' said a Boston
girl to her companion, as they were navigating the treacherously
slippery pavement of our city a few days since; 'it's See sharp or Be
flat.'

* * * * *

Somebody once wrote a book on visiting-cards. There is a great variety
of that article; an English ambassador once papered his entire suit of
rooms with that with which a Chinese mandarin honored him. MICHAEL
ANGELO left a straight line as a card, and was recognized by it. Our
friend H---- once distributed blank pasteboards in Philadelphia, and
everybody said, 'Why, H---- has been here!' Not long since, a lady
dwelling in New York asked her seven-year-old GEORGY where he had been.

'Out visiting.'

'Did you leave your card?'

'No; I hadn't any, so I left a marble!'

GEORGY'S idea was that cards were playthings. And _cartes de visite_ are
most assuredly the playthings for children of an older growth, most in
vogue at the present day. Go where you will, the albums are examined,
nay, some collectors have even one or two devoted solely to children, or
officers, or literary men, or young ladies. The following anecdote
records, however, as we believe, 'an entirely new style' of
visiting-card:--

Madam X. was busy the other morning. Miss Fanny Z. 'just ran in to
see her' _en amie_, without visiting-cards.

The waiter carried her name to Madam X. Meanwhile Miss Fannie,
circulating through the parlors, saw that there was dust on the
lower shelf of an etagere, so she delicately traced the letters

_Smut_

thereon and therefore. Waiter enters, and regrets that Madam X. is
so very much engaged that she is invisible. Miss Fanny flies home.

In the evening she meets Madam X., who is 'perfectly enchanted' to
see her. 'Ah, Fanny, dear, I am charmed to see you; the waiter
forgot your name this morning, but I was delighted to see your
ingenuity. Would you believe it, the first thing I saw on entering
the parlor was your card on the etagere!'

* * * * *

The Naugatuck railroad, according to a friend of the CONTINENTAL,

Is in many places cut through a rugged country, and the rocks
thereabout have an ugly trick of rolling down upon the track when
they get tired of lying still. So the company employ sentinels
who traverse the dangerous territory before the morning train goes
through. One of these,--Pat K. by name,--while on