New-York daily tribune., 1855-08-21
PHGRLMAGE TO MECM"

genus dsbbles in il if be can. Our greatest
mobiles, ruined, it may be, in purse and reputs-
ton, cling to the last to their hereditary acres,
and even although bonds and mortgages, life az
nuities and entails, may prevent their deriving
single sixpence Of personal profit from tue i'm
mense estates they nominslly own yet with the
tenscty of life itself they stick To their land TO
the last. As for our milionaires, the very fret
large investments they canaford are certain to De
made in land. Without possession of some thous-
and acres, purchased perhaps, at fabulous
prices, they fancy that they can never realize
that fret dream Of an Englishman's ambition
"tbe foundation Of a family" So sgain with
our naval and military heroes. No sooner do
wars cease than they literally convert their
swords into plcwshares and endeayor TO reduce
clay soils in lieu Of fortresses. Our trsdesmen
strive after the same delights. Their bankers
balances, in nine cases out Of ten, fad ultimate
investment in the land. Ii they cannot afford
estates or farms, they purchase country houses
surrounded by plantations or extensive gardens.
If their retremen. il not absolute, but business
has still to be attended 10, they will take up
their residence ID some small suburban villa, at
a short distance from town. where they can, at any
rate, secure the privilege Of cultivating strawber-
ries and peas for their own tables at ten times the
price at which they could purchase them in Covent
Garden Market. This mania for agriculture ex-
tends even to our artisans. If they cannot secure
a plot of ground before or behind their houses they
will at least, manage 70 have fl0werpOt in their
bedroom indOws. Nor is il to those who have
reached mans estate that this love of cultivation is
confined. At many of our schools the right TO dig
pieces of ground four feet square is the privilege of
those who attain the highest classes while tie lit
tie ones strive to grow mustard and chess" in
boxes under their beds in which at the same time
are deposited their Sunday clothes and school
books the last plum cake received from home, their
mothers letters and their tray of silkworms.
Of all the instances on record in which this ma
MIA has run riot of late years perhaps the most
marbable is found in the case of LondOner named
Mechi to whose farm in the country all Cock
"ayne" the other day made pilgrimage. Mr..
Mechi's name have no doubt is known to many
in America in connection with the Great Ex
hibitiOn of 1851, Of which he was Jealous pro-
mOter. But lest some may not recognize or recol
lect the individual, l viii tell you pretty briefly
who Mr.. Mech is.
Americans who may have known London TWEEN
ty or fye-and twenty years ago will remember
constant afix to the dead walls of the metropolis
-" MRCH's MAGIC PASTE" AT that period of
the worlds history the all-powerful steel pen had
not superseded the old gray goose-quill. Pen
knives of the sbarpest edge were consequently in
continual demand, and no pocket was deemed
completely furnished without at least double
blade in handle either of buckh horn or of ivory.
At the same enlightened epoch the English, now
almost universally barbed and mustached, were
particularly close-sbayen people. 1t followed
that, both for knives and razOrs, paste" was in
demand and Mr.. Mech stood in the breach TO
supply the want. But as " 4 paste can be of no
use without strOp to lay il on, and as no old
strop was found 10 work satisfactorily with
Mechs paste, il became necessary that the said
Mech should invent that essential auxiliary
Thence arose "MECln'S MAGIC STROP" At
later period came the climax, "MECHs MAGIC
" RAZOR - and after short time II became, by
force of public advertisement and steady putting,
an article of almost universal faith in England that
without MECus MAGIC RAZOR, SIRoP eNU
" PASTE" no one could be shaved
For long time Mech was our sole sharp rpao
AT length, Mr. Meehs advertisements ceased COM
paratiyey to appear. They were indeed no longer
needed Mr.. Mechi had penetrated every house,
even 10 the dressiI groom, and at the most cOntem
platiye hour of the twenty four he was invariably
present Whenever you shaved your chin, strOpped
your razor, or prepared your strOp, Mech was
before yOu Alas! the brightest love will fade.
Even Mechis razors became blunt at last. Even
Mechi's strops al last would afford keen edge no
longer Then came the time when gentlemen cut
ting their chins Of a morning, or scrapng of the
skin instead Of the brstes, applied very shocking
calculations H. Mr.. Mecbi. These, however, never
reached bis ears nor would il have mattered if they
had. Mr.. Mech bad stropped other peoples razors
TO his own advantage considerable item in the
1brao tapfs tha iuAu
Of strops and razor paste, and when some other
well.puded renOyator such as Diamond Dust')
supplanted "Mechi's Paste" in public favor Mr.
Mechi was established with the plum inside his
mouth
1t was impossible, however, that keen and en-
terprisng man of this sort could be entirely for
gotten II was not his character to allow himself
TO sink into oblivion together with bis paste. Al
ter the decline of that commodity, some time
elapsed before Mr.. Mech again turned up but
when he did turn up. he turned up with yea
ceance II was during that exciting period when
Free-trade was agitsting the minds of English
men snd threatening TO produce revolution IN
the nation-it was in the very midst Of the awful
party fights Of that truly awful struggle, that Mr..
Mechi suddenly spraDg, like Minerva, into the
midst of the fray al armed from the very he'd OF
the great Jupiter himself The scene was the
House Of Commons the hour twelve 81 night
Ministerial and Opposition bencheswere thronged
the galleries seemed ready 10 sink under the nass
of strangers" erowding into them. Hear
hears" were most yociierous, Oh. Obs .' un-
usually sarcastic. Amid volley Of both, some
honorable member" had just sat down, when,
amid silence SIS profound as death, up rose sir
Robert Peel That great statesman commenced,
of course. in lis blanlest tones. lie touched light
ly On the theme by the last speaker be treated
tenderly two or three salient points " heh had oc-
CURED in the debate and after eheiting cheer
or Two from those who sat around him, he fixed
- q -. - La coaf. .fails IA snre slmntOm