_pepper-fever_, as is called, cudgeled another most severely for
appropriating a superannuated relative of trifling value, and was only
pacified by having a present made him of a pig of that peculiar species
of swine called the _Peccavi_ by the Catholic Jews, who, it is well
known, abstain from swine's flesh in imitation of the Mahometan
Buddhists.

"The bread-tree grows abundantly. Its branches are well known to Europe
and America under the familiar name of _maccaroni_. The smaller twigs
are called _vermicelli_. They have a decided animal flavor, as may be
observed in the soups containing them. Maccaroni, being tubular, is the
favourite habitat of a very dangerous insect, which is rendered
peculiarly ferocious by being boiled. The government of the island,
therefore, never allows a stick of it to be exported without being
accompanied by a piston with which its cavity may at any time be
thoroughly swept out. These are commonly lost or stolen before the
maccaroni arrives among us. It therefore always contains many of these
insects, which, however, generally die of old age in the shops, so that
accidents from this source are comparitavely rare.

"The fruit of the bread-tree consists principally of hot rolls. The
buttered-muffin variety is supposed to be a hybrid with the cocoa-nut
palm, the cream found on the milk of the cocoa-nut exuding from the
hybrid in the shape of butter, just as the ripe fruit is splitting, so
as to fit it for the tea-table, where it is commonly served up with
cold"--

--There,--I don't want to read any more of it. You see that many of
these statements are highly improbable.--No, I shall not mention the
paper.--No, neither of them wrote it, though it reminds me of the style
of these popular writers. I think the fellow who wrote it must have been
reading some of their stories, and got them mixed up with his history
and geography. I don't suppose _he_ lies;--he sells it to the editor,
who knows how many squares off "Sumatra" is. The editor, who sells it to
the public----By the way, the papers have been very civil----haven't
they?--to the--the--what d'ye call it?--"Northern Magazine,"--isn't
it?--got up by some of those Come-outers, down East, as an organ for
their local peculiarities.

SHAKSPEARE QUOTED.

A VILE scraper making a discordant sound with his violin, a friend
observed, "If your instrument could speak, it would address you in the
words of Hamlet: "_Though you can fret me, y