f the mother watching the vessel break to pieces upon the
rock and her child sink into the boiling water to rise no more, was
thrilling beyond my power to describe. I lost control of my feelings.
The audience wept and applauded; and when the curtain fell, I could
scarcely believe it had only been a play. The love of Mizora women for
their children is strong and deep. They consider the care of them a
sacred duty, fraught with the noblest results of life. A daughter of
scholarly attainments and noble character is a credit to her mother.
That selfish mother who looks upon her children as so many afflictions
is unknown to Mizora. If a mother should ever feel her children as
burdens upon her, she would never give it expression, as any dereliction
of duty would be severely rebuked by the whole community, if not
punished by banishment. Corporal punishment was unknown.

I received an invitation from a lady prominent in literature and science
to make her a visit. I accepted with gratification, as it would afford
me the opportunity I coveted to become acquainted with the domestic life
of Mizora, and perhaps penetrate its greatest mystery, for I must
confess that the singular dearth of anything and everything resembling
Man, never ceased to prey upon my curiosity.

The lady was the editor and proprietor of the largest and most widely
known scientific and literary magazine in the country. She was the
mother of eight children, and possessed one of the largest fortunes and
most magnificent residences in the country.

The house stood on an elevation, and was a magnificent structure of grey
granite, with polished cornices. The porch floors were of clouded
marble. The pillars supporting its roof were round shafts of the same
material, with vines of ivy, grape and rose winding about them, carved
and colored into perfect representations of the natural shrubs.

The drawing-room, which was vast and imposing in size and appearance,
had a floor of pure white marble. The mantels and window-sills were of
white onyx, with delicate vinings of pink and green. The floor was
strewn with richly colored mats and rugs. Luxurious sofas and chairs
comprised the only furniture. Each corner contained a piece of fine
statuary. From the centre of the ceiling depended a large gold basin of
beautiful design and workmanship, in which played a miniature fountain
of perfumed water that filled the air with a delicate fragrance. The
walls were divided into panel