Having seen our friends of “The Suction and Pumping Process” fairly in the field, let us survey the ground. On the whole, things look rather brilliant; a number of “new volumes with superb inducements,” are already announced, and with the usual cheering before starting, the entertainments for 1850 promise to be rich and various beyond parallel. Ingenuity, it seems, is not exhausted, nor are novelties entirely run out. What have we here? One of the ladies’ magazines actually promises to “_outstrip_” all its cotemporaries! A novel sort of assertion, truly, for a genteel ladies’ magazine; yet a proceeding, one would think, that cannot be carried very far with any sort of propriety. The grace of modesty and the delicacy of its position alike forbid it. Such things, if really attempted, will drive the meeker and weaker brethren entirely from the contest. We may—but scarcely can—tolerate the pretty large liberties which have been taken with the dresses of ladies elsewhere in engravings and fashion plates. Let it stop here. Give us models of art, even if they are a little nude; we can stand that—but this is touching on the province of the model artists; and as the _elder_ magazine, we cannot allow it—positively. Jeremy, if you have any influence with these people, stop this thing, I pray you. Phew!—but what _is_ this? It appears that under cover of fire-works, with sky-rockets, blue-lights, shooting-stars, or something of that sort, we are to have a grand conflagration, perhaps immolation of fashionable and pretty women; for another ladies’ magazine, audaciously—in order to offset the other, we suppose—promises, “_a blaze of beauty throughout the year!_” Heavens! “can these things be, And overcome us like a summer cloud, Without our special wonder.” And this is actually put out in the bills, before a Christian country, in the nineteenth century, and the police look on, and are silent! Ah! this comes home to “our hearts and our bussums.” _What do we read? “All_ the distinguished writers and authors of this country and Europe are engaged.” The deuce they are? Oh Lord!—Our office then may be closed, during business hours hereafter, we suppose. _Overlooked, by George!_—News! news! “The acknowledged Blackwood of America, 1850.” Now is that old vagabond coming back again, after having enjoyed our hospitalities for two seasons—’42 and ’43? If Blackwood were to come in spirit shape, this I think would be his story, Jeremy: “You see I was coming along, when a tall fellow, our old friend, cries, ‘How are you, Mr. Blackwood?’