near.
How swift the golden moments fled within that holy place;
How brightly beamed the light of heaven from every happy face;
Again I longed for that sweet time when friend shall meet with
friend,
"When congregations ne'er break up, and Sabbath has no end."
I hope to meet that minister--that congregation, too--
In that dear home beyond the stars that shine from heaven's blue;
I doubt not I'll remember, beyond life's evenin' gray,
The happy hour of worship in that model church to-day.
Dear wife, the fight will soon be fought--the victory soon be won;
The shinin' goal is just ahead; the race is nearly run;
O'er the river we are nearin', they are throngin' to the shore,
To shout our safe arrival where the weary weep no more.

THE SAN FRANCISCO AUCTIONEER.

ANON.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, I have the honour of putting up a fine
pocket-handkerchief, a yard wide, a yard long, and almost a yard
thick; one-half cotton, and t'other half cotton too, beautifully
printed with stars and stripes on one side, and the stripes and stars
on t'other. It will wipe dust from the eyes so completely as to be
death to demagogues, and make politics as bad a business as printing
papers. Its great length, breadth and thickness, together with its
dark colour, will enable it to hide dirt, and never need washing.
Going at one dollar? seventy-five cents? fifty cents? twenty-five
cents? one bit? Nobody wants it! Oh, thank you, sir! Next,
gentlemen--for the ladies won't be permitted to bid on this
article--is a real, simon pure, tempered, highly-polished, keen-edged
Sheffield razor; bran spanking new; never opened before to sunlight,
moonlight, starlight, daylight or gaslight; sharp enough to shave a
lawyer or cut a disagreeable acquaintance or poor relation; handle of
buck-horn, with all the rivets but the two at the ends of pure
gold. Who will give two dollars? one dollar? half a dollar? Why, ye
long-bearded, dirty-faced reprobates, with not room on your phizzes
for a Chinese woman to kiss, I'm offering you a bargain at half a
dollar! Well, I'll throw in this strop at half a dollar! razor
and strop! a recent patent; two rubs upon it will sharpen the city
attorney; all for four bits; and a piece of soap, sweeter than roses,
lathers better than a school-master, and strong enough to wash all the
stains from a California politician's countenance, all for four bits.
Why, you have only to put the razor, st