invited us to walk in, and we accepted
his invitation, and entertained ourselves with examining the progress
made by his boys in their studies, and in replies to his numerous
questions put respecting the battle of Ayacucho, the death of Olaneta,
and the termination of the war in Peru. He asked if it was true, that
the English were coming to settle in the country, with many similar
questions. In answer to our inquiries about himself, he said he was born
on the spot, lame as he was, and had never quitted it; he had given his
mind to study, but his profession was (as it is everywhere else) "muy
pobre;" that the price of a school education there, was from two to four
rials a month, according to what the pupil was taught. Just at that
moment a boy came up with a pen to be mended. To my surprise, he drew
from his old pair of Spanish blues (open at the knees, with a silver
buckle appended), what we denominate a Flemish or gardener's knife,
and proceeded, with the help of a pair of cracked spectacles, to nib
the pen.

"What," said I, "Viejo (old boy), have you no better instrument than
that to work with?"

"Nada mas Senor, yo soy muy pobre Senor." (Nothing more, sir, I am very
poor.)

"Well," I replied, "I think I can help you to something better than
that for the convenience of your calling," and I gave him an old
four-bladed English knife, which I happened to have in my pocket at
the time. On looking at it, he exclaimed in astonishment, "Que quatro
cuchillos en uno!" (what, four blades in one knife!) Ha had never beheld
such a machine in his life. I told him it was of English manufacture.
"Caramba!" he replied, "los Ingleses son hombres muy habiles;" (the
English are very clever.) I told him it was at his service. "Por nada,"
(for nothing) I answered. He immediately crossed himself, exclaiming
"Gracias a Dios," (thank God). He could not have shown more satisfaction
had it been a ton of gold or a lottery-ticket of twenty thousand
sterling. His urchins crowded around him to see his treasure, and to get
a holiday from him on the strength of his satisfaction, which we made
him half promise, and left him.--_Andrews' Journal from Buenos Ayres_.

* * * * *

WARMING AND VENTILATING HOUSES.

Excellent fuel is so cheap in Britain, owing to the profusion with which
beds of rich coal are scattered among the mineral treasures of this
favoured portion of the earth, that a careless expenditure has ar