Their Marriage.

A young woman, of a good though not very ancient family, appeared to him destined to secure his terrestrial felicity; and, with the consent of his friends, he married her. Corruption and debauchery had not weakened the fibres of their understanding nor the sinews of their bodies; chastity had followed them both from the cradle to the altar; and, as the ties of Hymen were nought but the garlands of Love, their union was the lasting cement of connubial happiness.

Oh! blessed be ye for ever, most worthy couple! Why are you not read

in

your obvious sense by every one, that your example should impress the world with the dignity of your life, and force the wicked to tear off the black pages of their own character, and begin upon blank leaves the remaining part of their sublunary drama.

Two sons and a daughter are the off

Their Children.

springs of there amiable parents. Reflected every moment in the unsullied mirror of their father and mother's conduct, their own is unblemished, and the foul breath of calumny has never yet succeeded in its endeavours to tarnish either.

Elected by the unbribed votes of the freeholders of a large county to be their representative, Lord Hurst, in the house of commons, thunders against corruption and increasing deterioration of constitutional principles-like a great character who is now no more," he stands alone, inaccessible to flattery or interest; and the influence he may have in the distribu-' tion of favours and places is never directed by unlawful or exceptionable impulsion.

99

His Lady is the sharer of all the affections of his heart, all the perceptions of his soul; and their children, the dearest

Conclusion.

pledges of their love, keeping close to the healthy and solid stem, will bear fruit worthy of their origin.

CRITICISM BELOW STAIRS.

"Sic magnis componere parva solebam."

VIRG.

WHILST the Marquis was entertaining the noble Duchess and his amiable sister with the foregoing anecdotes, Betty Winker, a favourite among the uppermaids, was sitting at one of the windows, nursing on her lap a pretty little French pug-dog, that had lately met with a most distressing accident: he had, poor soul! uncautiously jumped from one of the red damask chairs of the balcony, and then, in a frolick, or aiming at some passing birds, had fallen between the bars of the green railing into the area of the kitchen, to the great astonishment and dismay of all the inhabitants of the subterraneous regions, "O! Lud, O! Lud" exclaimed the splay-footed housekeeper,

A Distressing Accident.

"what shall we say to my Lady; the poor creature is killed at least:" the uppermaid, the valet de chambre, the French cuisinier, the butler, the other maids, the turnspit, and the maid-of-all-work, joined in the lamentation, fœmineo ululatu; and the horrid yell soon ascended to the apartments above: a sudden clap of thunder, on a cold morning in January, could not be more unexpected than this heartbreaking news, and surely would cause less astonishment and stupor. Doctor Straightlegs was sent for immediately, and the rumbling of his carriage from a mile's distance caused as much anxi¬ ety as his decision imported comfort to the distressed family.

After much examination and consultation, it was solemnly stated that Bijou had but slightly luxated his dexter collarbone, and bruised the lower part of the jugularis tensor; that his left ear had only been squeezed between the water-tub,