23. What is handsomer when the head is off? [Illustration] Artificial Ice for Skating. One of the most interesting places of amusement in London is the Colosseum. This is an immense edifice, which looks, as you approach it, like a Grecian temple covered with a vast dome. The purpose of this building is to exhibit spectacles and scenes of various kinds, such as views of famous cities and interesting places, in all parts of the world. The effect is produced partly by painting, and partly by machinery, and the management of the light that is let in through the dome. It is scarcely possible for any person not to be completely deceived by these exhibitions; they are so natural, so truthful and life-like, that the spectator is irresistibly made to feel that he looks upon a reality and not a picture. The spectators――such as desire it――are taken into a small circular room, which is prepared with seats; this is so contrived as to rise slowly, and imperceptibly to those who are in it, which makes the scene itself appear to change. By this contrivance, the effect of sunrise and evening, upon the landscape, are produced to admiration. Sometimes amusing scenes occur at the place, on account of the circular room. Not long since a young fellow, from the country, came with his sweetheart, to London, and of course they must go to the Colosseum. In they went, and the girl, desirous to see the best of it, pressed forward into the circular room; John, being left a little behind. Just at that moment, the circular room began to rise, but neither the youth nor the girl noticed it till it had ascended to the height of ten feet――they were so absorbed with the spectacle before them. At last the girl perceived the ascending motion――and, looking down, beheld her lover, far beneath. Filled with the awful idea of the tricks upon travellers that she had heard of as practised by the Londoners, she immediately fancied that it was a case of kidnapping or abduction, equal to any in the tales of the Arabian Nights. Therefore, spreading forth her beseeching arms, and bending over toward her lover, in a mingled tone of tenderness and terror, she exclaimed――“John! John! John! John!” The faithful heart of the swain felt that these sounds could come from no one but Hannah――his Hannah! He looked around in amazement; but saw her not. Yet, as he thought very _highly_ of her, and deemed her almost an angel, it was not difficult for him, as the sounds plainly came from _above_, to seek her in that direction. He turned his eyes upward, and there she was, sure enough, going it――“John! John! John!”