to be used afterwards at visits and card parties, as occasion may require. I am slightly in the good graces of the niece of one of these ancient women, who favored me with a peep at her aunt's land logbook, from which I made the following extracts. For obvious reasons, the names of the people and numbers of the houses are omitted. February 5.-No. - Greenwich-street. Called at the house of Mrs. D-—. Rooms small-no garrets-wonder where the goodness all the children sleep. Carpets very shabby-remains of a turkey carefully put by in the pantry, and black woman inaking her dinner off cold mutton. Eldest Miss D. has a new silk pelisse-wonder where the money came from. MEM. The D.'s may be honest enough, but can't imagine how some people make a living! Same day.-No.- Broadway-looked in upon my dear friend Mrs. W-the house to let, going to take a larger one. Cut a great dash-hope it may last. Mr. W. is, to be sure, cashier of the bank, but his salary cannot be much. other, people in banks never want money. MEM. If Mr. W. should be back in his accounts and com Some how or mit suicide, which is not unlikely, what would become of poor dear Mrs. W.? February 17.-No. Hudson-square. Fine looking house-great deal larger than what I wanted, but went in to see it. Mrs. M. not at home; was shown through the house by Miss M. a poor white-faced creature, with her hair out of curl, who looked as if she had just got up. Recollected meeting a prettyish sort of girl by that name at Mrs. K.'s party last night. Found out it was the sameshould never have known her! Not quite so much color as she had when dancing last night-suppose she can get more when she wants it. gracious! how the poor men are deceived! Good Same day. Went through the sausage manufacturer's premises in the Bowery. MEM. Eat no more sausages, &c. &c. It would be tedious to give more of these precious records; suffice it to say, that there was scarcely a house from the East river to the North, or from the Battery to the regions about Fourth-street, which had not been inspected by one or more of these scandalous old women, who meet at night and compare notes; and not a single kind remark or charitable supposition was ventured upon by any one of them. They went altogether on Sir Peter Teazle's principle, "that it was a bad world, and the fewer that speak well of it the better." But this is by no means the only evil to which the citizens subject themselves by this love of change. They are innumerable; and, perhaps, one of the heaviest is the injury done to the periodical literature of the country. A man will subscribe for a paper or a magazine, with which he professes to be agreeably entertained and well satisfied ; but if any new adventurer spring up, and promise impossibilities in a flaming prospectus, he straightway relinquishes that which he knows to be good, for the chance of getting something better; and this, in its turn, is thrown aside for fresh experiments. In no country are there so many and such abortive attempts to get up fresh publications, and this, in a great degree, accounts for it. Of the majority it cannot be said, that ""Tis pity they're short-lived." They do no good and much harm; for by diverting public patronage into so many channels, all are inadequately rewarded, and hence the poor state of the public press generally, compared with other countries. In all sorts of business it is precisely the same. If a man finds that past endeavors are no security for future favors, he naturally relaxes in those endeavors, and will as soon sell a bad article as a good one, when there is an equal chance of his customer returning; thus, the evils which the buyers inflict upon the sellers in the first instance, eventually return upon themselves, and no one gains by those proceedings but those who, under a better state of things, would be neglected entirely. But what avails talking? What can be expected from the inhabitants, when the "fathers of the city" set them such examples? The people move themselves, but the corporation move the houses. Their committee come and squint along a street, and then say unto a man, "Sir, you must shift your house sixteen feet back!" Shade of Wouter Von Twiller! shift a house! What would a genuine Dutchman think of such a proceeding; or, indeed, any European? A little Frenchman, fresh from Paris, who thought every thing on earth was to be seen there, lately witnessed a performance of this kind. He was met by a friend soon after, in a high state of excitation. Oh, mon dieu !" said he, "I have see what in Paris I nevare have see-nevare! I have see one house taking one leetle valk!--Mon dieu !" But the evil may not stop here. In time streets and squares may be found traveling about the city, and it is not impossible that a man may be run over by a church. 66 HYPOCHONDRIACISM. O wad some power the giftie gie us, What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us, HYPOCHONDRIACISM is a disorder produced by the disorganization of the nervous system, whereby the patient ceases to view things as they exist, and acquires the property of seeing others that have no existence. His faculties become changed, and he regards chimeras as realities, and realities as chimeras. On all points excepting one, a hypochondriac may be perfectly sane, but on that one he looks upon the rest of the world as fools, and himself as the only person to whom heaven has given light. There are many shades of this disorder, and the ways in which it manifests itself are innumerable. Doctor Johnson gives a very meagre definition of a hypochondriac when he says it is "one |