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forced to do. Yet you have no trouble in divining the chief points in their constitution, for nature is far too rampant in them to be held in abeyance, by the mere feint of holding one's face straight. Thus, it becomes clear enough that they are not of an affectionate turn, and hence are not really lovable. Certainly they form attachments to the males, after the manner of their sex the wide world over; but with them, the distraction is sudden, fiery and furious; and commonly ends, ere long, either in utter indifference or a Grand Row. The reason of the indifference is, that they need a frequent supply of stimulus to keep their own fires of love aglow; or in other words, that volcanic nature of theirs is very fitful and unsteady, while that of the row is, that they readily yield themselves up to the pains of the green-eyed monster, and are promptly moved to do battle by him, and no trifling battle of mere tears and lamentations either, but one inspired by the thirst for vengeance, and conducted by clear cold steel. Do not dream that such viragoes are without sundry dear little weaknesses, however, for instance, do n't dream that they are without a weakness by no means rare among their kind in many localities curiosity. They have of this, and to spare. Though they are denied the felicity of openly giving vent to this pet penchant, they nevertheless indulge in it with a rude slyness as if, for example, a drove of cows saw fit to give over pasturing for a while, and play the part of shrewdest peepers and especially do they take note of whatsoever of foreigners stray among them; and some poor Englishman or American who meets them, with any oddity of person or apparel, is soon taken measure of, and roguishly nicknamed, and even (after another native propensity of the sex) jocosely ridiculed and reviled. Their domestic habits are of such a nature, that if a true New-England housewife chanced among them, she would most probably stand in need of a strait - jacket, ere long. What the words neatness and tidiness really amount to, they have no conception of. They mainly live, let us say, in sluttery, and therewith end this part of our inquiry. Indeed, they care but little or nothing for house and hearth. Sometimes, it is true, you see them in horse-play with their children; and though they certainly never coddle their husbands, they not unfrequently henpeck them a bit, and this appears to comprehend their whole idea of what we name 'the sacred duties of the wife and mother.' To go to the root of the matter, they are of a wild nature, and even give you the impression, that they are a lot of brigandesses that have been recently captured, and liberated on the very flimsiest kind of parole. Another thing relating to them, which strikes you with not a little force, is their great aptitude in the art of expressing themselves by signs. Their apprehension of what concerns them is of the very liveliest quality, and the ideas they wish to convey, they do convey quite as well in pantomime as in speech. More than once it occurred to me, that they set me on my way for miles; sold me the fruits and cheap wares of the country; and even gave me satisfactory histories of localities, by mere motions of the fingers, interspersed with a few words; they pitied my weak, costive Italian, you see, and spared it. Considering well upon it, it is fair to conclude, that such a race as this, is by no means hopeless, after all! Still another thing of great prominence with them, is their devotion to

religion. And they are no transcendental, abstract believers either, but radically literal, and far more so than any of the women of their country. On various occasions have I beheld them down on their knees in actual mud (though to speak with exactness, this would be when they had their 'everyday' clothes on) before some shrine or other, praying away with an air which showed how deeply their hearts were in the supplication; and with the like earnestness they are ever on their way to mass, sermon, and vespers. It is a paradise of sugar-plums, and 'swinging on the gate,' that they believe in, you observe, and they work for it with sweat, and quickened breath, no other methods being of any efficiency. And though one and all of us are in duty bound to Mourn over the Lost condition of such worshippers, in that their views of the future state are so crude, I for my part do n't at present see how the case is to be altered; for, be it known, that what the Papacy tells them relative to the sensuous glories of the Papal heaven, their own beautiful, fruitful Italy, with another kind of revelation, seems somehow to confirm. Where nearly every mood of Nature appears fairly hot with love, and well-nigh uncontainable with delight, to calmly swallow so chilling an ice-cream as Calvinism, for instance, would be a feat quite as hard to perform as that of the most enterprising gymnast that ever trod the tan. Then, again, they are permitted to hear nothing read, as well as to read nothing, even when they are able to read, which occurs most rarely, that contends with this idea - another pregnant fact. Accruing from this religious training, are two qualities to be noticed of them, which, since they offer the greatest contrast, are highly curious. One quality is, that no people with the least pretensions to civilization are more superstitious than these peasantesses; they live in a perfect atmosphere of signs, wonders, dreams, talismans, blights; in short, of all known bugaboos that can be counted. The other quality is, that they are, as a class, the most Virtuous of all the women of Rome.

A tradition runs in this country, that the Italian peasantry are a jocund crew, and ever ready for diversion; particularly that of singing and dancing. This may be the case, but as far as my own observation is concerned, I am unable to indorse the statement. I never saw the Roman peasantesses (or peasants either, for that matter) engaged largely in any other amusement than on some feast day-driving in cabriolet, or walking about, with all their finery on. On one or two occasions I saw them sitting about the door of a tavern, drinking wine and chaffing. On one occasion only I heard a middle-aged she-Hercules singing. She sang a ballad of love, and the pains of love, wailing most pathetically in a minor key withal; and with a manner of intonation, which, I am told, is peculiar to Roman singers of the lower classes, and which was very striking, in that it dealt with making much of certain notes of the upper base. In like manner, I once saw a pair of young Trasteverini women (or I was told that they were so) dancing. I came upon them all suddenly, and near the Coliseum. They danced without music, and for the period of just about three minutes, or till they fairly saw that I was watching them. The performance was really very expressive and graceful, but still languishing, and even voluptuous. I noticed that all its movements were quite slow; there

were not the slightest attempts at any brilliant 'pas' or pirouettes therein; but it bore ever the air of deepest fervor and longing. Therefore, while I cannot bear testimony to the fact of having observed much singing and dancing among the lower classes in Rome, I am yet able to testify, that both kinds of sport have at least an existence among them, and receive Characteristic treatment.

As for the methods in which these fair ones gain their livelihoods, they are many. According to the European custom, they delve much out of doors. They do every thing that their brothers and husbands do, in the way of hard labor, save that I never saw them wielding an axe. But still I saw them hoeing in gardens, ploughing, pitching manure, building stone walls, driving laden donkeys, and the beautiful mouse-colored, long-horned oxen of their country; and even breaking stone for the repair of roads. I also saw them spinning with a distaff, (a most curious and entertaining piece of handicraft this, for a machinery-bedeviled American to witness!) acting the part of child's nurses, (after the style of my fair friend of St. Peter's ;) working rude looms, for the manufactures of coarse stuffs; vending vegetables, and all kinds of market-produce from barrows; knitting stout white stockings, (which even their husbands are also fain to do at times;) selling flowers; serving as models for artists; and begging. This last vocation, as every body knows, is a very popular one in Rome; and when a peasant mother becomes overburdened with children, she is apt to take it up, and, as far as I could learn, without any loss of character or caste. The amount of daily wages that they earn of course differs. Perhaps fifteen cents of our money would be a liberal average. Yet I am told that they earn quite as much as their male partners, which indeed is not surprising, as these said gentry form but a shiftless, under-sized class, with expression and gait marvellously like that of the greenest 'Paddies.'

A word now as to the far-famed costume of the Roman peasant women. The fundamental principle of the array seems almost universally to be the red jacket of the hussar, a gay shawl, and a high-colored skirt. The head-dress varies. But the most noticeable of all is the one so often copied in picture, and referred to in story; which consists of a yard or more of striped cloth, that lies squarely across the forehead, and depends down the back. A great deal of gold and silver ornamentation comes in with this kind of vesture; ear-rings, rings, bodkins, and necklaces galore; which adds greatly to the holiday and scenic effect of it. And it must by no means be supposed that this attire is sported at all times. It is purely of a 'Sunday-go-to-meeting' character, and on ordinary occasions gives place to a much less flashing garb. I regret to say that these national costumes are rapidly fading away — giving way to a shabby-genteel imitation of the Parisian styles. Saddest of mishaps! For talk as much in the 'humanitarian,' 'elevation of the cosmopolitan idea strain as you see fit, I shall still stick to it, that Italy is one of the last places on earth where any thing like the spread of 'the views of the day' (in clothes) is even tolerable; and to my mind, whatever Pontiff, or other Italian Potentate, would stop said innovation by the intervention of a special law, would be as greatly deserving of his 'service of plate,' or his string of stirring 'Resolutions,' as the veriest steamboat captain that ever drowned and burned

his legions, and 'nobody to blame.' It is by no means hooped skirts, and perked-up bonnets, but the high-bedizened semi-barbarous contadini, and their like, that assort well with Trevi mountains, the ivy-draped Coliseum and aqueducts, the bare Campagna, with its flashing sunshine, and the Albanian hills, with their towered eyrie-like villages, their burnt steeps and gorges, their vineyards, and their interspersing groves of olive, ilex, and stone pine.

A LEGAL FACT.

BY FRANK FELTON.

'On! yes, oh! yes, oh! yes! The Circuit Court is now met, pursuant to adjournment,' cried the Sheriff, and Judge Melvin took his seat upon the bench. Immediately hats were off, seats were assumed, and every thing became as still as a country school-house upon the entry of the grim old pedagogue.

The record of the proceedings of the day before was read by the clerk. Judge Melvin signed his name, and then motion-hour began, proceeded, and ended at the expiration of one hour. Judge Melvin then called the people's docket, but none of the defendants were ready.

'Gentlemen,' said the Judge, 'the court has adopted the following rule: Upon the calling of the docket, each case, as it is called, must be disposed of or continued, before the calling of the next cause. This rule will go into operation to-morrow morning.'

The business of the court then proceeded in the usual manner, interrupted only by adjournment for dinner, until by the sheriff it was aloud proclaimed: 'Circuit Court is now adjourned until to-morrow morning, eight o'clock.'

'Well, Beauchamb,' said James Morris, one of the members of the bar in attendance upon the court, 'I want you to come over to the hotel to-night, and we will have an oyster-supper. Beaumont, Joe, and several other young lawyers will be there, and we can have a good time.'

'Well, Morris, I'm obliged to you; but I cannot come to-night, as I have two cases to try to-morrow, and I must post up on the law, or I shall not be ready for trial when the cases are called.'

'Now, Beauchamb, that is too bad. You must come. they? Am I interested in them?'

What cases are

'You are for the plaintiff in one of them, and Murray is for plaintiff in the other. The first is Holt v. Smith, and the second is Horton v. Black.'

That is better than I expected. I am interested in both cases. I am Junior Counsel in Holt v. Smith; but I heard old Murray say this morning that we would have to continue it, as one of our witnesses is absent. And in Horton v. Black, you are mistaken, it does not come up till day after to-morrow. What number is it?'

'One hundred and ten,' said Beauchamb, turning to his private docket.

'Yes, that's right. But I have it on my docket the first case for the fourth day, and you have it the last on the third day. But one hundred and nine is the last case for the third day, and one hundred and ten is the first for the fourth day.'

'Are you certain of it?'

Just as certain as I am that I am standing here.'

'Well, then, I guess I shall be over to-night.'