The General explained why he had called, and then shook his head mournfully. 'You would reprove me?' said Amelia, 'No, no, my poor girl! not you-not you; I blame him: but I shouldn't have cared even for that if he had been a good fellow.' 'Good, General! What may you mean?' 'Sad dog!-sad dog!-sorry for you-very sorry.' 'As far as my Stanley is concerned, upon my word you need not be, for he is one of the kindest creatures that ever breathed.' 'Silly girls-silly girls! it is just like you all. but, no matter-no matter. I can but regret it.' Why, I hear 'If you have heard,' said Amelia, anything at all unfavourable of him, you have heard that which is highly incorrect. They who state that he is not a dear, kind, good, affectionate soul, basely wrong him.' 'Well-well,' said the General, again taking her hand; but, tell me, now, candidly,-I know you are all very anxions to conceal the faults of those whom you love,-but come, tell me-it may be better for you, my poor girl, in every way,-is he really, now, what you represent him to be ?" 'He is, indeed,' replied Amelia fervently. Believe me he is kind-most kind.' Then, by Heaven! the Captain shall hold out no longer. IT make him come round. He shall do it.' 'Oh, if you could induce dear papa to forgive us.' 'He shall!' exclaimed the General. 'A man has no right to be severe without reason!' I cause to be severe; but do use dear soul! Pray-pray do as only thing which renders our will bless you!' I feel that I have given him great your kind influence. Do, there's a sure him that his anger is now the happiness imperfect. Do this, and Depend upon me, my dear girl. I'll run down to-morrow. I make him come round. I thought you had a mad, harum-scarum, rakish rascal for a husband, who delighted in making you wretched: instead of a fine, brave, high-spirited fellow, who, while he knows what is due to himself, can respect the best feelings of others. I know he's a fine fellow. I'm sure of it. If he had not been he couldn't have saved my poor girl. I respect him. I admire him. Rely upon it, I'll put matters right down at Richmond.' Amelia thanked him, and blessed him, and begged of him to give her dear love to her papa: and to implore in her name his forgive. All which the General promised most faithfully to do; and then left her in tears, which were not those of sorrow. ness. TO THE EDITOR OF BENTLEY'S MISCELLANY. MY DEAR SIR, I have just received the inclosed from Seaforth, in reply to an earnest supplication for news of your great City. You are aware that he has been bit by a mad Poet, and goes without his cravat. What is it all about? Yours, THOS. INGOLDSBY. Tappington, May 15. A ROW IN AN OMNIBUS. Omnibus hoc vitium cantoribus.-HOR. DOL-DRUM the Manager sits in his chair, -But Fiddle-de-dee sings clear and loud, They'll all be screaming for Fiddle-de-de!' Though Fiddle-de-dee sings loud and clear, The deuce a bit. I shall give an engagement to Fal-de-ral-tit!' The Prompter bowed, and he went to his stall, But scarce had he done When a 'row' begun, Such a noise was never heard under the sun. Where is he? He's the Artiste whom we all want to see !- Bid the Manager come! It's a scandalous thing to exact such a sum We'll never submit! Vive Fiddle-de-dee! à bas Fal.de-ral-tit!' Dol-drum the Manager rose from his chair, As he well knew how, And he walked on, and made a most elegant bow, 'Ladies and Gentlemen,' then said he, 'Pray what may you please to want with me?' 'Fiddle-de-dee!- Folks of all sorts and of every degree, Subscribe to his terms, whatever they be! Dol-drum the Manager, full of care, And he bows his best And he puts his right hand on the side of his breast, We can't agree; His terms are a vast deal too costly for me. There's the rent, and the rates, and the sesses, and taxesI can't afford Fiddle-de-dee what he axes. If you'll only permit Fal. de ral tit The Generous Public cried, ‘Deuce a bit!' Dol-drum!-Dol drum! We'll none of us come. It's "No Go!"-it's "Gammon!"-it's "all a Hum!" You're a miserly Jew "Cock -a-doodle do !”— He don't ask too much, as you know so you It's a shame-it's a sin-it's really too bad do You ought to be 'shamed of yourself-so you had!' Dol-drum the Manager never before In his life-time had heard such a wild uproar. But he says says he, 'Mort de ma vie! I shall nevare engage vid dat Fiddle-de-dee ! Then all the gentlefolks flew in a rage, And they jumped from the Omnibus on to the Stage, Ma'amselle Cherrytoes Shook to her very toes, She couldn't hop on, so hopped off on her merry toes. And the evening concluded' with 'Three times three!' 'Hip-hip!-hurrah; for Fiddle-de-dee !' ́Dol-drum the Manager, full of care, With a troubled brow and dissatisfied air, Sat down, and then Took from his table a Perryan pen, 6 How MacFuze, and Tregooze, Lord Tomnoddy, Sir Carnaby Jenks of the Blues, And make Dol-drum agree With Fiddle-de-dee, Who was not a bit better singer than he. Or whatever the key, Could never at any time get below G, As the great Burlibumbo who sings double D.' Then slyly he added a little N. B. 'If they'd have him in Paris he'd not come to me!' The manager rings, And the Prompter springs To his side in a jiffy, and with him he brings Where Britannia, (who seems to be crucified.) flings And small Queen's heads, in packs, Which, when notes are too big, you're to stick on their backs. The letter and copies he'd written so fair, He sent them away, In time to appear in our columns' next day! Dol-drum, the Manager, full of care, Walked on to the stage with an anxious air, And peeped through the curtain to see who were there. There was MacFuze, And Lieutenant Tregooze, And there was Sir Carnaby Jenks of the Blues, Bid the Manager come!' You'd have thought, from the tones Of their hisses and groans, They were bent upon breaking his (Opera) bones. Fiddle-de-dee! We'll have nobody give us sol fa but He!' (And he looked like an Owl in 'a hollow beech tree,') The thing must be, I'll sign an engagement with Fiddle-de-dee!' Then MacFuze, and Tregooze, And Jenks, of the Blues, And the Tags, and the Rags, and the No-one-knows-whos, Extremely delighted to hear such good news, Desist from their shrill Cock-a-doodle-dos.' 'Vive Fiddle-de-dee! They are jolly good fellows as ever need be! So, after all This terrible squall, Fiddle-de-dee 's at the top of the tree, And Dol-drum and Fal-de-ral-tit sing small. Now Fiddle-de-dee sings loud and clear Sports her merry toes, Dancing away to the fiddles and flutes, In what the folks call a 'Lithuanian' in boots. So here's an end to my one, two, and three; |