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The Extreme or Fashion.

It is announced by journals devoted to fashion, that trains are to be worn even longer during the coming winter than they have yet been.  Coincidental with this, is the announcement made by sundry papers that “a piece of calico a mile long has been manufactured in New England.”  The Miss who gets this for a train will be as good as a Mile, and such is the length, dear boys and girls, to which fashion may be carried.

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[Illustration:  FASHIONABLE INTELLIGENCE.

“AT THE LAST Bal Masque ON THE AVENUE.  A DISTINGUISHED SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN CREATED MUCH AMUSEMENT COSTUMED AS ‘RECONSTRUCTION.’”]

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[Illustration:  MR. BROWN HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED BY A FRIEND TO HAVE A LITTLE GLYCERINE DROPPED INTO HIS EAR FOR DEAFNESS.  BY MISTAKE HE PURCHASES NITRO-GLYCERINE.  RESULT.]

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POEMS OF THE CRADLE.

CANTO XII.

    Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross,
    To see an old woman ride on a white horse. 
    Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
    She shall have music wherever she goes.

The above verse commemorates an epoch in the Poet’s lifetime.  He went to the Circus.  A noteworthy event, when it is considered how few Circuses there were in those days, and how seldom those few came near enough to disturb the calm of an out-of-the-way country village.  Such a thing had never occurred before in his lifetime, nor within the memory of the oldest inhabitant.  All were therefore properly impressed with the importance of the occurrence, and none more so than the excitable, impressible, enthusiastic Poet.  For days before the one appointed to make the journey to the Market Town, he was in a great state of excitement and hilarious pleasure, and with difficulty controlled his inclinations to laugh, dance, and sing, and otherwise gayly disport himself.  The exuberance of his spirits caused no little alarm to his family, who feared he was going mad with delight, and endeavored in every possible way to quiet down the dangerous symptoms.

    “In vain did his mother command him to stop: 
    He only laughed louder and higher did hop;”

till at last, fearing the torrent could never be stemmed, she thought to direct it in a less dangerous channel.

So, putting on her most insinuating expression she asked, “Why don’t you write a piece about the Circus?  It might be real nice.  Tell all about the beautiful young lady on horseback, and the music, and the ride over to Banbury, and everything you can think about.  Come now, that’s a good boy; go and do that for your mother.”