Some Original Letters.

( lo to our readers our artistic and always enjoyable contemporary , Scribmr ' s Monthly Illustrated Magazine . The letters Avere written to . an American , Captain E . E . Morgan , AA'I commanded more than one American packet ship , and who seems to

have Avon the confidence of his friends ancl retained the affection of his passengers . He died a few years back . He must have been a man of many parts , and much sterling merit . His biographer says that he was " honorable , generous , clear-sighted

and sound of judgment , he Avas also more than ordinarily successful , while the wonderful heartiness which characterised him throughout was in itself a full source of happiness to him ancl to all AVIIO came Avithin his influence . " We are also told , and no doubt

truly" There can be no doubt that the strong fiiendship which subsisted for so many years between Captain Morgan and his English friends owed much of its charm to o the fact that Avhile he Avas a true lover of Old England , his devotion to New England ivas unswerving . His humour Avas of the

dry Yankee type , ancl his jokes and stories , of ivhich he had an unfailing supply , had ahvays a flavour of the keen Neiv England air . "

One of his amusing narratives is alluded to in the following morceau : — " One of the characters AA'I IO did frequent duty in these stories ivas an old gentleman Avhose odd ways and speech Avere Avell knoAvn in his OAVU corner of Connecticut .

His piety ivas by no means of the sternest , hut at the same time he Avas convinced that his Satanic Majesty had an especial spite against him , ancl would at any time p O out of his Avay to do him an ill turn . This was held by Mr . S . to account for the hict

that his ships had ahvays more than their share of liead-Ai'inds , and as his mind was set on thwarting the adversary , he succeeded , after various false starts , in maturing a plan Avhich he believed preluded the possibility of failureHe made

. in arrangement by Avhich four of his homeward bound ships sailed simultaneousl y honi the four quarters of the compass , N ., "•> E ., and W ., so that let the ivind hloiv as it would one ship at least must bo in luck . 'Now , Mr . Devil' said the old

gentleman , ' I ' ve got you . ' But , alas for the plans of mice ancl men , the devil is not so easdy outivitted , and one Avould like to have seen the old gentleman ' s face , when Avith solemn gusto he ended the story of his defeat , 'It was a dead calm for six weeks ! ' "

When Ave state that he corresponded Avith Landseer , Dickens , Thackeray , Sydney Smith , and Tumor , and last , though in no sense least , Miss Leslie , Ave need only remark that there must have been some great ancl remarkable qualities in the man to inherit so much fun and to develops such sincere friendship . Sir Edwin Landseer's are very amusing and interesting . We Q-ivfi two of them .

" ... Since last I Avrote you my time has been chiefly occupied in the other art , sculpture ! and it is likely to remain my daily pursuit for Heaven ICUOAA'S IIOAV long . It is two years since I have had a picture in the Eoyal Academy . This season I hope to assert myself in some sort of form-.

The two arts rather OA'erwork me , ancl I lose weight , but not pluck . NOAV , if you realised the reputation that your friends give you in the old country , 3 ou Avould bring a skirt' over to England , shake a lot of old friendly hands , and look at my

colossal lions and say if I have done justice to Nelson ! My lions are not bumptious , nor do they SAvagger , but look ( I hope ) as though' they might be trusted , and , as a truly national group should be represented , are all gentleness and tranquillity till

Nelson gives the ivorcl . Be a brick , ancl take us , not by surprise , but as you find us , viz ., ahvays delighted to sec you . . . . Dickens has a house in London , so you Avould be sure of being Avelcomo ' all the year round . ' . . . Give serious

attention to my invaluable hints ; take a turn Avith us , and see how very much in earnest ive are Avith old friends . " Ever truly yours , "E . T . AWnSEER . "

" I have half a mind to make an example of you , ancl accept your invitation to the New England country . If I Avere not eager to make good certain promises in the old home land before going underground , I Avould chop in like Paul Pry , to laivh and sigh over old friends and old times .