THE PENNY POST BOX.

INFLUENCE OF A SMILE.

It is related in the life of a celebrated mathematician, William Hutton, that a respectable looking country-woman called upon him one day anxious to speak with him. She told him with an air of secrecy that her husband behaved unkind to her, and sought other company, frequently passing his evenings from home, which made her feel very unhappy; and knowing Mr. Hutton to be a wise man, she thought he might be able to tell her how she could manage to cure her husband. The case was a common one, and he thought he could prescribe for it without losing his reputation as a conjuror. "The remedy is a simple one," said he, "but I have never known it to fail. Always meet your husband with a smile." The woman expressed her thanks, dropped a curtsy, and went away. A few months afterwards she waited on Mr. Hutton with a couple of fine fowls, which she begged him to accept. She told him, while a tear of joy and gratitude glistened in her eye, that she had followed his advice, and her husband was cured. He no longer sought the company of others, but treated her with constant love and kindness. Wives, remember this.

The Penny Post Box.

POWER OF A GOOD MAN'S LIFE.

THE beauty of a holy life, says Chalmers, constitutes the most eloquent and effective persuasive to religion which one human being can address to another. We have many ways of doing good to our fellowcreatures, but none so efficacious as leading a virtuous, upright, and well-ordered life. There is an energy of moral suasion in a good man's life passing the highest efforts of the orator's genius. The seen but silent beauty of holiness speaks more eloquently of God and duty than the tongues of men and angels. Let parents remember this. | The best inheritance a parent can bequeath to a child is a virtuous example-a legacy of hallowed remembrances and associations. The beauty of holiness beaming through the life of a loved relative or friend, is more effectual to strengthen such as do stand in virtue's ways, and raise up those that are bowed down, than precept, command, entreaty, or warning. Christianity itself, I believe, owes by far the greater part of its moral power, not to the precepts or parables of Christ, but to His own character. The beauty of that holiness which is enshrined in the four brief biographies of the Man of Nazareth, has done more, and will do more, to regenerate the world, and bring in an everlasting righteousness, than all the other agencies put together. It has done more to spread His religion in the world than all that has ever been preached or written on the evidences of Christianity.

FACTS, HINTS, GEMS, AND POETRY.

Facts, Hints, Gems, and Poetry.

EXCURSIONS ON THE RHINE.

I PROMISED to give a sketch of our excursions along the Rhine. The first place we visited on this noble river is Cologne, an old town, the capital of Rhenish Prussia, and containing 80,000 inhabitants. Its celebrated "Cologne water" might be supposed to indicate it as a place of physical culture at least; yet it has the reputation, and I think deservedly, of being the most filthy city in Germany. It has every advantage for drainage into the great rapid current that sweeps so majestically through it; but the water stagnates and putrefies in the open sewers along the streets, which seem to have little purification except from showers and storms. It requires something better than the manufacturers' perfumery to render such a place agreeable to the senses. With so much intelligence and enterprise manifest, it is surprising that the city should continue to deserve such notoriety.

There are several objects of interest in Cologne. First, the Cathedral or Dom, commenced A.D. 1248, and yet unfinished, with its old crane for elevating stones standing prominent. Numerous workmen are now employed on the edifice with the promise of completing it in ten years, at a cost on the whole of six million dollars. With two towers in front 500 feet high, as planned, and other imposing structures and adorning, it is expected to rival Milan cathedral, though in our opinion the latter, with its white marble and numberless pinnacles and statues, will always surpass it. The interior of this is striking and grand, though excelled by others. The church of St. Ursula celebrates the tradition that an English princess with eleven thousand virgins made a pilgrimage to Rome in devotion to the pope, and on their return were massacred here by barbarians; and their bones are kept on exhibition, filling all the walls, monuments, and other receptacles of the church. Charnel houses as seen elsewhere are disgusting enough, but no where else have we seen a church make such a display of superstition. St. Peter's contains a fine painting, by Rubens, of the crucifixion of the apostle with his head downwards; as it is said he chose to suffer thus because he felt unworthy even to be crucified in a like posture with his Lord whom he had denied. Two bridges span the river at Cologne, one 1440 feet long, used both for cars and carriages; the other built on boats. There are some fine public and private buildings, and houses of interest; among them the one in which Mary de Medicis died and Rubens was born.

EXCURSIONS ON THE RHINE.

Our next place was Bonn. Here is what is called a flying bridge, where by means of a string of boats at anchor, a ferry boat is set across the river by the current without oars or steam. Here is a university occupying a building formerly a palace, with a library of 100,000 volumes. Lange, the commentator, is Professor of Theology-a good man, and, as is well known, orthodox and evangelical. Germany greatly needs many more such. She has but few to fill the places of Luther, Melancthon, Zuingle of old; or of Schleiermacher, Knapp, Tholuck, and D'Aubigne of more recent date; though the demand for them was never greater than at present. Who will arise to stem and turn her swelling tide of infidelity? Pray for Germany; for the welfare of the intellectual and moral world is and must be greatly affected by her condition and destiny. We note also the Gothic Cathedral, or Munster, New Parish church, Town House, and some private buildings, as the hotel of Count Metternich, court of Nessalrode, and the house of Beethoven. Near the English Garden is a long street affording a fine view of the Rhine and the adjacent scenery. We went up the river by steamer from Bonn to Coblentz, greatly enjoying the varied and beautiful scenery-now a quiet village, then a lofty hill crowned with a tower or castle, then a stately palace, villa, or cottage, the land everywhere devoted to grape culture. We have not time or room even to name the various objects and places of interest. Several of the old castles have been repaired, and are now occupied, some by English residents. Some have been converted into princely summer residences or palaces.

Coblentz, where we stopped a day, is a pretty town of 15,000 people, situated at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle. Here are the Electoral Palace, a Catholic college, the house in which prince Metternich was born, and some fine public squares. A bridge of boats connects Coblentz with Ehrenbreitstein. The Romans had a castle here, on the ruins of which a fort was built in 1160, which was subsequently demolished. Since 1816 it has been rebuilt by the king of Prussia, and in connection with neighbouring fortifications forms one of his strongest positions, being one of the angles of the Prussian quadrilateral. We made an excursion to the castle of Stolzenfels, rebuilt on a high eminence by the king of Prussia, and made a royal palace. Most of the furniture has descended from the Middle Ages. From its tower there is a grand view of the Rhine, its promontories, fortifications, castles, and ruins.