The former

delay to their bedroom. immediately opened his writing desk and ransacked every corner of it for something which he had mislaid, but without success. "You haven't seen a small packet lying about I suppose Manchap, addressed in my handwriting?"

"No, no old fellow, but how do you feel after the wine?"

"Nothing the worse! This packet! what can have become of it? I must have dropped it somewhere, for I believe I put it in my pocket." Myron appeared to be much annoyed at his loss and resisted several of his companion's attempts to draw him into conversation. We will now leave them in bed and return to other personages.

The surgeon and his wife had now departed, and Mr. and Mrs. Eastman were sitting by themselves in the drawing room. Their conversation was upon their late visitors, the gentleman's black whiskers were greatly admired by the lady, which highly offended her husband, who in retaliation spoke in terms of enthusiasm of their female visitor's flashing black eyes, which sadly annoyed his wife, for her's were light and entirely without expression. Their discourse, however, soon flowed into a different channel, on Mrs. Eastman's taking from her pocket a packet, of which she broke the seal, after having first glanced at the address.

"I found this packet on the stairs, dear, and recognizing Myron's hand-writing, and seeing to whom it was addressed, I considered it of little importance whether it ever reached its destination or not."

"To the Editor of the *** *" read Mr. Eastman, who had taken up the envelope which his wife had laid on the table. "Umph!" he continued, "I wonder what he has to say to Editors of Magazines? What is it Laura? Why it looks like a manuscript Newspaper is he applying for a situation? Read Laura, or give it to me to read."

"You have not guessed right dear, try again;" said Mrs. Eastman.

"How can I tell what it is, come, come I'm curious to know."

"Well, I'll tell you! He asks for nothing like a situation, an Author, ah! here is some poetry, that's better! yes, a Poet applying for a situation indeed!" and she tittered between her teeth.

"Author! Poet! aye?" and Mr. Eastman stretched out his hand to take the sheets from his wife, but she hastily drew farther back and retained them.

"Yes, yes, dear! its a piece of poetry, and a short tale which he sends for insertion. I'll read the poetry to you if you'll remain silent:

I gazed-I gazed upon that form,
A breath, a palpitation of the heart
Would have affrighted it away,
My soul was roiling in an ecstacy;

I loved, I worshipped, I adored,

I would have clasp'd the phantom to my breast,
And thus, all eager in anxiety.

A forward leant, my arms outraised,

And-and I woke and grasped but nothingness.

"I thought he had been up in the clouds lately for he scarcely speaks at mealtimes," said Mr. Eastman, as soon as his wife had ceased reading; "but, I'll very soon drive all the ideal out of him, or rather the pestle and mortar shall."

"But it reads very well dear!"

"It's all very fine for you women to talk; but writing poetry wont do my work; there's a season for all things, and while he remains with me is the season for work," said Mr. Eastman.

"You could not I think object to his spending his evenings after business in his own way."

"Oh! yes I do; when his hours of business are over he should take a walk, come in at his proper time, take his supper

"On the morning of the 6th July, 1685, the battle of Sedgemoor was fought between the forces of King James II., under the command of the Earl of Feversham, and the inexperienced, but brave troops, of James, Duke of Monmouth. The royalists were at the first onset so taken by surprise that they began to give ground. Had it not been for the base treachery of Captain Hucker, and the flight of Lord Grey, Monmouth would in all probability have gained a most complete victory. The Protestant Duke however fled from the field at the instigation of Grey, who assured him that all was lost, and that it was time to shift for themselves; and accompanied by a few attendants, Monmouth fled, leaving those who had joined his standard to escape as they best could in the face of a victorious and enraged enemy. The victory of the royalists was now complete; the forsaken ranks of Monmoutheans dismayed at the flight of their commander were mowed down by hundreds, and a total rout succeeded. The greatest number of the fugitives fled in the direction of Bridge water, and poured into the streets by crowds, terrifying the inhabitants by their dismayed appearance. The King's cavalry were close upon their rear, dealing fearful destruction upon their unarmed foes, the principal part of whom had thrown away their arms to accelerate their flight. The streets were choked by masses of human beings, and the gutters were running with blood; yet, the royal horsemen seeming to find delight in glutting their revenge to the full, still continued the work of slaughter.

Many of the officers of the king's army after the victory returned to Westonzoyland, the head quarters of their General, and without ceremony entered any of the farm houses, ordering refreshments. One of them, Captain Deywood, with the great

est effrontery entered the house where Feversham himself had been lodged. He passed through the great hall, and entered an adjoining apartment, where Mrs.Bridge, the mistress of the house, with her daughter and a female friend, had retired to await the issue of the conflict. They had

not recovered from the alarm occasioned by the roar of the artillery, when the intruder entered, and instead of endeavouring to alleviate it, he boisterously called for wine.

Mrs. Bridge on his second application left the room, and in a few minutes returned with a bottle of wine, and a bright pewter tankard, both of which she placed on a table near him. Deywood immediately knocked off the neck of the bottle with the butt-end of his pistol, and poured out a bumper, which he instantly tossed off to the health of the ladies.

"Ah my pretty mistress, is your husband gone to join in the pursuit ?" asked he, addressing Mrs. Bridge.

"Indeed, sir, its best for you that he is,” she rejoined, "for had he been under this roof, his own house, you sir, had not dared to encroach on his prerogative."

"My mistress, welcome you a victorious soldier with no other greeting than that? Have you not plucked one laurel leaf to place upon his brow ?"

"Why apest thou the language of a soldier, thy behaviour has not proved thee worthy of his name."

The

"By king James's self, I will not brook an insult as great to him as me," exclaimed Captain Deywood, at the same time drawnis sword, the sight of which caused the companion of Mrs. Bridge to faint away, and herself and child great alarm. Captain laid the naked blade upon the table, which somewhat quieted their fears, and wholly disregarding the confusion he had caused by his behaviour, poured out a second tankard of wine, which he likewise drank off at a draught.

By this time the young lady who had fainted was returning to consciousness, and on opening her eyes and beholding the object of her fears, a shudder shook her whole frame.

"He shall not harm thee, dearest," said Mrs. Bridge, on observing the effect caused by the appearance of Captain Deywood, on her friend. "He shall not harm thee, while I remain here, though he be an armed man; but surely he is not such a monster as to offer violence to a timid girl, who has given him no cause of offence"

The person to whom this speech applied, made no remark relative to it, but a surly grunt, at the same time directing his eyes towards Mrs. Bridge and her friend. They rested but for a moment on the latter lady,

but with a long and ardent gaze were they fixed on the former, gathering as it continued, increased earnestness. The object of the Captain's attention remarked the manner in which he regarded her, and she was too well acquainted with man not to conceive the reason for this close observation. A crimson blush overspread her face and neck, and she turned away to hide her confusion.

"Now my pretty mistress Bridge, I would trouble you to pay a second visit to the cellar, for the wine is not ill-flavored, considering it is home-made."

"But, sir, would not a more cooling draught be preferable? You must surely be extremely thirsty after the fatigue you have lately undergone," she suggested, fearful from his strange manner, that fresh draughts of wine would only tend to increase his excitement. Deywood's brow lowered omniously at this suggestion, and in a stern voice he said, "The wine, I say, be quick."

Mrs. Bridge thinking it unwise unnecessarily to irritate him, left the room, and in the course of a few minutes returned with a fresh supply. The neck of this bottle was hit off in a similar manner to the first, and the tankard filled to the brim, when the soldier drank it off to the health of the King. On emptying it he poured out another bumper, and handed it to Mrs. Bridge, to drink to the success of the royal arms. The lady politely declined the honor, and assured him he would greatly oblige her by draining the contents of the tankard himself, but he swore lustily that he would not take a refusal, and said if she continued in her determination, he should regard her in the light of a rebel to his royal master, and treat her accordingly. She desired not to run the risk of allowing him to put his threat in execution, and therefore lifted the tankard to her lips and sipped a small portion of the wine, although her heart more inclined towards the Duke of Monmouth, either on account of her attachment to the Protestant religion, or the attractive bearing of the Duke himself, for she had twice seen him, first during his father's lifetime, when he made a progress through the Western Counties of England, and again at Bridgewater, rather more than a fortnight before. Captain Deywood was highly pleased with her complaisance, and as he took the tankard from her hand he attempted to kiss her cheek, but by a sideway movement of her head, she balked his purpose, and highly offended, moved farther from him, saying, "I beg, sir, you will not add insult to injury, for although a woman, and unable of myself to retort upon you, there is one I would have you to know, who is my sworn protector, and in

faith, is a match for any such poltroon as thou."

"But why so seemingly offended, my mistress Bridge ?" enquired he, "'tis not in the nature of a woman to feel resentful towards those who are admirers of their charms;" and he moved with a leering look nearer to her.

She looked for a way to escape from the room, but she could not effect this object without passing within his reach, being in the corner by the window, which was safely fastened. In a moment he saw her intention, and likewise observed the concern expressed on her countenance, on discovering the hopelessness of her position, at which he gave a low inward chuckle of triumph. He now stepped close beside her and placed his arm around her waist to detain her, and although she struggled with him, he succeeded in accomplishing what he had just before attempted. Mrs. Bridge screamed loudly as she felt his lips pressed upon her cheek, and her little daughter Mary, between eleven and twelve years old, likewise exerted her voice to give the alarm, while the other young lady ran out of the room straining her vocal powers to their utmost extent.

But the unmanly and cowardly ruffian was not satisfied with the outrage he had already committed on Mrs. Bridge, and would doubtless have proceeded to greater extremities, although she was in a fainting state, had not little Mary with a courage and strength far beyond her years, caught up the captain's naked sword which was still lying on the table, and by a surprising exertion stabbed him to the heart. wood instantly felt the wound, and let go his hold on the lady to repel his assailant, but in the action his life-blood ebbed, and he sank powerless upon the ground, and almost immediately expired.

Dey

Mrs. Bridge on being released, returned to partial consciousness, and little Mary who had been her guardian angel she clasped, sobbing deeply, to her bosom.

At that moment, approaching footsteps were heard in the passage as of two per sons: they were at the door of the apartment it opened, and two men entered. One of them was a soldier, and the other a civilian, an inhabitant of Bridgewater, warmly attached from principle to King James, and the Roman Catholic Religion Astonishment and rage were expressed on their countenances, on discovering an officer lying, apparently dead, upon the ground, a naked sword stained with blood near him, and two females closely embraced, and so lost in their own emotions, as not to observe their presence. "In faith, I would risk a month's pay on't," said the soldier to his companion, "that these

WIT MADE EASY.

A. Here comes B., the liveliest, yet most tiresome of word-catchers. I won der whether he'll have wit enough to hear good news of his mistress. Well, B., my dear boy, I hope I see you well.

B.-I hope you do, my dear A., otherwise you have lost your eye-sight.

A.-Good. Well, how do you do? B.-How? Why, as other people do. You would not have me eccentric, would you?

A.-Nonsense, I mean, how do you find yourself?

B. Find myself? Where's the necessity of finding myself? I have not been lost. A.-Incorrigible dog! come now, to be

B.—(Detaining him.) Good bye! What a sudden enthusiasm in favour of some virtuous man of the name of Bye! Good Bye! To think of Aston standing at the corner of the street, doting aloud on the integrity of a Mr. Bye.

A.-Ludicrous enough. I can't help laughing, I confess. But laughing does not always imply merriment. You do not delight us, Jack, with these sort of jokes, but tickle us; and tickling may give pain. B.-Don't accept it, then. You need not take every thing that is given you.

A. You'll want a straight-forward an swer some day, and then-

B. You'll describe a circle about me, before you give it. Well, that's your affair, not mine. You'll astonish the natives, that's all.

A.-It's great nonsense, you must allow. B.-I can't see why it is greater nonsense than any other pronoun.

A.-(In despair.) Well, it's of no use, I see.

B.-Excuse me; it is of the greatest use. I don't know a part of speech more useful. It performs the greatest offices of nature, and contains, in fact, the whole agency and mystery of the world. It rains.

It is fine weather. It freezes. It thaws.
It (which is very odd) is one o'clock. It
has been frequently observed. It goes.
Here it goes.
How goes it? (which, by

the way, is a translation from the Latin, Eo, is, it; Eo, I go; is, thou goest; it, he or it goes. In short

A.-In short, if I wanted a dissertation on it, now's the time for it. But I don't; so good bye.

THE AMERICAN MINISTFR.

His Imperial Highness of Tuscany all accounts agree to describe as a most inaccessible personage, without one spark of bonhommie in his whole composition. His domestics are carefully drilled never to allow him to be intruded upon on any pretence whatever; but as the best human precautions will sometimes fail us, his Imperial Highness was doomed, on a late occasion, to experience the inefficacy of his domestic arrangement. A card was brought to him inscribed "American Minister." The servant was desired, by the bearer, to say, that he waited for an audience, which was instantly acceeded. The minister had a long interview. On applying to the Consul, the Duke, to his inexpressible horror, discovered that his American minister was no other than a plain Yankee Methodist parson, who chose to write Minister on his card. The affair got wind, and was a long standing joke against the Duke. It was an American who related to me the particulars, chuckling pretty considerably during his narrative at the extreme indignation felt by the Grand Duke, who, it seems, was annoyed beyond measure to find his imperial affability had been so freely lavished on this demure-faced apostle of the Gentiles, the very antipodes of every thing for which he entertained the least earthly respect, whether as to condition, country, manners, or opinions.

66

ECONOMY.

Mr. Watson, uncle to the late Marquis of Rockingham, a man of immense fortune, finding himself at the point of death, desired a friend who was present to reach him a drawer, in which was an old shirt, that he might put it on. Being asked why he would wish to change his linen when he was so ill, he replied, "Because I am told that the shirt I die in must be the nurse's perquisite, and this is good enough for her." This was as bad as the old woman, who, with her last breath, blew out an inch of candle, "Because," said she, "I can see to die in the dark!"