admiring the beauties of the evening, while the ship's musicians were doing all in their power to murder time and harmony for their amusement. The seamen were in high glee, for the quarter-master had heard the officer of the forenoon watch report the latitude at noon to the Captain 20' N.; and they knew that Neptune would soon make his appearance. Just as the increasing dusk of evening began to render objects indistinct and obscure, the look-out on the forecastle called out, "A light right ahead, Sir !" "Very well, my boy; keep your eye upon it, and let me know if we near it," said the officer of the deck. In a short time the man exclaimed, "The light is close aboard of us, Sir ;" and immediately a loud confused roaring noise was heard, and a Stentorian voice bawled out, "Ho! the ship ahoy!" "Hollo!" said the officer. "What ship is that?" "The Heavitree." "What! my old friend Captain Blowhard? He is welcome back again. Tell him his old friend Neptune means to pay him a visit to-morrow at 10 o'clock, and hopes he will warn his children to have their chins in readiness for his razor. Good night." "Good night." "Won't you go forward and see Neptune's car," said the young Mid, to our friend Pat; it is worth your while to look at the old boy whisking along at the tail of half a score of dolphins, with a poop-light, as big as the full moon, blazing over his stern: you can see him quite plain from the forecastle." "Sure, I'll go see the fun whatever it is," said Pat, and off they ran, followed by about a dozen of the poop loungers, the reefer suddenly disappearing under the galley-deck, while the cads rushed up on the forecastle, where they had hardly effected a safe landing, when splash-splash-splash-bucket after bucket of water came thundering down upon their heads from the foretop; and loud shouts of laughter from all parts of the ship indicated the general joy at witnessing the astonishment and discomfiture of the gulpins. In the meantime, Neptune's 23 ATHENEUM, VOL. 9, 2d series. car, in the shape of a lighted tar-barrel, went slowly astern, casting an unsteady flickering light on the sails and rigging as it passed and was seen floating in the ship's wake, till its dwindling flame disappeared in the distance, like a star sinking beneath the horizon. The character of the scene was completely altered since the final disappearance of the sun below the horizon. A brilliant moon shone clearly in a bright and cloudless sky, her bright beams riding on a path of liquid silver over the sea, while the gigantic shadow of the ship seemed to be skimming its way through the myriads of glittering stars, reflected from the thickly-studded heaven. No sooner were the decks washed in the morning, than the "active note of preparation" was heard among the eager sailors, who had been for weeks anticipating the pleasures of that day. The jolly-boat was taken down from the booms, and placed at the gangway; all the pumps in the ship were set in motion, the scuppers choked to prevent the escape of the water, and in a very short time the whole deck was afloat; while the jolly-boat, full to the gunwale, was ready to answer the purpose of a comfortable bathing-tub, and a party-coloured pole erected over it, with a sign purporting that this was Neptune's easy shavingshop. A screen was drawn across the fore-part of the waist, to conceal the operations of the actors in the approaching ceremony. All was bustle and animation: the carpenter's gang converting an old gun-carriage into a triumphal car; the gunner preparing flags for its decoration ; his mate busy with his paint-brush bedaubing the tars who were to act as sea-horses; and the charioteer preparing and putting on Neptune's livery. At length all was ready for the reception of the king of the sea. "On deck there!" cried the man at the mast-head. "Hollo," replied the officer of the watch. ""A strange sail in sight, right ahead, Sir." "Very well, my boy, can you make out what she is ?" "She looks like a boat, Sir." The officer made his report to the Captain, who desired to be informed when the boat was near the ship. Among the apparently joyous group on the poop, many a white cheek was now seen to belie the loud laughter of its owner. "We are nearing the boat fast, Sir !"—and the Captain made his appearance on deck to reconnoitre the approaching stranger. "Ho! the ship ahoy!" cried a loud voice ahead: "lay your maintopsail to the mast, and give us a rope for the boat." "Forecastle there! A rope for the boat. Let go the main-top-bowline! Afterguard! square away the mainyard!" bawled the officer of the deck, repeating the Captain's orders. we A bugle note was now heard, and Neptune made his appearance over the ship's bows. He was dressed in sheep-skins, with a flaxen beard descending to his waist, and a trident in his hand, with a fine fish sticking on the prongs. After he had descended into the waist, the screen have before mentioned was withdrawn, and the procession moved on. First came the ship's band, fantastically dressed for the occasion, and playing"Rule Britannia," with might and main; next followed the triumphal car, decorated with various coloured flags, in which were seated Neptune, Amphitrite, and Triton; and immediately in the rear followed the suite, consisting of the barber, doctor, scribe, and about a dozen party-coloured demi-gods acting as water bailiffs. Previous to the outset of the procession, all those unfortunates who had never crossed the line, were driven below; the gratings were laid on fore and aft, and sentries stationed at the hatch-ways to prevent an escape. On came the pageant: Neptune looked as majestic as his trident and sheep-skins could make him; Amphitrite, with the assistance of a little red paint, and oakum locks, and arrayed in the cast-off robes of some of the lady passengers, was a passable representation of a she-monster;-the barber brandished his razors,-the scribe displayed his list, and looked vastly knowing, with his three-cornered hat, floured wig, pen behind his ear, and ink-horn dangling at his button-hole; the horses pranced as uncouthly, and looked as unlike sea-horses, as possible; and the coachman, proud of his livery and shoulder-knots, cracked his whip, and contrived, by dint of singing out "hard a-port" to his horses, to weather the after hatchway, and then bear up round the capstan, where, with a graceful 66 pull up" of the reins, very much like " a strong pull at the mainbrace," and an "avast there" to his obedient cattle, he stopped the car. The Captain was waiting under the poop awning to receive Mr. Neptune, and an interesting conversation commenced, too long to be inserted here, but which ended in his Majesty's giving the Captain to understand that his long morning ride over the waves had given himself and his lady a vile cold in the stomach; a hint which the Captain's steward perfectly understood, and administered to his wants accordingly. The whole of his suite were immediately seized with the same complaint, and all required the application of the same remedy. Neptune then thrust out his trident to the Captain's steward with a graceful air, as if he meant to impale him, but it was merely for the purpose of presenting the fish on its prongs, as an addition to "his honour, the Captain's dinner." During this interview, the men were all standing near the gang-way armed with buckets of water, wet swabs, &c. and impatient for the commencement of the fun. At length the band struck up "Off she goes." "Carry on, you lubbers," said the coachman; crack went the whip, off pranced the horses, and away whirled the car, which no sooner approached the gang-way than the procession was greeted with torrents of water, and his godship was half smothered with his own element. After the first effusions of greeting were over, Neptune left his car, and mounted up ca the booms, where he sat in regal state to superintend the operations of the day. Beside him was seated the fair Amphitrite; her dripping white robes glued to her elephant-like limbs, and her wet oakum locks clinging to her cheek, like sea-weed to a weather-beaten rock. The clerk handed to his Majesty a list of his children, who were recommended to kind and particular attention. "Saunders McQuake is the first on the list," said Neptune: "bring him up." Away scampered the tritons (or constables,) who were naked to the waist, the upper part of their bodies hideously painted, fantasticlooking caps on their heads, and short painted staves in their hands. The main hatch grating was lifted, and up came poor Saunders, with a face as white as the handkerchief which covered his eyes, and shivering with anticipation, shouldered by two tritons. His tormentors seated him on the edge of the jolly-boat at the gangway, and the barber, turning towards Neptune, said "Please your honour, which shall I use ?" holding up at the same time three razors, two of which might well have been mistaken for saws of different magnitudes, and the third made of a smooth iron hoop, without any teeth. "Let us hear what he has to say for himself first," said Neptune: "Where do you come from, Saunders ?" "From Scot-oh! oh!" cried the poor fellow, as the barber thrust a well-filled tar-brush into his mouth. long is it since you left it?-but Saunders had gained experience: he set his teeth, pressed his lips together, and sat a ludicrous picture of fear mixed with desperate resolution. "A close Scot, I see," said Neptune; 'give him soap to soften his phizzog, and teach him to open his mouth.' The barber lathered his patient's cheeks with tar, brandished his 66 "How smoothest razor with most becoming grace, and completed the operation without scraping much skin off. The doctor, with his vial of tar-water, and his box of indescribable pills, stood by, ready to take advantage of every involuntary gasp of the poor Scotchman. At a given signal, the bandage was taken from his eyes, and he was thrown suddenly backwards, and left floundering in the water till some charitable hand dragged him out. Half drowned, and blind with salt water, he rushed onwards, he knew not where, like a hare before its pursuers, and stumbled over a rope stretched purposely across the deck as a trap for the unwary, and while he lay prostrate he received the contents of all the buckets in the ship on his head. Again he rose-again he ran—and again he fell; but at last, having run the gauntlet through the whole length of the waist, he gained the forecastle, seized a bucket, and hastened to console himself for his fright and suffering by inflicting upon another all that he had endured himself. All the uninitiated danced to the same tune as Saunders, with the barber's variations of-smooth, rougher, roughest; and it would be tedious, as well as unnecessary, to describe the course of treatment pursued by the doctor towards each individual patient. When the whole list of the condemned had been gone through, Neptune (now a watery god no longer) dived below to take his share of the extra grog allowed to the ship's company; the small sails (which had been previously furled) were set by the watch, and a light breeze springing up, as if in honour of Neptune's departure, the Heavitree, with all her canvass spread, began to move slowly and steadily through the water beneath its influence. SCENE IN A DALECARLIAN MINE. BY MRS. HEMANS. "Oh! fondly, fervently, those two had loved; "HASTE, with your torches, haste! make firelight round!" -They speed, they press-what hath the miners found? Relic or treasure, giant sword of old? Gems buried deep, rich veins of burning gold? -Not so-the dead, the dead! An awe-struck band, Chained by one feeling, hushing e'en their breath, A sleeper, dreaming not!-a youth, with hair Had touched those pale bright features-yet he wore Who could unfold that mystery ? From the throng Gush'd in low broken tones :-" And there thou art! As for a few brief hours!-My friend, my friend! First-love, and only one! Is this the end Of hope deferred, youth blighted? Yet thy brow Smiles-how unchanged!-while I, the worn, and weak, If thou couldst look on me!—a withered leaf, Unto the dead. My Ulric! through the night How have I called thee !—with the morning light How have I watched for thee !-wept, wandered, prayed, TRAVELLING BY NIGHT-THE YOUNG SOLDIER'S FURLOUGH. TRAVELLING by night affords a pleasure, which in some degree compensates for the interruption occasioned to observation by darkness and obscurity. The outside of a mail-coach is the best of all situations for the enjoyment of this pleasure; and while journeying rapidly in such a manner through the heart of the midland counties, he must be a strangely insensible creature who is incapable of feeling the changes, which, from the first fresh hour of morning, to the deepest repose of night, are continually occurring. The revelry of noontide, rich and joyous, as if the elements had agreed to club their sweetest influence to heighten it; the tempered warmth, the soberer gladness and beauty of the afternoon hours; and then the eventide, sparkling with something of the morning's brilliancy, and only contrasted with it by the sighing of the night breezes that are heard murmuring among the distant hills; there are few who have not enjoyed watching these progresses of the day, but rare it is that we find any one equally alive to the solemn pomp and language of the night as it passes on from one silent watch to another. Nothing, however, can be finer than the calm and silent manifestations of nature working under its deep shadows, and carrying on the great mystery of being independently of man's intervention or control. As the evening dies away into a cold clear twilight, the huge world seems gathering up itself and settling into repose; then the broad heavy shadows, that lay like a folded up curtain in the valleys, are spread out over hill and plain; the hush of the wide universe becomes deeper and deeper, and the midnight comes in the fulness of its hours, brooding over the earth, like a mighty spirit of embodied time. As this watch of the night wanes away, hour after hour produces some change in the face of nature, in the floating sounds of the air, the hues of the overhanging clouds, or the forms of the shadows; and we feel that nature is finishing her work of renovation and preparing again to unveil herself. There is a mystery of beauty in these changes of night, that awakens many a sweet and solemn thought; and when aided by any circumstances of individual feeling, produces sensations of the most exquisite kind. In travelling, also, as we have said, the chances of the road are sure to present some object to heighten the feelings thus awakened, and to give the heart a vent for the deepened and hallowed stream of its humanity. I was once travelling by the mail, through a part of the country, which being only famous as an agricultural district, afforded little to amuse one unacquainted with any of the signs that foretell whether crops will be good or bad. There was, however, among the objects of rural life that it presented, a sufficient degree of simple picturesque beauty to console me for the absence of other and less familiar sights; and as we passed rapidly through little slumbering villages, or by the door of some lonely cottage on the road-side, a variety of pleasing images presented themselves, that my heart seized on as the types of human happiness in its least variable forms. Deep and unbroken was the repose of these quiet spots; not a foot was stirring near them, nor a waking sound to be heard; peace had smoothed the pillow of the peasant, and was now keeping her watch round his habitation. I had been for some time enjoying such reflections as these, as the changes of the night progressively took place. It was now a little past one in the morning, and I had arrived near the place at which it was necessary for me to leave the mail, and wait for a conveyance to pursue |