LIFE: AN ALLEGoRY.
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 skiey veil, and only reveals the uncertain outlines of woods and hills. The warm vernal air is just stirring in the valleys, but has not vet ruffled the waters nIirrOr.- Turns the eye upward-the misty vault opens into the calm, clear heavens, over which there seems sWfiused genial spiF- it's breath. Far distant on the horizon flesh out the gilded and reckoning peaks 1; and from yonder crown of snow, sud- den radiance announces the risen sum- Now in the east stream the golden rays through the soft blue vapor. The breeze freshens, and comes loaded with fragrance from the woods. A faint, dark curl sweeps over the water; and Mis. rolls up, lifts it. self above meadow and hill, and in gather- ed folds hangs light around the mountains. Away on the level lake, sill it meets the sky, silvery gleams the sheeted wave, sprinkled with changeful stars, as the ever rising breeze breaks it in ripples. Now the pennon, that .|iung loose around the mast, rises and ftfolly floats. We spread the sail. and, casting of from the shore, gI'ded out with cheerful hearts on our voyage. Before US widens the lake; rock after rock receding back on, either hand, and opening between. still bays, hung round with sparkling woods, or lead ing through green meadow vistas to blue sunny hills. / It is now Noon. In the middle lake speeds the bark over ight-glancing waves. Dark opens down the clear depth. White toss the crests of foam-and, as ihe sail stoOps to the steady wind,. swift flies the parted water round the brow, and rushing poGrs behind the stern. The distan, shores glow bright in the sun, that alone in the heaven looks unveiled with vivifying good- ness over the earth. How high and broad swells the sky! The agitatcd lake losses. like wide field of snowy blossoms. Sweep after sweep of the long retiring shores hill gleaming over hill, up to tho shadowy over these, Alpine necd- les, shooting rearly white into the bound- les azure-all lie still and happy under the ever-smiling sun.

 And now it is Evening. The sun is sinking behind the dark mountains, and clouds scattered far tn the east float soft in rosy light. The sun is now hidden, and strong and wide sweeps 6p its golden flame, like the holy blaze ofa funeral pile. The breeze slackens-ihe waves subside in slumber-and slowly thc bark steers into its shel.ering bay. Long shadows stretch from hill to valley-tall like dark curtains on the lake-and n solemn subdued sereni- sy broods, like protecting spirit. over the hushed and quiet earth. Only the far summits get retain their brightness. Faint blushes stain the eternal snows, recalling the first dawning roses, like the memory of early joys in the tranquil moments of de- parting age. These, too, fade but the evening star looks bright from the blue in- inite, and, like the herald ofa better world, leads us softly to our haven.

 . LADIES' DRESSES.

 A fearful inroad, we hear, IS likely to be made ere long, in the empire of female fashion, which will greatly diminish the dimensions of the dresses Of the ladies. 1t is said that somo radicals in dress, have planned an entire overthrow of the pre- yailing fashions, and that revolution is about to break out in inc bureaus and ward robes of our fair couDtrywomen, which will rend the ranks of frocks and furbelows to their center, and deal demolition and destruction to the present armaments of female attire. By decree. as imperative as a ukase of the Russian Czar, it has been determined by the Court of Fashion tO razee the ladies' dresses. to dismantle them of one half almost of their circumfer- ence, and to apply the pruning knife to the redoubtable sleeves which have be- come the terror of every tea-table. the iaunting tastsrs of every gravy dish, and the purloiners of proprietary space, of ev- cry pew-holder in our city. The sleere, which has for time lOrded or rather Ia- died it over every other part of the body pageant. is now to pass out of power, and io abdica,e in favor of the waist. The star of fashion of our ancient danes, whose scaisks were far from being cOmmORs, is again to be in inc ascendant, and the body extended downward in its dimensions some half a foot under the government polite of close corporation, will soon be taken iD- to fashion, as the object of adorization. while the arms, which now loom so large. ly. are to be negotiated out ofthree foUrths of their territorial sovereignty, and heHsnsed in on all sides, with sleeves as tight as the epidermis itself. A few such eases of rad- iealisn. in dress, have appeared ip the co- teries of fashion of Philadelphia. to the great consteruation of the party favoring the prerogatiyes of bishop sleeves.

 The whole aristocracy of the fashion of big sleeves will be soon thrown into woe- ful minority, and the holders of this spe- cies of stock, will be compelled to sell nut at an enormous discount on cost. We al-