EXTRACTS FROM THE PUBLIC NEWSPAPERS, &c. VARIETIES OF FRUIT.-Some idea may be formed of the progress of cultivation in increasing the varieties of fruits, from the following enumeration of those in the gardens of the Horticultural Society at Chiswick, as appears by a report given in to the council. The total varieties of fruit there cultivated are 2165; of which there are 910 apples, 510 pears, 160 plums, 60 cherries, 30 peaches, 20 nectarines, 14 apricots, 115 grapes, 50 figs, 24 nuts, 230 gooseberries, 10 currants, 8 raspberries, and 24 strawberries.-Weekly Paper. A wet flannel over the nose and mouth, enables the wearer to enter a house filled with smoke, without risk of suffocation. ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.-This extraordinary machine is now being worked on the Great Western Railroad, between Drayton and Paddington; and though no distinct idea of the apparatus can be imparted without plans and draughts of the dial, pipes, rods, &c., of which it is composed, yet the principle will excite unqualified admiration when our readers learn that intelligence is conveyed at the rate of 200,000 miles per second, or 8,000 times quicker than light travels during the same period, by means of electrical currents passing through coils of copper wire placed immediately behind some fine magnetic needles, made to operate upon a circular series of twenty letters, which indicate such terms, either separately or collectively, as they have been arranged to represent. This telegraph will act both day and night, in all states of the weather, and with a rapidity so superior to the common process, that one minute only is required for the communication of thirty signals.-Northampton Herald. EMPLOYMENT OF THE BLIND.-On the farm of Mr. Parsons of Rowthorne, a man, quite blind has been mowing regularly during the hay harvest. Disliking the confinement of the Liverpool Blind Asylum, he contrived to make his escape, with the assistance of another, to his paternal home at Stainsby, where he supports himself by husbandry. He mows very well, takes a proper width, and is considered to whet his scythe as well as the generality of mowers. Besides mowing, he can thresh, draw thatch, drill, sheave corn, and make himself generally useful in farming works.— Derbyshire Chronicle. AWFUL VISITATION.-Last week an awful visitation occurred in the town of Staines, in which there had for years been resident a labouring man, about fifty years of age, named Joseph Nixon, who was generally known as of very questionable habits. Having been employed by Mr. James Clark, a wharfinger of that town, in mending the sail of a barge, on meeting in the Blue Anchor public-house, Mr. Clark accused Nixon of purloining part of the twine he had gived him to mend the sail with, which Nixon denied, and, with dreadful imprecations, declared he had used the whole of it in doing the repairs, and called upon God to strike him dead if it was not the truth. A few minutes afterwards, before he had again spoken, he was struck with paralysis and rendered completely speechless, in which state he was carried to his own residence, where he expired in the course of a few hours. An inquest has subsequently been held upon the body, and a verdict of " Died by the visitation of God" recorded.-Weekly Paper. NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. We have received the communications of Y.; L. S. R.; E. 4.; O. T. K.; E. M. T.; Iota; Rev. J. C. F. Tuffnell; C.; A Layman; E. The Close of Sarum; B.; E. D.; C. M. Y.; W. F.; a Gentleman's Servant; and T.J. Bush. THE new employment which Charles had undertaken, so entirely occupied his days, that he was obliged to give up his visits to the blind woman. In fact, he had removed from our village to the neighbouring town, in order to be nearer the office where his attendance was required early every morning, and where he was not unfrequently detained till a late hour in the evening. Before his departure, he had begged me not to omit going as often as I could to our old friend, that she might not miss her accustomed "refreshment," as she used always to call the daily reading of the Scriptures. Accordingly, I generally went to her in the afternoon as soon as my business One evening, when I had been reading the 103rd Psalm, our conversation turned upon the nineteenth verse of it, where the expression "His kingdom ruleth over all," occasioned the following remarks: "That is a blessed truth, friend," said the old woman, "and if we did but lay it to heart, it would save us many an uneasy thought. For if the Lord indeed rules over all, nothing can happen without His knowledge, nor unless He suffers it; and if we are convinced of this, whatever befalls us we shall rest satisfied must be intended in some way or other, to work the Lord's purpose. "But," said I, "I should agree with you quite, neighbour, if I could understand how God can suffer nation to rise against nation in cruel warfare and bloodshed, and such dreadful crimes to be committed, as we read of in the history of the times of the French Revolution, which I dare say you are old enough to remember." "Yes," replied the blind woman; "I well remember when hundreds were driven to this blessed country for shelter, who had been nobles in their own land, without bread to eat, or a roof to cover them. I lived servant in the family of one kindhearted gentleman, who received numbers of them at his table, and used his endeavours to get them employment as teachers of their language. The young ladies often told me what these poor creatures had been saying about the dreadful scenes they had witnessed in their own country; how some had seen their brothers torn from their homes and put to death before their eyes, others had narrowly escaped drowning, when their savage countrymen filled boats with those they wished to destroy, and then sunk them in the river, which washed the walls of the town. Oh, it made my blood run cold to hear their sad stories, and I thought as you did, friend, that God could not have suffered all these things; and that it must be all the work of Satan, who was left at liberty to work his dreadful will upon these unhappy people. While these thoughts were passing in my mind, our good master, who always read and explained the Scriptures to us every evening, before we went to rest, happened to discourse upon the seventeenth chapter of the 6 Acts, on St. Paul preaching at Athens, to a people wholly given to idolatry. When he came to the twenty-fourth verse, God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth,' he paused, and afterwards said to us: My friends, all that you have heard of the cruelties and horrors which have driven so many outcasts to our land for protection, may teach you a very striking lesson, and serve to show what a people may come to, when they have cast off their God. The French people did not, indeed, like the Athenians we have been reading of, worship wood and stone, but they abolished the worship of the true God; they proclaimed to all that there was no God, that they might safely commit unheard of crimes, for there was no punishment to be feared hereafter. This was done before all the horrors came to their height. The people forsook their God, and their God gave them over into the power of that cruel enemy, who only goeth about to destroy. Their history is a fearful warning to us, and well will it be for us if we profit by it; if it teach us to love and obey Him who ruleth over all, and who doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth.'" "Thank you, good friend," said I, as I rose to depart, "your story has enlightened my dark mind, and I am now well persuaded that God doeth all things well, and that, instead of being the author of confusion, He is a God of Peace for there is no peace to be found apart from Him; 'the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest,' while that man is kept in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Him;' he is not afraid of any evil tidings, for his heart standeth fast and trusteth in the Lord."" "Stay, friend," said the old woman, "till we have together offered up that prayer for peace, which last Sunday's collect contains; and may the Lord, who governs all things in heaven and earth, mercifully hear our supplications, and grant that his peace, which passeth all understanding, may keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." L. S.R. RELIGION IS TO BE SHOWN IN THE CONDUCT AND TEMPER. WHEN the religion of Christ is, by God's grace, fixed in the heart, the effect is such, that the whole conduct is guided by it; the temper, and disposition, and feelings are under its powerful influence. The spirit of a Christian shows itself by its kindness, and patience, and gentleness, and it blesses all who are within its reach. We have heard of a good man, who was accustomed to say to his friends, "I would give nothing for your profession of Christianity, if your very dog was not the better for it." The person who said this, knew well the nature of the religion of Christ, and understood its spirit. The Gospel is indeed a free gift of mercy to man: it is God's gift, bringing salvation to fallen man, who had no means of procuring salvation for himself. But the effect is great on every one who does from his heart accept this gracious gospel offer; the Spirit of God so acts upon his spirit, that he henceforth desires to serve God, and to be kind and affectionate to his fellow-creatures. If he were formerly rough and coarse in his temper and behaviour, he now seeks to show the power of the new principle within him; and he studies and strives to correct those dispositions, which are so contrary to the spirit of the Gospel. So that, whilst a man who knows nothing of the power of divine grace is, by his bad and selfish indulgence of his passions, a plague and torment to all about him; this same man, when brought under the influence of Christ's religion, will become thoughtful of others, considerate of their wants and feelings, and a blessing to all within his reach. His family and his friends soon feel the benefit of this change; and even the dumb animals around him, which were formerly treated with harshness and cruelty, now do indeed feel the benefit of having a master who is mild and gentle; so that, in truth, according to the saying of the good man mentioned above," the very dogs are the better for his religion." V. A COACHMAN. SOME people are apt to say that "the world grows worse and worse." There is in truth much to discourage the |