and unless the brute exhibits decided symptoms of hydrophobia. But the impetus of my progress was such, that there was no time for adjustment of the difficulty. "I must settle this business with Pluto," said I to myself. Then I took courage and thought of Hercules, who dragged the cur to earth and back again; and raising my metal, no lightly-loaded weapon, I got in readiness-a blow at the rushing whelp, which, if it had been discharged in the proper direction, would have probably made him a constellation alongside of his brother Sirius. But, oh! wonder-working gold! the moment that the treasure glittered in his eyes, the three-mouthed coward fawned and grovelled at my feet, kissing the yellow rod, like a skinner before a money-lender at a quarter before three.

"Charge! good dog," said I, patting his heads successively, to make sure of his good opinion when I should return; and under these established terms of friendship, we separated. I soon arrived at the east bank of the Styx, where I found innumerable ghosts, walking up and down, and waiting their turn to cross. The throng at this landing place reminded me of the congregation at the Brooklyn ferry on a race day; only the people were all on foot. My magic passport gained me an easy opening through the multitude, most of whom seemed to be Ethiopians and low Irish. Those who held themselves more respectable stood back at a distance from the river, and a few groups that I particularly noticed, appeared by their gestures, and the occasional emphatic words which sruck my ear, to be discussing some question about the monopoly of the ferry. The doctrine of equal rights, however, was faithfully regarded. No exclusive facilities for entering into the kingdom were allowed. Every candidate was duly billeted, the moment he arrived by the constables of the vestibule, and each took turn according to the number of his ticket, without any

inquiry made as to property, citizenship, or naturalization: all that was required was the paying for his ferriage. When I arrived at the brink of the sluggish stream, the ferryman had just put out with a cargo of small children. But on the instant he caught a glimpse of the golden rod, he returned and hurried out his passengers with fierce precipitation, forgetting, in his haste, to pay back the ferriage he had received.

"Step in, step in, step in. see flesh and blood every day. you hail from? of that—snuff, snuff-my soul! Over! Ov-a—re—no, I beg your pardon, sir. You shall not be annoyed with any of the greasy ghosts. A mere slip of the tongue-my calling. I'll row you over alone with pleasure."

Welcome to Erebus. Don't

Give us your fist. Where do Allow me to inhale once again the fragrance

I gave the hand of the veteran mariner a hearty grasp, and at his beckoning, took a seat in the stern-sheets, and off he put.

We had hardly got six yards from the bank, when a familiar voice, a little way down the stream, assailed my ears with a loud hilloa. I turned at the cry, and to my utter astonishment, saw my old friend Jack Furnace, who had sailed only ten days before for Liverpool, in perfect health, swinging his hands above his head, and shouting.

Mercy! protect us!" cried I. "Jack, is that you? Charon, my dear boy, shove back and take him in.”

"That's contrary to law," replied the old gentleman. "Don't you see his ticket is numbered 11,251,956? There's a whole army to cross before he can tread my plank."

"You will most particularly oblige me, my esteemed friend, you will, in this single instance, suspend the operation of the provisions of your charter. That gentleman, whose demise I am thus suddenly called on to deplore, owes me a very

convenient thousand on the result of a discussion at brag, a fortnight since, and I should be happy to get his order upon his executors or administrators, to pay the amount to me out of his assets. Poor Jack ! What could have killed him? Indeed, dear Charon, you must take him in. Allow me to present to you this twig of my bough, as a trifling token of my regard to your friendship, and the firmness of your adherence to the established usages of your boat."

"Don't mention this on the other side," said the old man, thrusting the argument into his pantaloons' pocket, with some rapidity; at the same time bending and pretending to fix a thole-pin and backing water. "Old Minos would have me indicted, if he were to find out that in a single case bribery and corruption had made me lose sight of the equal rights of the ghosts. I should certainly be turned out of office."

Jack jumped in about mid-ship, and, ghost as he was, nearly swamped the ricketty craft with his irregular weight. He was fat, puffed, and, strange for a shade, red-faced, and worse and worse, was evidently inebriated. His marvellous appearance excited very natural inquiry. His story was soon told. He and the captain, crew, and passengers of the vessel he had sailed in, had just got down from the bed of the Atlantic Ocean. On the tenth day out at 4 A.M. sea time, they ran upon a mountain of ice floating under water, and in five minutes after, in a brisk flaw, foundered and went to the bottom. Jack was at his wine at the time, when he was quite as unpleasantly as unexpectedly called upon to change his liquor. Jack's inclination always did use to be in favor of drinking many bumpers rather than to submit to a single glass of brine. I could not, therefore, help saying to him, that it must have been rather mortifying to be subjected to the punishment imposed upon people who want to keep sober, while he was giv

ing unchallengable evidence of his determination to get drunk. My suggestion did not seem to find favor with my-now-fellow-passenger, and former fellow-sinner.

"No post mortem reflections, Jerry," said Jack, mournfully; 'you're not Coroner-it's a bad business-bad-bad. I'm very penitent. Cut off in my prime-no notice to quit-unhouselled-unanointed!-What killed you my boy?"

"I'm not dead, Jack; I'm on a voyage of discovery-playing Orpheus. Though I don't mean to pick up a wife here. By-the-by-do you remember that thousand? Can't you give me an order on your executors ?"

"No money, Jerry-no money. Bursted. I'll give you a deed, when we get across, for my New Brighton speculation, and my City Lots in Kimakewahamaya. Have you got such a thing as an obolus about you, to pay this old cock? what's that? Gold! by Jove! I haven't seen such a piece of bullion for " And here my dear friend sprang up and dashed at my magic branch.

"Sit down-sit down-you'll upset us-you'll be overboard;" cried our oarsman. But the caution came too late. Our whiffling skiff shivered quick from larboard to starboard, dipping her gunnels into the water, and Jack lost his feet, and then there was a splash, and the waters of the Styx closed over the head of my unfortunate debtor.

"There he goes. Served him right. Just as I expected," remarked the philosophic boatman, as he kept pulling on. "Stop! stop!

drowned!"

Charon, back water! the man will be

"Drowned, will he? He was drowned this morning. That's three kinds of liquor he's been in to-day ;" and the grim ferryman grinned.

"But he has n't secured my debt what will become of him ?"

"Go to the bottom, to be sure.

Here's where I generally lose such fellows. Just half way from shore. Call it half seas over hole.' Grand place for eels."

"But my venerable Remex, consider my deep interest in his fate. Consider my thousand dollars. Can't you get him up? How deep is it?"

"Never went down to see. Don't fret. He can't exundize for as many years as he owes you dollars. When the time comes, he'll float ashore t'other side, and take his trial with the ghosts of people who have never been buried. Don't you know it's the law that people that an't buried can't cross the Styx for a thousand years?"

I remembered the statute as quoted by divers of the poets, and yielded to the necessity of its requisitions.

Glo

Seeing me melancholy, the old man lit up a good-natured smile." Come, cheer up," said he, "cheer up. What's the news on earth? How do parties get on in America? rious country, that. In danger, though-terrible danger! Italian Opera-loco focoism-gambling in stocks-Animal Magnetism-French legs-Irish heads-Maine mill sitesOregon building lots-phrenology-banks-brokers-twig that snapping turtle! What are your politics?"

"Mine, sir? I am a federal democratic whig republican, of the loco foco genus, conservative species, whole hog in the abstract, and always ready to sacrifice personal opinion to the judicious principles of public policy, rightly understood in reference to the individual interests of the citizen. Those are my sentiments, my friend. Permit me to inquire the state of parties in Hell. Do the Whigs or Democrats rule the roast?