“SAVED FROM THE BRINK OF RUIN.—­A young man of notoriously bad character, yet connected with one of our first families, recently attempted to draw aside from virtue an innocent but thoughtless and unsuspecting girl, the daughter of a respectable citizen.  He appointed a meeting with her in the street at night, and she was mad enough to join him at the hour mentioned.  Fortunately it happened that the father, by some means, received intelligence of what was going on, and hurried to the place.  He arrived in time to see them enter a carriage and drive off.  He followed in another carriage, and when they stopped before a house, well known to be one of evil repute, he confronted them on the pavement, knocked the young villain down, and carried his daughter off home.  We forbear to mention names, as it would do harm, rather than good, the young lady being innocent of any evil intent, and unsuspicious of wrong in her companion.  We hope it will prove a lesson that she will never forget.  She made a most fortunate escape.”

When Jane Leland was shown this paragraph, she shuddered and turned pale; and the shudder went deeper, and her cheek became still paler, a few weeks later when the sad intelligence came that Mary Halloran had fallen into the same snare that had been laid for her feet; a willing victim too many believed, for she was not ignorant of Clement’s real character.

By sad experience Mrs. Leland was taught the folly of any weak departure from what is clearly seen to be a right course of action; and she understood, better than she had ever done before, the oft-repeated remark of her husband that “only those whose principles and conduct we approve are to be considered, in any true sense, neighbors.”

NOT AT HOME.

JONAS BEBEE has one merit, if he possesses no other, and that is, the merit of being able to make himself completely at home with all his friends, male or female, high or low, rich or poor, under any and all circumstances.  His good opinion of himself leaves no room for his imagination to conceive the idea, that possibly there may be, in his character, certain peculiarities not agreeable to all.  It never occurs to him, that he may chance to make a mal apropos visit, nor that the prolongation of a call may be a serious annoyance; for he is so entirely satisfied with himself that he is sure every one else must feel his presence as a kind of sunshine.

Of course, such being the character of Mr. Jonas Bebee, it may readily be inferred that he is very likely to commit an occasional mistake, and blunder, though unconsciously, into the commission of acts most terribly annoying to others.  His evening calls upon ladies generally produce a marked effect upon those specially selected for the favor.  The character of the effect will appear in the following little scene, which we briefly sketch—­

“Gentleman in the parlor,” says a servant coming into a room where two or three young ladies sit sewing or reading.