And so he hawks your jest about, 5. You follow up a stylish card That bids you come and dine, And wonders what you're thinking of, 6. You're telling to a knot of friends A solemn lady overhears The story of your strife, And tells the town the pleasant news:- 7. My dear young friend, whose shining wit Sets all the room ablaze, Don't think yourself a happy dog,' For all your merry ways;— But learn to wear a sober phiz, Be stupid, if you can, It's such a very serious thing To be a funny man! SOMETHING ABOUT NOTHING.-FROM SALAD FOR THE SOLITARY. 1. NOTHING will now be presented to the reader for his contemplation. If we offer nothing, nothing will, of course be expected, and nothing we may write will offend any one, provided we stick to our text. "Which way the subject theme may gang, Let time or chance determine; Perhaps it may turn out a sang, 2. We have therefore determined to offer nothing, for which no apology will be required. Every thing is of some value and interest to somebody, but nothing concerns nobody —and is a nonentity. Permit us then to offer a word or two suggestive of this remarkable negative noun, this cipher in numbers so frequently in vogue, yet never in existence— for certainly nothing can offend, if nothing is affirmed. 3. Perhaps you may remember some occasions when nothing was preferable to anything,-the next of kin to nothing is nobody-and certainly there have been sundry times and seasons when nobody would have been preferred to anybody:it is not impossible that nothing, on the present occasion, may be preferred to anything else, and this is our apology for presenting so dark, mysterious and occult a subject to your contemplation. Out of nothing what marvels have sprung into being. 4. Nothing is a momentous affair-it must be of importance to some, and to affirm this of none, would be to assert it of all-since nothing is more self-evident than that two negatives create a positive. If nothing engages our attention at present, nothing interests us, (if we may be pardoned the illdisguised egotism,) we are talking about nothing, and we shall gain nothing by anything that may be said. 5. Nothing is certainly a fact, and yet every fact is something-nothing seems to be intangible and ideal, and yet it is a reality-with all our labored attempts at its exposition, we must sum up all and confess it is a mysterious somethingsome may think we are making a great deal out of nothing; this is just what we purpose to effect. The fact is there is no end to nothing-it is a circle without beginning or end-and we are persuaded we shall never get to the end of our theme, unless we leave off as we commenced. The words of an old song seem to chime in here so well, that we must be excused for citing them in this place. 6. “The ancients have work'd upon each thing in nature, They having exhausted all fancy could bring, 7. "This world came from nothing, at least so says history; 8. Thinking of nothing is some folk's enjoyment, Nothing they know and nothing they tell. 9. There's something in nothing exceedingly clever; 10. That life is all nothing its plainer and plainer, So he who gets nothing is surely a gainer; Thus much we prove pretty plain, Take nothing from nothing, there'll nothing remain— Thus with this nothing the time out we're spinning, Nothing will sometimes set many folks grinning, Reader, believe it, while all this is true, And the author wrote this having nothing to do." TO A FLY TAKEN OUT OF A BOWL OF PUNCH.-WOLCOT. 1. Ah! poor intoxicated little knave, ་ Now senseless, floating on the fragrant wave; Thus Death as well as pleasure dwells with Punch. 2. Now let me take thee out and moralize :- 3. Mad are the passions, as a colt untamed! When prudence mounts their backs to ride them mila. Gadsbud! my buzzing friend, thou art not dead; 4. And now thy little drunken eyes unclose, And now thou feelest for thy little nose, 5. And now thou rollest on thy back about, Now turnest-on the table making rings; Now fluttering the nectar from thy silken wings, 6. Go, join thy brothers on yoǹ sunny board, There wilt thou meet a mistress, or a wife, 7. Yes, go and carry comfort to thy friends, |