FORCE OF HABIT-A RETIRED TRAVELLER.

Worcester. I have this day had the pleasure of dining with a veteran, once a member of our body, who having long since retired from business has taken a tour to see his old commercial friends and few surviving customers. In a great measure, though perhaps unconsciously, his object in this was to relieve the monotonousness of a life of seclusion, ill suited to his long established habits as a wanderer in pursuit of trade; and he could not refrain from mourning over the loss, from causes various, of a host of his old associates, the participators of the labours and merriment of his early careerits meridian solace and enjoyment.

What a creature of habit man becomes, by continued association with one object, occupation, profession, or routine, I have by this interview been more fully convinced than ever; for my companion, whose early industry and frugality Providence has blest by putting him in possession of a competency enabling him to spend his latter days in plenty, has a bachelor's home, with all its comforts; and this, it might be imagined, would induce a retirement from scenes of activity and bustle, in a man so far

advanced in life. But, no; absence from home eleven months out of twelve, during a period of nearly forty years, has made him when there almost a stranger; or, at all events, it has allowed him to acquire, while there, but few associates, if any, whom he can call friends. Some way or other, home associates, whom a commercial man meets for a period so very brief, as the few days which occasionally intervene between long journeys, either are not so sincere, or from the brevity of the visit, are unable rather than unwilling, to excite or cement a friendship, so cordial and unalloyed as frequently exists amongst the periodical and frequent partakers of the same mess-drivers together over the same stage-participators of the same hilarity, fortune, and misfortunewhich fall to the lot of commercial men, who for years appropriate to themselves the same district.

Habit, consequently, even now, at the age of seventy (for age has not diminished his desire for the perpetuation of early imbibed practices, or withered his inclination to participate in his old enjoyments) tempts him to leave, during the greater portion of the year, his quiet comfortable home, and pursue, almost town by town, mechanically, his old accustomed journey, with no other object than awakening in

his mind reminiscences of by-gone pleasuremeeting occasionally, but at intervals few and far between, a contemporary with whom to rake up recollections of the past, or to shake by the hand, and greet right heartily, the offspring and successors of his old departed respected business friends; men who look up to him for advice, and upon him as a patriarch of the good old days of ancient, prosperous, plodding, honourable commerce, and feel themselves bound to him by a hundred ties of disinterested services and friendships, and love him, not only for the crowns and half crowns thrust unceremoniously and unostentatiously into their hands while minors, but because their fathers' masters and predecessors loved and revered him in times that have long since passed away.

A BY-DAY, OR PROFITLESS ONE, CONSIDERED.

Thursday.-A by-day, or profitless and unsuccessful one, yet, howsoever harassing, a description of day that will occasionally occur upon a journey. Never do I remember to have commenced a day under more favourable ap

pearances were my plans better arrangedyet all have been frustrated; all my best energies defeated by a host of untoward circumstances, uncontrollable, and vexatious in the extreme. And although I am aware how useless it is to suffer myself to be disturbed by that which has happened to all my commercial brethren, at one time or other, and will happen again, it is difficult to reconcile our feelings to a failure of what we aimed at, especially after appearances had favoured the hope of accomplishment. But so are mortals doomed to disappointment. However, dejected, mortified, and worried as I feel, it is better to philosophize and weigh the journey as a whole, and not in parts. The success of to-morrow may, without calculation and without exertion, compensate for the annoyance of to-day. Fortune, ever fickle, even to her favourites, may give a happy turn to her wheel. Without these occasional dark spots upon our commercial sun, the pleasure derived from our pursuit would be materially lessened; for we can arrive at a knowledge, and appreciate the value, of the sweets of life only by being made to taste, sometimes, of its bitters. It is useless to repine, having done my best, and I will therefore console myself with the hope of a more auspicious future. Indeed, while I am even now harass

ing myself through my want of success, my yesterday's letter has arrived at its destination, and my house is probably quite satisfied with my well-doing. Let me, consequently, endeavour to regain an equanimity of temper, and, in lieu of feeling ruffled at what I regard as a misfortune, strive to bear patiently the occurrence of circumstances over which I have had so little control; taking "an additional small bottom" to keep up the spirits, and an extra cigar to blow away care.

A GOOD COMPANIONABLE FELLOW.

MEN of every class, in all the various walks of life, although similarly engaged, differ materially in their habits, practices, and manner of procedure; each, perhaps, with equal ultimate success, although the means applied are varied and dissimilar; their development of character exhibiting itself in an endless succession of forms to the ken of the observer. Thus, with the body of commercial travellers, you may see one man quietly plodding his undevious wayindustriously discharging his various duties, without the least opportunity for relaxation-