nd I fall fast asleep.

Oh! they are such a pretty sight!
The tiny ones are red,
And in their blue and golden clouds
They flutter round my bed.

They tell me of those wonder things
Which I have never seen;
And to and fro they swiftly dart
As bright as moonlight sheen.

They sing to me so sweet and low,
These dreams I fain would keep--
Then softly crooning, fly away,
When I awake from sleep.

ADVICE TO GOSSIPERS.

It will be quite time enough to talk about the faults and failings of
absent friends when we have assured ourselves that we have none of our
own of which to speak.

THE MUSIC OF THE NATIONS.

V.--THE SHO OF JAPAN AND THE KOU OF CHINA.

National character comes out in a curious way in the music of the
people, and the whistling of the children as they pass along the streets
of China and Japan shows a marked difference between the races. The
proud, shy Chinese wants nothing to satisfy his ears but the weird
melodies of his own land, whilst to the cosmopolitan Japanese the songs
of the world are welcome, and the newest jingle of Paris or London or
New York mingles with the airs of Italian or German Opera. Japanese ears
are curiously true in catching up airs, and they can imitate with great
fidelity.

The national music of Japan finds a place in its mythology, and its
origin is ascribed to the Goddess of the Sun, Amaterasu by name. She,
thinking herself affronted by her fellow divinities, betook herself to a
cavern in the mountains, and declined to come out. Finding the world
gloomy without her warmth and radiance, the gods tried every possible
form of inducement to make her emerge; but without success, until some
original genius hit upon the happy idea of musical sounds, which so
enchanted the angry goddess that indignation gave place to curiosity,
and she came out to listen, when gods and men once more revelled in her
brightness.

Learned Japanese have recently declared Hindostan to have been the
cradle of their national music, whereas it was formerly supposed to have
been brought from China; certainly both instruments and the music
played on them are much alike in these two countries.

In both countries blind men take a large share in performances. They
form unions, much after the fashion of our Trades Unions and Benefit
Clubs, and have officers to look after the general interests as well as
to see that each member receives a fair amount of supp