It made a great noise in Carlingford, as might be supposed; it made a vast difference in the household of Mrs Christian, which was removed to the house in which she had formerly hoped to establish herself as heir-at-law. But the greatest difference of all was made in that dim, spacious, wainscoted dining-room, which did not know itself in its novel circumstances. That was where the change was most remarkably apparent; and all these years Phœbe Thomson’s shadow has thrown no cloud as yet over the path of John Brown. THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES. A NEW SONG. HAVE you heard of this question the Doctors among, Whether all living things from a Monad have sprung? This has lately been said, and it now shall be sung, Which nobody can deny. Not one or two ages sufficed for the feat, It required a few millions the change to complete; But now the thing’s done, and it looks rather neat, Which nobody can deny. The original Monad, our great-great-grandsire, To little or nothing at first did aspire; But at last to have offspring it took a desire, Which nobody can deny. This Monad becoming a father or mother, By budding or bursting, produced such another; And shortly there followed a sister or brother, Which nobody can deny. But Monad no longer designates them well They’re a cluster of molecules now, or a cell; But which of the two, Doctors only can tell, Which nobody can deny. These beings, increasing, grew buoyant with life, And each to itself was both husband and wife; And at first, strange to say, the two lived without strife, Which nobody can deny. But such crowding together soon troublesome grew, And they thought a division of labour would do; So their sexual system was parted in two, Which nobody can deny. * * * * * _The Origin of Species, by means of Natural Selection._ By CHARLES DARWIN, M.A. 1859. _The Temple of Nature; or, the Origin of Society. _ A Poem. By ERASMUS DARWIN, M.D. 1803.