amateurs, the Fladgate Company selected for their performances two of the most popular pieces of the day, in order, I suppose, to exemplify how they ought not to be acted, which is the next best thing to a perfect representation. However, the Folkestone audience, which consisted of all the rank and fashion in the neighbourhood, were not disposed to be too critical; they remembered that the amateurs played for charity, and that charity covereth a multitude of sins, so they not only gave their money, but kindly added their applause. The last was, I fear, a mistaken kindness, for it encouraged Captain Fladgate to suggest a repetition of the Company's efforts at Dover. He made the proposal at supper, when the play was over, and, flushed with champagne, it was at once agreed to, the details being reserved for discussion at breakfast on the following morning. It would have done a professional actor's heart good-had he survived it-to have heard the compliments that flew about at the aforesaid supper: even the "Sticks" came in for their share of praise-(from Captain Fladgate and each other)—but there was complete unanimity as to the triumphant success of Major Merryman, whom Lord MacSherry, who remembered "what the stage used to be," at once pronounced "shuparior" to Dicky Suett or John Kemble. This commendation, rather Irish in its way, may have been a trifle overdone, but what his lordship meant was perfectly understood, everybody, including Mr. Wrottesley Jones, agreeing that Major Merryman was the mainstay of the Company-Bottom the Weaver, without his conceit. The Major bore his blushing honours with becoming modesty, not insensible to the praise so liberally bestowed, but prizing as his real reward the approving smile of Alice Elton, when the party broke up for the night. Ten o'clock was the hour at which the Fladgate Company were accustomed to muster at the breakfast-table; and so many attractions were there, substantial as well as etherial, that it was a rare occurrence when any one came late; but on the morning after the performance three chairs were vacant. 66 "I say," exclaimed Captain Fladgate, looking up from the Folkestone Gazette, in which he was reading a glowing account of "The Amateur Histrionics," with Messrs. Cadby, Roach, Stokes, and Sythers anxiously peering over his shoulder to see what the Folkestone critic said of them "I say, Merryman, just hear this-what, isn't he down yet?-why it's a quarter past ten,-rather done up, I suppose, with last night's exertions; I don't see all the ladies either! Who are absent? Mrs. and Miss Elton too!" "Dear me!" said Mrs. Blackadder, "I hope nobody is ill. Mrs. Elton is always so punctual. Thank you, Mr. Wrottesley Jones, I will take some broiled chicken ;-only two lumps of sugar, Mrs. Fladgate ;I should be so sorry to think that anything had happened." And Mrs. Blackadder went on with her breakfast as cheerfully as she would have done had she been quite certain that a serious misfortune had just befallen one of her dearest friends. "Merryman," continued Captain Fladgate, as he balanced a bloater on his fork, "is such an early bird, that I can't account for his not being down." "Perhaps," suggested Matilda Parsons, with a gentle giggle, "the Major is on duty somewhere." And, to give point to this dark allusion, she glanced at Miss Elton's vacant place. "But then," she continued, sotto voce, to Mrs. Blackadder, "Mrs. Elton is absent too, and on such occasions a mamma, you know, is rather de trop." "Very true, my dear," replied the lady appealed to, speaking as intelligibly as a mouthful of muffin would allow her. "Really," said Mrs. Fladgate, "I think we had better send up to Mrs. Elton's room. Mr. Sythers, may I trouble you to ring the bell?" But at that moment the door opened, and Mrs. Elton entered the room. She cast a hasty glance round her, which comprehended every one present, and then drew near the breakfast-table. "I'm afraid I am rather behind time," she said, "but the truth is, Alice has got such a severe headache, and feels so-so-uncom-I mean so unwell"-here Mrs. Elton looked up and down the table-" that I have persuaded her to lie down again for half an hour." A cup of tea, that never failing feminine remedy for all ailments, was of course suggested by every lady present, and conditionally accepted by Mrs. Elton after her daughter had had a little sleep, and when a sufficient amount of regret had been expressed on Miss Elton's account, the continued absence of Major Merryman came again on the tapis. What could have become of him? A waiter was sent for. He gave the usual answer in similar cases. "He know'd nothing whatever concerning of the gent, which it was a stoutish gent he believed as the Capting was inquiring after-but he would speak to the 'all porter." He went out, but returned without any intelligence; one of the chambermaids had been sent up to the stoutish gent's room, the door was ajar, no answer had been returned to her knock, and she had gone in, but no one was there; the occupant of the room had slept there, however, for the bed was tumbled, the pillows awry, and the dressing-things scattered about, after the usual manner of bachelors. She supposed the gent had gone out for a walk and lost his way, unless, perhaps, he had tumbled into the 'arbour and was drownded in the mud. This consolatory supposition created quite a sensation amongst the company, but no one appeared so much agitated as Mrs. Elton, though she said she felt sure-that is to say, she trusted the Major couldn't have done anything so foolish-she meant so rash-that is to say, she hoped no accident had befallen him; contradictory expressions, which caused Mrs. Blackadder and Matilda Parsons to exchange very significant glances. "I'll tell you what," said Sir Michael O'Daisy, "this is getting quare. Waither-where's Mr. Faulkner? If there's anything going on in Folkestone, he's sure to know all about it. Faulkner's the boy to put matters right when once they go wrong; I only wish we had him before Sebastopol!" Mr. Faulkner, who will pardon me for endorsing not only Sir Michael's opinion, but that of all who have had the advantage of his invaluable services, was speedily found, the case was stated, and his advice requested. His first proceeding was to despatch a dozen emissaries to scour the place in every direction, and then he gave a patient hearing to everybody's contradictory supposition. While thus engaged, the waiter already mentioned re-entered the apartment with a letter, which, he said, had just been left at the bar for "the Capting." It was VOL. XXXVII. N a very dirty-looking missive, and written in pencil. Captain Fladgate hastily tore off the envelope, and as he did so, Mr. Faulkner's quick eye took note of a grimy fellow who shot past the window. He nodded approvingly to Sir Michael O'Daisy, and moved towards the door, but paused to hear the contents of the letter which Captain Fladgate read aloud. It came, as all anticipated, from Major Merryman, and ran as follows: "DEAR FLADGATE,-A most unhappy event has occurred which compels me to separate myself from friends in whose society I have enjoyed too much real happiness not to feel eternally grateful. I deeply regret to be the cause of inconvenience to the company, but I fear this must be the case, as under the circumstances it would be impossible for me again to appear before the public. What those circumstances are I dare not allude to, only this I wish to be believed: that however guilty I may seem, my crime was accidental. I would rather have died a thousand deaths than be a thing which every man of honour must turn from with a shudder. I will not say remember me to all my kind friends, for the only boon I ask of them is, that they should at once obliterate from their memories the recollection of the miserable "MATTHEW MERRYMAN. "I seek no reply, as before this reaches you I shall be far beyond its reach." "This is a most inexplicable communication," said Captain Fladgate, as soon as he had ended; "I begin to fear that our excellent friend must be a little touched. And yet, however strangely worded, his letter is not incoherent; he writes as if he had done something which was known to some of us. Can anybody"-and here he looked round the room- -" can anybody throw a ray of light on the mystery ?" There was a dead silence for nearly a minute. It was broken at last by Mrs. Elton, who said, in a faltering voice: "I think-if-Mrs. Fladgate-and Lady Rubble-would be-kind enough-to-step with me-into the-the-to accompany me up-stairsI could-perhaps-afford some clue to-but pray-pray-try and find Major Merryman, and assure him that-that he need not distress himself any further-that he must return-as he values my-my daughter's -friendship." “I'll find him,” said Mr. Faulkner-"I'll put my hand on him in two minutes." Lady Rubble and Mrs. Fladgate withdrew with Mrs. Elton, and Mr. Faulkner, darting out of the hotel, posted off to the harbour as fast as his legs could carry him. He was the first to reappear, and when he did so he was not alone, but like a policeman conducting a pratique, led by the arm the self-accusing Major. "When a gentleman sends a note by a stoker," said Mr. Faulkner, triumphantly, as he walked in with his prize, "the chances are he's not far from a steam-engine." The fact is, he had discovered the Major snugly stowed away on board the Lord Warden, anxiously waiting for the moment of the vessel's departure for Boulogne, and all Mr. Faulkner's eloquence to deter him from going would have been vain, if he had not dwelt with full Hibernian emphasis upon the last words of Mrs. Elton. "Sure, Major," said he, "when a lady sends a message like that, it's not in a man's power to have a will of his own!" A secret which is confided to two fair ladies at once is sure to be kept. Lady Rubble and Mrs. Fladgate were models of discretion, and I cannot imagine that they would have betrayed the confidence reposed in them, but somehow or other-perhaps Mrs. Blackadder wormed it out-the cause of Major Merryman's flight became generally known before the day was half an hour older. It appears, that on the morning of his attempted evasion he had risen early to take a shower-bath at the bottom of the corridor where his room was situated. That feat accomplished, he was returning to finish his toilette, but, mistaking a turning, got into a wrong gallery, and finally entered a chamber not his own, where, to his indescribable confusion, he saw a young lady sitting on the edge of her bed-in the act of putting on her stocking! FAIRY LAND. BY G. W. THORNBURY. O FOR an Hippogriff to bear me swift So might I hope to press Titania's hand In spite of all her knights' thick-crowding band; Or clambering o'er some blackened mountain's rift, Espy a castle bosomed deep in trees, I wind the ivory horn beside the gate. No answer but the whispering of the breeze. But hark! a bugle very distant rang; Nearer and nearer, till with clash and clang, I strike his shield, he turns to marble black and cold. THE GERMAN ALMANACKS FOR 1855. BEFORE we proceed to take our annual peep at the contents of the German almanacks, we think it advisable to say a few words on their origin, and the predominant influence which they exercise on the minds of their almost innumerable readers. In truth, these almanacks are most potent instruments for good or evil; in this country, we may safely aver that the masses are influenced pre-eminently by their newspaper, and their opinions are the reflex of those emanating from the politicians who deal in various sobriquets more or less absurd. In Germany, however, the periodical press is almost in its infancy, and will probably remain so until the governments abolish the censorship: hence the nation at large derives its views almost exclusively from the almanacks, which appear with the commencement of the year, and which, with the Bible and the hymn-book, form the popular library. The first people's calendar appeared in the year 1811, under the auspices of Christian Andrée. Its principal object was to combine the amusing with the instructive, and, consequently, it contained short tales, lessons in natural history, domestic recipes, &c. It was speedily followed by Gubitz, Nieritz, the "Rhenish House-friend," and the "Ant Calendar," all carried out on the same principle. When, however, the people gradually began to take an interest in questions of the present day, political instruction was imparted in the almanacks, and Berthold Auerbach's "Gevattersmann," which first appeared in 1845, is exclusively devoted to that subject. The most extensive of these almanacks, and, at the same time the one which most retained its original purpose, is the "Austria," of which Dr. Kaltenback, the present keeper of the imperial records at Vienna, was the original promoter. From the list of German almanacks now lying before us, we find that thirteen appear in Prussia, four in Austria, two in Saxony, and one in Bavaria and Hanover respectively. Of these the following are religious : "The Christian Calendar," in Hanover; an Evangelical in Vienna, and a Lutheran in Breslau; as well as two Catholic almanacks, appearing in Prussia and Austria; the remainder are secular. For the present we will confine ourselves to an examination of the chief of the latter class. The first we have to hand is "Gubitz," now in its twenty-first year, which contains a great quantity of matter, though it is difficult to say from it whether it has any other design than that of affording some transient amusement. The best story is one by the celebrated Caroline Birch Pfeiffer, written for peasants about peasants. The "Illustrated Almanack" is a much more pretentious affair, costing a thaler and a half, and is published at the office of the Illustrated Leipzig News. It is full of wood-engravings, which, to our fancy, have already appeared in the paper. It is divided into various departments-historical, commercial, scientific, military, &c.; and contains a very large quantity of highly useful information, both for Germans and foreigners, but the price is much too high for it to have an extensive circulation. Steffen's "Volks Calendar" is now in its eleventh year. In addition to various stories by authors of repute, it contains a short résumé of the principal events of the past year, and a very useful table of the several German railways and |