Carl, and he stood in a dark gloomy cavern; the ground was covered with loathsome reptiles, and a dark noisome vapour hung on his brow; his limbs were entwined with serpents, and bats flapped in his eyes their leathern wings; he scampered through a subterranean passage, followed by thefiendish crew who pursued him; he was kicked, and cuffed, and lashed by ten thousand imps, while a diabolical hubbub rang in his ears; he was now dragged upwards by irresistible force, his flesh being torn by the sharp-pointed rocks; at length he breathed the fresh air of the upper world, he stood on the brink of a precipice, over which a cataract dashed and foamed to a considerable depth below; the hurricane raged fearfully, the dark waving pines groaned under its violence, some were even torn up by the roots; the forked lightnings gleamed through the heavens, and the loud and continued thunderclaps reverberated along the mountains. "Once more, and for the last time, wilt thou subscribe the parchment ?" ejaculated the fiend. "I will not," shrieked Carl. "Then meet the fate of those who trifle with the fiend of the Hartz;" exclaimed the demon in a voice of thunder, and twining his long claws in the dark locks of Carl, with the full swing of his giant strength whirled him aloft in the air, while a fiendish yelling, ha, ha, ha, ha! resounded through the rocks, until he came in contact with the earth, when he received instanter a hearty kick on a certain part, which on the present occasion shall be nameless, the loud laughing chorus still ringing in his ears. دو "Cease to torment me," said he, "and I will subscribe the parchment.' "Ha, ha, ha, ha!" roared the Count Fiestenberg von Waxchlunger, "of what in the devil's name has the fool been dreaming?" At the same time twining a marvellously long whip round the loins of the unfortunate Carl, (who was born to be persecuted) which instantly aroused him from his lethargy. He awoke; judge of his amazement and terror on beholding, not his friend the demon, but his lord and master, the count, standing over him, flourishing the before-mentioned whip in the air; verily, and of a truth, the group would have furnished no contemptible subject for the limner's pencil. "Get thee up, thou lazy hound," said the count, or I will subscribe thy parchment with such a signature as thou wilt not relish, I trow, and which thou shalt not erase for some length of time. An thou ever lettest me catch thee tending thine herd again after this manner, I will lash thy carcase till thou bellowest like a galled bull, in the hands of a Spanish mattadore." Carl had been basking in the meridian sun, when he fell asleep, and dreamed the horrible dream we have just been relating. The count, who had been on a hunting expedition, happened to pass by the spot where Carl lay snoring, while his herd were straying no one knew whither; he immediately ordered his attendants to roll him off the bank on which he lay, and on his coming to the ground, he saluted him in the manner aforesaid. Tradition saith, that Carl was never again caught napping in the noon-day sun. WILLIAM HENRY. THE SLEEPLESS NIGHT. I cannot close my weary eyes, My neighbour's tuneful nose. And echo through the room. What sweet amusement this !-to note From that incorrigible throat What various noises pour; Oh! horrid sound!-I'd sooner far Worse than the voice of fish-wife Nell, Worse than knife-grinder's wheel; But hark! a pause!-the noise has ceased! selda "his Elizabeth," and she fondly telling him that he only wanted a tuft on the chin to be the very image of Leicester. We throw a veil over the mysteries of the honeymoon. The only observation made on which by Mrs Makepeice herself was, that, after all, she found nothing so extraordinary in marriage as she had expected. During the honeymoon, however, the Captain's debts were paid, Mrs. M. resting satisfied with the assurance, that nothing but love could have made him so extravagant; so far, then, he was a richer man. He was doomed, moreover, to a life of greater quality. A large house, from which the estate had been sold off, was to be purchased a great bargain, in the least salubrious part of Essex-ten acres were attached to it, which wanted draining, certainly, but which, when drained and planted would be quite a different thing from what they were. Mrs. Makepeice's man of business, who had a debt upon the estate, not to be paid off until a purchaser was found, strongly recommended "the hall" to her as a valuable investment. Coaches went by it every day; "Now, Captain Makepeice, a place on the outside is not more than five shillings and sixpence, and sixpence to the coachman-six shillings there, and six shillings back: here are twelve shillings, and I do beg you will go this very evening-such things are not to be met with every day; and when one marries a beggar, one really must not lose the opportunity of a bargain." Captain Makepeice, who had now been married three months, and who being of an indolent, lazy disposition, shuddered at the effect of a quarrel, had for the last fortnight been affected with a marvellous deafness, and now humming the tune of 'Nancy Dawson,' and saying, “Yes, my dear, we'll have the roast duck for dinner, if you please, and a bottle of your late uncle's old port: capital wine that, my love," proceeded very leisurely towards the door, from which (having no inclination to sit for four hours in a dusty dogday on the top of a coach, to be broiled and peppered like a mutton-chop) he astutely meditated escape. "Duck and port wine," said the lady-"I would like to know, Captain Makepeice, whether you would have been talking of duck and port wine if you had not made me a miserable woman? Nothing but eating-eating, drinking, guzzling the whole of my property away, that's all you think of; and then, if one wants you he creatures to do anything you are good for, there are as many difficulties and disputes in the way.... and I do so hate disputes-I'm not used to them, Captain Makepeice! this comes of marrying a beggar; but you shan't break my heart, you wicked wretch: no, that you shan't;" and the whole of Miss Griselda's delicate form was convulsed with hysterical weeping. "Well, well," said the captain, putting his thumbs to his ears, and forgetful of his deafness-" well, well, my love, don't jaw so-I will go to this confounded place if you wish it; but on the outside of the coach such a day as this, I'll be dd if I go." "". On the outside of the coach, and when did you see the inside of a coach, I should like to know, before you married me, Captain Makepeice. This comes of marrying a beggar-always willing to spend other people's money. I suppose you want a coach and six to carry that heavy, lumbering body along-Mr. Weazle would never have used me so that he wou'dn't." At length the matter was compromised-" The inside going, my dear," in a soft sweet lisp, said Mrs. Makepeice, arranging her cap and her kerchief, "but the outside, remember, coming back." The captain returned, as well, indeed, he might, with a gloomy account of the intended purchase. "Ah! that's always how it is, Captain Makepeice, if I set my heart upon anything. But I'll go myself-that I will." And after wading, ancle-deep, through the lawn, tearing a white dimity gown to pieces in scrambling through the garden, and carrying off a whole colony of spiders and earwigs on her bonnet from the best bedrooms, Mrs. Makepeice declared 'the hall' a charming, romantic place; and on finding the figure of a crane (the supposed crest of the Thistlethroats) carved on one of the chimney-pieces, pronounced it "very extraordinary,' and determined forthwith on the purchase. "To have such a place and not to live there, was as much out of the question," said Mrs. Makepeice, the ground of economy as of comfort." The scrubbing, cleaning, and cobwebbrushing of the interior of the mansion would be a little amusement to herself, and the superintending the workmen out of doors would be a useful occupation to the captain, and give him a taste for rural pursuits. "But, my dear, the place is a perfect swamp-a marsh; and you know that ever since my expedition to Walcheren, that cursed Fon rheumatism"-"Pho! fiddle-stick about the rheumatism. But I know what you'd be at, Captain Makepeice; you have got some trollopping slut you wish to see at one of those filthy watering-places -you have, you know you have. Well, go there-I don't hinder you-go there, Sir! but you sha'n't go with my money, you nasty, dirty, extravagant man! This comes of marrying a beggar." To be concluded in our next. ON LIFE. We are born; we laugh; we weep; Ah! wherefore do we laugh, or weep? Who knows that secret deep? Why doth the violet spring Unseen by human eye? Why do the radiant seasons bring We toil,-through pain and wrong: We love; we lose; and then, ere long, O Life! is all thy song From Songs by Barry Cornwall. THE THUNDER-STRUCK.* In the summer of 18-, London was visited by one of the most tremendous thunder-storms that have been known in this climate. Its character and effects -some of which later form the subject of this chapter-will make me remember it to the latest hour of my life. There was something portentous-a still, surcharged air-about the whole of Tuesday the 10th of July, 18-, as though nature were trembling and cowering beneath a coming shock. To use the exquisite language of one of our old dramatists, there seemed "A calm Before a tempest, when the gentle air Abridged from the "Diary of a Physi cian," which appears in Blackwood's Magazine for the present month. throughout the country, especially London; for, strange to say, (and thousands will recollect the circumstance,) it had been for sometime confidently foretold by certain enthusiasts, religious as well as philosophic, that the earth was to be destroyed that very day; in short, that the awful JUDGMENT was at hand! Though not myself over credulous, or given to superstitious fears, I own that on coupling these fearful predictions with the unusual, or rather unnatural, aspect of the day, I more than once experienced sudden qualms of apprehension as I rode along on my daily rounds. I did not so much communicate alarm to the various circles I entered, as catch it from them. Then, again, I would occasionally pass a silent group of passengers clustering round a street-preacher, who, true to his vocation, "redeeming the time," seemed by his gestures, and the disturbed countenances around him, to be foretelling all that was frightful. By the time I reached home, late in the afternoon, I felt in a fever of excitement. I found an air of apprehension throughout the whole house. My wife, children, and a young visitor, were all together in the parlour, looking out for me, through the window, anxiouslyand with paler faces than they might choose to own. The visitor just alluded to, was a Miss Agnes P―, a girl of about 21, the daughter of an old friend and patient of mine. Her mother, a widow, (with no other child than this,) resided in a village about fifty miles from town-from which she was expected, in a few days' time, to take her daughter back again into the country. Miss P- was without exception the most charming young woman I think I ever met with. The beauty of her person but faintly shadowed forth the loveliness of her mind and the amiability of her character. There was a rich languor, or rather softness of expression about her features, that to me is enchanting, and constitutes the highest and rarest style of feminine loveliness. Her dark, pensive, searching eyes, spoke a soul full of feeling and fancy. If you, reader, had but felt their gaze-had seen them-now glistening in liquid radiance upon you, from beneath their long dark lashes-and then sparkling with enthusiasm, while the flush of excitement was on her beautiful features, and her white hands hastily folded back her auburn tresses from her alabaster brow, your heart would have thrilled as mine often has, and you would with me have exclaimed in a sort of ecstasy "Star of your sex!" The tones of her voice, so mellow and various - and her whole carriage and demeanour, were in accordance with the expression of her features. In person she was a little under the average height, but most exquisitely moulded and proportioned; and there was a Hebe-like ease and grace about all her features. She excelled in almost all feminine accomplishments; but the "things wherein her soul delighted" were music and romance. A more imaginative, etherealized creature was surely never known. It required all the fond and anxious surveillance of her friends to prevent her carrying her tastes to excess, and becoming, in a manner, unfitted for the "dull commerce of dull earth!" No sooner had this fair being made her appearance in my house, and given token of something like a prolonged stay, than I became the most popular man in the circle of my acquaintance. Such assiduous calls to enquire after my health, and that of my family!Such a multitude of men-young ones, to boot-and so embarrassed with a consciousness of the poorness of the pretence that drew them to my house! Such matronly enquiries from mothers and elderly female relatives, into the nature and extent of " sweet Miss P-'s expectations!" During a former stay at my house, about six months before the period of which I am writing, Miss P-surrendered her affections-(to the delighted surprise of all her friends and relatives) to the quietest, and perhaps worthiest of her claimants-a young man, then preparing for orders at Oxford. Never, sure, was there a greater contrast between the tastes of a pledged couple she all feeling, romance, enthusiasm; he serene, thoughtful, and matter-of-fact. It was most amusing to witness their occasional collisions on subjects which brought into play their respective tastes and qualities; and interesting to note, that the effect was invariably to raise the one in the other's estimation--as if they mutually prized most the qualities of the other. Young N had spent two days in London -the greater portion of them, I need hardly say, at my house-about a week before; and he and his fair mistress had disputed rather keenly on the topic of general discussion-the predicted event ofthe 10th of July. If she did not repose implicit faith in the prophecy, her belief had, somehow or another, acquired a most disturbing strength. He laboured hard to disabuse her of her awful ap prehensions-and she as hard to overcome his obstinate incredulity. Each was a little too eager about the matter: and, for the first time since they had known each other, they parted with a little coldness-yes, although he was to set off the next morning for Oxford! In short, scarcely any thing was talked about by Agnes but the coming 10th of July: and if she did not anticipate the actual destruction of the globe, and the final judgment of mankind-she at least looked forward to some event, mysterious and tremendous. The eloquent enthusiastic creature almost brought over my placid wife to her way of thinking! To return from this long digressionwhich, however, will be presently found to have been not unnecessary. After staying a few minutes in the parlour, I retired to my library, for the purpose, among other things, of making those entries in my Diary from which these "Passages" are taken-but the pen lay useless in my hand. With my chin resting on the palm of my left hand, I sat at my desk lost in a reverie; my eyes fixed on the tree which grew in the yard and overshadowed my windows. How still-how motionless-was every leaf! What sultry-oppressive-unnatural repose? How it would have cheered me to hear the faintest 'sough' of wind-to see the breeze sweep freshening through the leaves, rustling and stirring them into life!-I opened my window, untied my neckerchief, and loosened my shirt collars-for 1 felt suffocated with the heat. I heard at length a faint pattering sound among the leaves of the tree-and presently there fell on the window-frame three or four large ominous drops of rain. After gazing upwards for a moment or two on the gloomy aspect of the sky-I once more settled down to writing; and was dipping my pen into the ink-stand, when there blazed about me a flash of lightning with such a ghastly, blinding splendour as defies all description. It was like what one might conceive to be a glimpse of hell-and yet not a glimpse merely-for it continued, I think, six or seven seconds. It was followed, at scarce an instant's interval, with a crash of thunder as if the world had been smitten out of its sphere, and was rending asunder ! -The sudden shock almost drove me out of my senses. I leaped from my chair with consternation; and could think of nothing, at the moment, but closing my eyes, and shutting out from my ears the stunning sound of the thunder. For a moment I stood literally stupified. On recovering myself, my first impulse was to spring to the door, and rush down stairs in search of my wife and children. I heard, on my way, the sound of shrieking proceed from the parlour in which I had left them. In a moment I had my wife folded in my arms, and my children clinging with screams round my knees. My wife had fainted. While I was endeavouring to restore her, there came a second flash of lightning, equally terrible with the first-and a second explosion of thunder, loud as one could imagine the discharge of a thousand parks of artillery directly over head. The windows-in fact the whole house, quivered with the shock. The noise helped to recover my wife from her swoon. "Kneel down! Love! Husband!". she gasped, endeavouring to drop upon her knees- Kneel down! Pray pray for us! We are undone !" After shouting till I was hoarse, and pulling the bell repeatedly and violently, one of the servants made her appearancebut in a state not far removed from that of her mistress. Both of them, however, recovered themselves in a few minutes, roused by the cries of the children. "Wait a moment, love," said I, "and I'll fetch you a few reviving drops!"I stepped into the back room, where I generally kept some phials of drugs, and poured out a few drops of sal volatile. The thought then for the first time struck me, that Miss P- was not in the parlour 1 had just quitted. Where was she? What would she say to all this? God bless me, where is she?—I thought with increasing trepidation. speak! - Speak, or I shall come into your room!" No reply was made; and I thrust open the door. Heavens! Can I describe what I saw!-Within less than a yard of me stood the most fearful figure iny eyes have ever beheld. It was Agnes!-She was in the attitude of stepping to the door, with both arms extended, as if in a menacing mood. Her hair was partially dishevelled. Her face seemed whiter than the white dress she wore. Her lips were of a livid hue. Her eyes, full of awful expression of supernatural lustre, were fixed with a petrifying stare on me. Oh, language fails me-utterly!-Those eyes have never since been absent from me when alone ! I felt as though they were blighting the life within me. I could not breathe, much less stir. I strove to speak-but could not utter a sound. My lips seemed rigid as those I looked at. The horrors of night mare were upon me. My eyes at length closed; my head seemed turning round-and for a moment or two I lost all consciousness. I revived. There was the frightful thing still before me-nay, close to me! Though I looked at her, I never once thought of Agnes P-. It was the tremendous appearance-the ineffable terror gleaming from her eyes, that thus overcame me. I protest I cannot conceive anything more dreadful! Miss P— continued standing perfectly motionless; and while I was gazing at her in the manner I have been describing, a peal of thunder roused me to my self-possession. I stepped towards her, took hold of her hand, exclaiming, AgnesAgnes!"-and carried her to the bed, where I laid her down. It required some little force to press down her arms;' and I drew the eye-lids over her staring eyes mechanically. While in the act of doing so, a flash of lightning flickered luridly over her-but her eye neither quivered nor blinked. She seemed to have been suddenly deprived of all sense and motion: in fact, nothing but her pulseif pulse it should be called-and faint breathing, showed that she lived. My eye wandered over her whole figure, dreading to meet some scorching trace of lightning-but there was nothing of the kind. What had happened to her? Was she frightened-to death? I spoke to her; I called her by her name, loudly; I shook her, rather violently: I might have acted it all to a statue!-I rang the chamber-bell with almost frantic violence and presently my wife and a female servant made their appearance in the room; but I was far more em66 Agnes? Agnes! For God's sake, barrassed than assisted by their pre "Edward-Edward," I exclaimed, to a servant who happened to pass the door of the room where I was standing; "where's Miss P-?" "Miss P-, sir !-Why-I don'toh, yes!" he replied, suddenly recollecting himself," about five minutes ago I saw her run very swift up stairs, and haven't seen her since, sir." "What!" I exclaimed, with increasing trepidation, "was it about the time that the first flash of lightning came?" "Yes, it was, sir!"-"Take this in to your mistress, and say I'll be with her immediately," said I, giving him what I had mixed. I rushed up stairs, calling out as I went, "Agnes! Agnes! where are you?" received no answer. At length I reached the floor where her bed-room lay. The door was closed, but not shut. "Agnes! where are you?" I enquired very agitatedly, at the same time knocking at her door. I received no answer. |