our knitting,' and indite epistles to THOMAS, RICHARD, and HENRY. We 'can-ah not-ah do it-ah!' WE have had the pleasure of examining a superb picture, representing a convention of the 'New-York Historical Society and its Guests,' to whom the engraving is respectfully dedicated by the artists who prepared it. It contains fifty portraits of eminent lawyers, physicians, poets, statesmen, divines, etc., all (with two exceptions) taken from life, by J. GOLLMAN. The work has been advancing slowly and expensively for nearly three years, in the hands of the designer and engraver, and is now admirably completed. The size of the picture is twenty-two by thirty inches; the price twenty dollars for the proofs, and ten dollars for the copies. It will very soon be issued to the public. THE following pleasant epistle, from a western friend, involves pregnant satire as well as fun :

'ONE sometimes picks up a good thing from the clerical order, in which I have found about as much fun and waggery as we see among other people. Ministers, by many, are supposed to lead a very quiet, easy sort of life, somewhat akin to the 'good time' experienced by a 'gentleman of African extraction,' who used to display his grinning combination of ivory and ebony about the streets of Indianapolis. "How old are you, SAM?' said a gentleman.

Twenty-five, Massa,' was the reply: 'but ef you counts by de fun I's seen, jest call me seventy-five.'

'A friend says he has his annoyances, and tells of one on this wise: After an absence from home, he found so much accumulated on his hands, that when Saturday afternoon warned him of the labors of the following day, he was without any 'note of preparation' for the pulpit. He seated himself at his table, nervous and tired, opened his books, and tried to force his mind into the harness. Hardly settled, a voice was heard at his gate. Down went pen, concordance, and lexicon, and the parson walked out. His customer was a greasy-looking fellow, known in the community by the graceful name of 'BUTTERNUT’- -a man who rarely darkened the doors of the minister's church. In fact, he belonged to a 'come-outer' organization that denounced E- -'s Church as 'a brotherhood of thieves.' His errand was two-fold: first, to request the minister to publish an appointment for a come-out proclaimer, whose special errand was to abuse the Church; second, to obtain the use of the church-edifice, where E- officiated, for & FEMALE PREACHER-a Rev. Miss WATT, who had reached the Indian-summer of life; was 'fat and forty,' and with a voice like 'rolled syllables of mid-night thunder.' (A trifling alteration would have made her a first-rate swine-driver.) BUTTERNUT, his 'mission' accomplished, went on his way; while E-, tired and provoked, went to bed. Sabbath came, and he renewed his efforts to prepare.' The text was selected; firstly was arranged; and secondly was under way, when a buggy appeared at the gate, and his visitor of the night before—‘BUTTERNUT' — came to the door and remarked that a brother-minister was in the buggy, and wished to see him. Out went the parson, when a nondescript specimen of the genus homo sprang out, and began the relation of his ' experience.' He had, until three months ago, been a hard case, a very hard case; in fact, one of the hardest kind, (spoken with much complacency.) But he had fallen in with 'Uncle Tom's Cabin,' and the reading of it had 'convicted him desputly.' 'New light' was given him, and he was convinced he had a great work to do. He was, therefore, now travelling around 'examining the churches' and 'instructing them.' He 'sposed there would be a chance to speak here to-day; ef so, he would stop; ef not, he would go on.

E

- modestly hinted he was under special obligations to preach on that day. ́ ́No difference,' said the nondescript; do n't make a particle of odds, ef I can only hev the privilege of follerin'.?

'It was suggested that exhortations were not common on Sunday mornings. ''That's true, as a gineral rule; but this is a special case.'

E

was cornered, and demanded the traveller's credentials.

"License, do you mean?' asked Nondescript.

"Yes, Sir; I ask no man into my pulpit who has not clear papers.'

'Non: 'Oh yes, that's right, ginerally; but you know this is a special case; and the 'postle he had n't no need of letters of commendation.'

'E.: 'You and St. PAUL are different persons, most decidedly; unless you have the documents, you can't be recognized.'

'Non: 'But, Sir, you ought to know there is special cases. My call is n't from men. I should think you could tell by talking to a man whether he had the sperit in him.' 'E: 'So I can sometimes, with the help of my nose. But I can waste no more time. Unless you have proper vouchers, you can travel.'

E

'At this rebuff, the burdened soul slowly and reluctantly employed his dirty hands in gathering up the lines, and, asking the way to Hamilton, drove off. As the rumbling of the wheels, and the clatter of 'BUTTERNUT's' boots died away in the distance, again entered his study, and vainly strove to gather up his scattered thoughts. They were effectually distributed in a most miscellaneous manner, and refused to subside into any thing like order, when the church-bell rang, and the sermon had to be served up, cooked or uncooked. E- went through, and in his afternoon siesta, amidst all the horrors of nightmare, dreamed that a man in an unclean shirt, and wearing a 'shocking bad hat,' was trying to drive a bald-faced horse and covered buggy right through the pulpit.'

'I LAUGHED Somewhat, a few days ago, at the reply of a fellow who had long been familiar with 'building materials,' to a zealous temperance man who was exhorting him to quit drink.

''It's no use, CHARLEY; it's no use. I shall keep on drinkin' till me or whiskey is a corpse!'

He was the first' corpse.' WE' acknowledge the corn.' Nothing raised at 'Old KNICK Place,' much as we 'crowed' concerning it, can for a moment compare with some 'Farley Corn' sent us by an obliging friend and correspondent from the town of Salem, Roanoke county, Virginia. Such ponderous ears! — and after all, 'not fully up to the mark, the summer having been very dry!' Friends who 'behave themselves' shall have some of the 'FARLEY corn' to plant. AN annoying influenza deprived us of the pleasure of attending the Ball of the ‘Bininger Guards' at NIBLO's, on the evening of the twenty-second. A friend who was present, informs us that this fine company was honored by the presence of as many lovely women as the most ardent bachelor could desire to see; and the entire entertainment was most admirably managed. Six pages of 'Gossip,' and four of 'Notices of New Publications,' are unavoidably driven over to our next issue. This delay, we may now assume, will not again occur. The first number of a new volume is always a crowded one.

Story of John Biggs.

THE first chapter of Mr. IRVING'S New Story, 'JOHN BIGGS,' commenced in our Decem ber number, has received marked attention from our editorial brethren in every direc tion. Our readers will find the Author of 'The Attorney' and 'Harry Harson' has lost none of the force and spirit displayed in those popular works. Four thousand copies of 'The Attorney' have been sold, and the demand for the book still continues.