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51. A NEW WAY OF PAYING SALARIES.

D. commenced life, after a course of hard study, in the house of 'pure Emanuel,' as usher to a knavish, fanatic schoolmaster at a salary of eight pounds per annum, with board and lodging. Of this poor stipend he never received above half in all the laborious years he served this man. He tells a pleasant anecdote that, when poverty staring out at his ragged knees has sometimes compelled him, against the modesty of his nature, to hint at arrears, Dr. would take no immediate notice, but after supper, when the school was called together to even-song, he would never fail to introduce some instructive homily against riches and the corruption of the heart occasioned through the desire of them-ending with, 'Lord, keep thy servants above all things from the heinous sin of avarice;' 'having food and raiment let them therewithal be content;''Give me Hagar's wish '—and the like, which to the little auditory sounded like a doctrine full of Christian prudence and simplicity, but to poor D. was a receipt in full for that quarter's demand at least.— Charles Lamb.

52. A GAME PIE.

I will tell you a story at this point of a friend of mine who was visiting France the other day, and there was an owl in the garden that had only got one leg. My friend used to admire this owl; and two or three days after his arrival he had some gibier (as they call their game) for dinner. The 'game' was very small, but he enjoyed his dinner immensely, and the next day he missed the owl from the garden. 'Where is the owl gone to?' he inquired of the landlord. 'Monsieur had a little dish of gibier yesterday,' was the answer, to the consternation of the traveller. 'Why did you kill the owl for your dinner?' he next asked. 'I did not kill the owl, M'sieur; he died himself!'Frank Buckland.

53. THE MOSQUE OF THE BLOODY BAPTISM AT CAIRO.

Sultan Hassan, wishing to see the world, and lay aside for a time the anxieties and cares of royalty, committed the charge of his kingdom to his favourite minister, and taking with him a

large amount of treasure in money and jewels, visited several foreign countries in the character of a wealthy merchant. Pleased with his tour, and becoming interested in the occupation he had assumed as a disguise, he was absent much longer than he originally intended, and in the course of a few years greatly increased his already large stock of wealth. His protracted absence, however, proved a temptation too strong for the virtue of the viceroy, who, gradually forming for himself a party among the leading men of the country, at length communicated to the common people the intelligence that Sultan Hassan was no more, and quietly seated himself on the vacant throne. Sultan Hassan returning shortly afterwards from his pilgrimage, and, fortunately for himself still in disguise, learned, as he approached his capital, the news of his own death, and the usurpation of his minister; finding, on further inquiry, the party of the usurper to be too strong to render an immediate disclosure prudent, he preserved his incognito, and soon became known in Cairo as the wealthiest of her merchants; nor did it excite any surprise when he announced his pious intention of devoting a portion of his gains to the erection of a spacious mosque. The work proceeded rapidly under the spur of the great merchant's gold, and, on its completion, he solicited the honour of the sultan's presence at the ceremony of naming it. Anticipating the gratification of hearing his own name bestowed upon it, the usurper accepted the invitation, and at the appointed hour the building was filled by him and his most attached adherents. The ceremonies had duly proceeded to the time when it became necessary to give the name. The chief Moolah, turning to the supposed merchant, inquired what should be its name. 'Call it,' he replied, 'the Mosque of Sultan Hassan.' All started at the mention of this name; and the questioner, as though not believing he could have heard aright, or to afford an opportunity of correcting what might be a mistake, repeated his demand. 'Call it,' again cried he, 'the mosque of me, Sultan Hassan!' and throwing off his disguise, the legitimate sultan stood revealed before his traitorous servant. He had no time for reflection simultaneously with the discovery, numerous trapdoors, leading to extensive vaults, which had been prepared for the purpose, were flung open, and a multitude of armed men issuing from them, terminated at once the reign and

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life of the usurper. His followers were mingled in the slaughter, and Sultan Hassan was once more in possession of the throne of his fathers.-C. R. Baynes.

54. EXECUTIONS IN SERVIA.

Amongst the customs peculiar to Servia is the manner of executing criminals. I should observe that but few executions take place, murder being generally punished by hard labour in chains for a term of years, considerably abridged when the crime has been committed by a man on the person of his wife, this being invariably considered an extenuating circumstance. However, when somebody is killed about whom a great fuss is made, either by a consul or a senator, the assassin is conducted, if the deed were done in the country, to the place where he slew his victim; or, if in Belgrade, to a piece of ground called 'the Black Promontory,' and there shot through the back with a pistol bullet. The Heyduks, or robbers, have a great predilection, when their time comes, for being despatched by one of themselves; they consider this an honourable death, and in every way the right thing to do. So there is a retired brigand resident in Belgrade-a stout and merry fellow-who does the job for his erring brethren in consideration of as many piastres as their friends can muster together to reward his friendly services; he has even been known to shoot a Heyduk of exceptional renown, but impoverished circumstances, gratis. As a rule, however, the relatives of a professional murderer are pretty well off, and the jolly amateur executioner gets well paid for his trouble. He is quite an institution here, and is very proud of his functions, and will always bet twenty ducats to one that he hits his unfortunate colleague in the heart at the first shot.

55. BOYISH SCENES AND RECOLLECTIONS.

After living within a few hundreds of yards of Westminster Hall, and the Abbey Church, and the Bridge, and looking from my own windows into St. James's Park, all other buildings and spots appear mean and insignificant. I went to-day to see the house I formerly occupied. How small! It is always thus: the words large and small are carried about with us in our minds, and we forget real dimensions. The idea, such as it was

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received, remains during our absence. When I returned to England in 1800, after an absence of sixteen years, the trees, the hedges, even the parks and woods, seemed so small! made me laugh to hear little gutters that I could jump over called rivers! The Thames was but a 'creek'! But when, in about a month after my arrival in London, I went to Farnham, the place of my birth, what was my surprise! Everything was become so pitifully small! I had to cross, in my postchaise, the long and dreary heath of Bagshot. Then, at the end of it, to mount a hill called Hungry Hill; and from that hill I knew that I should look down into the beautiful and fertile vale of Farnham. My heart fluttered with impatience, mixed with a sort of fear, to see all the scenes of my childhood-for I had learned before the death of my father and mother. There is a hill not far from the town called Cooksbury Hill, which rises up in the form of a cone, and is planted with Scotch fir-trees. Here I used to take the eggs and young ones of crows and magpies. This hill was a famous object in the neighbourhood. It served as the superlative degree of height. 'As high as Cooksbury Hill' meant, with us, the utmost degree of height. Therefore, the first object that my eyes sought was this hill. I could not believe my eyes! Literally speaking, I for a moment thought the famous hill removed, and a little heap put in its stead; for I had seen in New Brunswick a single rock, or hill of solid rock, ten times as big, and four or five times as high! The postboy, going down-hill, and not a bad road, whisked me in a few minutes to the Bush Inn, from the garden of which I could see the prodigious sand-hill where I had begun my gardening works. What a nothing! But now came rushing into my mind all at once my pretty little garden, my little blue smock-frock, my little nailed shoes, my pretty pigeons that I used to feed out of my hands, the last kind words and tears of my gentle and tender-hearted and affectionate mother! I hastened back into the room. If I had looked a moment longer I should have dropped. When I came to reflect, what a change! I looked down at my dress. What a change! What scenes I had gone through ! How altered my state! I had dined the day before at a secretary of state's, in company with Mr. Pitt, and had been waited upon by men in gaudy liveries! I had had nobody to assist me in the world. No teachers of any

sort. Nobody to shelter me from the consequence of bad, and no one to counsel me to good behaviour. I felt proud. The distinctions of rank, birth, and wealth, all became nothing in my eyes; and from that moment-less than a month after my arrival in England-I resolved never to bend before them.William Cobbett.

56. THE MOUSE'S PETITION.

Found in a trap, where he had been confined all night.

Oh! hear a pensive prisoner's prayer,
For liberty that sighs;

And never let thine heart be shut
Against the wretch's cries.

For here forlorn and sad I sit,
Within the wiry grate;

And tremble at th' approaching morn,
Which brings impending fate.

If e'er thy breast with freedom glow'd,
And spurn'd a tyrant's chain,
Let not thy strong oppressive force
A free-born mouse detain.

Oh! do not stain with guiltless blood
Thy hospitable hearth;

Nor triumph that thy wiles betray'd
A prize so little worth.

The scatter'd gleanings of a feast
My frugal meals supply:
But if thine unrelenting heart
That slender boon deny,

The cheerful light, the vital air,
Are blessings widely giv'n;
Let nature's commoners enjoy
The common gifts of heav'n.

The well-taught, philosophic mind
To all compassion gives;

Casts round the world an equal eye,

And feels for all that lives.—Mrs. Barbauld

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