A TELEGRAPHIST'S STORY. 'AND must you really go away, and remain all night in that nasty old box of yours, and leave your Little Rosebud, as you call her, all alone here, to imagine all sorts of horrid things happening to her poor old boy? Couldn't you stay at home just for this one night?'

'Couldn't possibly do it, my love,' said I, struggling into my greatcoat, and possessing myself at the same time of my big driving-gloves, which my little wife was absently trying to fit on to her own little hands.

'Not if I very much wished it, Willie? Do you know I felt so strange and lonely last night when you were away, that I could hardly make up my mind to go to bed at all; and to-night I can scarcely bear the thought that you should be so long absent. You know what a timid foolish little thing I am.'

Her arm quietly stole round me, and she looked up to my face with a wistful anxious look, while a tear stood glistening in the corners of her sweet

blue eyes. 'Why, you wee goose,' said I, kissing away the bright token of her earnestness, 'what has put such absurd thoughts into that wise noddle of yours? Are you afraid that the fairies will waylay me, and spirit me away to their elfin-land? If they do, I shall tell them that I have left a fairy at home, and not even the blandishments of the queen herself shall tempt me into their uncanny country. But seriously, Maggie, there is nothing to be alarmed about. I shall be home by seven o'clock at the latest; but since you are so eerie, I will call at father's as I pass, and send up my brother Bob to keep you company and stay in the house all night. Will that content you, little

woman?'

'No; don't do that; it would look foolish, and Bob would only laugh at me when he came. He does not understand me. I think no one does understand me--except you, dear Will.'

'Thank you, Mag.; I think I do understand

PRICE 1d.

you. But here comes the gig; so good-bye, and don't fret for the short time I am away. I shall be back long before you have done dreaming.' So saying, I mounted the gig, and drove rapidly along the frozen road. But my wife lingered by the porch, following me with her eyes; and so long as the house was in sight, I could, on looking back, see her white dress shimmering ghost-like in the light which streamed through the open door.

At the time of which I write, I was Telegraph Superintendent on the Wilton and Longbank line of railway. One of the clerks, who was on nightduty, had been taken suddenly ill, and being unable to find a suitable substitute, I had taken his work myself until such time as he should recover. I had only been married a few months, and was by no means reconciled to the necessity of leaving my wife and home to pass the night in that nasty old box,' as Mag. called it-and she was perfectly correct in her description. But I knew that it was a necessity, and I knew likewise that no grumbling of mine could mend the matter.

A drive of about eight miles brought me to my post. There was nothing very extraordinary in the duty to which I had been called away, nor was it any new experience to me; but on that night my mind was filled with vague indefinable fears, for which I tried in vain to account. The night was clear and windless, and away in the northwestern sky the aurora borealis was flitting to and fro in a thousand strange fantastic shapes. As I watched the shifting and quivering gleams, now shooting in rapid succession from one luminous centre, and anon spreading and rolling wave after wave across the starry heavens, I began to think of the disastrous omens of war, plague, and famine, which in olden times men drew from such sights. Somewhat of the same emotion I felt in my own mind, and reason as I would, I felt it impossible to shake off the growing sense of uneasiness and gloom which had taken possession of me. On entering the telegraph station, the clerk whom I had come to relieve was ready to depart.

'You won't have much work to-night, sir,' said he. The instruments are quite unworkable; no

signals have been received for the last three hours. Good-night.'

When I was left alone, I found that it was as he had said. The electric currents, which are developed in the atmosphere during most meteorological changes, had rendered the wires quite useless; and although the needles swayed ceaselessly backwards and forwards, they made no sign which the wisdom of man could interpret. Seeing that my office was likely to be a sinecure, I drew my chair to the stove, and taking down a book which I saw on a shelf, I tried to interest myself in the story. The volume which I had discovered was Jane Eyre; and although, since that time, I have read, with tears and laughter, it and the other works which came from the same true and loving pen, yet on that night the spell of her who is so powerful to awaken our interest and enlist our sympathy-who has given us Black Rochester and the noble Shirley and gentle Mary Home; who chronicled with no unkindly hand the vagaries of the three eccentric curates, and won our hearts for Professor Emmanuel Carl Paul-had no power to quiet my wild wandering thoughts. While I was turning listlessly over the leaves, the stillness was startled by the sharp quick clanging of the electric bell, the usual signal to prepare to read off a message. With a shiver of alarm, I turned quickly to the instrument, but soon perceived that that bell had been rung by no earthly power, for the vibrating needles made no intelligible sign, and I knew that the sound had been produced by a current of atmospheric electricity acting upon the wires.

Smiling at the nervousness which caused me to start at so ordinary an occurrence, I turned from my desk, and again sat down by the fire. But smile as I would, and reason as I might, I felt that I was fast succumbing to vague foundationless fears. Thinking that the atmosphere of the room, which I felt close and hot, might have something to do with my peculiar condition of mind, I flung open the door, and stepped outside, in the hope that the cool air might scare away the phantoms of my brain. As I crossed the threshold, the midnight express crashed past with a speed and force which shook every timber of the building, and uttering a loud shriek, disappeared into the tunnel at the end of the steep gradient, on the summit of which my station was placed. When it had gone, there was stillness, stillness broken-if I can call it brokenonly by the peculiar sighing of the air passing along the wires, which is heard even in the calmest of nights. I stood and listened to the strange, melancholy, Æolian-harp-like sound, now so faint as to be almost inaudible, and anon swelling into a wild low wailing. I looked up, and saw Orion and the Pleiades, and thought how often on nights, not long ago, when I had watched for Maggie in the wood, I had gazed up through the tall sombre pines and watched their trembling fires. From that my mind reverted to the earnestness with which my wife had asked me to remain at home that night, and the unusual pensiveness of her manner when she bade me good-bye. What could be the meaning of it all? As a general rule, I had a most profound disbelief in omens, presentiments, and all sorts of superstition; but in spite of it, I felt that I would have given a good deal, at that time, to be transported just for one minute to my home, to see whether all was well there. I might

have called up my assistant, who lodged in a farmhouse not far distant, and gone home; but, as I could give no good reason for going away, I resolved to stay where I was, and get through the night as best I could. If this goes on,' said I to myself as I turned inside again, and poked up the coals with rather more noise and vigour than was absolutely necessary-'if this goes on much longer, I shall have to consult a doctor, that's plain.' For I knew that the causeless apprehensions which I experienced were often only the symptom of an unsound state of bodily health. I filled my pipe and lit it, but the weed had lost its usual tranquillising power. As the wreaths curled slowly upwards, I saw my wife's face looking at me tearfully as when I had left her. Again the bell rang sharply; but, as before, no intelligible sign was made by the needles. I leaned my elbows on the desk, and, with my head between my hands, watched their unending motions. An hour might have passed thus, when once more I was startled by the clang of the bell. This time it was louder and more urgent, and, it seemed to me, though perhaps I may err here, with a peculiar unearthly sound, such as I had never heard before. I am utterly unable to tell in what manner the impression was produced, but it seemed as if there mingled with the metallic ring the tone of a human voice and it was the voice of one I knew. The needles, I now observed, began to make signs which I understood; and slowly, as if some novice were working the instrument, the letters 'C-o-m-e' were signalled. No sooner had I read off the final 'e,' than, to my amazement and terror, I distinctly saw the handle of my instrument, although I was not touching it at the time, as if grasped by some invisible hand, move rapidly, and make the signal Understood,' which the receiver of a message transmits at the end of every word.

A cold thrill ran through me, and I felt as if every drop of blood were leaving my heart. Could I have been the subject of an optical delusion? I knew that such was not the case, for I had plainly heard the quick click of the handle as it turned; and now I could perceive that another word was being slowly spelt out. But so bewildered and terrified was I, that I failed to catch the signs. Again my handle moved, and this time made the signal 'Not understood. With an overwhelming feeling of awe, I watched the dials intently while the letters were again signalled, and this time I read 'H-o-m-e.' Then there was a cessation of all motion for a second or two, and once more the needles resumed their incoherent vibrations. I stood petrified with fear and amazement, half-believing that I was in a dream, for reason refused to accept the evidence of sense. Could that be a message for me? If so, whence came it? What hand had sent it? Could it be that some power higher than that of nature thus warned me of impending danger? Should I obey the mysterious summons?

While I thus deliberated, the bell again sounded with a clangour still more loud, imperious, and unearthly, and after a few uncertain movements, the magnets repeated the words 'Come homecome home!'-the handles moving as before. I could remain at my post no longer. Come what might, I felt that I had no alternative but to obey. I ran to the house where the clerk lived, and on rousing the inmates, and gaining admission, told

There, Maggie; don't let us think of what might have been, but rather let us be thankful that we are spared to each other still.'

OF SCOTLAND.

IN the few sketches of Scottish student-life which have appeared, little or nothing has been said regarding life at the most northerly of all the universities-Aberdeen; and yet it has at least as great claims to notice as any of the others, for in the civil and medical examinations it has always held a distinguished place, and of the five senior wranglers of which Scotland can boast, four came direct from this university. There must, therefore, either be something in the men or the place, when such results are forthcoming, and perhaps the experience of one who has been educated there may be interesting to the public.

It is a curious fact, that the majority of the students attending the Scottish universities come from the parish schools, or those on the old model. From these they generally come direct, or after a quarter spent at the grammar-school of the university town. Most of the teachers in these schools are Masters of Arts, and highly accomplished scholars, particularly in the counties of Aberdeen, Banff, and Kincardine, where a higher degree of scholarship is demanded, on account of the Dick and Milne bequests, which have been left for the furtherance of education in those counties. And it is a remarkable fact, which says a great deal for their efficiency, that the whole of our senior wranglers came from such schools: Slessor, from the parish school of Rathen, Aberdeenshire; Stirling, from the grammar-school of Aberdeen, conducted by the famous Dr Melvin ; Barker, from the parish or grammar school of Old Aberdeen; Morton, from the Greenock burgh or mathematical school, under the tuition of the celebrated Dr Buchanan; and Niven, from the parish school of Peterhead, under the care of Mr Lyall, one of the ablest classical scholars in Scotland.

These satisfactory results have been caused by the system pursued at the parish schools, the influence of the grammar-school of Aberdeen, and the bursary competitions at the commencement of each session. The latter are what gave, and still continue to give, the impulse to the parochial teaching of the north, and so important are they in the eyes of all, that they are looked forward to with greater anxiety, both by teacher and scholar, than the holidays. In fact, all the events of the year seem to date from this period-the last Monday in October. Almost every master, however insignificant, has his boy to send up, who enters the lists with his compeers, and, by

the master and parents into the seventh heaven of enjoyment, or the deepest pit of despair. After a little the excitement wears off, and the master again applies himself to the task of preparing another young man for the next competition. Positively, however, there is nothing that gives these teachers more real pleasure than to hear of the success of their pupils at this great annual gathering, except, of course, the still higher honour of being a senior wrangler.

These bursaries are what would be called in England scholarships or foundations, tenable by the fortunate competitor for four years, provided he passes the yearly examinations. They were originally founded by the lovers of learning in past time for the encouragement of the higher branches of education, and out of gratitude for the instruction which they had themselves received, in order that others in humble circumstances might be able to obtain that summum bonum of every Scotchman, a university education. Many of them were founded by Highland lairds for the benefit of those bearing their own names; others, such as the Seafield bursaries, are in the gift of certain persons or bodies, who may present them to those whom they may consider most deserving; and a number are annually competed for by all comers, and decided entirely by scholarship. This is called the competition. The public or competition bursaries, about twenty at King's College, and sixteen at Marischal, range in amount from L.3, 17s. 6d. to L.30, but each of them must, by the terms of the foundation, pay for the expenses of the college classes, and leave a little for the purchase of books. The number, however, of all the various kinds of bursaries, presentation and public, in both these colleges, is very great, 240 in all, being rather more than one to every third student. By means of these, a great many young men are annually enabled to obtain a college education, who would otherwise be debarred from it. It was this system which generated and kept alive the desire of looking forward to a university career among the sons of the lower classes, and it speaks volumes for the excellence of this system when we find that the whole of the Aberdeen senior wranglers were bursars, and that

*We speak here, of course, of the time previous to the union of the two colleges. Since that time the bursaries have decreased in number but increased in ment of the higher branches of study, thus enabling the amount, and certain have been formed for the encouragemore promising students to study at the great colleges of England.