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FIRST DAY.

DEAR FRIEND: -- You ask me to give you life in the Asylum. It does not differ much from life out of the Asylum. Pray take my eye and view the hall I enter, as visitor. Passing from the entrance to the great building, you are ushered into a long dining-room, which is lighted through a verandah of equal dimensions, overlooking the central square of the building. Projecting wings run backward, and a rear building, containing the printing-office, bakery, &c., forming a square. You see busy men and women passing to and fro. It is in the centre building you stand, from which are also two side wings. A door is unlocked, and you enter the ladies' apartment -- a long hall, over two hundred feet in length, and perhaps sixteen in breadth, is before you. A bow window down at the end lights this apartment. Ladies are seen gliding to and fro from rooms which open on either side. You will be kindly offered a place on one of the nice settees, and a group surrounds you; kindly words of greeting meet you; all are busy, as in a home parlour -- some with book, -- some with needle -- all look happy, in neat and becoming attire. The rich and poor meet here without livery or pride, each maintaining true self-respect; for each is content and helps to bear the burthen of the other. To the spirit of goodness is allotted the highest seat. Grace here abounds.

Our Heavenly Father hath spread a bounteous table for his poor, through the government of a free people, on whose banner is written equal rights and equal privileges. The seat of justice is in one hand of liberty, the eagle, courage and strength in the other, looking up, with piercing eye, to the Ruler of nature, who in His strong chariot rolls, dispensing light and life o'er all His realm. His blessings to the just and the unjust flow -- raising the fallen -- protecting the lowly -- opening paths through the desert -- leveling mountains. He walks over the waters, skims through the air, proclaim the royalty of man on earth. His dominion is shining with the lustre of divinity within these wails; for here reason is called up; yes, crowns are given to those who have been bereft by stern decree. It is a benign air we breathe in this State hall. We feel subdued; for law and order prevail, yet we feel it not, for there is in every face a willing subjection to kind physicians' care.

Let us stop at this open door. We enter the boudoir of a lady, elegant in manners and intellectual in conversation. She is surrounded by the luxuries of taste and industry, in her varied works of skill we are beguiled to pass an hour, which only seems too short. We have received a refining incitement, and we would linger longer, but must pass on to mother genius. A little lady with pen to poetize; books and pictures adorn her room, lending an influence to her magic spell -- a quiet spirit, we will not long disturb; thence pass on. Birds begin to sing with cheering note, responding to cheering voices, who have called them up, and we too join the voices gay of yonder room, where a lady fair, and enbonpoint, is making merriment with a little court around her. She is plying her needle in such fantastic shapes -- so comic is her pen-wiper, you cannot help but buy it. Here are dolls for the baby, pincushions for the toilet. It's all the work of benevolent impulse; the lady works for the good of the house, and her happy face beams with goodness.

Some doors are shut; no one enters without a knock; for each one is mistress of her own apartment, and may live in solitude or company, according to her mood. We reach a niche, midway the long hall, and seat ourselves on its comfortable lounge. A window opens to our view a beautiful lawn in front of the building, beyond it the valley of the Mohawk. But we are drawn within doors to the prospect of the "Opal Library," and here is the mind fed from the purest literature of the past and present age; and here we must commend the authorities laid open for strengthening reason and purifying the heart. Medicine divine is most conspicuous; Bibles, with able commentators; religious charts and encyclopedias; the best sermons of the best divines, those who go to the fountainhead of earthly power in the divine will revealed from heaven, -- Hobart and Spring, Wesley and Watson, Edward and Alleine, are side by side; -- the best of poetry from Cowper, Young, Milton, Tennyson, &c.; -- a few of the best selected tales of fiction. No parent need fear to feed his child's mind from the "Opal Library."

We wander on, drawn by the strains of music, and we enter, the parlor door, to be regailed by the sweet songstress seated there. In the interval we look around, sofas invite to repose, pictures catch the eye, a folding door opens to a party of ladies assembled to sew: they are all preparing for a fair. Oh what beautiful works are open to us here! We cannot leave the hall, and readily join the group, and with hands and heart take our part. We stay for the morrow. Adieu. Dear A., I will, on the morrow, give you another view of life in the Asylum.