zon-line which outflanks the last mountain-islet, the black-blue seawave fights in vain undulation against the glorious light which surmounts it; the scene where Day, in dying, puts forth his full magnificence in one overpowering struggle.

See how prettily that old Marblehead-man far yonder looms up in black against the mountain-blue of Buonaventure; swaying playfully on the billow, which perchance, in the lapse of a few hours, comes swashing against the side of our own gallant Polly. We know the old fellow by the cut of his 'try-sail.' Divers are the fashions of the fisherman's try-sail, each indicating some peculiar birth-place. There is the 'Provincetown,' the Beverly,' the 'Old Harwicher,' each after its own peculiar form, as dear, no doubt, and as recherché to every individual skipper, as is the cut of the adorable Blank's newest and best, to the heart of the aspiring dandy of broadcloth connoisseurship.

Fain would I farther initiate the reader into the mysterious details of cod-and-mackerel-dom; but I can no more;' and if he wishes to know more about it, let him go a-fishing himself! Let me explain, however, that the try-sail above mentioned is a small sail, under which the craft lie-to when fishing, although sometimes a reefed main-sail is used instead.

But lo and behold! Night cometh, and in our bunks we gladly court the favors of the drowsy god, as he throws over our tired limbs a comfortable coverlid. Swiftly to the sphere of dreams we glide! We are in the green fields once more. The all-penetrating smell of fish is transmuted by fairy magic to the sweet odor of flowers and new-mown hay. The snore of our messmate in the crib overhead is changed to the laughing, liquid tones of some young Hebe at home. The gush of waters at our head is now a summer breeze, breathing health and joy through apple-blossoms and waving foliage. Anon the scene revolves. Dull thunders are heard, growling Watch, ho!' as they sink in echoing distance. But the fairy-bark launches off once more down the illimitable gulf of Sleep; down, down, with ever-falling flight, to ‘dark and dread oblivion!'

THE SLANDERER: A SUNNEI,

-

br B. W. o. MASSETT.

New York, May, 1816.

THERE treads this earth a fiend, of whom beware!
Whose breath more pestilent than Upas-tree,
Beneath whose poisoned shade droops witheringly
Each shrub, each flow'ret, bloom it e'er so fair,
Turneth youth's fondest hopes to dark despair;
Whose green eye sparkleth with a hellish glee,
More hideous than the hyena's dreaded glare,
When by the plottings of his treachery

The victim falls; whose bosom knows no mirth,
Save those unholy joys that sound the knell
Of blasted happiness, that harshly tell
Of an aspiring spirit crushed to earth!
Youth, Beauty, Genius, Virtue-fear to stay!
Behold the SLANDERER! Away! away!

THE SAINT

LEGER PAPERS.

NUMBER ELEVEN.

There

YES! the beautiful LEILA stood upon the threshold ! could be no doubt of her identity with the maiden I had seen with Vautrey. She stood motionless, and for a moment seemed lost in astonishment at beholding a stranger. She was about returning to her apartment, when her father prevented her retreat.' 'Leila,' he said, 'come hither.' The latter slowly obeyed the summons, and advanced toward her father without in the least noticing me. My child,' said the Wodallah, for so I will now call him, this is our kinsman, William Henry St. Leger of Warwickshire; you will receive him as such.'

The maiden drew herself up, made me a distant salutation, which I returned with equal hauteur, and said to her father in Italian :

'I beg you will not force me to make his acquaintance; pray let me retire. To which I immediately replied in French, (for although I was tolerably versed in Italian, I would not trust myself to speak it,) Unfortunately, Madamoiselle, I am sufficiently acquainted with your language to comprehend what you say, and I am equally unlucky in understanding French, German, Spanish, the dead languages, and my mother tongue. If you will have the kindness to select any other than those I have mentioned, I promise you I cannot play the eaves-dropper.'

The girl was fairly taken by surprise at my impudent boldness, and seemed for a moment at a loss whether or not to take it in good part. The oddity of the whole scene, I think, seemed to turn the scale in my favor. Extending to me her hand, she exclaimed:

6

Since our kinsman has so many weapons at command, submission on our part is discretion. Welcome, Mr. St. Leger, to the rocks of St. Kilda.'

And since,' replied I, warmly, 'I have at last received a kinsman's reception, I beg to make an apology for my rudeness.'

'Enough,' interrupted the Wodallah, much to my chagrin, 'enough for this once, or you will exceed bounds. So it is ever with youth; one extreme or the other; now all ice, then a burning heat; ecstacy or in despair; frowning like Medusa or smiling like Helen. Why should it not be so? What would the world come to, if the young had experience? To an end, speedily! So, go on- go on; freeze and seethe, bubble and boil, till life has ended, and not even the vapor remains.'

I stood regarding the speaker in mute astonishment during this strange harangue; and when he had concluded, I turned to witness its effect upon Leila, but discovered that she had taken advantage of it to effect a retreat to her own apartment. Feeling no desire to encourage farther conversation of this sort, I resolved if possible to

put an end to it. I know not,' said I, to what such remarks tend, nor why they are addressed to me. Indeed, why I am here, I know You invited me to enter, and I have done so. If you are my kinsman, treat me with the confidence our relationship merits.'

not.

If you are my kinsman!' reëchoed the Wodallah, rising and regarding me with an anxious searching look; miserable boy! do you doubt it? Or is it possible? —can I have been deceived?' he continued, again scrutinizing my features. But no it cannot be.' Taking the ring, which I had delivered from its envelope, and again reading what was within, he exclaimed, in a loud tone, Ay, ay, receive him receive him; but but poison not his soul, FOR

IT MAY NOT BE !'

His appearance all this time was so like a madman's, that I turned away my face in horror. The Wodallah paused, and then addressed me precisely as if not one word had been uttered by him, and I doubt much if he was conscious of having spoken.

The confidence you ask,' he said calmly, shall be extended to you. Indeed, you have a right to demand it. But first tell me how fare all at at Bertold Castle. Your father and your mother? You have a brother and a sister also; are all well? And and Aunt Alice, as you call her, bears she her years bravely? Has time left marks of his ravages upon her frame? many her spirit will resist the spoiler forever and forever tell me, how is she? Then she knew of your coming hither, and gave you these?'

One question had followed another in such rapid succession that I could not reply to any till the questioner paused. I then answered generally as to our family, and those of whom he asked particularly, stating, as I had previously done, that my visit to St. Kilda was almost accidental. Did she not tell you that I was here?' was the next question.

'She did not,' was my reply.

'Tis strange; yet not strange,' he continued; 'but I embarrass you. I am in fault. And so you struck boldly for Hirta! A hardy enterprise for how old are you?'

:

I stated my age: 'So young! I pity thee; I had supposed thou hadst fewer years in which to suffer; but I see you have not begun to experience. Have you had any misgivings, any doubts?'

It seemed while I heard these words from the lips of a kinsman, words which echoed back my own secret distrusts and fears, as if the Arch-Enemy stood before me, luring me to destruction. I shrunk from the tempter. My better nature rallied to resist his insidious attack, and by this I knew how necessary was temptation to a salutary state of mind and heart. I answered calmly and with courage : Who trusts in his MAKER knows neither misgiving nor doubt. His providence protects from both.'

Wait a while,' returned the other, sneeringly, and you will tell a different tale. Does Job fear GoD for naught? Have you not youth and health and senses; a full capacity for earthly enjoyment? Does not the blood go beating through your veins in the very heyday rapture of young life? Confidence in your MAKER, forsooth!

say rather confidence in your own glowing energy; but energy will wane by and by, and confidence along with it.'

I was startled at such bold and impious language; but my heart grew firm under the attack, and I answered him: And why should not man trust his CREATOR? Why should he have any misgivings, any doubts as you call them, when he knows that CREATOR to be allwise, all-just and all-powerful? And why should not confidence increase with years?'

'Because, because,' returned my kinsman, impatiently, 'neither in youth nor early manhood do we enjoy the fruits of our labors; because we are put off, put off till old age, before the reward cometh; until the reward is known to be vanity, and we care not for it; and therefore do distrust and apprehension creep gloomily over the soul.' 'We should carry the reward daily in our bosoms,' said I. 'He is a supremely selfish being who looks to the reward merely as a reward, and selfishness itself is very desolation to the heart.'

Ho! ho!' shouted the other, scornfully; a philanthropist, I perceive, and universal benevolence your rule of action! Wait till Sin has turned Virtue out-of-doors, and Folly has sent Benevolence to keep her company; till Ingratitude has soured your mind, and you have found in your bosom friend a viper; till you have spent life's progress in that utter toil of the human spirit, and you awake, as from a dream, the victim of delusive, presumptous hope, and find yourself borne down by a stern, unaccommodating, unyielding necessity into deep interminable perdition, while the MAKER whom you worshipped-ha! ha!-mocks at your distresses, or coldly regards the helpless struggles of His victim, as if He rejoiced at his agonies! Ay, wait- and the time is short wait till then, and you also will exclaim, even as do I, 'O! Humanity! Humanity! how truly do I pity thee!'

During this harangue, it seemed to me as if I was encountering Satan in bodily presence. At the same time all the strength of my moral nature rose within me. I came close to the speaker, and boldly met his sarcastic sneer. Man!' exclaimed I, Tempter! fiend! avaunt! I defy thee. If I choose to do right and be virtuous, it is not in the power of Omnipotence to make me miserable. choose to do wrong and be sinful, GOD himself cannot make me happy!'

If I

As I pronounced these words, the Wodallah started up and turned upon me a countenance in which a thousand evil spirits seemed struggling for expression. Rage and hate and dark despair were stamped upon it, but he spoke not. Just then the scroll which Aunt Alice had sent by me fell accidentally open upon the floor. I took it up and handed it to him, at the same time placing my finger upon the words he had before repeated aloud, But poison not his soul.' The poor man turned his eye upon the paper. All trace of anger and hatred vanished. Deep melancholy again took possession of his features, and he exclaimed: True oh! true; too true! No. I will not - I will not!' and rushed into the adjoining apart

ment.