eral bearing of the man made against the supposition. His was not the coat of a man who can afford to wear an old coat, nor was it one of Tempests & More's, that distinguish country lawyers from country boobies. His clothes were well made and of good materials, but looked as if their owner had shrunk a little since they were made for him; they hung somewhat loose on him. A large brooch and some superfluous seals and gold keys which ornamented his outward man looked New-England like. A visit to the States had perhaps, I thought, turned this Colchester beau into a Yankee fop. Of what consequence was it to me who he was? In either case I had nothing to do with him, and I desired neither his acquaintance nor

I should be late for breakfast, and must therefore bid him good-morning. Mohawk felt the felt the pressure of my knees, and away we went at a slapping pace. I congratulated myself on conquering my own curiosity and on avoiding that of my travelling companion. 'This," I said to myself" this is the value of a good horse." I patted his neck; I felt proud of him. Presently I heard the steps of the unknown's horse; the clatter increased. "Ah, my friend," thought I; "it won't do! You should be well mounted if you desire my company." I pushed Mohawk faster, faster, faster to his best. He outdid himself; he had never trotted so handsomely, so easily, so well.

"I am not aware," said I, " that there is a court sitting at this time at Cumberland." "Nor am I," said my friend.

What, then, could he have to do with the circuit? It occurred to me he must be a Methodist preacher. I looked again, but his appearance again puzzled me. His attire might do the color might be suitable, the broad brim not out of place; but there was a want of that staidness of look, that seriousness of countenance-that expression, in short-so characteristic of the clergy.

I could not account for my idle curiositya curiosity which in him I had the moment. before viewed both with suspicion and disgust, but so it was: I felt a desire to know who he could be who was neither lawyer nor preacher, and yet talked of his circuit with the gravity of both. "How ridiculous," I thought to myself, "is this! I will leave him." Turning toward him, I said I feared

and apparently reined in to prevent his horse passing me; there is not, I reckon, so spry a one on my circuit."

Circuit or no circuit, one thing was settled in my mind: he was a Yankee, and a very impertinent Yankee too. I felt humbled; my pride was hurt, and Mohawk was beaten. To continue this trotting contest was humiliating; I yielded, therefore, before the victory was palpable, and pulled up.

"Yes," continued he, "a horse of pretty considerable good action, and a pretty fair trotter, too, I guess."

Pride must have a fall; I confess mine was prostrate in the dust. These words cut me to the heart. What! is it come to this, poor Mohawk, that you, the admiration of all but the envious, the great Mohawk, the standard by which all other horses are measured, trots next to Mohawk, only yields to Mohawk, looks like Mohawk-that you are, after all, only a counterfeit, and pronounced

"What! Not enough," I mentally groaned, "to have my horse beaten, but I must be told that I don't know how to ride him, and that, too, by a Yankee? Ay, there's the rub! A Yankee what? Perhaps a half-bred puppy, half Yankee, half Bluenose. As there is no escape, I'll try to make out my ridingmaster."

"Your circuit," said I, my looks expressing all the surprise they were capable of "your circuit? Pray what may that be?"

"Oh," said he, "the eastern circuit; I am on the eastern circuit, sir."

"I have heard," said I, feeling that I now had a lawyer to deal with, "that there is a great deal of business on this circuit. Pray, are there many cases of importance?"

"There is a pretty fair business to be done —at least, there has been—but the cases are of no great value; we do not make much out of them. We get them up very easy, but they don't bring much profit."

"What a beast!" thought I, "is this! and what a curse to a country to have such an unfeeling, pettifogging rascal practising in it! A horse-jockey, too! What a finished character! I'll try him on that branch of his business."

"That is a superior animal you are

"Yes," said he, coolly, "a considerable fair traveller, and most particular good bottom.” I hesitated; this man who talks with such unblushing effrontery of getting up cases and making profit out of them cannot be offended at the question. Yes, I will put it to him : "Do you feel an inclination to part with him?"

I

"I never part with a horse, sir, that suits me," said he; "I am fond of a horse. don't like to ride in the dust after every one I meet, and I allow no man to pass me but when I choose."

"Is it possible," I thought, "that he can know me that he has heard of my foible and is quizzing me-or have I this feeling in common with him?"

But," continued I, "you might supply yourself again."

"That," said he, "is the western; and Lampton rides the shore circuit. And, as for the people on the shore, they know so little of horses that Lampton tells me a man from Aylesford once sold a hornless ox there whose tail he had cut and nicked for a horse of the Goliath breed.”

"I should think," said I, "that Mr. Lampton must have no lack of cases among such enlightened clients.'

"Clients,' sir!" said my friend. Lampton is not a lawyer."

"Mr.

"I beg pardon; I thought you said he rode the circuit?"

We call it a circuit," said the stranger.

who seemed by no means flattered. "We divide the province, as in the almanac, into circuits, in each of which we separately carry on our business of manufacturing and selling clocks. There are few, I guess," said the clockmaker, "who go upon tick as much as we do who have so little use for lawyers; if attorneys could wind a man up again after he has been fairly run down, I guess they'd be a pretty harmless sort of folks."

This explanation restored my good-humor, and, as I could not quit my companion and he did not feel disposed to leave me, I made up my mind to travel with him to Fort Lawrence, the limit of his circuit.

JUDGE THOMAS CHANDLER HALIBURTON.

MRS. MAYTON INTERVIEWED.

THE

HE course of Budge's interview with Mrs. Mayton was related by that lady as follows:

She was sitting in her own room (which was on the parlor floor and in the rear of the house), and was leisurely reading Fated to be Free, when she accidentally dropped her glasses. Stooping to pick them up, she became aware that she was not alone. A small, very dirty, but good-featured boy stood before her, his hands behind his back and an inquiring look in his eyes.

"Run away, little boy," said she. "Don't you know it isn't polite to enter rooms with out knocking?"

"I'm looking for my uncle," in most melodious accents," an' the other ladies said you would know when he would come back."

“I'm afraid they were making fun of you

"She isn't a very little girl," said Budge, honestly anxious to conciliate" that is, she's bigger'n I am-but they said you was her mother, an' so she's your little girl, isn't she? I think she's lovely, too."

"Do you mean Miss Mayton ?" asked the lady, thinking she had a possible clue to the cause of Budge's anxiety.

"Oh yes; that's her name. I couldn't think of it," eagerly replied Budge. "An' ain't she awful nice? I know she is."

"Your judgment is quite correct, considering your age," said Mrs. Mayton, exhibiting more interest in Budge than she had heretofore done. "But what makes you think she is nice? You are rather younger than her male admirers usually are."

he

"What?" exclaimed the old lady.

'Spects her, I say; that's what he says. I say 'spect means just what I call 'love.' 'Cos if it don't, what makes him give her hugs an' kisses?"

Mrs. Mayton caught her breath, and did not reply for a moment. At last she said, "How do you know he gives her hugs and kisses?"

'Cos I saw him the day Toddie hurt his finger in the grass-cutter. An' he was so happy that he bought me a goat-carriage next morning; I'll show it to you if you come down to our stable, an' I'll show you the goat too. An' he bought—"

Just here Budge stopped, for Mrs. Mayton put her handkerchief to her eyes. Two or three moments later she felt a light touch on her knee, and, wiping her eyes, saw Budge looking sympathetically into her face.

"Well, you needn't be," said Budge, for Uncle Harry's awful careful an' smart."

"He ought to be ashamed of himself," exclaimed the lady.

"I guess he is, then," said Budge, "'cos he's everything he ought to be. He's awful careful. T'other day, when the goat ran away, an' Toddie an' me got in the carriage with them, he held on to her tight, so she couldn't fall out."

Mrs. Mayton brought her foot down with a violent stamp.

"I know you'd 'spect him if you knew how nice he was," continued Budge. "He sings awful funny songs an' tells splendid stories."

"Nonsense!" exclaimed the angry mother. "They ain't no nonsense at all," said Budge. "I don't think it's right for to say that, when his stories are always about Joseph, an' Abraham, an' Moses, an' when Jesus was a little boy, an' the Hebrew children, an' lots of people that the Lord loved. An' he's awful 'fectionate, too.”

"Yes, I suppose so," said Mrs. Mayton.

When we says our prayers, we prays for the nice lady what he 'spects, an' he likes us to do it," continued Budge.

"How do you know?" demanded Mrs. Mayton.

"'Cos he always kisses us when we do it, an' that's what my papa does when he likes' what we pray."

Mrs. Mayton's mind became absorbed in

earnest thought, but Budge had not said all that was in his heart:

"An' when Toddie or me tumbles down an' hurts ourselves, 'tain't no matter what Uncle Harry's doin', he runs right out an' picks us up an' comforts us. He frowed away a cigar the other day, he was in such a hurry when a wasp stung me, an' Toddie picked the cigar up an' ate it, an' it made him awful sick."

The last-named incident did not affect Mrs. Mayton deeply-perhaps on the score of inapplicability to the question before her. Budge went on:

"An' wasn't he good to me to-day? Just 'cos I was forlorn 'cos I hadn't nobody to play with, an' wanted to die an' go to heaven, he stopped shavin', so as to comfort me."

Mrs. Mayton had been thinking rapidly and seriously, and her heart had relented somewhat to the principal offender.

'Suppose," said she, "that I don't let my little girl go riding with him any more?"

"Then," said Budge, "I know he'll be awful, awful unhappy; an' I'll be awful sorry for him, 'cos nice folks oughtn't to be made unhappy."

"Suppose, then, that I do let her go," said Mrs. Mayton.

"Then I'll give you thousands of kisses for being so good to my uncle," said Budge; and, assuming that the latter course would be the one adopted by Mrs. Mayton, Budge climbed into her lap and began at once to make payment.

"Bless your dear little heart!" exclaimed Mrs. Mayton; "you're of the same blood, and it is good, if it is rather hasty."

JOHN HABBERTON.

Few flickering lamps broke in upon the gloom;

Rushes fresh plucked were strewed upon the floor,

And dogs whipt out could rush beneath the door.

Fair dames were seen in ermined robes to freeze;

No stoves dispersed a mitigated breeze; The cow'ring bloodhounds crouched beneath their feet,

And hawks together nestling kept their seat, Whilst the old harper, now grown hoarse and hoary,

Sang the old song that told his patron's glory.

From unwashed mouths that took a lingering

sup

To maiden lips was passed the undainty cup;
Menials on either side, an ill-trained pack,
Drained the strong ale from out the huge
black jack.

Rude as the times they lived in, and unfit
For modern ears, their ill-imagined wit,
Coarse in expression, boisterous and loud,
Were the old feasts whereof our sires were
proud.
SIR JOHN DEAN PAUL.