vainly attempted to oppose his entrance. "This is the room, I think?" and he walked in without further ceremony. His face grew absolutely purple as he did so; for there was his nephew seated at a table busily writing, and opposite to him was a young lady, very simply dressed, but very good looking. "Well, sir!" he exclaimed, in a tone by no means pleasant. Brown, as soon as he recovered from his surprise, shook his uncle's unwilling hand, and pressed him into a chair. As to the young lady, she blushed considerably, and seemed anxious to run away. "Pray, sir, is this your-your amanuensis ?" Poor Brown hesitated, and at length said, "Yes, sir." "What!" the old gentleman said in a tone so menacing, that Brown thought it best to lead the lady out of the room, whispering to her some reassuring words. The old gentleman wiped his brow. "John, I can't tell you how grieved I am at what I have seen to-day. That you should be so lost, not only to principle, but even to ordinary propriety-" "My dear uncle, what do you mean?" "Mean? why, you won't persist in the story of that young person being your amanuensis? What is she doing here, sir ?" "It's all over with the three acres," Brown thought. "I must tell him." "I admit, sir, that I have practiced some little deception upon you, and yet I told the truth." "Eh?" "I mean that that lady is indeed my amanuensis, but that she is also-" "Well, sir ?" "My wife." "Now it's all over," Brown said to himself. His uncle was evidently taken by surprise. He threw himself back in his chair, and drawing out his snuff-box, helped himself to several pinches successively. At last he spoke in a much calmer tone, and said gravely: "I am very glad to hear it." Brown would have been ill-fitted for his position as a comic writer if he had not possessed a profound knowledge of human nature. Thought he, this is the proper time to say nothing. In dealing with one's relations, there is the great advantage of knowing that their hearts are in the right place, whatever may be the case with the rest of the world. Uncle Silas is one of the family, and he'll come round by degrees. Uncle Silas might or might not be coming round, but in the meantime he sat in profound silence, using his snuff-box at intervals. At last he spoke. "John, I have been mistaken in you. Don't suppose that I object to marriage; on the contrary, I approve of it when undertaken prudently—not otherwise. Yours has been most imprudent. Not only that, sir, but you have been guilty of a deception which is unmanly and disgraceful." Brown felt the truth of this, and showed it in his face. "For that, sir, I beg your pardon." "But as regards the imprudence of my marriage, sir, consider that I live by writing light articles for the magazines." 66 Pretty business it is to support a wife!" "And consider the advantage one derives in such work from the graceful fancy and admirable taste of a woman." "I don't want to hear any more, John. Remember, I am not in a passion; I am not angry, mind; but I shall leave it to time to show whether you have acted prudently or not. Don't attempt to argue ; I consider that by deceiving me, you have forfeited any claim you had upon me;" and Mr. Brown took up his hat, as if with the intention of leaving the house. "If by claim you mean money, sir, I can do without it; but I am sorry indeed to have lost your good opinion. Still-" "You will do it again in the same way, I suppose?" Brown hesitated. "After all," he thought, "I have done no wrong; why should I speak like a criminal?" "Well, perhaps I would; but I assure you-" He stopped, for his uncle had dashed his hat on to the table, and scattered Brown's card-basket to the four winds. "Very well, sir," the old gentleman said; "I see how it is. You know how valuable the land now is, and you know, too, that it was bought in your name. You are of age, sir, and may set your old uncle at defiance." "You do me great injustice," Brown said, and repeated the same thing several times, while Mr. Silas promenaded the hearth-rug, with the one hand behind him, and the other firmly grasping his snuff-box. Presently, the snuff-box disappeared into one pocket, and out of another came a paper of a discolored legal appearance, which also descended violently upon the card-basket. "There is the title to the land. You will find it all in form, and so good morning to you." And Mr. Silas caught up his hat, brushed past his nephew, and walked, at a tremendous pace, down the gardenwalk. Brown, I regret to say, was not remarkable for decision of character. He stood gazing stupidly at the paper on the table, while a person glided gently into the room, laid a little white hand upon his shoulder, and looked up anxiously into his face. "What's the matter, dear?" Brown collected his thoughts, and explained that the dirty piece of paper was the title to the land which his uncle had bought for him in the days of yore, and now regretted his generosity. "Of course you will not accept a repented benevolence ?" yet so it was. Mr. Silas Brown could not maintain his position against his nephew's new mode of attack; for if there was one thing more calculated than another to please him, it was that spirit of manly independence which Brown had exhibited. The bright eyes looked brighter than ever when Mr. Silas entered the house with his nephew and took her by the hand gravely, but kindly. What were his impressions of the bride may be conceived from the following remarkable speech which fell from his lips, as he kissed her forehead: "If my nephew has acted without my permission, I see here the best excuse he could offer." Some day's afterward, when Brown, in the exuberance of his joy, related these circumstances to an intimate friend-the present writer, in point of fact-he made a tremendous bull, which, as some people persist in thinking him clever, I shall put on record. "It was a very good thing my uncle was one of the family," he said, "otherwise I don't think he would ever have come If my round." "What am I to do? It is a more puzzling affair than you think. uncle cannot, and I will not make use of the property, the thing will be neutralized." "But you can thank your uncle for his gift, and then go to your man of business, and restore the gift by means of transfer." "That's the very thing! I'll get Cramp to do it for me; he lives at the bottom of the hill;" and Brown seized the paper and hastily quitted the house. Mrs. BrownI have great pleasure in giving her proper title-went to the window, whence by straining her eyes she could command a view of the lawyer's door. MUSIC. A MUSIC, deep and thrilling, rises sweet From nature's wide and wondrous fields of light; Harmonious music wakes beneath our feet, It sings the march of beams from every star, Of the earth-shaking thunder, smites the ear. And there is music in the human voice, Meanwhile Mr. Silas Brown, who had taken the same direction, had slackened his pace considerably, and she saw her husband overtake his uncle, and address him once more. The old gentleman appeared to listen without any further attempt to escape; the snuff-box being again put into requisition. At length they reached the lawyer's house, and entered it together. Shall we these nectar'd streams of music trace The bright eyes at the window grew dim, as their owner thought that for her sake Brown had quarreled with his relations and destroyed his future prospects; so dim were, they, that she did not at first see that the two persons who, after a few moments, quitted the lawyer's house arm . in arm, were her husband and his uncle: And in the poet's genial melting lays; Back to the heart through which their fount- Or upward, where th' archangel vails his face, rings? O, let me grasp the seraph's burning lyre, Divested of the garb that round me clings; Catch from the glowing throng the sacred fire, And find the primal source whence music springs! THE THE ALAND ISLANDS AND THE GOTHA CANAL. tiful feature in the view. But that which struck me as the most remarkable of all was, the friendly intermingling of flags that had floated for centuries in deadly opposition to each other. How wonderful was the foresight of Napoleon, (it is the great Napoleon to whom I refer, not "le petit," as Victor Hugo styles the present one,) when he remarked at St. Helena, that the only event which could possibly unite these two flags, would be the attempt of Russia to seize the Dardanelles. There is something almost superhuman in such a prophecy as this. HE excitement attendant upon the suc- | accurate time the water, presented a beaucessful bombardment of the Russian fortress of Bomarsund by the Allies, was very great in Sweden. This stronghold of the Czar, within so short a distance of their coast, has always been offensive to the Swedes. The sound of the cannonading had scarcely died away upon the air, before it was known at Stockholm that the English and French flags floated from this fortress, and numerous steamers, densely crowded, left the capital for Bomarsund. I was so fortunate as to receive an invitation from the British Consul at the Island of Gottland to accompany him and a few friends in the steamer"Louise," which he had chartered for this excursion. The steamer left Stockholm at about six o'clock in the evening, and at an early hour the following morning was anchored within sight of the fortifications, and from my cabin window I perceived the flags of England and France floating from the fortress, the tri-color of the parvenue flag amicably mingling its folds with the bloodred cross of St. George. Near us lay at anchor some forty vessels, from the huge three-mast ships of the Allies down to the tiny yacht of some private gentleman. The scene was altogether novel and impressive. Numerous small boats, with their well-drilled oarsmen, striking in such VOL. X-5 Among our passengers were the wives of several officers of the fleet, who had come out with us to visit their husbands as well as to view the scene where they had so recently acted a part. An English officer, the husband of one of these ladies, came on board the "Louise," and kindly acted as pilot, taking us quite near to the fortress, in fact, just under its walls, and describing to us from this point the most interesting features of the engagement. The principal fort, as will be seen in the illustration, presented a broken outline, while the smaller one was completely destroyed. Numerous stacks of chimneys, with the charred and still smoking ruins of many a home grouped about the shattered fort, presented a desolate and melancholy aspect. Along the shore was a scene of life and animation. Here was the encampment of the French soldiers, who were scattered about in various groups. Occasionally a mounted officer appeared in a rich military costume with a horse splendidly caparisoned; while the water immediately in the fore-ground was enlivened by men-of-war's boats, with the trim and tasteful costume of the middies at the helm. I am not intending to offer the reader a detailed account of the bombardment and surrender of the Russian fortress of Bomarsund, but shall content myself with offering for his inspection the sketches which I made from the deck of the steamer" Louise," some three days after the surrender. After the lapse of a few hours we were steaming once more, and the harbor of Bomarsund, with its shattered fortress, its tall masts, and scene of busy life, was lost in the distance. On either side of us extended the shores of the Aland Islands, looking wild, desolate, and scarcely inhabitable. We were soon at a roadstead, where were lying some of the larger ships belonging to the fleet; their draft of water being so great as not to admit them in the harbor of Bomarsund. Here we stopped for an hour, and then left for Stockholm. For a long time the tall masts of the ships were visible, lifting themselves high above every object upon the coast, until at last they and the low outline of the shores faded away in the distance. Now we were upon the open sea, with no land in sight, and had an opportunity of testing the character of seas which the Baltic can at times raise. The classical writers of antiquity grossly slandered the Baltic, in representing it as indolent and sleeping. At all events, so it seemed to me on this occasion. Mongrel as is its character without tides, and scarce salt enough to make it seasonable for the cuisine, yet I must bear witness that the Baltic in a gale is by no means to be despised. We were all glad at evening to find ourselves under shelter of the islands of the Swedish coast. The wind had subsided, and as we threaded our way through the numerous islands, the scene was calm and beautiful. Seated upon deck in the stillness of the evening, my mind naturally reverted to the place I had so lately left. I thought of the proud fleet and its forests of masts lifting themselves toward heaven. War, in all its features, is most revolting to the mind, and I naturally changed my reflections from the exultation of the vanquishers to the other side of the picture. Then I beheld hearths made desolate, and the eyes of the parent, the wife, and the child, dimmed with tears for the lost ones who would no more return to their embrace. Again, in my mind's eye, I saw the wounded and the dying passing into "the silent land, the land of the hereafter," and my soul sickened within me. Thus On board the "Ajax," an English hospital ship, were lying that day sixty-five wounded Russian officers and soldiers. Death was from hour to hour relieving one and another of his sufferings. Among the attendants, I learned, was no person who spoke the Russian language. even the last words which the dying man utters, and the last affectionate remembrances to friends whom he may no more behold on earth, fall unheeded on the ear. An officer of rank, it was said, could not possibly survive longer than a few hours, and had something he was desirous of communicating to his family, but no ear may understand these words, and no kindred or countryman bend over the dying man to catch the last whisperings of the departing soul. But such is war. In the pageantry and pomp of the powerful army and fleet, under the waving of banners and amid the soul-exalting strains of martial music, how forgetful are we of the dread realities, which startle us when we glance behind the scenes! It was past midnight when the steamer Louise arrived at the fortress of Waxholm. The challenge was made by the sentinel on duty, and quickly responded to by our chief officer. About an hour later we were set down upon the pier of Stockholm. It is pleasing to notice here the interest expressed by all classes of the people in their most worthy sovereign, King Oscar, as well as in every member of his family. The death of the young prince, Gustave, which occurred a year or so since, was a very severe blow to the king. In his affliction he seems to have enjoyed the warmest sympathy of his subjects. At the house of his excellency, Mr. one of his majesty's ministers, I saw a few evenings since several drawings by members of the royal family; among them, some by Prince Gustave, which possessed an additional interest, as shown me by a most amiable young lady, to whom report says he was sincerely attached, and that his being obliged, as a matter of state policy, to sacrifice his affections, hastened, and is said by some to have been the direct cause, of his decease. . I had heard, by the way, a most interesting incident in the life of my accomplished hostess, the wife of his excellency Mr. For a long time this lady enjoyed the reputation of being one of the most accomplished vocalists in the private circles of Europe. Some years since, when in the early bloom of womanhood, equally celebrated for her beauty, musical powers, and kindness of heart, she was residing for a time at Florence. In her walks and drives in the Cascine she had observed a poor woman, the mother of a large family of children, endeavoring to gain for herself and little ones a scanty support by performing upon the harp, accompanied by a voice which had once been good. Finding the poor woman at her accustomed place one day when the Cascine was full of fashionable loungers, the Swedish lady took the harp from her hands, and, taking her seat, accompanied the instrument with such a gush of music as drew all people within hearing of her powerful voice to the spot. The first piece ended, the enthusiasm of the Florentines was unbounded. The lady knew her power, and placed her hat upon the ground, declaring that if not well paid she could give no more songs. Of course such a challenge from a lady of high rank, beauty, and rare accomplishments was liberally responded to. Not only silver, but much gold was thrown into the hat. The result of the whole was, that after a few more songs, during which the crowd still increased, she left the poor woman comparatively rich and bewildered at what this kind lady had done for her. The enthusiastic Italian fell upon her knees and blessed her in the name of "the mother of God," declaring that she could be no other than an angel whom the blessed Virgin had sent in answer to her prayers to furnish means for the support of her little ones. Would that more ladies would use the rare accomplishments with which they have been endowed for so good a purpose. "Have you passed the Gotha Canal?" was a question to which I had often replied in the negative, hearing at the same time always the rejoinder, "Well, do not fail to do so before you leave Sweden." And so here I am on board the canal steamer en route for Gottenborg. But the steamer "Stockholm," what shall I say of this craft? I had been told that the steamers on this route were particularly comfortable; but was disappointed, as usual, in European steamers. I found my state-room small and uncomfortable. I soon started in pur |