especially when glowing in the mellowed ray of the western sun, and partly shaded by the venerable trees, which so beautify and solemnise the scene, redeeming the dreariness of the graveyard, and, by their obedience to the law of the seasons, so instructively symbolising the change from mortal to immortal life. None but the veriest clod of the valley can be uninfluenced by the spell which binds one in the rapt contemplation of so fair a scene, of which the fascination is crowned by the swelling music of the Don-" unseen, but not remote." a surety, other homilies there are than those delivered from the pulpit by which the heart is made better.

Of

ABERDONIANS.

"Far fowls are fair feathered."

IN the character of Aberdonians there is, as in all others, somewhat to commend and somewhat to condemn. Let us not be deemed censorious if we select for the subject of a short essay a trait of character which all allow to be unworthy of Bon Accord. The trait of public character to which we allude is the propensity of Aberdonians to prefer strangers to public offices, to the prejudice of their fellow citizens.

We mean not to assert that in no instance are our own people preferred to the stranger; but we do affirm that an undue preference has too frequently been shown to the latter in appointments to public offices. The truth of our assertion must be manifest to every one who bestows a moment's consideration on the subject. Survey our public institutions; have they not been too often filled by those who were not born and bred in Aberdeen ? Is not this a common topic of self-reproach amongst us? when a vacancy occurs in any of our public situations, does it not too frequently happen that a

stranger is preferred to it? When such a one is, at length, discovered to have been unworthy of the trust too unthinkingly reposed in him, immediately a hue and cry is raised against him, and after everything has been said against him which can be said, the vituperation is generally wound up with the remark-"Well, we always prefer strangers to our own folks, and see what we get!" The fact is beyond dispute ; we are naturally led to the consideration of its causes. Surely it is not unreasonable to expect that we should prefer our own children to the sons of the alien. Is it not natural for the parent to prefer his own to the child of another? The bonds of affection are indeed less firmly knit in proportion as relationship is more remote; but still, in every case where there subsists the slightest connection, the correspondent obligations are indispensable. One of the causes of our preferring strangers is that proneness, common to all, to admire what is novel. We overlook qualities of transcendent excellence in those with whom we hold daily intercourse; while we fancy that we can discover peculiar virtues in those whom we behold for the first time.

Another cause of our preference-surely no very rational one-is our ignorance of strangers. We are disposed to give them credit for the possession of all the good qualities which they are certified to have, or which they boldly claim for themselves.

We seldom reflect that they must have their defects, which are discretely thrown into the shade when they appear as candidates for a situation. In our familiarity with the imperfections of our own people, we unfairly overlook their just claims on our patronage.

Another cause of our undue preference of a stranger is, mutual jealousy and party spirit. In filling up public offices we are too apt to separate into parties, each with a favourite candidate of his own. It thus happens that a stranger, unconnected with any party, steps in, and is successful, owing to the unwillingness of one party to yield to another. Another effect is the discouragement of native talent.

This effect is most deeply to be deplored; its tendency is to eradicate from the minds of deserving young men those natural sentiments of attachment to home which might one day induce them to confer important benefits on their native city, as a return for the fostering care which they had once enjoyed. Few, compared with those which other places have experienced, are those proofs of grateful remembrance for Bon Accord, bequeathed by her sons that have breathed their last in the land of the stranger. Instead of regarding their native city as a kind parent, many of these have had but too just reason to look upon her as a cruel stepmother, whom they could neither love nor respect.

EXCURSIVE EDUCATION.

FYTTE FIRST-ICHTHYOLOGY.

"Dulce est desipere in loco.-HOR.

THE public are aware that our system of education is about to undergo certain changes of a peculiar character, which have been strongly recommended in the interim reports of our "committees," to whose legislative care this important matter has been intrusted. This is the more necessary in the Grammar School, as the first report states, with confidence, that the system of education which has hitherto been pursued at that seminary, with acknowledged success, "does not give satisfaction to the public." That system has been chiefly pursued with a view to qualify our youth for their studies at the universities, an object which must appear to every "right-thinking mind" of very little importance. Besides, the system tends "to establish one of the worst habits for the human

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