"We have often heard of the Lord's Prayer being written in the compass of a shilling, but have lately seen a piece of paper of that dimension, which contains, in manuscript, the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, the Ten Commandments, Psalms 117, 120, 127, 131, 132, 134, and 150; 9th chapter of Proverbs, Prayer of St. Chrysostom, two Collects, Prayer for the Royal Family, Nobility, Clergy, &c., &c., the Blessing, and Junior, 1702, the name of the writer. This curiosity is in the possession of Mr. John Reeder, of Brighton, who being an auctioneer at a sale where it was lately sold, purchased it on very easy terms. It is not legible without a good glass." _Columbian Centinel,_ June 5, 1790. _Eng. pap._ * * * * * In an old Salem paper we find the following: --> We understand the number of deaths in this town the past year was 234, of which 15 died abroad. This reminds us of the curious jumble made in the first edition of Morse's "American Gazetteer," published in Boston in 1797. In the description of Albany, N.Y., it says: "This city and suburbs, by enumeration in 1797, contained 1,263 buildings, of which 863 were dwelling-houses and 6,021 inhabitants. Many of them are in the Gothic style with the gable end to the street, which custom the first settlers brought from Holland." * * * * * The earliest American writer of whom we have any information was Peter Bulkley, who was born in England in 1583 and died in 1659 in Massachusetts, and wrote Latin Poetry and Sermons. The earliest poetic volume written in this country was by Anne Bradstreet, of Boston, born 1612, died 1672. _Salem Observer,_ 1834. * * * * * The author of these lines must have been one of the old school. [_The following was paid for as an Advertisement._] The folloing lines were Presented to A lat skull mistres in this town by 4 of her skolers the morning after her mareg MAY all Joiy and happiness Vait To attend your nuptal stat you our instructer and the Guid of our early youth beside as you Quit the plas wich you fild with euery Gras. Our Grateful Thanks are sure your due. Except them thearfor from us fue. Whos shur to you that pras is due. Must euery sorro euery Cear be yourn Forbid it Heauin and let it turn to peas and Joiys next to diuin Rise Glorious euery futer Sun and Bless your days with Joiys as this has dun let sorrows sese and Joiys tak plas to briten euery futer day with equil Gras and wen your cald from hence above may you inioy your souors Loue wee ever shall regrat our los and yet with you wee all reioyss _Essex Gazette,_ May 14, 1771. * * * * * Boston school-books in 1790.