live alone for the love she bore his name-her's, who, next to her God, held him to be the highest object of deification in the universe. At another time she would dwell upon the effects of long absence, and ever-varying enterprise; how many scenes of high excitement had he not passed through, the least of them enough to banish her and all their rustic joys and recollections for ever from his memory? and then there would come the last, the most unwelcome thought of all,-came he alone from that far land of competence and crime? or was there not some lovely form already by his side, whose large and lustre eyes were even now emitting all their sun-lent radiance on his countenance, whose swarthy brow was reclining on that very bosom, which once was pressed by the pale querist alone? and when her thoughts took such a turn, she hid her face and wept, for she knew that if madness, long delayed, did come, it would be through that avenue that the frightful malady must pass.

Clerville, blind and broken down as he was in the comparison, was rejoiced to hear of the young man's success. It gave him no pang. He had lived to see the evanescent nature of wealth; and he prided himself on his knowledge of the world. He was anxious, however, for the effect upon poor Bertha; it was long since he could see the expression of her pale features; and he had become so habituated with her sighs, that from them he could catch no index of the feeling which was triumphing beneath. One morning however, to his surprise, Bertha said, timidly, "Father, Edward is coming home!”

"Ay! Bertha," said Clerville," they say so, my child; but be thou not deceived; he will not come to thee. No, my girl, he has now learnt the wisdom of the world, and he will carry his golden ingots to a higher, to a fairer market."

"Unjust, ungenerous, and unkind!" said Bertha, her gentle spirit roused by the ungracious opinion thus ex

pressed on the absent object of her unbroken affection"Edward will never be untrue to me, though I never see him more!"

"And yet he would have been untrue to me!" said the old man, with a slight tinge of vehemence in his manner.

Bertha rose at once, and threw her arms about his neck. "Father, for God's sake, let us not talk in this manner; I am not mad yet, but, (and she pressed her hand upon her brow), I know not how soon I may be!"

At this moment a smart rap was heard at the outer door of the cottage, and in the next moment the tall and manly form of Forester was standing on the floor beside them.

"Bertha!" said he, "my dear Bertha, I am come to lay my life and fortune at your feet."

Bertha was overpowered; she pointed for one moment at her father, and fainted in her long-lost lover's arms. "Gracious heaven!" said Edward, "Mr. Clerville, and blind! I did not hear of that!"

"Do not insult me, young man," said Clerville.

"No, no, no!" said Bertha, opening her eyes and fixing them in a long look on the ardent features of her lover66 no, no, no! he will not, he cannot, he does not mean it!"

"I come not here to insult," said Edward, "I came to entreat―old men, (and he pressed Clerville's hand fervently), old men should forget-”

"And forgive," said the father, rising majestically, and pointing upwards with a slightly tremulous hand-“ old, blind, and well-nigh helpless-standing on the awful brink of dissolution-what have I to do with hatred more? my children, your trials have been many and severe, may heaven bless you long together!"

Amen, father, amen!" said the ardent lover as he again pressed the blushing Bertha to his bosom.

And now I must hasten to a conclusion, having, like a

skilful pilot, run my little narrative into a happy haven, after all the perils of, I fear, a tedious voyage. Clerville Manor was immediately re-purchased, and the original proprietor, re-instated as its ancient lord and undisturbed master; and in about six months a gay and gallant equipage was seen to issue from amongst the stately old oaks of which I have elsewhere spoken in my history; and moreover, that same equipage wended gaily towards the church, into which many a bright and happy countenance entered-and there was one white-haired, sightless old man, who clasped his hands in the serenity of silence, and seemed happier than them all! For my part I had always thought that solemn matters were transacted in churches, guess my astonishment, therefore, when I found, after the return of the equipage, that the friends of Mr. Forester, now vastly swelled in numbers, under the name of tenantry, were determined to be seven times more mad than they were before! They roasted sheep and oxen without being at the trouble of cutting them to pieces--they drank whole barrels of ale, without the intervention of spigot and fauset-they rung, and re-rung the bells-they kindled the bonfires-they discharged all the fowling-pieces; and the bull-but here I Lust pause-I think the bull was not baited after all

ALI'S BRIDE

BY THOMAS MOORE, ESQ.

IT was in the days of the pious Schah Omad, during whose reign, it was remarked, miracles never were wanting, that, among other wonders, the return to earth of Ali, the great son-in-law of the Prophet, was announced as, at length, positively and infallibly, to take place. Centuries had rolled away since the death of this great man, and still his promised return was looked for, by the faithful, in vain. So fondly was this expectation cherished, that, through each succeeding reiga, a milk-white steed was kept ready saddled in the royal stables for his use, and a train of attendants, richly dressed, as for a monarch, to wait upon him. Still, however, the son-in-law of the Prophet came not;—and there arose, from time to time, profane and evil-minded persons, who even ventured to express a doubt whether he would ever come at all.

In the reign of Omad, however, such doubters had all disappeared. The Schah himself being a believer to no common extent, it was deemed but loyal, in all good subjects, to believe, as much as possible, up to the royal standard. The Grand Moullah, too, a divine of much learning, had discovered a new reading in the Gefr u Giamê, which set the question respecting the time of Ali's coming completely at rest. This Gefr u Giamè is the famous scroll of camel-skin which was written over, in mystic characters, by Ali himself, and contains an account of all the events that are to happen in the world, from the beginning of Islamism to the end of time. Such a record would have been invaluable, had there been any one who knew how to interpret its meaning. But, unfortunately, the deep truths

Y

it contains are like that seal of Mahomet, which is said to have lain for so many ages at the bottom of the Well of Aris-precious, but undiscoverable.

On those particular points, however, which related to the coming of Ali, the Grand Moullah's new reading had made all clear and intelligible. By a happy mixture of the two alphabets, the Tcheggi and the Agded,* which had before been always kept conscientiously separate, he solved the whole difficulty; and showed, that, according to the now obvious meaning of the second bab, or chapter of the Giafre u Giamê, the son-in-law of the Prophet might be expected almost immediately.

Great, accordingly, were the preparations throughout Esfahan, for the reception of so transcendant a guest. At the Schah's palace, all that had been ever before seen of pomp and pageantry for this holy purpose, was now outshone and outdazzled. The milk-white steed, according to custom, stood ready saddled in the royal stables, but with a richness of housings and trappings hitherto unparalleled; and not only on the poitrel of massy gold that covered his breast, but on every little bos and nob of his costly furniture, the new reading of the Gefr u Giamê was, by the Grand Moullah's orders, inscribed. A band of falconers, too-the son-in-law having been known, when living, to admire that sport-stood ready, in attendance night and day, with each a falcon of the true Daurian breed on his hand, and the small drum, wherewith to allure the birds, at his girdle. Every night, too, the countless turrets and minarets of the city were lighted up, as for a festival; while watchmen, on all the hills around, were kept looking out incessantly, as well to heaven as to earth, for the great hero's coming.

* D'Herbelot, Art. Giafre u Giame.