a mistaken signal. Think of the bride of yes- married gentlemen have found out of what the terday, the first child of our manhood, the last contents of the black bottles consisted—they child of our age, think of the dear friend who smoke pipes openly now, quite defiant, if not has been absent for years, who has been es- oblivious, of bye-laws and forty-shilling fines. tranged from us by those whispering tongues Nobody objects to smoking-not even the asththat poison truth, and is coming swiftly along matical old gentleman in the respirator and the the iron road to be reconciled to us at last. red comforter-not even the tall lady, with the Think of these, all torn from us by a sudden, severe countenance and the green umbrella, who cruel, unprepared-for death; think of these, took the mild fair man in spectacles so sharply falling upon that miserable battle-field, without to task this morning about the mild cigar which glory, without foes to fight with, yet with fear- he was timidly smoking up the sleeve of his fuller, ghastlier hurts, with more carnage and poncho. Even the guards and officials at the horror in destruction than you could meet with stations, do not object to smoking. One whiseven on those gory Chersonean battle-fields after kered individual of the former class, ordinarily storms of shot and shell, after the fierce assaults the terror of the humble third-class passenger, of the bayonet's steel, and the trampling of the whom he, with fierce contempt, designates as horses, and the stroke of the sharp sword."you, sir,” and hauls out of the carriage on the There are bards to wail over the warrior who slightest provocation, condescends to be satirical falls in the fray, for the horse and his rider on the smoke subject; he puts his head in at blasted by the scarlet whirlwind. There are the window, and asks the passengers "how they tears and songs for the dead that the sea engulfs, like it-mild or full flavored ?" This is a joke, to cradle them in its blue depths till Time and and everybody, of course, laughs immensely, Death shall be no more. There are elegies and and goes on smoking unmolested. Bless me! epitaphs and mourning verses for those that how heartily we can laugh at the jokes of sleep in the churchyard, that have laid their people we are afraid of, or want to cringe to heads upon a turf, that eat their salad from the for a purpose.

roots, that dwell with worms and entertain creep- Surely a merrier excursion train tha. this ing things in the cells and little chambers of was never due at the Babylon Bridge station, their eyes. There is poetry even for the mur- at eleven-thirty. Funny stories are told. A derer on his gibbet; but who cares to sing little round man, in a grey coat and a hat like the railway victims who bids the line re- a sailor's, sings a comic song seven miles long, store its dead? who adjurates the engine to for he begins it at one station and ends it at bring back the true and brave? They are killed, another, seven miles distant. A pretty, timorand are buried; the inquest meet; the ous widow is heard softly joining in the chorus jurymen give their verdict, and forget all of "tol de rol lol." A bilious man, of melanabout it two days afterwards. Somebody is choly mien, hitherto speechless, volunteers a tried for manslaughter and acquitted, for, of humorous recitation, and promises feats of concourse, there is nobody to blame! It is all over, juring after they have passed the next station. and the excursion train, crammed with jovial Strangers are invited to drink out of strange excursionists, sweethearts, married couples, bottles, and drink. Everybody is willing to clubs of gay fellows, laughing children, baskets take everybody's children on his knee. People of prog, bottles of beer, and surreptitious, yet pencil down addresses by the lamplight, and officially connived at, pipes; the engine dressed exchange them with people opposite, hoping in ribbons, the stoker-oh, wonder!—in a clean that they shall become better acquainted. The shirt; the excursion train, I say, rattles gaily select clubs of jolly fellows are very happyover the very place where, a month since, the they even say "vrappy." There is laughing, accident took place; over the very spot where talking, jesting, courting, and tittering. None the earth drank up blood, and the rails were are silent but those who are asleep. Hurrah for violently wrenched and twisted, and the sleepers this jovial excursion train, for the Nor-Norwere ensanguined, and death and havoc and West by Eastern Railway Company, its cheap desolation were strewn all around, and the fares, and admirable management! wild flowers in the embankment were scalded Suppose that just at the spot where this allegro train now is, there occurred the great acciCan you form an idea, poets, of a haunted dent of last July. You remember, the excurline? Suppose the same excursion train I was sion train, through some error, the cause of speaking of, to be on its way home, late at which was unfortunately never discovered, ran night, say from Cripplegate-super-mare or Buf- into the luggage train; the driver and stoker of fington Wells. Everybody has enjoyed himself the former were dashed to pieces-thirty-three very much-the children are tired, but happy. persons were killed or wounded. Suppose some The bonnets of the married ladies have made man of poetical temperament, of fantastic imtheir proper impression upon the population of agination, of moody fancies, were in the carCripplegate-super-mare, and they are satisfied riage of this merry train to-night, looking from with them, their husbands, and themselves. The the window, communing with the yellow moon

with the steam from the shattered boiler.

light, the light clouds placidly floating along the of iron. Along with the body were buried all the sea of heaven, as if sure of a safe anchorage at spoils of his enemies, harnesses enriched with last. He knows the line, he knows the place gold and precious stones, rich stuffs, and the where that grim accident was-he muses on it most valuable articles taken from the palaces of -yes; this was the spot, there laid the bodies. the kings which he had pillaged; and that the Heavens and earth! suppose the line were place of his interment might not be known, the haunted! See, from a siding comes slowly, Huns put to death, without exception, all those noiselessly along the rails, the PHANTOM who had assisted in his funeral. The Goths TRAIN! There is no rattle of wheels, no puff- had previously done the same for Alaric, who ing and blowing of the engine, only, from time died in the year 410, at Cosenza, a city of Calato time, the engine whistle is heard in a fitful, bria. They turned for some days the course of murmuring, wailing gust of sound; the lamps the river Vasento, and having caused a trench to in front burn blue, sickly lambent flames leap be dug in its former channel, where the stream from the funnel and the furnace door. The was usually most rapid, they buried the king carriages are lamp-lit too, but with corpse-can- there along with immense treasures. They put dles. The carriages themselves are mere skel- to death all those who had assisted in digging etons-they are all shattered, dislocated, ruined, the grave, and restored the stream to its former yet, by some deadly principle of cohesion, they bed.-Godfrey. keep together, and through the interstices of

their cracking ribs and frame-work you may see

the

passengers. Horrible sight to see! Some have limbs bound up in splinters, some lie on

FAMILY PROSPECTS.

their place

save her from danger and perhaps from disthankful must Brown, Jones, and Robinson grace!

stretchers, but they have all faces and eyes; WHAT a blessing for England! the Whigs keep and the eyes and the faces, together with the phantom guard with his lantern, from which To long rays of ghastly light proceed; together How with the phantom driver, with his jaw bound up; the phantom stoker, who stokes with a At hearing the Whigs will remain en famille; mattock and spade, and feeds the fire as though

feel

he were making a grave; the phantom com- What a comfort to know the Insignia of State
mercial travellers wrapped in shrouds for rail- Are secured with the rest of the family plate;
To know that the national purse for some moons
way rugs; the pair of lovers in the first-class Is safely bestowed with the family spoons;
coupe, locked in the same embrace of death in
which they were found after the accident, the
stout old gentleman with his head in his lap,
the legs of the man the rest of whose body was
never found, but who still has a face and eyes,
the skeletons of horses in the horse-boxes, the
stacks of coffins in the luggage-vans (for all is
transparent, and you can see the fatal verge of
the embankment beyond, through the train).
All these sights of horror flit continually past,
up and down, backwards and forwards, haunting
the line where the accident was.

How the tact of Charles Wood will in future enhance
The cordial alliance of England and France;
What tremors will run through the Muscovite host
When they hear tl.a Fred Peel will remain at his
post!

The Lord of Panmure what blasphemer can doubt
Resembles Lord Chatham, at least in his gout;
And, if we conclude that with battles we've done,
He'll shoulder his crutches and show how they're

won.

How Titoff will tremble to think he may meet But, ah me! these are, perhaps, but silly On a second occasion John Russell and suite, fancies after all. Respectability may be right, With some precedent drawn from historical lore and there may be no more poetry in a railway Which he may not have read up in Goldsmith before. than in my boots. Yet I should like to find poetry in everything, even in boots.

By John's perorations the Czar will be floored,

I am His ports called "a menace," his armies "a afraid railways are ugly, dull, prosaic, straight; horde;"

"Reserve."

yet the line of beauty, honest Hogarth tells us, While Pam in the House will exhibit his nerve is a curve, and curves you may occasionally find By routing the Czar with his paper on the straightest of railways-and where beauty is, poetry, you may be sure of it, is not And we're foiled at the end as we've failed from the Last prospect of all, should it come to the worst, far off. I am not quite sure but you may find first, it in ugliness too, if there be anything beautiful The aforesaid old Premier-that humorist greyin your own mind. Will treat it as fun in his own pleasant way.

What a blessing to think, then, the Whigs keep their place

THE GRAVES OF ATTILA AND ALARIC.-Atti- To save us from danger and perhaps from disgrace! How thankful should Brown, Jones, and Robinson la died in 453, and was buried in the midst of a feel vast plain, in a coffin, the first covering of which At hearing the Whigs will remain en famille. was of gold, the second of silver, and the third

The Press, 19 May.

Straight at his foe he goes, never askew: Erst did'st preside over, under QUEEN BESS,Now and then wrong dog he may toss for right Thence to the Commons' bear-garden transla

Take we the opportunity that Fortune kindly | The choleric squirrel on my path no more sends, Dashes the ripe guavas from the bough, Kick him, and hit him hard; he has among Where the green parrot screams discordant lore, ourselves no friends!"

And silvery lizards flit where fire-flies glow In the fast-falling twilight. From the shrine, "Friends!" to the yell within the House, an Where lamps burn dim, no shadow crosses

A FALSE GENIUS.

I SEE a spirit by thy side,
Purple winged and eagle eyed
Looking like a Heavenly guide.

Though he seems so bright and fair,
Ere thou trust his proffered care,
Pause a little, and beware!

If he bid thee dwell apart,
Tending some ideal smart
In a sick and coward heart;

In self-worship wrapped alone,
Dreaming thy poor griefs are grown
More than other men have known;
Dwelling in some cloudy sphere,
Though God's work is waiting here,
And God deigneth to be near;

If his torch's crimson glare
Show thee evil everywhere,
Tainting all the wholesome air;

While with strange distorted choice,
Still disdaining to rejoice,

Thou wilt hear a wailing voice;

If a simple, humble heart,
Seem to thee a meaner part,
Than thy noblest aim and art;

If he bid thee bow before
Crowned mind and nothing more,
The great idol men adore;

And with starry veil enfold
Sin, the trailing serpent old,
Till his scales shine out like gold;

Though his words seem true and wise,
Soul, I say to thee, Arise,
He is a Demon in disguise!

mine!

The sound of soft kitar, by fingers dear

Struck gently in the dusk by some fair stream,
I hear not now-nor voice beloved and clear,
Murmuring like bees in some sweet honey-
dream;

Nor midst the dark waves of thy fragrant hair
Bathe I my tremulous hands in transport there!
All past-all gone! joys of an early time
When youth in India was one long, bright
day

Of health and happiness, and love-sublime,
By reason of its pure and earnest ray!
All past-all gone-all but a grave below
The palm-trees, where by night the fire flies
glow-Chambers' Journal.

REMINISCENCE OF THE POET CAMPBELL. Some five-and-twenty years ago I went to dine at a friend's house. On entering the drawing room, I found that the object of attraction was an album, which had been presented that morning to the young lady of the house. Her name was Florine, and the lines were as follows:

"TO FLORINE.

"Could I recall lost youth again,

And be what I have been,
I'd court you in a gallant strain,
My young and fair Florine.

"But mine's the chilling age that chides,
Affection's tender glow;

And Love-that conquers all besides-
Finds Time a conquering foe.

"Farewell! we're parted by our fate,
As far as night from noon.
You came into the world so late,

And I depart so soon!"— T. Č.

Dinner was announced; and ere it was half over, a loud knock was heard at the door, and Mr. Campbell came into the dining room somewhat excited, and making many apologies for intruding. He was asked to join the party, but he declined; and merely begged to see the album, as there was an error in the verses which he wished to correct. The album was brought; and taking from his waistcot pocket a small penknife, he proceeded to erase the word “parted” in the first line of the stanza, and substituted for it "severed;" which, from the occurrence of the word "depart" in the last line, of course improved the verses: the repetition having eviTHE palm-trees of the East no more give out Their morning wine to slack my thirst: I see made Mr. Campbell take a hasty leave; he dently haunted his poetic ear. The correction No lemon-bowers, where bright birds every had another engagement, and could not stay.

tree

Household Words.

BY GONES

BY CALDER CAMPBELL.

Stud with quaint hanging nests; and all about,
The lines were published, I believe, in the
Jasmine runs, fragrant-like an acolyte
New Monthly Magazine, of which Campbell
Scattering sweet incense from rich censers was then editor; but I have never seen them
in his collected poems.-Notes and Queries.

white.

From Chambers' Journal. [sions of Tahitian knighthood, reputation, and PROBABLY no artist in the world ever saw so immortality vanished. Pomare, in fact, without strange a public assembled, as that which sur- having heard me, left the hall, expelled, I felt rounded me here on the 6th of October, 1854. sure, by the dreadful flute. After I had calmed In the hall which, for the occasion, was trans- my excited mind as well as I could, I again comformed into a concert-room, the natives formerly menced. I gathered all my strength, and played worshipped their idols; here, the queen had sentimental love-tunes and eccentric variations, the false gods burned; here, a French court- but all in vain !-no sign of pleasure, no clapping martial sentenced the rebel islanders who could of hands, no encoring: the brown islanders not reconcile themselves to a protectorate they remained as unmoved as ever. had not sought; and here, in spotless London Failure and disgrace staring me in the face, attire, stood I as the herald of the West, and I adopted a bold resolution. "Save me humtried with my fiddle to give some of those no- bug!" thought I; and with real wrath I tore tions of modern European civilization to the three strings from my fiddle, and on the G cord children of nature, from which Providence until alone I played the Carnival. My trick took; now had kindly preserved them. To the right, a whisper of surprise was heard; the natives surrounded by tropical plants, sat the French became attentive; they approached me, and governor and his lady, and a crowd of officers in with every new passage, principally where I glittering regimentals; to the left, a box was imitated the flute, they began to cheer in a way constructed of palm-mats, decorated with gaudy which would have been impossible to any civilichintz, for the barefooted queen and her court; zed audience. Encouraged by the enthusiasm, the rest of the hall was filled with the strange I began to extemporize; and the quainter my figures of the natives, whose ears were as yet variations grew, the louder became the cheers unaccustomed to any other music than the of my barefooted admirers, who did not leave warbling of the birds. the hall until, wearied with the exertion, my I stepped forth, bowed to the audience, and arm could no longer manage the fiddle-stick. opened the concert; but it took some time be- All Tahiti was in a tremendous excitement fore I could make it understood that at a concert after my concert. Everybody spoke of the forthe public have nothing to do but to listen. eign fiddler who had come across the seas, and The natives did not at all seem to be aware of could whistle on the fiddle like a bird. Flowers this fact; they chattered so loud, that I had and fruits are sent to my hotel; and when I frequently to break off and begin over again. play in my room, a crowd of admirers gather under my windows; everybody greets me when go out-I am the lion of Tahiti.

I played Othello, by Ernst, but probably a thrilling cornet-a-piston, accompanied by drums, I would have afforded more pleasure to the brown A few days after, I was invited by the goverislanders than my fiddling; for with the ex- nor to a dinner-party. All the consuls and forception of some friendly European hands, not a eign agents were present, for it was the birthday finger was moved by my performance. The of the governor. Even a deputation of natives, piece was finished without having been interrupt- who had come to congratulate the French gened by any sign of applause-never in my life eral, were, to my greatest amusement, invited to had I felt so little appreciated as here. The the feast. They were clad in the European queen, leading a young boy by the hand, now way, even to the stiff shirt-collars and kid-gloves, appeared with her ladies-in-waiting, fantastically but they retained the nakedness of their feet. clad, but all of them barefooted, and very curious European civilization reached only to their about the things they were to witness. ankles. It was amusing to see how those genThe first musical celebrity of Tahiti, Mr. tlemen endeavored to imitate the manners of Camieux, chief of the Frencli military band, a their hosts, and how they managed the knives, broad-chested giant, now came forward, and forks, and napkins. Every new dish put them played a piece on the flute. He told me later into new difficulties; and a capital plum pudthat it was the cavatina from Ernani; and I ding, the delight of the white guests, astonished might perhaps have recognized it, had not the the internals of one of the brown islanders to stout flute-player, in spite of his physical exer- such a degree, that he had to leave the table. tions, failed to produce at least one-half of his notes. The artist in stepping forward, respect- *This relation is given by the musician himself fully kissed the hand of the lady of the gov- in a letter to one of his friends. Mishka Hauser is ernor-an act of French loyalty which, though a Hungarian violinist, apparently fond of advertures; for after finding his way to California, where an insult to Queen Pomare and her court, was he was very successful in his calling, in September more pardonable than his interminable perform- last he set out for Australia. In crossing the Paci ance. He would not stop, in spite of all the fic, however, he paid a visit to the natives of Tahiti: signs I could make. I saw, to my great dismay, and in this island, whose first step in civilization the yawning queen rise from her seat; the chil-was made about thirty years ago, he tried his luck with a fashionable concert. Our readers, we have dien of nature, whose ears were now so severely no doubt, will be well pleased to hear the result as taxed, began to leave the hall, and all my illu-communicated by himself.