New York being a better city than Brooklyn. This was a great go; and when poet Patten-that's a literary man in our village-read it aloud a the exhibition, all the people thought me very clever; but the boys didn't, because they knew that Mr. Whackboy wrote it. But he only wrote the last leaf and corrected all the rest: so it was all spite in the boys.

Dear and Honored Sir-I will try and write you something very finejust like a newspaper, if I can-and papa says you will print it, and I shall see my name in print at the end of it.

When we contemplate the world at large, when we consider mankind in general, and when we cast our eyes upon the whole human race, we behold a great many astonishing circumstances. Some people are tall and some are short; some are white, and some are black, and some are red-but not so red as a brick-and some are copper-colored, like a cent; and a great historian, called Diedrick Knickerbocker, says that the men in the moon are pea-green and carry their heads under their arms like a book. A man was lecturing on astronomy last winter in our village and told us that there's no water in the moon; and another man was lecturing on temperance and told us that nobody but men who live in this world drink anything but water. Now what do the men in the moon drink, when there is no water in the moon? I have been thinking that as we drink only when our throats are dry, the people in the moon don't drink at all; and that is the cause why they carry their heads under their arms, having no throats; and because trees have no throats and don't drink, therefore they are green. Papa says this is the way to draw conclusions and to demonstrate; and Mr. Whackboy always likes us to say therefore and wherefore, it is so geometrical.

There is a boy in Albany city who writes splendid, and will be a great composer; and he sends me letters about Albany and all the people there. He says that the public buildings are very fine, and many of them have large tin bowls on the top which they call cupolas; and that some people would think them silver when the sun shines; and one of them is yellow metal, like gold. And he says there are a great many handsome churches. One of them has a fish for a weathercock, to let the people know that the flood came to America, and to tell them how the wind blows upon the sea where the fishes live, and because some fishes, such as a whale, blow as the wind does; but the fish on the church is not " very like a whale." Another church has two steeples, like two asses' ears upon it; and there is a bell in one of them which rings like your ear when it is pulled or struck. And some other churches have short square steeples, with a window in each side, standing like a little house on top of a big one; and this is elegant, and of the dumpy order of architecture. And some others have steeples like mustard-pots and ink-glasses and pepper-boxes, beautiful to behold. And one is very old; but a great doctor says old churches are good for the health, and therefore they must not leave it.

I heard there have been several fires in Albany city, but the firemen would not work, and are to be put in the state's prison. Some think they want all the wooden houses to be burnt, and to have all the city built of brick and stone and marble and cement. Some think they all want to go and fight at Mexico with General Scott and General Taylor, because they have been taught to stand fire at home; but there are no bullets in that kind of fire, which makes a slight difference. Alderman Pumpkin thinks they ought all to be made to wear their hose for stockings, and be hooked on, all in a row, to their ladders, and then pumped upon one hour to cool their fiery spirit by the cold water cure of their own engines. This would be capital sport, and I would come to see it. Will you write and tell me if it is true. Papa says the firemen like best to go and dine with each other in companies, and to blow trumpets instead of blowing out fires; and to carry lighted torches to let them see where the fires are in dark nights. The people who own the churches will not order the bells to be rung if the firemen do not turn out; for it is of no use alarming people at night for nothing. I have been thinking that some of the clever gentlemen who write for your magazine might invent an extinguisher, like what they put out candles with, and that those ladies who are angels should fly up with it and let it down upon the burning houses. Would not that do?

But I must not write any more at present. Papa has gone to sleep, and Mr. Whackboy has not come to correct this; so pray excuse bad grammar, for I have a bad pen. Yours respectfully,

P. S. Papa will send you the next letter.

CLAVARACK, Fils.

EDITOR'S TABLE.

We always come to this part of our work, not as to a task, but as to a pleasant interview with well tried friends.

We feel like one who returns home after a month's absence; and because his mind is fraught with the thoughts and incidents that have occurred to him, he gives them utterance with all the familiarity of affectionate gossip.

Many pleasant things have occurred during the month calculated to diminish our toils, and afford additional encouragement for perseverance in the great enterprise in which we are engaged. We call it a great enter prise, not by way of boasting, but because it is really so. He who attempts to furnish a monthly periodical, stored with what enriches rather than impoverishes intellect, abounding with fact more than with fiction, aiming to profit as well as to please the most refined and cultivated minds, and

which shall be possessed of attractions suited to draw the masses up to its standard of taste rather than lower it down to them; he who, in short, would elevate, enrich, dignify our current literature is certainly engaged in a great and laborious enterprise.

These were the objects we aimed at accomplishing when we commenced our literary labors, and we trust we shall not lose sight of them.

We are aware that the public taste at the present day demands a good deal of the frivolous and flashy, instead of the solid and substantial, in writing, and that in consequence, the tendency of Magazine literature in this country, has been downward.

Whatever the public demand and will pay the best for, they can have in the greatest abundance; for book makers now-a days, would be money makers rather than fame seekers. For our part we are quite fond of the precious metal, but we rather deny ourselves a little in that respect, and suffer it to circulate in the shape of a magazine of superlative excellence.

Some of our local agents, large dealers in what is properly termed cheap literature, have loudly complained that our magazine is "too good" that it wont sell as fast as some two or three others which contain more pictures, more stories of fancy, and a fashion plate for the ladies. Well, this is just what we expected, just what we wished, and just what gives us the greatest encouragement to persevere and raise the standard of our literary productions still higher. Hereafter "excelsior" shall be our motto, and truth rather than fancy our guide.

We do not intend however, as our present number will indicate, to shut ourselves entirely from the realms of fiction, but to avoid making it the staple of our work. The mind, as well as the body, requires something for dessert, after a hearty meal. We would therefore occasionally administer to it some of the dainties. But sweet things, taken to excess, will produce a morbid aud sickly appetite, which may induce hypocondria.

The great aim of literary periodicals should be to disseminate refined and dignified thought, upon the greatest variety of topics, throughout the masses of the people; to scatter, as widely as possible, the seeds of truth which shall, by and by, take root in the affections and hearts of men, and spring up to yield a plentiful harvest of sound morality, discreetness and virtue. These objects can alone be accomplished by the combined efforts of men of great literary merit in the various departments of knowledge of which they treat. These men must possess high traits of moral excellence as well as rare mental endowments, in order to give tone and character to what they write.

Feeling sensibly the importance of this, we have called in to our aid those suitable to check us when we step out of our traces, and bring us back into our place. We are, in fact, surrounded by a host of brilliant names who are ever ready to give counsel and advice in the conduction of our magazine.

We would not presume, young and inexperienced as we are, to hold ourselves responsible for the right and exclusive management of such a work as we would offer to the public. So great are the inducements at the present day to write for money simply, and that material being reached in greater abundance by writing down to the common tastewhich most will allow is a little vitiated-that we need a literary host, panoplied with shining armor, to keep us off from the enemy's ground.

We have avoided heretofore making large promises to our readers by the way of special favors from the pens of our most distinguished writers, yet we would confess that we have shared largely in their sympathies and many of them have furnished "aid and comfort" by their valuable contributions to replenish the Magazine.

In our present number we can boast of materials from the pens of the Rev. Dr. Baird, Dr. W. B. Sprague, Professor Alden of Williams College, Emerson of Yale, and Professor Charles Murray Nairne, assisted by other pens, among the most trenchant and energetic of which our literature can boast. We have a host of eminent names who stand ready to give us support in the literary department, and our readers may look for rich entertainments in the future.

To our mechanics, who have patronized us in so liberal a manner, we promise the portrait and sketch of one eminent among them as a mechanical genius, the late Ely Whitney.

"Classic vagaries," it will be seen, is unfinished in this number. Owing to the tardiness of the mails, by "the over land route," from the distant city, whence they emanate, some fragments of "Homes of the Poets" reached us too late for publication in this number. This series, however, like a string of pearls, is beautiful though incomplete.

Our next number closes the first volume of the Magazine. Some few of our subscribers whose names were obtained for one volume only, we would respectfully solicit to continue their patronage, assuring them that we shall endeavor to fulfill all engagements on our part faithfully, punctually and energetically.

To invite the aid of clubs we offer the following liberal inducements: Five dollars sent to the Editor by mail will procure two copies for one year, twelve dollars, five; and twenty dollars, ten copies.