place, full of a certain dumb, wistful | enough on that strange evening, which quiet-almost stupor of mind, had pass- she passed as in a dream. With an idea ed away from her. Life had come along that ornament was necessary, and perwith the new living figure which had haps not without some pleasure in the placed itself in the foreground of her novelty of having the little morocco box picture. Her heart beat with the vibra- full of trinkets, which her father had altion of her first strange childish happi- ways kept in his own hands, handed over ness at the sight of her cousin, but in the to her keeping, she had put on a trinket very midst of this there came a sting of which took her fancy, and which was atsharp wonder and pain, that acute sur-tached to a little chain. It was a very prised disappointment which women are brilliant ornament indeed, set with emerapt to feel when the man whose company alds and rubies, in a quaint design, the they themselves prefer to everything background of which was formed by small shows himself capable of going away diamonds. The effect of this upon her from them, and preferring some kind of very simple black frock may be conpleasure separate from them to that ceived. Mrs. Drainham was scandalized, which can be had in their society. "If yet impressed. Impossible not to look he was glad to find me, if he came so far upon a girl possessed of such a jewel for me, why could not he have stayed with some additional respect and yet with me?" Innocent was not sufficiently the impropriety, the unappropriateness advanced either in intellectual or emo- of wearing it at such a time was almost tional life to put such a question into "past speaking of," Mrs. Drainham felt. words, but it was vaguely in her mind, "You should wear nothing but jet orfilling her in her childish inexperience naments with such deep mourning," she with a pain almost as great as the new said. “A plain gold locket might have pleasure which had come with her new done if you have no jet; but this, my friend. The morning masses were all dear, is quite out of character. You must over; there was no service going on, no try and recollect these things when you candles lighted upon the altar, which go among your relations. They will wonglimmered with all its tall white tapers der that you know so little. They might through the gloom. Everything was perhaps think it heartless of you. Was silent; now and then a half seen figure it your mother's? It is very pretty. You stealing in, dropping down to say a prayer or two, and with mysterious genuflexion gliding away again. A few people, like Innocent, sat in different corners quite still, with their eyes towards the altar; they were chiefly old people, worn old women and benumbed old men, doing nothing, perhaps thinking nothing, glad only like the forlorn child, of the peacefulness, the stillness, the religiousness about. Here and there was one, who, with clasped hands and rapt face, gazed up at some dark picture on the wall, and "wrestled "like Jacob; but the most part showed little emotion of any kind; they found a shelter perhaps for their confused thoughts, perhaps only for the torpor of their worn-out faculties. But anyhow, they were the better for being there, and so was Innocent. She sat quite still for a long time, rather the subject of her thoughts than exercising any control over them, and then she turned her chair round again and knelt and said the Lord's Prayer, and went away.

She went to Mrs. Drainham's with her cousin as mechanically as she had said her prayers. Her appearance was strange

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must take great care of such an ornament as this; but you must be sure never to wear it when you are in mourning." This was said when she was alone in the drawing-room with Innocent after dinner. And then she, too, began to inquire into the packing and the wraps for the journey. She gave Innocent a great deal of advice, which I fear was quite lost upon her, and offered to go next day to see to her preparations. The girl sat much as she had sat in the Church of the Spina, with her hands crossed on her lap, listening vaguely. She did not know what to say, and her attention wandered often, as the stream of counsel flowed on. She had done no packing still, and had no idea what to do about the wraps; and Frederick scarcely seemed to belong to her, in this strange room, where she sat in a kind of waking dream, ashamed of her poor frock, ashamed of her rich jewel, not knowing what to make of herself. Poor little Innocent! perhaps, on the whole, in this new rush of emotions that filled her, there was rather less pleasure than pain.

SHORT SPEECHES

From Chambers' Journal.

AND CURT CORRE

SPONDENCE.

our working-men, and may they have plenty of work and good wages to buy fish and support their families. God bless WHEN people are driven half distracted the Prince of Wales and all the royal with long speeches in and out of Parlia- family. God save the Queen!" ment, and sigh for brevity, it is delightful Sir Arthur Helps somewhere suggests to call up recollections of the possibility that clergymen would be more successful of saying much to the point in few words. in attacking the pockets of their flocks if We sometimes wish that our accom-they sent round the plates before instead plished legislators would take a lesson of after the sermon, with the understandfrom the first speech of the Maori mem-ing that if they gave liberally they should ber of the New Zealand General Assem- be let off from the sermon altogether. bly: "England is a great nation. The The experiment might be worth trying, Maoris are a great people. The English although it would be unnecessary if charhave called us to this great house. We ity sermons were modelled upon Swift's sit here. They have pounded my cow at well-known laconic appeal. A more modWangunui. I have done." This was ern instance of the efficacy of brevity in sufficiently brief; but perhaps the short- a good cause may be cited. M. Dupanest speech ever delivered in any legisla- loup, the eloquent Bishop of Orleans, tive chamber was that of the member of preaching in behalf of the distressed the United States Congress, who, having workmen of Rouen, contented himself got out this sentence: "Mr. Speaker, the with saying: "This is no time for long generality of mankind in general are dis- sermons, but for good works. You are posed to exercise oppression on the gen- all acquainted with the calamities of erality of mankind in general,” was pulled those whose cause I have come this day down to his seat by a friend, with the re- to plead. Once upon a time a king, mark: “You'd better stop; you are com- whose name is still cherished by us, said ing out of the same hole you went in at!" to his companions-in-arms, on whom he Daniel Webster was apt to over-indulge thought with reason he could rely: 'My himself at public dinners, but managed, good friends, I am your king; you are when called upon, to make a speech - if Frenchmen. Yonder is the enemy; let a brief one. At Rochester, New York, us march!' I will not address you in he once delighted the company with the other words to-day than these. I am following: "Men of Rochester, I am glad your bishop; you are Christians. Yonder to see you, and I am glad to see your no- are, not our enemies, but our brethren ble city. Gentlemen, I saw your falls, who suffer. Let us flee to their sucwhich I am told are one hundred and fifty cour!" The result was the collection of feet high. That is a very interesting fact. more than six hundred pounds. Edwin, Gentlemen, Rome had her Cæsar, her a once popular English actor, is credited Scipio, her Brutus, but Rome in her with the authorship of one of the briefest proudest days had never a waterfall a of sermons, his text being: “Man is born hundred and fifty feet high! Gentlemen, to trouble as the sparks fly upwards."Greece had her Pericles, her Demosthe- "I shall consider this discourse under nes, and her Socrates, but Greece in her three heads. First, man's ingress into palmiest days never had a waterfall a hun- the world; secondly, man's progress dred and fifty feet high. Men of Roches- through the world; thirdly, man's egress ter, go on! No people ever lost their out of the world; and liberties who had a waterfall a hundred and fifty feet high!" On another occasion Webster finished up with: "Gentlemen, there's the national debt-it should be paid; yes, gentlemen, it should be paid. I'll pay it myself. How much is it?" In a similar strain, Peggy Potts, a fish-dealer, made her début as a public speaker on the opening of a new fishmarket at Sunderland, and, considering all things, did not acquit herself badly, for this was her speech: "God bless our fishermen, pilots, and sailors, and when they return from the deep waters may they reach the port in safety. God bless

First-Man's ingress into the world is naked

and bare.

Secondly- His progress through the world is trouble and care.

Lastly- His egress out of the world is nobody
knows where.

If we do well here, we shall do well there;
I can tell you no more if I preach for a year."

The last time Justice Foster went the Oxford circuit he dismissed the grandjurymen to their work with: "Gentlemen -The weather is extremely hot; I am very old, and you are well acquainted with your duty-practise it!" Equally curt, if not quite so courteous, was the

Irish judge, who, after his two brethren | Aberdeen, the premier of the Coalition had delivered opposite judgments at great Ministry, was remarkable for the little length, said: "It is now my turn to de-use he made of his tongue. When, by clare my view of the case, and fortunately way of reconciling him to accompany her I can be brief. I agree with my brother on a sea-trip, the Queen smilingly obJ—, from the irresistible force of my served: "I believe, my lord, you are not brother B's arguments." In an ac- often sea-sick?" "Always, madam,” was tion for slander, Justice Cresswell put the the brief but significant reply. "But," case to the jury in the emphatic words: said her Majesty, "not very sea-sick?" "Gentlemen-The defendant's a foul-"Very, madam," said the uncompromismouthed fellow. What damages?"—an ing minister. Wellington, we need hardly example of judicial brevity only to be say, was not given to use too many words. matched by Baron Alderson's address to One example of his economy this way a convicted prisoner who prayed that will suffice. The Duke wrote to Dr. HutGod might strike him dead where he ton for information as to the scientific stood if he were not innocent. After a acquirements of a young officer who had moment's silence, the judge sternly and been under his instruction. The doctor coldly said: "Prisoner at the bar, as thought he could not do less than answer Providence has not interposed in behalf the question verbally, and made an apof society, the sentence of the court is, pointment accordingly. Directly Wellingthat you be transported for the term of ton saw him, he said: "I am obliged to twenty years." An American judge once you, doctor, for the trouble you have intervened in an odd way to prevent a taken. Is fit for the post? Clearing waste of words. He was sitting in cham- his throat, Dr. Hutton began: No man bers, and seeing from the piles of papers more so, my lord; I can "That's in the lawyers' hands that the first case quite sufficient," said Wellington: “I was likely to be hardly contested, he know how valuable your time is; mine asked: "What is the amount in ques-just now is equally so. I will not detain tion ?" "Two dollars," said the plain- you any longer. Good-morning!" tiff's counsel. "I'll pay it," said the judge, handing over the money: "call the next case." He had not the patience of taciturn Sir William Grant, who, after listening for a couple of days to the arguments of counsel as to the construction of an act, quietly observed when they had done: "The act is repealed."

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in Hawke's "I have given the French a good drubbing;" and Napier's punning

Naturally, men of action are generally men of few words. Cæsar was not the only commander capable of announcing a victory briefly. Marlborough's Blenheim despatch would not fill a third of a newspaper column. Suvaroff's. despatch to the empress was in rhyme, and has been translated: "Glory to God, glory to you. An inquisitive French bishop once The fortress is taken; I am here." This caught a Tartar in the Duke de Roque- was excelled in brevity by the Hungarian laire. The latter, passing in haste through general's announcement of his defeat of Lyon, was hailed by the bishop with: Jellachich, the Ban of the Croats, which, "Hi! hi!" The duke stopped. "Where put into English, was simply: "Bem have you come from?" inquired the pre-beat Ban." Admiral Walton's famous late. "Paris," said the duke. "What is "per margin" despatch has its pendant there fresh in Paris?" "Green pease." "But what were the people saying when you left?" "Vespers." "Goodness, man,' broke out the angry questioner, "who are you? What are you called?" "Ignorant people call me Hi! Hi! gentlemen term me the Duke de Roquelaire. - Drive on, postillion!" One morning a woman was shewn into Dr. Abernethy's room; before he could speak, she bared her arm, saying: "Burn." "A poultice," said the doctor. Next day she called again, shewed her arm, and said: "Better." "Continue the poultice." Some days elapsed before Abernethy saw her again; then she said: "Well, your fee?" "Nothing," quoth the great medico: "you are the most sensible woman I ever saw!" Lord

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Peccavi," its fellow in Colin Campbell's " I am in luck now!" although we must own to having doubts as to the authenticity of one of these.

Butler pronounced brevity to be good, whether we are or are not understood: a dictum that capital letter-writer Mrs. Cibber, of histrionic fame, did not accept, for writing to Garrick, she excuses her prolixity, saying: "If I attempted to be laconic, I must either omit what I wanted to say, or run the risk of expressing myself so as not to be understood; besides, my mother taught me, when very young, that the farthest way about was the nearest way home, and you see the force of

Please ordain Stanhope. - YORK." "DEAR YORK Stanhope is ordained.CORK."

education!" Some theatrical celebrities | the colonel receiving his supplies with a managed, nevertheless, to be both brief note running: "Boyd - beef - Brown.” and intelligible. When Knight, by advice Talleyrand acknowledged a pathetic letof an admirer, offered his professional ter from a lady friend announcing her services to Tate Wilkinson, the manager widowhood, with a note of two words: replied: "SIR-I am not acquainted "Hélas! madame!" And when the with any Mr. Phillips except a Quaker, easily consoled dame wrote not very long and he is the last man in the world to re- afterwards soliciting his influence on becommend an actor to my theatre; I don't half of an officer she was about to marry, want you." Knight retorted: "I should he merely replied "Ho! ho! madame !" as soon think of applying to a Methodist More satisfactory to the recipient was parson to preach for my benefit, as to a Lord Eldon's note to his friend Dr. Quaker to recommend me to Mr. Wilkin- Fisher of the Charterhouse: "DEAR son; I don't want to come." Twelve FISHER- I cannot, to-day, give you the months after, the comedian received an- preferment for which you ask. Your other epistle: " Mr. Methodist Parson, I sincere friend.- ELDON. (Turn over) have a living that produces twenty-five I gave it you yesterday." Pleasant to shillings a week: will you hold forth? all parties concerned was the correspondT. W." And the pair made a bargain of ence between the Archbishop of York it. Some of these epistolary crackers are and the Bishop of Cork: "DEAR CORK very amusing. Lord Berkeley wishing to apprise the Duke of Dorset of his changed condition, wrote: "DEAR DORSET I have just been married, and am When a member of Lord North's adthe happiest dog alive.- BERKELEY." ministration, Fox one night took the libHis interesting news being acknowl-erty of walking into one lobby while his edged with: "DEAR BERKELEY Every chief went into the other. As he sat on dog has his day. - DORSET." Mr. Ken- the ministerial bench the next evening, dall, sometime Uncle Sam's Postmaster- one of the door-keepers handed him a general, wanting some information as to note. Upon opening it, the rebellious the source of a river, sent the following politician read: "SIR- His Majesty has note to a village postmaster: "SIR- thought proper to order a new CommisThis department desires to know how far sion of the Treasury, in which I do not the Tombigbee river runs up? - Respect- find the name of Charles James Fox.fully yours, &c." By return mail came: NORTH." Not more agreeable to the re"SIR The Tombigbee does not run up cipient was Henry Drummond's answer at all; it runs down.- Very respectfully to a letter asking him to join the advocates yours, &c." Kendall not appreciating his of the Maine Liquor Law: "SIR - I subordinate's humour, wrote again: "SIR think the Maine Liquor Law perfectly de-Your appointment as postmaster is re- testable, and will do my best to prevent voked; you will turn over the funds, &c. its being adopted here. Yours, H. DRUMpertaining to your office to your succes- MOND.' As a rule, a man with a grievsor." Not at all disturbed by his sum-ance is too proud of his wrongs to be lamary dismissal, the postmaster replied: conic, but here is an exception to the "SIR the revenues for this office for rule. "SIR - I was a lieutenant with the quarter ending September 30 have General Stanhope when he took Minorca been 95 cents; its expenditure, same in 1708, for which he was made a lord. I period, for tallow-candles and twine, 1.05 was a lieutenant with General Blakeney dollars. I trust my successor is instruct- when he lost Minorca in 1756, for which ed to adjust the balance." His superior he was made a lord. I am a lieutenant officer was probably as much disgusted still!" Surely such an appeal ought to with his precise correspondent as the have proved resistless, almost as resistAmerican editor who, writing to a Con- less as that of the dying dramatist : necticut brother: "Send full particulars" DEAR BOB-I have not anything to of the flood" meaning an inundation at that place received for reply: "You will find them in Genesis." A good specimen of Yankee brevity is the order received by a commissariat officer named Brown from a Colonel Boyd, which could scarcely have been couched in fewer words than : "Brown - beef — Boyd."

leave thee to perpetuate my memory but two helpless girls. Look upon them sometimes, and think of him that was to the last moments of his life thine.-G. FARQUHAR."

Bob Johnson the jockey, noted in turf annals by his connection with the famous mare Beeswing, was as chary of his words

From The Spectator.

LORD LYTTON ON THE AGE OF MUR

DERERS.

as his master was of his money. Having | Jones, of New Jersey, laudanum. G. Jento write to Mr. Ord to let him know how kins, of Philadelphia, third-story window." things were going on at home, Bob compressed his information into the smallest possible compass: SIR- The meer's weel; I'm weel; we're all weel.- ROBERT JOHNSON." A pretty connubial effusion was that of the French lady: "I write to you because I have nothing to do, I end my letter because I have nothing to say.' Not so pretty the note chalked upon a tea-tray by a woman who hanged herself after a tiff with her husband: "DEAR JIM — You have driven me to do this little affair. Be good to the dog, and ask Mrs. L. to be kind to the birds."

IN Lord Lytton's last novel, he introduces some curious remarks on the age of murderers, à propos of the conjecture that Macbeth ought to be imagined as not more than twenty-eight when he murdered Duncan. It belongs to youth, he says, to begin the habit of miscalculating its own power in relation to the society in which you live and this habit unless begun in youth, is rarely begun later. But we will give the whole passage:

"Do you think Macbeth was young when he murdered Duncan?" "Certainly. No man ever commits a first crime of violent nature, such as murder, after thirty; if he begins before, he may go on up to any age. But youth is the season for commencing those wrong cal culations which belong to irrational hope and the sense of physical power. You thus read in the newspapers that the persons who murder their sweethearts are generally from two to six-and-twenty; and persons who murder from other motives than love—that is, from revenge, avarice, or ambition—are generally about twenty-eight-Iago's age. Twentyeight is the usual close of the active season for getting rid of one's fellow-creatures — a prize-fighter falls off after that age. I take it that Macbeth was about twenty-eight when he murdered Duncan, and from about fifty-four to sixty when he began to whine about missing the comforts of old age. But can any audience understand that difference of years in seeing a three-hours' play; or does any actor ever pretend to impress it on the audience, and appear at twenty-eight in the first act and as a sexagenarian in the fifth?"

An American paper, the organ of female rights and free-love, says in one of its issues: "On Monday, April 10, five hundred barrels of Cincinnati whiskey were landed on the levee in Louisville. On Wednesday the 12th, the Louisville Courier-Journal appeared without a line of editorial." This suggests a new argument in favour of brevity, for with a little care a man might slander folks to his heart's content with perfect impunity, for such libels by inference would scarcely be actionable. The laconic is just now in favour with transatlantic journalists, who have a knack of making fun out of very serious matters. A circus-rider in Texas tried to turn three somersaults on horseback; the manager sent to New Orleans the following day for another somersault man. — A man warned his wife in New Orleans not to light the fire with kerosene; her clothes fit his second wife remarkably well.- Few mer. would attempt to dry gunpowder in the kitchen stove; a man in Canada did. His afflicted family would be glad of any information as to his whereabouts.- A boy in Detroit disregarded his mother's warning not to skate on the river, as the ice was We take it that Lord Lytton never thin; his mother don't have to cook for made a greater mistake than in the abso many as she did by one.- In Massa-stract conclusion he thus formed. No chusetts, the other day, a man thought he could cross the track in advance of the locomotive: the services at the grave were impressive.

doubt it is true that passionate murders, murders of women by their lovers, committed in violent transports of jealousy, are usually committed young; but then Were this style of reporting to become that is not due to the miscalculation of naturalized here, the penny-a-liner's vo- individual power as regards the rest of cation would be gone. Perhaps we the world, but to absence of all calculashould be none the worse off for that; we tion to the blinding and absorbing heat might well spare the sickening details of of a passion that turns the perpetrators 'frightful accidents" and dreadful of these deeds into something like mere crimes, and who knows but suicides automatons worked for the moment by a might cease to be every-day occurrences spasm of jealousy or despair. Far from if they were chronicled thus: "John sharing Lord Lytton's view as to MacSmith, of New York, revolver. Annie beth, we feel little doubt that Shakespeare

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