The cape is somewhat deeper than was

The verbal explanation.

from which our illustration was drawn, is of white moire antique trimmed with watered pink ribbon. They are, however, trimmed with various materials, according to the taste of the wearer.

represented above. The collar is also rounded. The collar may be detached and worn separately. We therefore

present a separate illustration of it. The TALThe collar is like

MA is another favorite mode. wise removable, and is cut with peaks at the breast, shoulders, and back. Instead of the simple loops by which the Cardinal is confined, the Talma has a rich cord and tassels.-MUFFS are made smaller than heretofore, and will be more generally worn than they have been of late years.

FIG. 3.-SUIT OF FURS.

FURS.-The changes in the articles that go to make up a 66 set of furs" are less marked, from season to season, than in other parts of a lady's toilet. As a general rule, we may say that any one who is provided with those indicated by us last year, is under no imperative necessity of exchanging them the present season. Still there are some novelties worthy the attention of those who contemplate purchasing. One of these is the CARDI

FIG. 7.-TALMA.

A CITIZEN OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE UNITED INTERESTS.

JANUARY FIRST, A. D. 3000. THAT year did you say it was?"

"WH

"The year 3000 of the Christian era, and the six hundred and thirty-first of the Republic."

"Thank you. Rip Van Winkle was a fool to me. And where am I?"

"You are now in the capital of the worldin Peerless City, on the island known to the ancients as the Island of Borneo."

"Then the world has ceased to be divided into nations?"

"Bless you! yes, long ago. The last nation to come into the general arrangement was an old republic on the continent of America called South Carolina. You will find the whole story in the school histories."

islands lying to the north of Europe, and their early inhabitants, who were called the British. It appears that they built large cities, and were traders. Johnson says that some eleven hundred years ago a revolution broke out in the country, and one half the people put the oth half to death, and then fled across the seas t America. But really we know very little of those dark ages of the past. It has been clearly proved by statues which have come down to us, that these British were a stout, manly race, though their dress was singular, their generals wearing nothing but a large cloak, as is seen in the statue of the Duke of Wellington, and their statesmen appearing in public with no other garment than a fig-leaf and a scroll of paper, as we see in several of the statues at the museum."

This allusion to dress drew my attention to that of my companion. He wore nothing but a short pair of drawers and a pair of shoes. On one of the legs of his drawers was an interesttable; on the other a tabular statement of the sailing of the expresses for the various parts of the world.

"Ah!" said he, "I see you are looking at my costume. We declared our independence of tailors long ago. Now all that custom requires is this simple and comfortable garment. And men of business turn it to account, as you see. To return to the subject of the old nations, I can not tell you what became of France. I have a general impression that it blew up in some way or other, in consequence of the discovery of some awfully-explosive substance by the Academy of Science; but you must ask Professor Krakman about it. There was a city, they say, on the borders of the Seine, called Paris; my son has written a paper, that has been much admired, to establish the place where it stood." "And America-the United States ?"

"Oh! I can tell you all about them. They were the original authors of the idea of a universal republic; and in the year 2207, after their General, Mrs. Von Blum, had conquered China, and established a territorial government there, with her daughter as military Governor, the proposal was first made public. I must say the United States acted handsomely. They made the Emperor of China Postmaster General for the Chinese Territory; and they gave the Emperor of Russia, whom their famous General, the Reverend Amos T. Smith, had just made prisoner, a very comfortable place in the Cus

toms. Beyond levying a slight tribute on the conquered nations-barely sufficient to give every American citizen a house and ten acres of land-they made no use of their victories, and cheerfully conceded political rights to the vanquished."

I was glad to hear that my countrymen had maintained so good a character, and begged to know somewhat further respecting their history. "Why, as to their early history," said my companion, "you must bear in mind that our information is but scanty. I flatter myself that

I am of American descent; one of my ancestors was the celebrated Barnum, who was made President of the United States in consequence of improvements he introduced into the breed of babies. But really our historical critics have discovered so much falsehood in the old American histories, that I hardly dare trust to any thing they say. It is now clearly proved, for instance, that the hero named Washington was a myth, and never existed. Some suppose he is identical with the Bonaparte of the French, who was likewise a great hero, and is said to

have flourished about the same time. But others argue with great force that he is none other than the Biblical Joshua, and that Washington is a corruption of Joshua. Washington-Joshua; Joshua-Washington," repeated my companion, sounding the words to himself, "certainly a remarkable affinity in the names. But to continue: The only two American generals of early times whose fame appears to rest on substantial ground are General Tom Thumb and General Pierce. The former commanded an expedition which seems to have overrun every civilized country, and we learn from a medal which is preserved at the Exhibition Rooms, that the ladies in all the large cities thronged to kiss his hand, doubtless in order to beg that their relations' lives might be spared. General Pierce's exploits are not so well known, but it seems certain he commanded the famous expedition against the mighty empire of Greytown, in which the Greytowners were utterly defeated, and forced, after a sharp resistance, to sue humbly for peace. It is believed that peace was ultimately made on the marriage of Pierce to the widow of the Emperor of Greytown, who was killed in the war. If you are anxious to be informed respecting those remote ages, I advise you to consult a curious old volume of speeches by a famous American orator and statesman named Isaiah Rynders. I have no doubt he was the leading man of his day, and his speeches afford a fair picture of American eloquence."

By this time we had reached the border of a wide stream, or arm of the sea. On the shore opposite us stood the richer wards of the Peerless City; my companion proposed that we should cross, and I readily agreed. I was looking for a steamer, or boat of some sort, when he called me.

Here," said he, pointing to an immense sphere of metal, "step in."

There was a door in the sphere, and I obeyed. I found myself in company with four or five persons in a hollow chamber. We had no sooner entered than an authoritative voice cried, "All right!" at which the door was closed.

Then I heard the word "Fire!" A tremendous concussion followed, and when I regained my breath the door was opened, and my fellow-passengers were getting out. We had crossed the strait. My companion noticed my astonishment, and kindly explained that the old system of ferry-boats was abandoned long since; that all short distances were now traversed by bomb-carriages fired from huge mortars.

"I suppose," said I, "that you use railroads

still."

"Yes," was the answer; "we have railroads certainly, underground, though they are falling into disuse. Formerly railroads were built on the surface of the earth, but after a few centuries' trial they were abandoned, as they had multiplied to such an extent that they covered