that so far surpasses the merely sensuous pleasure afforded by music, when not associated with exalted sentiment.
As the company broke into little groups, after thanking Mrs. Williams for the high gratification for which we were her debtors, I overheard Mr. Smith say, with a discontented air, to a youth with a "lovely moustache," who had "accompanied" him in his previous musical endeavors, "I'll never bring my instrument here again!"
At this critical moment, our hostess approached with a water-ice, as a propitiatory offering, and expressed the hope that the guitar was now renewed for action. The musician, with offended dignity, only condescended to reply, as he deposited his idol in a corner—
"Thank you, ma'am; I supposed your friends were fond of music!"
Discussing the mooted subject of beards one morning lately, with some sprightly young ladies of my acquaintance, the following specimen of quickness of repartee was elicited. I record it for your amusement.
"Among the ancients, I believe," said a fair girl, "a long, snowy beard was considered an emblem of the wisdom of the possessor."
"And how is it in modern times?" inquired another lady, "does wisdom keep pace, in exact proportion with length of beard?"
"No, indeed," exclaimed the first speaker, laughingly, "for,
"If beards long and bushy true wisdom denote,
Then Plato must bow to a hairy he-goat!"