against her, Philip sate before the poor unconscious lady, silent, with glaring eyes, insolent and odious; so much so, that Mrs. Woolsey imparted to Mrs. Mugford her surmise that the tall gentleman must have got out of bed the wrong leg foremost.

Well, Mrs. Woolsey's carriage and Mr. Firmin's cab were announced at the same moment; and immediately Philip started up and beckoned his wife away. But Mrs. Woolsey's carriage and lamps of course had the precedence; and this lady Mr. Mugford accompanied to her carriage step.

stood there in his own hall confronting him, Philip declared, with a most impudent smile on his face.

"Come back to light a pipe, I suppose? Nice thing for your wife, ain't it?" said Mugford, relishing his own joke.

"I am come back, Sir," said Philip, glaring at Mugford, "to ask how you dared invite Mrs. Philip Firmin to meet that woman?"

He

Here, on his side, Mr. Mugford lost his temper, and from this moment his wrong begins. When he was in a passion, the language used by Mr. Mugford was not, it appears, choice. We have heard that when angry he was in the habit of swearing freely at his subordinates. broke out on this occasion also with many oaths. He told Philip that he would stand his impudence no longer; that he was as good as a swindling doctor's son; that though he hadn't been to college he could buy and pay them as had; and that if Philip liked to come into the back-yard for ten minutes he'd give him one-two, and show him whether he was a man or not. Poor Char, who, indeed, fancied that her husband had gone back to light his cigar, sat a while unconscious in her cab, and supposed that the two gentlemen were engaged on newspaper business. When Mugford began to pull his coat off, she sat wondering, but not in the least understanding the meaning of the action. Philip had described his employer as walking about his office without a coat and using energetic language.

But when, attracted by the loudness of the talk, Mrs. Mugford came forth from her neighboring drawing-room, accompanied by such of her children as had not yet gone to roost-when seeing Mugford pulling off his dress-coat she began to scream-when, lifting his voice over hers, Mugford poured forth oaths, and frantically shook his fists at Philip, asking how that blackguard dared insult him in his own house, and proposing to knock his head off at that moment-then poor Char, in a wild alarm, sprang out of the cab, ran to her husband, whose whole frame was throbbing, whose nostrils were snorting with He did not pay the same attention to Mrs. Fir- passion. Then Mrs. Mugford springing formin. Most likely he forgot. Possibly he did ward, placed her ample form before her husnot think etiquette required he should show that band's, and calling Philip a great cowardly beast, sort of politeness to a sub-editor's wife: at any asked him if he was going to attack that little rate, he was not so rude as Philip himself had old man? Then Mugford dashing his coat been during the evening, but he stood in the hall down to the ground, called with fresh oaths to looking at his guests departing in their cab, when, Philip to come on. And, in fine, there was a in a sudden gust of passion, Philip stepped out' most unpleasant row, occasioned by Mr. Philip of the carriage, and stalked up to his host, who | Firmin's hot temper.

WE

Monthly Record of Current •Events.

UNITED STATES.

ment of all the divisions of the entire army; but close our record on the 9th of April, in hour- previous to that time the forces in Kentucky, Tenly receipt of tidings of more importance than nessee, and Missouri had advanced and effected the have yet marked the history of the war. The long-evacuation of Bowling Green, the surrender of Fort expected advance of our army on the Potomac Donelson, the abandonment of Columbus, and the has been commenced. The 22d of February had occupation of Nashville. The impassable condition been fixed upon as the day for the general move-of the roads in Virginia, however, delayed the march

from Savannah and Pittsburg, in Tennessee, the head-quarters of our army under Grant and Buell.

-The telegraph of the 9th of April brings news of a great battle here. At daylight on Sunday the 6th the enemy, under Beauregard and Sidney Johnston, who had advanced from Corinth in great strength, attacked our forces at Pittsburg. The battle lasted all that day, with doubtful successeach side alternately appearing to have the advantage. It was renewed on the next day, continuing until late in the afternoon, when the enemy broke and fled. We do not venture now to give the loss

of the army of the Potomac. But on the 8th of March a general order from the President directed the General Commanding to organize that part of the army destined for active operations into four corps. Another order, of the 11th, announced that General M'Clellan having taken the field at the head of the army of the Potomac, he was relieved from the command of the other military departments. By this and subsequent orders the different military departments were rearranged. The two Western departments, under Generals Halleck and Hunter, and a portion of that under General Buell, were consolidated under Halleck, and a new Department of as estimated by the unofficial dispatch; but if this the South, comprising South Carolina, Georgia, and is at all reliable, the battle is by far the most severe Florida, was formed and placed under General Hunt-ever fought upon this continent, and will rank among er; and the Department of the Gulf, comprising the coast of the Gulf of Mexico west of Pensacola Harbor, and such portions of the Gulf States as may be occupied by our forces, under General Butler. The country east of the Department of the Mississippi, and west of that of the Potomac, was formed into the Mountain Department, and placed under Gen-west for about 12 miles, when it again resumes its eral Frémont; and two new departments were formed from a portion of that of the Potomac-that of the Shenandoah, under General Banks, and Rappahannock, comprising that part of Virginia east of the Blue Ridge and west of the Potomac, together with the District of Columbia, under General M'Dowell.

The direct advance from before Washington commenced on the 6th of March, the enemy having some days before begun to fall back from the positions at Centreville and Manassas, which he had occupied for nearly a year. Centreville was occupied on the 11th, and Manassas immediately after. On the 14th General M'Clellan issued from Fairfax Court House an address to the army under his immediate command, in which he says that he had not kept them so long inactive without a purpose. They were to be armed, instructed, and disciplined, and artillery had to be created; and other armies were to move and accomplish certain results. These had now been attained, and the patience of the army was worth a dozen victories. The period of inaction had passed, and he would now bring the army face to face with the rebels. They would meet a brave foe, and he should demand of his troops great and heroic exertions, rapid and long marches, desperate combats, and perhaps privations. From present indications it appears that the enemy in Virginia are taking up a new defensive position from Norfolk to the Blue Ridge, forming a semicircular line partly along the Rappahannock and Rapidan rivers. Richmond is nearly opposite the centre of this line. On the 4th of April General M'Clellan's division left Fortress Monroe for Yorktown, held by the enemy under Magruder. The siege was begun on the 5th, and is still in progress.

Of still more importance even than the affairs in Virginia are those in the Southwest. The main body of the Confederates from Tennessee and Kentucky have fallen back to the neighborhood of Corinth, in Mississippi, where they have been joined by the best troops from every other quarter. General Beauregard is supposed to be in immediate command here. Corinth is a small village in the northwestern corner of Mississippi, near the Tennessee line. It is at the junction of the Mobile and Ohio and the Memphis and Charleston railways, and is thus connected by railway with almost every part of the Confederacy. It lies 93 miles from Memphis, and about 140 from Island No. 10. It is only 20 miles

the most bloody ever fought.

After the evacuation of Columbus, the Confederate forces which had occupied that position fell down the Mississippi to Island No. 10, about 45 miles below Columbus. The river, whose general course is south, here makes a sharp bend, running north

southern course. At this second bend, on the Missouri side, is New Madrid, which had been held by a strong Confederate force. On the 3d of March the national forces, under General Pope, arrived in front of New Madrid, which they found occupied by five regiments of infantry and several companies of cavalry. The place was defended by redoubts at the upper and lower end, connected by lines of entrenchments, and six gun-boats were anchored along the shore between the redoubts. The river was so high that the guns of the boats looked directly over the banks, and the country being flat the approaches, for miles, were commanded by a direct and cross fire from at least sixty guns. General Pope, instead of making an immediate assault, took up a position below the town, cutting off all supplies from down the river, and pushed forward works to command the place. The enemy were meanwhile reinforced from Island No. 10, until they had 9000 infantry, besides artillery and nine gun-boats. On the 13th the works having been sufficiently advanced, fire was opened, which was vigorously returned. Our fire was principally directed against the gun-boats, of which several were disabled. The trenches were meanwhile extended, and batteries pushed forward still nearer the river. A furious storm sprung up during the night; but at daylight on the 14th a flag of truce appeared with information that the enemy had evacuated his works. The flight had been precipitate; almost every thing was left behind; thirtythree pieces of artillery, magazines full of fixed ammunition, several thousand of small-arms, tents for an army of 10,000 men, with entrenching tools, horses, and mules, fell into our hands. The enemy escaped with nothing except what they had on their persons. Our loss during these operations was 51 killed and wounded; that of the enemy is unknown; but more than a hundred new-made graves showed that he must have suffered severely. The investment of Island No. 10 was begun on the 16th by our gun-boats under Commodore Foote. On the 20th Commodore Foote sent a dispatch saying that "Island No. 10 is harder to conquer than Columbus, as the island shores are lined with forts, each one com manding the one above it. I am gradually approaching the island, but still do not hope for much until the occurrence of certain events which promise success." These "events" comprehended the cutting off, by General Pope, at New Madrid, of all access by the river from below, the digging of a canal

through a swamp on the main land west of the isl- | twenty in diameter, and a pilot-house, rising three and, through which a part of our gun-boats could feet, are all that appear upon the smooth, level deck. pass below the island, and the passage of the river The vessel was believed by its inventor to be absofrom the Missouri to the Kentucky shore, in face of lutely invulnerable. Early on the morning of the the enemy's batteries. These operations were suc- 9th the Monitor was dispatched to the aid of the cessfully carried out, a brisk bombardment being all Minnesota, which lay still aground. The Virginia, the while kept up. The investment being complete, followed by two steamers, soon moved down toward every thing was in readiness for an assault, when, the Minnesota, evidently expecting to destroy her; at midnight of the 7th of April, two Confederate of- but the Monitor interposed, and an action began beficers boarded our boats, with orders to surrender the tween the two floating batteries. Sometimes the island to the commander of the naval expedition. vessels were close together; at others, some distance The same day which brings us the telegraphic dis- apart. The Virginia once ran against the Monitor, patch of the battle near Savannah, brings the tidings but without doing the slightest injury; several times of the surrender of Island No. 10, with the announce- she tried to run past her antagonist and engage the ment that we have "captured three generals, 6000 Minnesota at close quarters, but without success. prisoners, 100 siege-pieces, several field-pieces, and The battle lasted five hours. The tower of the Monimmense quantities of small-arms, tents, wagons, itor was struck more than twenty times by balls, horses, and provisions." but without receiving the slightest damage. A little past noon the Virginia withdrew, and returned up the river, having apparently received considerable damage. Early in the action the pilot-house of the Monitor was struck, and Lieutenant Worden, her commander, was stunned by the concussion, and also blinded by the minute particles of cement driven into his eyes. This was the only casualty on board the battery. The Minnesota and the gunboat Whitehall participated in the engagement, keeping up a fire against the Virginia, which seemed to have no effect upon her iron-cased sides. Both these vessels received some injury, and suffered loss in men. The Monitor, though hardly a third part the size of her antagonist, showed herself in this contest more than a match for her. The Virginia returned to Norfolk, having evidently suffered considerable damage. Her commander, Lieutenant Buchanan, was severely if not fatally wounded, and it is supposed that considerable loss of life was sustained on board. It is reported that she has been put upon the dock, her damages repaired, and provided with a heavier armament than before; and that she is about to undertake another expedition against our fleet, and, if possible, make her way past Fortress Monroe to sea. Our loss during these two days was very severe. There were on board the Congress 434 officers and men; of these, 136 were killed, wounded, and missing, the greater number presumed to have been killed. The loss on the Cumberland was about the same.

When Norfolk, Virginia, was abandoned, in April, 1861, among the vessels left behind was the steamfrigate Merrimac, then under repair; she was sunk, but without undergoing any essential damage. She was raised, cut down to near the water's edge, plated with iron, and a bomb-proof covering, resembling the sloping roof of a house, thrown over the gundeck. She was provided with an armament reported to consist of four 11-inch guns on each side, and two 100-pounders at bow and stern; the bow also was furnished with a steel beak for the purpose of piercing the sides of an enemy. Fully nine months were spent in thus converting the Merrimac, whose name was changed to the Virginia, into a floating battery. She left Norfolk, steamed down the Elizabeth River, and on the 8th of March made her appearance in Hampton Roads, near Fortress Monroe. The principal national vessels in the Roads were the steam-frigate Minnesota, and the sailing frigates Congress and Cumberland, the two latter of which were blockading the river. The Virginia made direct for the Cumberland, who opened fire upon her with heavy guns, but the balls glanced harmlessly from her. After firing a single shot, which killed five men, the Virginia ran into the Cumberland, who kept up a vigorous though ineffectual fire, the Virginia all the time firing with deadly effect. The Cumberland soon began to sink, and finally went down, carrying with her the wounded. The Virginia then attacked the Congress, which was, in the course of half an hour, so thoroughly riddled that, finding the contest hopeless, she struck her colors, after having been run ashore, where she was burned. The Minnesota, in trying to reach the scene of action, ran aground, and could not be moved. Night had now set in, but there seemed no reason why, on the next day, the Minnesota, and all the vessels remaining in the Roads, might not be destroyed, as the Cumberland and Congress had been. During the night the floating battery Monitor arrived in the Roads from New York. This vessel, which had just been completed, from designs of Mr. Ericsson, differs materially from any vessel before constructed. Externally it presents the appearance of a long, oval raft, rising only eighteen inches above the water, with a low, round tower upon its centre. This raft is the upper part of the hull of the vessel, and is plated with iron so as to be ball-proof. It projects on every side beyond the lower hull, which contains the machinery. The tower, which contains two heavy guns, the only armament of the battery, is of iron, and nearly a foot in thickness. It is constructed so as to revolve, bringing the guns to bear upon any point. This tower, nine feet high and

At Pea Ridge, Arkansas, a severe action was fought, and a decisive victory gained by our forces, on the 6th, 7th, and 8th of March. The enemy, who had retreated from Missouri before General Curtis, concentrated all his forces under General Van Dorn, and made an attack on our right and rear. Reinforcements coming up, the attack was suspended for the night. Next morning our centre attacked him, while he at the same time made a vigorous assault on our right; and the action lasted the whole day at these points. Our right, under Colonel Carr, held their position, while the enemy were in the centre entirely repulsed, losing General M'Culloch. During the day the enemy gradually concentrated his main force against our right, and Curtis changed his front so as to face him, and commenced the attack at sunrise on the 8th. General Siegel, who commanded our left, drove the enemy from the heights; our centre and right were now pushed forward, our right turning his left, and cross-firing on his centre. The final position of the enemy was in the form of an arc of a circle. Upon this a charge of infantry extending through the whole line was made, which routed his whole force, driving him in