the ceiling has nothing peculiar in its character; nor are the four pillars supporting the roof, and the unequal arches leading into the south aisle, in the least calculated to convey any idea of grandeur, or feeling of veneration. these arches have been cut through in a very clumsy manner, so that scarcely any vestige of the ancient church of st. mary magdalen now remains. a small doorway and windows, however, are still visible at the east end of this chapel; the west end formerly opened into the south transept; but that also is now walled up, except a part, which leads to the gallery there. there are in different parts niches which once held the holy water, by which the pious devotees of former ages sprinkled their foreheads on their entrance before the altar, i am not aware that any other remains of the old church are now visible in this chapel. passing through the eastern end of the south aisle, a pair of gates leads into the virgin marys chapel. from what we remember of the character of this chapel, the lovers of architecture have little to lament in its removal. our correspondent, e.e., addsthis, and not the lady chapel, it was, (no. 456 of _the mirror_,) that contained the gravestone of one bishop wickham, who, however, was not the famous builder of windsor castle, in the time of edward iii., but died in 1595, the same year in which he was translated from the see of lincoln to that of winchester. his gravestone, now lying exposed in the churchyard, marks the south-east corner of the site of the aforesaid magdalen chapel. scottish economy. shavings _v._ coal and peat. (_to the editor_.) without intending to be angry, permit me to inform your well-meaning correspondent, _m.l.b_. that his observations on the inhabitants of auld reekie, are something like the subject of his communication shavings, _rather_ superficial. improvidence forms no feature in the scottish character; but your flying tourist charges the gude folk o embro with monstrous extravagance in making bonfires of their carpenters chips; and proceeds to reflect in the true spirit of civilization how much better it would have been if the builders chips had been used in lighting household fires, to the obviously great saving of bundle-wood, than to have thus wantonly forced them to waste their gases on the desert air. but your traveller forgot that in countries which abound in wheat, rye is seldom eaten; and that on the same principle, in scotland, where coal and peat are abundant, the natives, like the ancient vestals, never allow their fires to go out, but keep them burning through the whole night. the business of the gude man is, immediately before going to bed, to load the fire with coals, and crown the supply with a canny passack o turf, which keeps the whole in a state of gentle combustion; when, in the morning a sturdy thrust from the poker, produces an instantaneous blaze. but, unfortunately, should any untoward oer-night clishmaclaver occasion the neglect of this duty, and the fire be left, like envy, to feed upon its own vitals, a remedy is at hand in the shape of a pan o live coals from some more provident neighbour, resident in an upper or lower flat; and thus without bundle-wood or shavings, is the mischief cured. i hope that this explanation will sufficiently vindicate my scottish friends from _m.l.b_.s aspersion. scotchmen improvident! never: for workhouses are as scarce among them as bundle-wood, or intelligent travellers. recollect that i am not in a passion; but this i will say, though the gorge choke me, that _m.l.b._ strongly reminds me of the french princess, who when she heard of some manufacturers dying in the provinces of starvation, said, poor fools! die of starvationif i were them i would eat bread and cheese first. the next time _m.l.b._ visits scotland, let him ask the first peasant he meets how to keep eggs fresh for years; and he will answer _rub a little oil or butter over them, within a day or two after laying, and they will keep any length of time, perfectly fresh_. this discovery, which was made in france by the great reamur, depends for its success upon the oil filling up the pores of the egg-shell, and thereby cutting off the perspiration between the fluids of the egg and the atmosphere, which is a necessary agent in putrefaction. the preservation of eggs in this manner, has long been practised in all braid scotland; but it is not so much as known in our own boasted land of stale eggs and bundle-wood. in edinburgh, i mean the scottish and not the irish capital, _m.l.b._ may actually eat _new laid_ eggs a _year old!_ how is it that this great comfort is not practised in the navy? the scotch have also a hundred other domestic practices for the saving of the hard earned siller; and are far from the commission of any such idle waste as _m.l.b._s story exhibits. s.s. p