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Why not? Why not tear it out? My arm-chair, staring at a very dull fire

assure

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O, you know," interposed Smith, in a half-reproving tone, and with a most benignant air, "we must all help one another in this world. What would life be without good feeling and friendly disposition among us?"

Mr. Tubbs could either have surveyed the Smith,” said Tubbs, “truly obliged, I can wretch with a pitying glance, as one would look upon a very deplorable idiot, or he could have kicked him as a ship's mate would kick a negro cook, just as his humor had inclined him. But now Mr. Tubbs's resources were thin and meager as those of a country parson, and his power of borrowing in the open market was about on a par with that of the last-named enviably-placed personage. Still it was to be hoped that difficulties might be to some extent arranged; and therefore the object now was to procure sufficient help just to satisfy clamorous and imperative demands, so that no absolute prostration should take place.

As to this bill, then, for five hundred dollars, due to-morrow; where could the means to meet it be obtained? Why, there was Smith, that fine, hearty, goodnatured, and wealthy fellow; Smith, who had been such a bosom friend, who had been accustomed to come regularly once a week to dinner; he was just the man to do a little favor of this kind. Mr. Tubbs would call on Smith at once.

And he did call on Smith without delay. And Smith said how glad he was to see him, and shook him by the hand so warmly, and looked so kindly in his face that Tubbs was quite affected. But then Smith always was such a nice, free, warm-hearted fellow.

Tubbs was not long in mentioning the object of his visit. He surrounded his request with a little army of apologies, and shifted it backward and forward so many times, that he seemed uncertain whether he should not withdraw it altogether.

But Mr. Smith eagerly interposed. "My dear friend, there's no occasion to apologize. It is a most reasonable request. I am quite delighted you have made it, so pray don't distress yourself." There was positively a tear in little Tubbs's eye. It was so kind of Smith to treat the matter in this handsome way. He could scarcely have refused, of course, but then he might have acquiesced surlily and savagely, and caused Tubbs to bemoan that he should have had to ask him the favor. Tubbs seized Smith's hand, and shook it warmly.

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“Ah, what indeed!" exclaimed Tubbs, looking upward.

"Now, in regard to this little want of yours," resumed Smith, "what pleasure it would have been to me, to be sure, to have assisted you if I had had the means."

"Eh!" exclaimed Tubbs, in amazement, for Smith being notoriously worth fifty thousand dollars at the least, he thought he could not have heard him aright.

"I say, if I had had the means," repeated Smith, in his blandest tone, and pressing Tubbs's hand most kindly again. "But, bless you, you don't know what calls I have upon me just now."

"Eh!" exclaimed Tubbs again, still bewildered.

"What a worry money is," remarked Smith, complacently, gently rubbing his hands. "Do you know, Tubbs, I often wish there was no such thing as money in the world."

"Cannot you lend me the five hundred dollars?" inquired Tubbs, recovering himself somewhat.

"I am so sorry," replied Smith; "I really am so sorry; you cannot think how sorry I am. If you had asked me, now, only last week, or the week before that, or if I were not going out of town next week, or if-bless me; I did not know it was so late," (looking at his watch ;) "will you excuse me—an important engagement."

"Then you cannot lend me the five hundred dollars?" again asked Tubbs, relapsing into a dreamy state.

"I'm sorry, very sorry," replied Smith, putting on his hat; "inexpressibly sorry [ditto his gloves] to say I CANNOT."

Tubbs lifted his eyes, and was about to say something; but instead of Mr. Smith he saw Mr. Smith's footman, who was waiting to show him the door. And Tubbs slowly walked forth, and after staring for a moment at Messrs. Bracelet and Bramble the confectioners' cart, which was standing outside, having brought ma"I am sincerely obliged, my dearterials for an elegant supper which Mr.

"Nothing gives me greater pleasure," said Smith, with fervor," than helping a friend when it lies in my power."

Smith was to give that evening to about a hundred wealthy people, (for with no other guests was Mr. Smith minded that his supper should be furnished,) our poor little friend hurried homeward, with dismal forebodings as to the future.

ment.) Things having come to this dire pass, Tubbs might have Schuylerized, so to speak, have made a sortie on his difficulties, and have endeavored, by a desperate piece of swindlerian bravery, to have annihilated them; and in the event of failure he might have annihilated himself, so simultaneously destroying the fortress and its besieging army of creditors. But, unfortunately, such little gunpowder as Tubbs had in him was damped by a small stock of honesty, which, though sadly deteriorated, had not entirely lost its power of spoiling, thwarting, and upsetting many brilliant plans and projects which otherwise he might have been disposed to adopt.

And so poor Tubbs sat down moaning.

He thought he would just try Jones about this five hundred dollars. Jones's mansion was in his way, and he would call. Having been an old friend, perhaps Jones might do the needful, although, certainly, it showed Tubbs's inexperience in the borrowing line that he should thus feebly and inconclusively argue. For I cannot forbear a word on this point, reader. If you are really in great difficulty, in sad trouble, in miserable embarrassment, and you are disposed humbly to ask help of some one, go and make your request to that stranger walking in the road. “Eh? why, he will think me drunk, or foolish, or that I mean to insult him." I dare say he will. I have not much doubt but that he will. And yet, what would you propose to do instead? "Why I would ask assistance at the hand of some old friend." Just so. I expected as much. Now let me say to you again, petition the stranger, supplicate Moses, the moneylender, inquire of Grasp and Greedy, the rich lawyers, what they can do for you, attack the old lady coming from the bank with her dividends-all these suggestions of mine are profound wisdom compared with your own proposition, when you are in adversity to seek help from "an old friend!" O, dear! this is so very absurd, so truly ridiculous; it shows your judg-Jones remarked, "Yes; I expected what ment to be so very much on the decline, and tells such a woeful tale of decaying intellect!

Jones was at home, and, like Smith, he was very kind. He didn't shrink at all when Tubbs asked him for the five hun'dred dollars. He quietly answered that he would discount Mr. Tubbs's acceptance, with a good name at the back of it. But as Mr. Tubbs did not see his way clearly to the inducing of any of the city magnates to endorse an accommodation bill for his benefit, no good was done in this quarter.

Now, it is very melancholy to relate that Tubbs was not a man of the stamp which the world delights to stare and gape at, to parade as a marvel of goodness or of wickedness, (giving preference to the latter, through its creating more excite

There was an end of him, then, of course. When a man is really in difficulties, and he sits down bemoaning his situation, the vultures will soon gather about him and devour him. It quickly got abroad that a man who had made some little stir in certain circles was about making a great stir in certain other circles, circles wherein all mishaps are sources of gratification and profit. People shook their heads, and discovered all at once that they had never liked the man, and related the strange misgivings which had filled them, even when partaking of his turtle and venison, as to his soundness and respectability. He was declared to have been a cheat, an impostor, a miserable upstart, a vulgar fellow. Mr. Smith said to Mr. Jones, "I told you so;" and Mr.

would be the end of it." And when the final crash had come, and Mr. Tubbs's insolvency in respect of a good round sum, represented by five figures, was independently proclaimed, a cheap weekly newspaper, which mainly lived on crimes, bankruptcies, and such like appetizing matters, presented its readers with a portrait of the unfortunate, together with divers pieces of information regarding him, his family, and his ancestors, as false and malicious as the concoctors of the vile trash were mean and base.

Down they came upon him. Everybody who had a claim upon him hurried to get that claim settled first. No one had any mercy. They sold his furniture, they made him bankrupt, they tugged and clawed at him like so many fiends. And Tubbs's little reign was over.

CATHERINE MERCIER.

A TALE OF THE INUNDATIONS IN FRANCE.

lotin are connected with the parent city by several handsome bridges. The faubourg of Les Brotteaux is built upon the

LYONS, the second city in France, and very ground on which, the revolutionary

massacres took place, the of which it preserves in a monumental chapel, erected at the end of a street called the "Avenue des Martyrs." Stately buildings are arising on all sides, but, as in the city itself, the more retired streets are narrow and dirty, with tall houses on either hand, making perpetual twilight, containing family above family in their eight, nine, and sometimes even ten flats, until an almost incredible population dwells upon a very small superficial space of ground.

the seat of the celebrated manufacture of silks, is built principally upon a tongue of land formed by the confluence of the Saone with the Rhone, a situation of great advantage commercially, as it affords the facility of water communication both with the Mediterranean and the Atlantic; but, from the low level upon which most of the city stands, and from the rapid and often swollen currents of the rivers, it has frequently been the scene of most terrible inundations. Embankments have been formed at various points to guard the city from its watery foes; but, though useful in restraining any ordinary rise, they are totally inadequate to protect the lower parts of the place from the powerful floods which occasionally overwhelm the unprepared inhabitants, causing such loss of life and property as can scarcely be imagined by people at a distance. Lyons has, however, even a more terrible element than the angry waters running through her streets. In 1794, when Collet d'Herbois and his terrorist associates held their tribunal in the Hotel de Ville, the executions were so numerous that human blood was poured forth like water, and with its crimson current flooded the Place des Terreaux. So horrible was the sight that the agents of the Convention, fearing lest the inhabitants should rise, gave up the guillotine as too much exposed and too tardy for their vengeance; they transported their prisoners across the Rhone, and in the open fields on the left bank of that river, with no hearts near them that felt one touch of pity, were the helpless vic-rection of Les Brotteaux. tims slowly mowed down by discharges of grape and canister, and scenes were enacted, which gave to Lyons a preeminence of suffering, even among the many ill-look at; and the smiling mouth, just overfated cities of France.

The sun was setting one evening during the last week in May, 1856. Heavy rains had poured down hopelessly the whole day, and the sky was dark and lowering, except in the west, where the glorious orb had broken through the clouds, after many struggles, to throw his welcome light upon the city for a few minutes. His rays were but feeble, for the same relentless rain which had just ceased had prevailed for many days, and the very atmosphere seemed saturated. New-born rivulets ran down the narrow streets, finding their way to the great swollen, yellow Rhone, which coursed along with accelerated speed to its ocean home. But, as butterflies come forth to the summer sun, so did the gay inhabitants of Lyons pour forth to enjoy for a short time the fresh air unmixed with rain, and the streets were crowded with people.

Among the many foot passengers who were crossing the Pont Morand, was a young soldier, walking briskly in the diHis regi

mentals were faded and worn, having evidently seen hard service. His face was sunburned, but a pleasant one withal to

shadowed by a juvenile moustache, and But the open fields which witnessed the sparkling, intelligent eyes, seemed to these guilty deeds are open fields no more. say that he, Victor Chapereau, was in Though the city at the time of the Revo- high good humor with himself and all the lution was confined to the narrow tongue world. And certainly, if any one had reaof land between the two rivers, and the son to be happy and thankful, it was he, opposite bank of the Saone, comprising for he had just returned in honor and the suburbs of St. Croix and Fourvieres, safety from the Crimea, and was on his it has, since the commencement of the way to Les Brotteaux to see Catherine present century, extended to the left bank Mercier, who, four years before, when he of the Rhone, and the populous and stately left Lyons, had almost promised to be his districts of Les Brotteaux and La Guil-bride.