Something- About Aberdeen.

rare and' unmutilated specimens of those ancient structures " whence royal edict rang , " which are now gone out of fashion among the Edinburgh bailies and others of that ilk . There are also several ornamental fountains and antique public wells scattered about the town . Indeed , the

Aberdeen authorities deserve credit for the zeal with , whicb they preserve and restore the antiquities , and keep in proper repair the artistic features of their city . St . Nicholas , we may add here , has a fine old peal of bells—one of wliich ( the great bell Lawrence ) has a fine sonorous tone ,

and bear the date Anno Domini 1352 . Of other subjects we will onl y remark that the number , size , importance , and general value of the Aberdeen churches quite took us b y surprise . The steeples are as thick set in the granite city as they are in the city of London ; and-the churches are all filled

there , wliich is more than we can say of the city here . But the churches are altogether eclipsed b y the charities . There are , first of all , two or three

different sorts of ragged or industrirl schools , of which , most useful institution the Aberdonian p hilanthropists were the nurses . Then there is an orphan hospital , an hospital for incurables , a deaf and dumb institution , two or three lunatic asylums—all very handsome buildings . The Royal

Infirmary is reall y a magnificent structure , and cost £ 17 , 000 . The very poor-house cost £ 10 , 000 But the most conspicuous of the Aberdeen charities is the hospitable , founded by an old miser of the name of Gordon , for the sons of the burgesses , who , on fine days , may be seen , like a juvenile

regiment , parading the principal streets , to the tune of "O send Lewie Gordon hame , " which they play very well on their miniature band or fifes and kettle-drums . The schools are equally numerous ancl well attended . But , for a complete list of the various churches and charities , together

with the different medical , legal , p hilosophical , and theological seminaries , are they not all written in the pages of the Aberdeen almanac' ?—Builder .

Literary Extracts.

LITERARY EXTRACTS .

Cunious NESTS of MICE . —A number of empty bottles had been stowed away upon a shelf , and among them was found one which was tenanted by a mouse . The little creature had considered that the bottle would afford a suitable home for her young , and bad therefore convoyed into it a quantity of bedding , wliich she made into a nest . The bottle was filled with the nest , and tho eccentric

architect had taken the precaution to leave a round hole corresponding to the neckof tho bottle . In this remarkable domicile the young were placed ; and it is a fact worthy of notice that no attempt had been made to shut out the light . The rapidity with which a mouse can make a nest is somewhat surprising . One of the Cambridge journals mentionedsome few that in a farmer ' s house

, years ago , a loaf of newly-baked bread was placed upon a shelf , according to custom . Next day a hole was observed iu the loaf ; and when it was cut open a mouse and her nest were discovered within , the latter having been made of paper . On examination the material of the habitation

Literary Extracts.

was found to have been obtained from a copybook , whichhad been torn into shreds and arranged into the form of a nest . Within this curious home were nine young mice , pink , transparent , aud newly-born . Thus , in the space of thirty-eight hours at the most , the loaf must have cooled , the interior been excavated , the copybook found and cut into suitable pieces , the nest made , and the young brought into the world . Surely it is no wonder that mice are so plentiful , or that their many enemies fail toexterminate them . —Homes without Hands .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents . TRAVELLING- BEGGARS . TO THE ED-TOli OP Till . VR _ ir . _ -ASO _ . s' ITAGAZH ... ___ . !> 2 __ . S 0 _ . IC 3 II 1 H . OE . DEA . B SIR AND BROTHER , —The impositions practised by travelling beggars , calling themselves Masons ,

demand some remedy that will protect the charitable ,, if the charitable will onl y avail themselves of it . I beg to submit to you the following remedy : let every lodge appoint an Almoner , or , if there he in any one town more lodges than one , let all the lodges concur in the appointment of one Almoner . Let it

be made a by-law in every lodge , that no brother should g ive money out of his own pocket to a stranger begging in the character of a Mason , but send him to the Almoner , with a note directing the amount of relief the brother is willing should be disbursed on his private account , or on hia lodge ' s

account , if the stranger should be found worthy . Let the Almoner attend on lodge nights to he reimbursed , there being another by-law of the lodges that the lodge shall be liable for the amount of any drafts thus made on the Almoner by any of its members .

And now for the part that your valuable MAGAZINE should take in the remedy . Would you consent to insert each iveek a list of the stranger Masons relieved hy Almoners , in something like the following form ?

JN " ame . Lodge . Relieved at . Date . Bv Lodge . John Smith 2103 Garstang Oot . 1 * 3645 Preston „ 2 7461 Wigan „ 3 9100 . Tames Jones 3120 Liverpool „ 1 S 21 G In a few weeks every Almoner would have something very like a complete list of travelling beggar

Masons ; every lodge could see if one of its brethren had taken to such a course ; and then , I think that your services should he again rendered , on the application of a "W . M ., to warn Almoners against relieving any unworthy brethren of his lodge . Pinally , it should he incumbent upon the Almoner , in every

case , to notify to the stranger relieved that the relief is given upon condition of his assent to the publication of the fact , ancl that if he or his lodge choose to reimburse the Almoner at any time , that fact also will be published . I remain , dear Sir and Brother , Tours faithfully and fraternally ,

A . H ., W . M . 1051 . [ This suggestion , which has very many objectionable and some uu-Masonic points about it , yet has so much , that may be justified that we should like to receive from the members of the Craft their opinions upon the subject . —ED . E . M . & M . M . ]