The common water-plug offers a capital medium for illustrating the leading principles in hydrostatics and hydraulics. When opened, the effort of water to find its own level may be turned to account, in diverting and instructive methods by the young professors of the neighbourhood in the absence of the police, who are, generally speaking, inimical to science. To produce a jet, the water must either come up or come down. In the case of a fire-plug, it comes down from the New River; and if the rates are not paid, the company come down as well upon the delinquents _for_ the money, until the latter come down _with_ it. In the Trafalgar fountains, it comes up to the surface, but not at all to the expectations. In either case the force is the same. This increases, in an inverse ratio, to the opposition offered; and by compressing it at the orifice, it may be thrown in any direction by a little judicious management of the sole of the foot. In this manner, benevolent boys may frequently be seen distributing water gratuitously to the passing pilgrims. THINGS TO BE BORNE IN MIND IN JANUARY. Recollect, if you slip down in the street this month not to evince any pain, but rather laugh: get up smiling, and walk away with a joyous air. Do not try rashly to cut the outside edge on the Serpentine, but practise by yourself, at midnight, with a full moon, on secluded Hampstead ponds, until you are perfect; because, it usually happens, that the instant you wish to show off before some young ladies you know, your heels will go higher than your head, and you will look contemptible. That family parties at this time of the year are not those wonderfully lively things they are conventionally supposed to be: the presence of a few lively acquaintances being indispensable to make them go off well. Relatives don't care to exert themselves to be entertaining before one another; or if they do, all the rest know what is coming. THE GIPSY'S PROPHECY. "Belle of Norwood! dark-eyed gipsy, come, and let me cross thy hand, Give me knowledge of the future, if it be at thy command: Full one thousand shares in railways, I have been let in to take; Tell me, swarthy star of Beulah, when will they my fortune make?" "List, my pretty gentleman, with piece of silver cross my hand, I will tell you when your shares will bring you money, beeves, and land— When the figures for the base of Nelson's column shall be made, And the throng of population chokes the Exeter Arcade. When the leading streets of London are not closed, and altogether; And the lamps of Vauxhall Gardens are not put out by wet weather. When the _Byron_ of Thorwaldsen in the Abbey takes its place; And the Turf shall be surprised by something like an honest race..bn 142.png When the Income Tax is talked of, as a legend of the past; And St. Paul's is seen for nothing, gratis, unto all, at last.