A new mansion is building for the United Service Club, on the site of Carlton House, under the superintendance of Mr. Nash, and which, with another new clubhouse for the Athaenaeum, will form an entrance to the new square opposite Waterloo-Place.  The taste of the sword and pen does not, however, agree, and their buildings are dissimilar.  In the United Service Club are two rooms of 150 feet by 50, the floors of which are constructed of cast-iron girders.  At the back of these club-houses will be a large ornamental garden.

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FUNERAL GARLANDS.

(For the Mirror.)

The primitive Christians censured a practice prevalent among the Romans, of decorating a corpse, previous to interment or combustion, with garlands and flowers.  Their reprehension extended also to a periodical custom of placing the “first-fruits of Flora” on their graves and tombs.  Thus Anchises, in Dryden’s Virgil,_Aeneid,_ book 6, says,

  “Full canisters of fragrant lilies bring,
  Mix’d with the purple roses of the spring;
  Let me with funeral flowers his body strew—­
  This gift, which parents to their children owe,
  This unavailing gift I may bestow.”

Notwithstanding the anathemas of the church, these simple, interesting, and harmless (if not laudable) practices still remain.  The early customs and features of all nations approximate; and whether the following traits, which a friend has kindly obliged me with, are relics of Roman introduction, or national, I leave the antiquary to decide.

On Palm Sunday, in several villages in South Wales, a custom prevails of cleaning the grave-stones of departed friends and acquaintances, and ornamenting them with flowers, &c.  On the Saturday preceding, a troop of servant girls go to the churchyard with pails and brushes, to renovate the various mementos of affection, clean the letters, and take away the weeds.  The next morning their young mistresses attend, with the gracefulness of innocence in their countenances, and the roses of health and beauty blooming on their cheeks.  According to their fancy, and according to the state of the season, they place on the stones snow-drops, crocuses, lilies of the valley, and roses.

A sacrifice such as this, so pure, so innocent, so expressive, is surely acceptable to the great God of nature.

Quaesitor.

To our Correspondent’s communication, which is worthy of record, from its originality, we could add many well-authenticated accounts of the rite of decorating graves, &c.  There is in our drawer an interesting paper on the subject; but we give Quaesitor the priority.

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THE SPIDER’S WEB.

(To the Editor of the Mirror.)