question. When a man of good caste has transgressed the caste rules, he is obliged to perform an atonement by swallowing the punchagavyn, five products of the cow. So they proposed to administer the same to the goddess. It was finally decided to anoint the goddess 108 times with the punchagavyn. But a discussion afterwards arose about the ingredients of this precious compound; and the problem proved such a knotty one, that the assembly broke up without coming to any conclusion.

ONCE UPON A TIME.

A POET held a dream within his soul,
Until he felt its rapture burthensome,
And essaying to tell it, he was dumb,
And all the radiant words beyond control:
Sad, into the dim forest glades he stole,
Where light grew drowsy, and was overcome
By flitting shadows, whilst the ceaseless hum
Of weird bee-trumpets echoed through the knoll.
The poet slept the thoughts he could not quell,
Broke from his smiling lips to sound transferred;
So the first fairies blossomed from the spell,
And life received them, as the magic stirred,
And airy voices evermore may tell

What the glad poet, waking, saw and heard!

E. T.

WHILE 'TIS MAY

NEW YOR
LIBRARY

BY THE AUTHOR OF “A DESPERATE CHARACTER,"

CHAPTER X.

My wife had very successfully turned the tables on me; when I had thought to puzzle, if not mystify her, she had puzzled and mystified me with a vengeance and greater subject-matter for wonder and amazement was in store for me.

"I have been very fortunate, more so even than I anticipated," she presently continued, addressing herself to our young visitor, who looked up into her face with an expression of entire confidence and unbounded gratitude and love. But is it not ever thus! While we, poor male creatures, are fumbling about, thinking and pondering, the finer female instinct decides upon the best course of action to be pursued, and at once puts the project into execution; we plan, she executes almost before she plans, and far seldomer fails, or makes a mistake, than we do; the reflection may not be very flattering to our vanity, but the fact remains nevertheless"L'homme propose, mais la femme dispose." I was simply nowhere, for what was my paltry loan, which I half regretted as soon as given.

"I have sold it, Jessie," thus my wife, to old Mrs. Joseph's granddaughter.

"Sold what?" I inquired, unable any longer to restrain my curiosity.

"Nothing belonging to you, sir," replied my wife, pleasantly, with an arch smile, as much as to say-"We have been able to do without you, doctor, for once in our lives, at all events.” "Oh! if it is a secret," I returned, "of course I shall not say a word more; still

"Still you would like to know all about it," pursued my wife, laughing outright; "well, so you shall, dear."

"No, no," I exclaimed, "I do not wish to hear any of your secrets; keep them to yourself, they are nothing on earth to me; good evening," this, bowing, to Jessie, "I must see about writing my prescriptions.'

"Papa," thus my wife, with more of entreaty than authority, April.-VOL XV., NO. LXXXVIII.

25

"wait a minute." I could not but obey, and my wife continued: "I have already told you how I came to visit Mrs. Josephs, and I need not tell you, for you know it, in what a sad state I found her-little by little they had parted with everything they possessed, and were reduced to almost the last stage of destitution, and were, worse than all, in the power of that dreadful old man."

"Yes," I interrupted rather impatiently, "I know all that, my dear; and if you have nothing more to tell me, I must really see about--"

"Don't be in such a hurry, papa; you know we women have a roundabout way of telling a story; and if you put us out we have to recommence again at the beginning, and so you are further off than ever from hearing the end of the tale."

"Very good," I replied, with as much resignation as I could force into my tone and manner, very well; I expect I had better sit down, as you are likely to be some time about it, I suppose."

"Not very long," replied my wife, "if you do not interrupt me. Well, they had parted with everything almost they possessed, and were reduced almost to the last stage of destitution, when what with fatigue, worry, privation, and one thing and another, the poor old lady had that fit for which you were called in to see her."

"I know," I interrupted with increasing impatience, “I know; why repeat what must be distressing to this little girl?"

A slight blush suffused the pale cheeks of the "little girl," who, however, made no remark, and my wife continued:

"One thing, however, I found in rummaging about the place, which they had overlooked, and which was in reality the most valuable of all their possessions-quite a small fortune, in fact."

"I beg your pardon, madam," Jessie interrupted in her turn; "but you cannot tell how I long to know what you have got for it."

Patience, my dear," replied my wife, patting the girl's head— "you are as bad as the doctor; but I am coming to that."

"What was that'?" I inquired, interrupting the narrative

once more.

"That,'" returned my wife, was a blue chiua vase, which Mrs. Josephs gave me to understand had been in the possession of her family for nearly two hundred years. I knew how much such ugly old things were prized by collectors, and I conceived at once the notion of selling it for her. In my simplicity I imagined, and told them so, it might bring five pounds."

"Have you sold it, then ?" I asked,

"For how much?" inquired Jessie.

"Guess!" replied my wife, beaming over with smiles and good

nature.

"One pound?" guessed Jessie.

"Twenty?" ventured I, knowing, as my wife said, what a price similar articles have occasionally fetched in the market.

"You are nearest the mark, my dear," answered my wife, looking at me, "though you are still a long way off."

"More than twenty pounds !" exclaimed Jessie, turning very pale, and clasping her hands.

"Yes, my dear, much more than twenty pounds: what would you say to one hundred ?"

Jessie screamed, "Oh, gran' dear, dear old gran', you are saved, you are saved!" and throwing herself into my wife's arms, buried her face in her bosom and sobbed aloud "How shall I ever repay you for your goodness!"

"I don't want or expect any repayment, my dear," replied my wife, as she kissed the pale face that was looking up at her with an expression of almost worship imprinted on every feature, "I am only too happy to be able to do a good turn to a fellow-creature in distress--"

"That is true, indeed," I interruped once more; and this time with more reason for my interruption than on former occasions. My wife frowned and shook her head. "No flattery, sir; you know I hate it."

To this proposition, or assertion, I once more assented, but not verbally, for fear of offending the little woman, who really, in a general way, does not permit her left hand to know what her right hand has been doing in the way of charity.

"Who did you sell it to?" I inquired, this time from sheer curiosity.

"Lord Middleton."

"Goodness, gracious! Well, mamma, to use a vulgar expression, you have got a 'cheek'!"

"So I suppose," assented my wife; "but I know his lordship is a collector of such articles; and as he is a connection-distant no doubt I thought I should prefer going to him, rather than a dealer.

"I am sorry you did, my dear," I returned. "He will think you were selling it on your own account--that we are in difficul. ties, or——”

"Well, supposing he did, my dear, what does it signify? We are not, and I trust we never shall be."

"Amen! dear. But I cannot help wishing you had sold the vase to any other person."

"I doubt whether anybody else would have given me the same price for it; and, besides, to set your mind at rest, his lordship had not the remotest idea who I was."

"Not know who you were, my dear?"

"Not in the least. It is quite ten years, if not more, since I last saw him to speak to, and ten years make a good deal of differ. nce sometimes.

"Not in you, my love," I exclaimed; "not in you. only to improve you."

At least, "Bah!" laughed my wife, "I sent up word to say, 'A person wished to show him an old china vase,' and I was at once shown into the library. Lord Middleton is very little altered; he may be a trifle stouter, but not much. His troubles do not seem to have made much impression on him, at all events."

"No," I assented, "not outwardly, at least; but, on the other hand, you must remember they were not of very long duration; but go

on."

"Well, I showed him the vase, and after he had looked at it, and turned it over in every direction, he went to a cabinet and took out one that seemed the very counterpart of mine - of yours, Jessie, I mean. He placed them side by side, and then turning to me, said, 'How much do you want for your vase, madam?" "

66 6

'My lord,' I said, 'I am quite ignorant of its value, beyond the general idea that it is valuable, and I prefer to leave the price to your lordship.'

"In that case, madam,' he replied, I offer you what I gave some months since for its companion-one hundred pounds.'"'

"I was so surprised," continued my wife, "I could scarce believe my ears, and exclaimed, 'One hundred pounds, your lordship!'"

"Yes, madam,' he answered; 'one hundred pounds, and not one penny more. Will you take it?" "

"Oh, my lord! with grateful thanks;' and he wrote out this cheque (producing it) on the spot.”

"And now, Jessie," continued my wife, when we had each closely scrutinised the cheque, "what are you going to do, my dear?"

'Dear, good, kind Mrs. De Vere !" exclaimed Jessie, bursting into tears, and warmly kissing my wife, "I think the very first thing to be done is to get out of that horrible place."

"Rhymer's Rents?"

"Yes," with a little shudder.

"I agree with you," I assented.

"So do I," added my wife; and continued, "where do you

think of going to?"