... LATE HOURS. To the Editor of the Monmouthshire Merlin. Sir,—I don't know whether your remonstrances, with the tradesmen of this town, have had the intended. effect; but there seems to be a disposition, on the part of two or three, to close their shops at eight o'clock in the evening. I hope they will not lose anything by so doing. Nothing but petty jealousies prevent so desirable a measure ...

... TO THE DYING YEAR. THOU desolate and dying year- Emblem of transitory man, Whose wearisome and wild career, Like^hine, is bounded by a span It seems but as a little day Since nature smiled upon thy birth, And spring came forth in fair array, To dance upon thf joyous earth. Sad alteration!—now how lone, How verdureless, is nature's breast, Where ruin makes his empire known, In autumn's yellow ...

... DROWNING AND MEANS OF PRESERVATION. INQUEST. On Tuesday last an inquest was held at the Bute Dock Hotel, before R. L. Reece, Esq., coroner, on the body of Charles Atkins, aged IS, seaman on board the barque Pegasus, of Cromer, in Norfolk. William Jarvis said, he was master of the barque Pegasus; that he shipped deceased as a boy, at Gloucester, about seven months sigo; that he had been one ...

... DREADFUL SUICIDES, &c. SXTXCIDB AND ATTEMPTED MURDERS THROUGH DES- TITUTION.—Last Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Wakley, M.P., held an inquest at the Ben Johnson, Great Wilde-street, Drury-lane, upon the body of John Grainger, a blacksmith, aged 27, who committed suicide, and attempted to kill his wife and brother, under the following distressing circumstances -—Anne Grainger, the wife of deceased, ...

... rASHIONS FOR JANUAHY. The damas fashionable this season is veloates, the broad velvet stripe contristingweti with this rich description of silk. These dresses require no trimming, but are made extremely full and very long behind on other materials flounces of A tendon. or point lace, aie worn. Taffetas d' ltalie are fashionable for petites soirt 6s, and are made with numerous narrow flounces, ...

... OMIBfJS. A KINO REPROVED.—A King was riding along in disguise, and seeing a soldier al a public door. stopped and ølked the soldier to drink with him, and while they were drinking the King swore. The soldier said, I am sorry to hear young gen- tlemen swear. His Majesty took no notice, but swote agdin. The soldier said, pay part of the pot, if YOII please, and go, for I so hale swearing, that ...

... The Rev. F. flose, incumbent of Cheltenham, hat addressed a letter to the tradesmen of that town, calling attention to the fact, that several shopmen have withdrawn their subscriptions from the Church of England Reading Society, on the plea of their late detention in business. Mr. Close solicits the trades- men to obviate this state of things. At the Mansion House Committee in Dublin, it was ...

... The late gales have caused most disastrous results—human life has been lost to a fearful extent, and every post adds to the melancholy catalogue. An East Indiaman was lost off Pevensey on Monday—cargo, coffee, sujar, and indigo, crew (except one casualty) saved. Parts of the coasts of Devonshire and of South Wales are strewed with wrecks. On Sunday the French war steamer, the Papin, was lost, ...

... BIRTHS, MARRIAGES, AND DEATHS. BIRTHS. On the 31st ult., at Newport, the wife of Mr. Henry Thomas Albion House, draper, of a son. daughter6 Lady Teignmouth, of a On the 1st inst., at Caerleon, Mrs. Neferthir, •( a son. MARRIAGES. On the 1st inst., at Nash church, by the Rev. James Yorath Mr. Adam Wilhams, of Newport, to Mrs. Ann Jonea, ofNash. On the 27th ult, at Frogmore-street Baptist chapel ...

... A miser late!y died at Boulogne, in her 85th year; and, although possessed of property to the amount of 42,000 francs, and had 1,730 francs in her chamber, there is no doubt she died from starvation. ...

... READINGS FROM MEPHYSTOPHILES. [Mephystophiles is the title of a new publication, which strug. gles much to be a successful rival of Mr. Punch. Our old friend is, however inimitable.] THE PEASANTS' YULE. These are happy days for English peasants. Their healths are drunk at agricultural dinners, which they eat not. A Geologi- cal Dean, of twopence-charging Westminster, delivers lectures to teach ...

... DOMESTIC NEWS. THE MILITIA.—The letters which we lately published of the Secretary ot State for the Home Department and of the Secre- tary at War, leave no doubt of the intentions of the government as to the enrolment of the militia for immediate service our readers must not treat the matter with any degree of levity, as it relates in a great measure to every person in the kingdom, without any ...