none of which was audible to me, except the adjective "Mad?"

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This arrangement, however, proved far from unpleasant, seeing that it placed me in the more agreeable vicinity of a lady, whom the incessant glow of four cigars, most perseveringly whiffed vis-a-vis, enabled me to pronounce the prettiest (except one) I had ever seen. She a woman- -was freezing. I-a man-was burning. Charity covers a multitude of sins," so I gallantly made a resolve to change coverings-the lady making use of my cloak, while I took charity for mine. I soon discovered that I had not gained much by the exchange, for, after all, my cent-franc cloak was worth all the charity in the world for keeping out the cold. I soon became "cold as charity," the perspiration froze on my body. In a quarter of an hour I felt-no! I could not feel at all.

After a little more such misery, I thought I distinguished a spire amongst the trees: I was told it was a part of Amiens-a "piece of Amiens." Joy at the anticipation of a good fire and a hot meal, made me quite stoical to the surrender of my cloak, just as the leader fell into a pit, dug (one would think) on purpose. I lost my temper-it seemed as if the horse had made a point-a freezing point-of stumbling just within five minutes of the consummation of my hopes. My companions, being mostly Frenchmen, bore the delay with

E

exemplary patience. I, having the fear of a cold supper before my eyes, would have vented my English impatience in bad French, but was prevented, by finding myself deprived of my voice, on account of a hoarseness caused by a sudden check of perspiration.

I endeavoured to get down and walk, but I should have succeeded just as well in moving the stone of Sysiphus, or straightening the tower at Pisa, being literally frozen to my seat, while my legs were obstinately bent on remaining so. In this position of affairs, the horse regained his legs-I the equanimity of my temper, and the prospect of a hot supper, aided by a warm dispute on the coach about the late fires in Lombardy, restored my powers of locomotion sufficiently to enable me to alight from the Diligence, though not until every one else had quitted it.

After a good deal of hobbling, I found myself entering a large hall, where several persons of both sexes were seated round a large fire; I recognised them as my fellow-travellers. I was surprised to see the alacrity with which they made room for me; I thanked them for their politeness. The good effects of the fire in dispelling the benumbing influence of the season, were visible in all their faces.

"It is very cold here!" I remarked, as well as my hoarseness would let me. My petitmaitre overturned his seat in his efforts to regain the supper-table, and the rest of the com

pany soon left me in undivided possession of the fire-place. "Pauvre garcon!" occupied the interval of almost every spoonful of soup— and I was highly flattered that they appreciated my heroism in resigning my cloak, and felt pleased that they commiserated the ill effects it had caused me. Again a genial warmth pervaded my veins, heightened by the soup I afterwards devoured; and it was with no little exultation that I remounted the vehicle, and hid myself in my invulnerable cold-dispeller.

During the rest of the journey, my cloak was the envy of the passengers; they quite begrudged the drops of sweat which fell upon it from my hair. One gentleman, a military person, seemed to examine it very minutely, and the result of his observation was a remark en passant, that he had never seen but one other such that had been his, and was stolen from his cab in the neighbourhood of the Rue de Fripperie. The singular little Jew-his mystery-and the suspicious secrecy from which the cloak had emerged-all combined to assure me that I was the receiver of a stolen article. But I determined not to lose such a valuable prize without an effort. I was not, however, called on to act upon this resolution until we arrived at Calais.

The officer took every opportunity of renewing his examination of the cloak, and when we arrived at the end of our journey, conceive

my horror and amazement at finding myself and my cloak in custody of a gens-d'arme !

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Sorry to trouble Monsieur," said the gentlemanly police-officer--"we only wish the pleasure of his company to the Bureau, for the purpose of acquainting the commissioner how he became possessed of this cloak." And with the air of a valet did this specimen of executive politeness proceed to disencumber me of my unfortunate outer garment.

Again did the air chill my very vitals,again I fancied myself gradually undergoing the process of petrifaction. I could not walk; a fiacre was called, and in it we proceeded to the police-office, where I found my quondam stage-coach companion, the officer. After some preliminary business, he proceeded to examine the cloak. He looked minutely at every part-he seemed confused-shook his head and sighed" he looked and sighed, and sighed and looked again." "He was mistaken"-he made every apology, and I the best of my way in the fiacre to the steam packet office, bearing back my cloak in triumph. A fair wind and a favourable tide soon wafted us across the channel; I stepped upon the quay, glorying in the certainty of my safe right and title to the cloak, when I felt a hand holding the collar of it; I was walking out of my roquelaire: a peculiar laugh succeeded. turned my head, and, O horror! what did I

I

see-the Jew! I made a convulsive grasp at the cloak, and---I heard the voice of my wife! "No wonder I get such colds, Charles-here you have been tumbling about the bed-clothes this half hour."

"But the cloak, Ellen!"

"What cloak?" Oh, you have been dreaming.

"I should not wonder but I have been?"

W. H. WILLS.

HOME-SICK.

WRITTEN IN GERMANY.

'Tis sweet to him, who all the week
Through city-crowds must push his way,
To stroll along through fields and woods,
And hallow thus the Sabbath Day.

And sweet it is, in summer bower,
Sincere, affectionate, and gay,
One's own dear children feasting round,
To celebrate one's marriage day.

But what is all, to his delight,

Who, having long been doom'd to roam,
Throws off the bundle from his back,
Before the door of his own home?

Home-sickness is a wasting pang;
This feel I hourly more and more:
There's healing only in thy wings,

Thou breeze that play'st on Albion's shore!

COLERIDGE.