TIIE ScAitcrry OF Icit.—The great scarcity of ice may be attributed to, adverse winds. A brig Started thirty-seven days ago from the State of Maine; she had a cargo of nearly five huad.ed tons. The vessel arrived yesterday, but the sargo had been reduced four•fifths. Of course, a hundred tons of ice does not last very long in this hot weather. The United States Government must have ice, and all that could be taken was snapped up tor the Sue of the soldiers in our hospitals. the scarcity Nall probably be only temporary ; besides this, it is not reasonable to suppose that such excessively hot weather as we have had of late can last mud]. longer. Icecream dealers almost Hod their occupa• /ion gone. Firstelass "sherry cobblers" are hard to obtain, and mineral-water fountains have sud denly become dry. The dealers in ice have chartered a steam tug to tow up to the city any vessel with ice that may came into the Breakwater. Ice is a great summer luxury. 'We DOW can feel its value since it is gone. It is a great friend to mankind. It furnishes sport fir the million when it enamels the Schuglkill and other streams in winter, and in summer it comes to cool sour favorite drinks, and does muchlo perfect the creature comforts which it alone can give. Tne peo ple bear with its absence from their domicils with patriotic , philosophy, for they know that the great .bulk of the cold commodity goes to berm& the sick and wounded soldier, who fought for it as well as our homes and business, and they of course have the List mortgage upon it. "Law bless me, good man," maid a fat woman in the market house, yesterday, "I'd rather lose all my fish and dillok not water, than one soldier who has fought for his country should want fora bit of ice—that's me." That woman huckster in the market-house is a patriot. We understand from the ice• dealers that there will be enough ice in a very short time to supply all the , demands. So the people may keep in good heart. THANNSGIVINH CEL7rEItATIOI7.—The day rset apart by President Lincoln as a time of general thanksgiving for the recent victories achieved_ by the Union army, under the approval of Heaven, was Z ot forgotten by the Mount Vernon Literary &um •ciation, fortnerly known as the Calmet Literary union. A correspondent sends us an account of !which we present the following In the evening the members gave their first enter tainment before some of the first families of the city .Of Philadelphia. The exercises commenced by the reading of the ',President's Proclamation by James Trimble, which was followed by the singing of the patriot's hymn. "Illy Country 'tie of Thee." The openin g address was then delivered by the president, George. Chandler Paul, in an impressive manner. Numerous other addresses were made; an essay was read by Joseph Trim tile, Jr.; subject, "4th of July, 1776 and ism." The assay was well composed, and the young gentleman acquitteo himself with credit. Among the address Were one by Charles F. Wiedersheim, on "Sleeping son His Post." One by George Klauder, on the "Life and Character of GeorgeNashington ;" also, one by Y..dgar M. Smith. They were delivered in a style that did credit to the speakers. The exercises of the evening deiced by singing "The Star Spangled Ban kner,” in which the entire audience joined In the Chorus. It was a happy time. CONTRACTS AWARDED.—The following contraots were Awarded, yesterday morning, at the „Army. Clothing and Equipage Office, in Girard street : H. Wilson.-10,000 brass shells and flames at 01.60,44' per 100; 50,000braio crossed sabres at $1.5734 per No. Horstman Bros.-6,000 yards 34-inch yellow silk lace at 113;7(,c per yard; 6,000 yards y inch skyblue lace at 18.,1e. per yard ; 20,000 yards inch yellow worsted at '. 7 46400 c per yard; 20,000 yards .14 inch acarlet worsted at '7 46-700 c per yard ; 10.000 brass castles at 19c each; 600 hospital-stewards , chevrons ait 97c each. T. M. Ilither.-75,000 yards , 1 4. inch scarlet worsted lace at 2 46 , -100eper yard; 76,000 yards',74-inch sky blue Worstedlace at 2 40.100 c per yard; '75 I:00pe:n.10 34-inati, clark•blue worsted lace at 2 40.100 c per yard. W. D. Steveneon.-209 iron pots at Bo per pound, 'weighing 36 pounds each, with bails. THE RAILROAD TO CAPE MAY.—We learn That in a few days the managers of this new road on tc mpla te the finishing of the track. The mate. eel for constructing it is arriving daily, and the iron band which leads down the long peninsula of Jersey Is nearing the great bathing resort quite perceptibly indeed. It is supposed that by Tuesday next the stage route-will be reduced to four and a half miles. The road is one of the smoothest iu the country, Straight, as a general thing, and passes through a beautiful region - of country.: The pines of Jersey send forth 'healing qualities on every summer wind - that blows, freshening the appetite, and thus prepa- Ting humanity.to enter with peculiar gusto into the - Indulgence of the luxuries and necessaries of life spread so bountifully on the tables at the ever-popu lar Cape May. , "REPORT OF TEM PROVOST Gila:RD.—The - following report exhibits the amount of work per :formed by the provost guard of this city during the anonth of July : 2,643 men were sent away, of which -336 were sent to their regiments, 665 were'sent to Fort Delaware, 376 were transferred, 188 were dis charged, 4 escaped, 572 (most of whom were rebel prisoners) were delivered to officers. 2,785 were re ceived into the -barracks (of which 574 were conva lescents), 248 stragglers, 236 deserters, 65 men on furlough,:37 , received by orders, 1,078 rebel prisoners, 314 guards in- charge of detachments, 30 court-mar. tialed men, and 3 refugees. - FATAL ACCIDRNT.—CarDIirIe WUIISOII, aged 65 years, was run over yesterday morning, about half . pastnine o'clock, while engaged in-pick ing coal, by being caught by a locomotive attached to a coal train, upon the Reading Railroad. Fier shoulder and left leg, were broken, and she WAS also badly injured about the bead. She W 9.8 irkine. diately taken to her residence, in Manayunk, where she died early last evening. The coroner was noti fied to hold an inquest upon the body. DEPARTURE OP. A SQUAD.— A. squad of vOldiere, numbering about seventy five men, left the city yesterday afternoon, via the steamer al•jor Reybold, for Tort Delaware. All the new recruits for the regiments in the field are first ordered to the fort. Probablythe largest .number of rebel prisoners Who have yet been.quartered there are now at Port Delaware. SAD ACCIDENT,—About seven o'clock ldst evening a young lady, named Elizabeth Smith, was seriously injured by being caught in the cogwheels at Ilartranft , s flour mills, on Penn street, above Maiden. She wastaken to her residence at Tenth anti Locust streets. ti, T. T"V I 'IC MI MC To THE •CoNsafripT.—so you was "gob bled" in at a draught, was youl Serves you just right. You had no business to stand around in a draft. You might know you'd catch something. Row did you feell Home sick, eh ! It is a good thing that you feel patriotic. Doubtless you said' with much pathos, when asked if you was ready to go, "Ready'!" "If my distra.cte.d country needs me—if she requires the sacrifice of me life—if the tottering fabric of our once glorious TJnion•needs to he cemented with my heart's blood—if it is neres nary for her preservation that she strides onward to victory over my lifeless corpse, then, sir, the 6iClinft 'Jr ready 1 With a heart prepared for any foie, and With firm trustin Divine providence, I sha,i, with a lively feeling ,of doing my duty, and &thing but my duty, -take an affectionate leave 9 1-- my family and 'friends, march 'boldly on—to tin collector's office, and pay my little $lOO, or get s'sub. 'That's what's the matter:'" P, S.—Headquarters, No. Chestnut street. Don't forget to tell all your piends that "Grover Baker's ,, ,No. , 9,Shuffie Maclifie is the best and most popular Sewing Machine ,low rouse for tailoring And.all manufacturing purloses. THANKSGIVING a(V. — We are glad to end that many of our Wizens expressed their grati. etude on Thursday las(ln the practical way of con. etributing to the wanes of the thousands of brave men :who-won lotus oar r recent glorious victories, and 'who are nem a gering in the hospitals. The United - States Christi on:omission is everywhere bestow log its care wen these noble men, to the widest ex 'tent of its rearm, and would again suggest that all Who havithe means and the heart, to send their ,contribodons to,Joseph Patterson, Esq., Treasurer, at th t e i featern Bank, Philadelphia, or to George S rt,:Esq., President, No. Is Bank street. PSOTOORABH6 AND PHOTOGRAPH FRAMES. —Diessrs.:Wenderoth & Taylor (formerly Broadbent ;,tt. Co.), the. celebrated Photographers, Nos. 912, 91 , i, and 916 Chestnut street, have constantly on hand a splendid assortment of Frames of all sizes and •Stylee, -which they sell at lowest manufacturing prices. , They are also executing to order, for Messrs. McAllister , &. Brother, a splendid set of card photo ,graphs of distinguished persons for the album. THE 'HEATED TERM.—It is quite true that if this temperature continued at the same high, rate as now, all the year round, there would be little .use for heaters, or coal to heat them.