hat ere this day is done
The voice, that now is speaking, may be beyond the sun;
For ever and for ever with those just souls and true:
And what is life, that we should moan? why make we such ado?

For ever and for ever, all in a blessed home,
And there to wait a little while till you and Effie come;
To lie within the light of God, as I lie upon your breast,
Where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest.

* * * * *

We are indebted to a friend and correspondent at the Phillippine Islands,
for two very instructive and amusing volumes, of which we intend the
reader shall know more hereafter. The first is entitled '_Portfolio
Chinensis_,' or a collection of authentic Chinese State Papers, in the
native language, illustrative of the history of the late important events
in China, with a translation by J. LEWIS SHUCK; the second, a '_Narrative
of the late Proceedings and Events in China_,' by JOHN SLADE, editor of
the 'Canton Register.' In looking over these publications, we are struck
with the vigor and pertinacity with which, when once their minds were made
up, the Chinese authorities pursued their object of abolishing opium
forever from the celestial empire. Edicts against the 'red-bristled
foreigners' from England, and the people of the American or 'flower-flag
nation,' who should hoard up the smoking earth or vaporous drug, were
enforced by others addressed to the natives, intended to lessen or
annihilate the demand. The remonstrances with the opium-smokers themselves
are exceedingly pungent. The 'Great Emperor, quaking with wrath,' having
examined the whole matter, and 'united the circumstances,' saturates the
High Commissioner LIN with his own bright 'effulgence of reason,' who
thereupon promulges: 'Although the opium exists among the outside
barbarians, there is not a man of them who is willing to smoke it himself;
but the natives of the flowery land are on the contrary with willing
hearts led astray by them; and they exhaust their property and brave the
prohibitions, by purchasing a commodity which inflicts injury upon their
own vitals. Is not this supremely ridiculous! And that you part with your
money to poison your own selves, is it not deeply lamentable! How is it
that you allow men to befool you? Thus the fish covets the bait and
forgets the hook; the miller-fly covets the candle-light, but forgets the
fire. Ye bring misfortunes upon yourselves! Habits whi