wicker chair, seeking the familiar form of the father who should have occupied it; alas! that chair stood too near his own hearth for him; and the slimy group rejoiced that their power had in some measure influenced the evil path which we had chosen.

Cold at heart, and in body, those children sat; no childish glee was there, no roguish mirth gladdened the ear, as they crowded gloomily together-no complaint was uttered, even the feeling of misery seemed chilled within them; they looked upon their mother, and their mother looked on them, silent and unmoved; but oh, she looked on two of them for the last time. Damp and unwholesome vapours had fulfilled their tasks. Again I looked, and following the shadowy troop, as they swept onwards, I saw a woman; tearfully she bent over a child, whose large and flattened skull, heavy eye, and vacant mouth, proclaimed that most fearful of human 'ills, idiotcy. The poor boy's murmurings were at once a music and a poison to the ears of the mother; his arms rested on her knees, and abstractedly he looked up in the face which, alone of all the world, smiled on his; and was not this sight sufficient? No, no! unsatiated by the woe which they had worked, the monsters beckoned strangely to the child; all the momentary influence of the lonely mother was gone, and with gestures of wild impatience he followed the evil forms, in a chase of which the mother but too well knew the direful consequences.

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his vain struggles for life and hope, and slept with those whom he had lost.

I looked in spirit on all this, but who shall tell the pang which aroused me from my trance?

How many years had passed, when I again visited that spot, it matters not to tell, suffice to say, that time had done his work. Yes! Assisted by zealous, earnest, patriotic hearts, he had more than done his work; the change of a century seemed to be there; low and trim fences were there, deep and well-cut drains; smiling and plentiful harvests covered the fields, and sleek and lazy cattle were reposing in large and fertile meadows. All was indeed changed, yet when I looked with greater attention, I could discover that the place was the same; the sun was setting behind the same hill as of yore, and as I watched him the old reverie seemed to be once more stealing over me; it was strange, but again I heard the laugh of childhood, again I turned, with some instinctive dread of the shadowy monster, but no-warm and happy faces met my glad eyes-young boys exulting in the strength with which they helped to load the harvest waggon. The sun was sinking fast, the dews of night were falling, but no anxious eye was restlessly turned towards the lengthening shadows, the only thought was safely to house the precious grain which grew upon the bed of the discomfited buckbean or rush.

seeing this, ran and got him a stool, and smiling with a look of busy affection, said, "Mustn't do anything to wear out the maund, Yanto, because we have no time to mend it now that mother has got a farm." The "farm," I afterwards learned consisted of an acre and a-half of rable land. This was a most trivial occurrence, but, rifles often fix themselves in the mind, when great facts, but above all, great theories, are forgotten.

Still in this spirit of abstraction, I followed them to One other vision, and I have done; I saw two maidens their homes-Home, it indeed was, in the fullest sense seated on an earthy mound, engaged in earnest conversa- of the word. To that blest retreat from sorrow, care and tion. There was a strange contrast between them; pale, toil-to homes where bright and beaming faces waited attenuated, yet beautiful, the younger laid her trans- for the father, or the dear loved brothers, for the husparent hand on her companion's shoulder; "When I die, band or the lover; they were cheerful, happy homes. Katie, when I die," she faltered, "it will be yours to One, into which I entered, was the abode of a widowed comfort your poor brother; tell him, Katie, tell him- -." mother; her calm and placid face, as she gazed on the Unable to finish the sentence so sadly commenced, she glowing countenances of her children, reflected back the hid her face upon the kindly bosom so close beside her. smiles of theirs. It was a pleasant sight to see these At this moment the misty monster appeared to be embryo agriculturists gather round the supper-table, attracted by the unusual sounds of sobs, for his was, in with its clean white cloth, its five cups of milk, and its ordinary cases, a silent still blow, wearing out the heart bowl of hot potatoes all laughing in their jackets. One and mind, deadening the pulses, numbing the feelings, little urchin, the youngest, I observed in his eagerness to and slowly, surely petrifying every throb of life in the commence, seated himself on an upturned basket, or languid veins; onward he stalked as the elder girl cheer-"maund" as it is termed in Wales; an elder brother fully replied, "when you are his wife, dearest, and that will be very soon, we will come here together, to wait for his return every evening, as we do now, and when we talk over the days that are past, you shall smile when I tell you of the fears which your unselfish love was ever raising in your fond heart, and you shall merrily laugh when I remind you what a poor, weak thing you were, and how you used to look quite pale because the sun went down before he came; or because your father thought you too good a wife for a wandering stranger, until he had proved by his industry that he was worthy of you, dear; and then you will look so rosy and beam-in her laughing eye, or brightened on her sunny cheek; ing, that poor I shall be quite in the shade, and all wil know that you are iny dear brother's wife, when they look upon the healthy smile, which is all you lack to make you as like as twins." Was Katie indeed a prophetess or what was it that put her (as she expressed it,) so suddenly in the shade? What was it that blanched her cheek, and made her shudder thus? Not the sight of her active brother, who came towards them, fondly chiding the grave countenance with which he was received by hi beloved-not the sight of the sad, sweet smile with which she looked upon him, as her hand rested lovingly in his. Alas! no, it was the nameless dread which came upon her, in the form of the mantle of the monster of the mist, it was the death-blow which struck the blooming stranger, and carried her to her humble tomb before the delicate and lingering victim of the giant, or rather of the neglect, indolence, and prejudice of man; but a few weeks saw another consigned to the same grave, from the same cause, and then the brother was alone, and ther was none to comfort him, and very soon he relinquished

Turning from this cottage-door, I met a young girl; her straw hat shaded features whose greatest charm lay in the glow of health, which beamed in her smile, danced

she lingered, evidently waiting for some unseen person who was yet to arrive; presently, however, her betrothed I could not hesitate as to the relationship-joined her, and oh, it was a pleasant thing to see the fond look with which they met; there was something in their faces at that moment, which made them almost like a brother and sister.

Passing them, I peeped into another lowly dwelling ere night closed in; it was of a higher stamp of building, which amongst these simple people was proudly desigated a farm-house, not an English farm-house, with its bolished oak floors, its carved and quaintly-fretted eilings, its flaming yule log and substantial tankards of le, but a true Welsh farm-house, differing little from the cottage of its poorer neighbours, save in the appenlages of a barn, a cowhouse and a small dairy. I peeped in I say, upon the family gathered there, I saw the aged ather, his Bible on his knees, his spectacles in his hand; I heard the words of gratitude which he breathed for the nercies vouchsafed to him and his, for the blessings of

an abundant harvest, and for, the greatest of all blessings, the love and unity of his thriving and industrious family. I saw the calm features of his partner in years, and I heard her fervent "Amen." I looked upon the open, manly faces of his sons, who were both employed in helping or it may be in hindering their blooming laughing sister, in her latest dairy tasks, (one son was he whom I had seen as he met the maid in the straw hat,) and seeing all this, I turned away, blessing, as I went, the good man who had been instrumental in effecting this change.

If the benefits conferred on our fellow creatures can bring happiness to the donors, then surely these men are, and will be blest.

LAZY HAL.
FROM THE GERMAN.

If

HAL was lazy at the end of each day's labour; he
sighed and lamented over his hard fate, though he had
nothing else to do than to drive his goat to pasture. "It
is indeed," groaned he, one night, "a heavy burden, a
troublesome task, to have to take that goat into the field,
year after year, from early spring till late autumn!
one could but lie down and sleep there! But no, one's
eyes must be wide open all day, lest the beast should in-
jure the young trees, or squeeze through a hedge into a
garden, or run away and be lost!' How can I contrive to
get some rest and make life a little pleasanter?"

He seated himself, and collecting his rambling thoughts, meditated how he could ease his shoulders of this weighty load of care. For some time be reflected in vain; suddenly it seemed as if the scales fell from his mind's eyes, and he saw how it was to be done,

"I have it," cried he; "I will marry fat Trine; she has a goat also, and she can then drive mine with hers, and I need no longer torment myself."

Hal rose, and putting his weary limbs in motion, went across the street-fortunately the distance was no greaterto the parents of fat Trine, and asked them for their daughter in marriage. The old people did not hesitate. "like seeks like," thought they, and gave her. So fat Trine became lazy Hal's wife, and drove the two goats to graze, while her husband enjoyed the long day, and rested from no weariness but his own idleness. Now and then, however, he accompanied her, "for," said he, "I certainly sleep better after a little exertion!"

Fat Trine was no less lazy than himself. "Deap Hal," said she to him one day, "why should we thus needlessly make life sour, and embitter the best days of our youth Would it not be wiser to exchange our two goats, which disturb us so every morning in the best of our sleep by their bleating, with our neighbour for a hive of bees? We can put it in a sunny place behind the house, and then need trouble ourselves no further about it. The bees will require no minding, nor to be driven into the field; they'll fly out and home again, and gather their honey without giving us the least trouble!"

"You speak like a sensible woman," replied Hal, "and we will do what you propose at once; besides honey tastes better, and gives more nourishment than goat's milk, and can be kept longer."

The neighbour willingly exchanged, and the bees worked indefatigably from early morning till late evening, filling their comb with such a quantity of the sweetest honey, that at harvest time Hal took out a whole pitcher full. They placed it upon a shelf at the head of their bed, and lest any attempt should be made to steal it, or in case the mice tried to get at it, Trine laid a good strong hazel switch by her bedside, so that she could, without more inconvenience that was needful, drive off the unbidden guests.

day ;-"early to rise," he would say, "is neither well nor wise." One bright morning as he lay still buried in the feathers, resting after the long sleep he had enjoyed all night, he said to his wife, "Women love sweets I know, and you are always nibbling at the honey, so I think it would be a good plan to buy a goose and goslings with it, before you have eaten it all up."

"Not before we have a child to look after them," exclaimed Trine; why should I indeed be tormented with goslings, and unnecessarily tired ?”

"And do you suppose the child would mind the geese ?" asked Hal; "now-a-days children do as they like, and think themselves wiser than their parents! He would most probably behave as the boy who was sent to look for the cow, and who chose rather to run after the blackbirds!"

""Twill be worse for him," answered Trine, "if he does not obey me; I shall not count the stripes I lay on if I take my switch to him!" "Now look, Hal," cried she in a passion, and seizing the hazel rod at hand for the mice, "I'll show you how I'll give it him!" She flourished the stick as she spoke, and it struck the pitcher near her head; it fell to the floor, broke into a dozen pieces, and the delicious honey streamed about.

"There lie the goose and the goslings," cried Hal; "they'll need no minding! It is fortunate though that the pitcher did not fall on my head-truly there is always good reason to be thankful!"

Among the broken bits there was one larger than the others, in which the honey still stayed, and he rejoiced exceedingly at the sight. "The little that remains, wife," said he pleasantly, "we may as well enjoy at once, and then we'll rest awhile to recover from the fright; it does not matter much if we do rise somewhat later than usual, the day is always long enough!"

EXAGGERATION.

WE suppose there is a tendency in the minds of most to exaggerate the common incidents of every-day life and to make ordinary events into wonderful occurrences, which leads a great many of us into that unconscious and almost involuntary sort of story-telling which, although its effects often produce considerable harm, is but lightly reprobated by the severest moralists.

This tendency is supposed to have been stronger than it is now at periods of comparatively less civilization in the earlier ages of the world, and learned authors refer to it the mythology of Greece and more barbarons races, as arising out of an exaggerated statement of the deeds of heroes and their consequent elevation into gods and demi-gods. Such tales, too, as the suckling of the founder of the Roman empire by a she-wolf, and the doings valorous and magical of the celebrated Knights of the Round Table, and the traditions of St. George and the Dragon, and Guy Earl of Warwick and the Dun Cow, and the stories of ogres and giants and enchanters, including of course those extravagantly gorgeous fables the Arabian Nights, which made our childhood so bright with glorious visions. These are all instances of exaggeration of the most positive kind based upon some small foundation of truth, and such fables as these give some colour to the notions of those who think exaggeration one of the attributes of an age of barbarism.

Still, however, if we look round us we shall find sufficient evidence that exaggeration is not dead, nor even steeping, and we may well be permitted to doubt whether it was ever more rampant in the world than it is at the present moment. Of course, exaggeration is not so outrageously extravagant as it used to be, it does not take the direction of witchcraft, or alchemy, or immense mon aters ravaging sea and land, although in these latter days Lazy Hal never of his own consent got up before mid- there have not been wanting tales of sea serpents miles

long, to puzzle not only the ignorant but the scientific world with thoughts of antediluvian reptiles living on to our own time. These, however, are exceptions, and it is not to such examples that we have to look; for exaggeration generally keeps itself parallel with the belief of the age and preserves some consistency with its modes of thought.

if we were asked which we should be tempted to say with the showman, who, when asked by a juvenile which was the Duke of Wellington and which the Emperor Napoleon, replied, "Just which you please, my little dearjust which you please."

If we glance at the shipping news, we shall find that every wreck involves the "most awful destruction of Taking this clue to guide us, we think we shall not life;" and every storm is "the most violent within the have to exercise a very minute power of observation to memory of the oldest inhabitant." If we turn our find that even now, when civilization has effaced all the attention to the police reports, we shall find that most of traces of barbarism, and produced an era of almost per- the drunkards are persons "of very squalid aspect," and fect enlightenment, exaggeration covers the earth even as every man who commits an assault is "a most ferocious the waters cover the sea. Take up one of those won- ruffian," and every pickpocket and burglar is a “ most derful productions, newspapers, which now-a-days con- desperate offender;" and every magistrate, when he protain the history of the world and record its large and nounces sentence, is apt to think that the special case small events with an accuracy, which, to use the language upon which he is engaged is "the very worst he rememof exaggeration, "cannot be surpassed." We can have bers in the whole course of his very extensive experino better means than that of judging of the tone of the ence;" and when a murder happens, the reporters let public mind, and do we not find it full of exaggeration, loose all the torrents of their imagination. If the crifrom the leading articles down to the printer's name at minal has borne a tolerably good character, he is a man the end? There is only one portion of its contents which of "unblemished reputation;" if he has been wild or we can partially except from that charge, and that is the reckless, he is "a thoroughly-hardened reprobate." If reports of the debates in the Houses of Parliament, and nature has not favoured him with a prepossessing face, be of the speeches of orators at public meetings at the has a most "ferocious and repulsive countenance; if Crown and Anchor, or the London Tavern, or the Man-he' is tolerably good-looking, he is a person of "amiable chester Free Trade Hall. These exceptions, we have and pleasing aspect;" and so on through the whole said, are but partial. We do not mean to say by that that course of criminal reporting. the reporters misrepresent or falsify, for their accuracy is without exaggeration generally wonderful. They, reversing the advice of Hamlet to the players to speak only what is set down for them, set down only what is spoken for them, but noble lords and honourable members and eloquent gentlemen take care to give them plenty of exaggerations to fill their note-books withal. Either "it is the most ill-advised attack ever made upon the most ancient and glorious constitution that the world ever saw," or it is the most flagrant and outrageous attempt to impose upon the people, a despotism worse, far worse than Siberian slavery," or "it is the most violent and barefaced infringement upon the personal rights and civil liberties of Englishmen which is recorded upon any page of history," or something of the like superlative character, which, when translated into plain English, means nothing more nor less than that some small concession is refused to the reforming spirit of the age, or a more stringent measure of police is advocated, or an extension of the action of centralization is thought of; and people so well understand all this that orators often cry out lustily with much the same effect as the shepherd's boy bawled out "wolf," and their listeners divide their statements by two and then subtract a little from the quotient.

If we turn to the leading articles, we shall be rewarded with much the same result. They are elegant, classic, learned, witty, and plausible. They manifest considerable ability, and unquestionable tact, but exaggeration speaks out in almost every line. This minister is the most patriotic and enlightened and statesmanlike who ever held the helm of state-that measure is the most wise, politic, and benevolent that was ever submitted to the consideration of the legislature-the crisis is the most grave and alarming in the nation's history-the grievance is the most trifling and absurd that ever was taken up by an ambitious and unblushing demagogue to inflame the passions of his ignorant dupes, and to serve his own grovelling desires and selfish ambition. And you look at another paper equally wise, and learned, and witty, and dogmatic, and you find that the most patriotic minister is transformed into a traitor, and the politic measure has become a glaring bungle, and the alarming crisis is poohpoohed into a false alarm, and the trifling grievance has grown into a monster evil, and the selfish demagogue has been transformed into a philanthropist of the highest kind. One or both of these must be exaggerations, and

So, too, in our civil courts there was never yet a barrister acting as counsel for the plaintiff, whose client had not been most fraudulently dealt by, or most wantonly and deeply injured; and a defendant never appears unless to resist the most gross imposition ever attempted to be established in a court of law; and, of course, both parties rely with the most unbounded confidence upon the verdict of an intelligent and enlightened jury of their countrymen. And in the minor details, as in the more important items of intelligence, the same scope is given to the faculty of imagination. Every fire of magnitude is not only most alarming and destructive, but throws the whole neighbourhood into the greatest possible consternation; and every conflagration smothered in its infancy might have been productive of the most alarming consequences. And those curious little paragraphs, which serve to fill up odd nooks and corners of the wide broad sheet; what curious examples of exaggeration they are. Each wonderful gooseberry is the largest ever picked in that neighbourhood; each unusual "take" of herrings or mackerel is the most extraordinary ever known to the fishermen of that port. Every calf with five legs, or pig with two tails, is the most marvellous phenomenon ever witnessed in that locality; and every horse running away furnishes a miraculous escape from a sudden and violent death; and go through all the closely printed columns of type, till we are almost tempted to say that the only statement which does not contain some spice of exaggeration is that before-mentioned one giving the name and address of the printer and publisher.

But then we had forgotten the advertisements; how they show the tendency to universal exaggeration! At the theatres every piece, although the public may hiss it, is received with the most unbounded and rapturous applause; and, though each night may give a beggarly account of empty boxes, of course it is crowded almost to suffocation; and where the best seats are vacant at all hours of the night, it is absolutely necessary to go early in order to secure good places. And all the tradesmen have superlative claims upon the attention and patronage of the public; each one of them has the largest capital, enabling him to obtain unknown advantages in the market over his competitors; and each one, too, has the most splendid establishment, and the most magnificent, and extensive, and tasty stock ever submitted to the inspection of the fashionable world; and each of them, too, sells cheaper than every one else, in

ELIZA COOK'S JOURNAL.

fact, is ruining himself for the benefit of all who have money to expend; and each of them has the unlimited patronage of Royalty, and all the nobility who, if we may trust our eyes and ears, are the most extensive buyers and the most extravagant consumers that ever drew the breath of life.

After sober and serious thought, we are compelled to come to the conclusion that if exaggerations are not so extravagant now as they used to be in the days of romance and magic, the printing-press, throwing off its thousands of impressions an hour, is spreading hundreds where one gained circulation before; but, perhaps, after all, the real world out of type is not so full of exaggeraAlmost every shop-window tion as all this. Let us see. is a specimen of exaggeration. The panes of glass are exaggerated till each pane takes in a whole window; the shop-fronts and entrances are exaggerated till they take in first-floors, and leave but little room inside for desk and counter. The sacrifices are enormous, and the bargains extraordinary; and the 19 shillings upon the priceticket is exaggeratedly large and the 11 d. exaggeratedly "The whole stock must be cleared off in three weeks" is an exaggeration in the way of diminution; the hand-bills thrust into your hands are brimfull of exaggerations; and the acme of the science-for exaggera. tion has attained to the dignity of a science-is in letters four feet high on advertising vans, swelled up to the magnitude of small towers.

small.

Well, it is impossible to deny that in the political, and the newspaper, and the commercial spheres, in all our out-door relations with the world, in fact, exaggeration is one of the paramount influences; but, perhaps, we keep Do we manage there it out of our private life. Do we? to strike the happy medium which we miss elsewhere? Let us run over the list of our acquaintances, and see whether they are very intelligent persons or extremely ignorant? Whether they are not hearty good fellows or sullen churls? Whether a friend, when a friend is not full of good qualities; and when estranged, overflowing with all the evil traits of humanity? Do not young ladies find each new confidant a perfect angel while the or confidence lasts, and when it is violated a horrid creature? Is not every person we like handsome, good looking, or tolerable, at least; and every one we dislike plain, if not a complete fright? Do not wives either have the best husbands that ever existed, or the most unfeeling brutes that ever worried poor women's lives out? Is not each new bonnet the sweetest thing that ever came out of the milliner's shop; and the muslin or silk one wants to buy the most elegant pattern ever seen? Are not Mrs. and Mr. Sugarlips either as happy as doves, or growling at each other all day like bears? Are not all servants when they first come capital workers, and are they not pretty sure to degeneAnd-most amiable phase rate into idle slovenly sluts ? of exaggeration, universal as motherdom itself, and almost sufficient to redeem all exaggeration's faults-are not each mother's darlings the sweetest, rosiest, prettiest, chubbiest, most intelligent, little cherubs and beautiful seraphs that ever made their appearance in the world? In short, exaggeration has obtained such a dominion that we suppose it would be an over ambitious and futile effort to attempt to depose it from its throne; and really when we remember that its constant use has brought it to such a pass that it deceives nobody, and sum up its good points and its bad ones, we are almost inclined to say a kind word for it, because exaggeration seems nearly indispensable to poetry. We don't know what the poets would do without "eyes as black as sloes" and "raven hair, darker than midnight," and "teeth whiter than pearls," and bosoms "whose purity would be sullied by the driven snow," and "brows fairer than alabaster," and "lips outvying the coral," and "breath more odorous than the balmy sighs of Araby the blest." It

would be extremely hard-hearted and very unreasonable,
too, to deprive the tuneful tribes of poets of such-like
exaggerated comparisons as these. It is easily explained,
too, why exaggeration aids poetry-poetry of the highest
real into the ideal; and while exaggeration is tolerated
class, is the attempt to elevate, exaggerate if you will, the
there, we suppose we must admit it elsewhere, hoping that
it may bring with it into real life the kindness and sympathy
of poetry, and that a conquest will in time be gained by
the virtues over the vices of exaggeration.

THE BEAR AND HIS ENEMY.

It is one of
ABOUT thirty leagues from Carlstad, on the shores of the
lake Rada, stands a hamlet called St. John.
the pleasantest villages in Scandinavia; the wooden
houses, mirrored in the clear pure water, are sheltered at
the back by dark, green forests, which harbour quantities
of game; the surrounding plains produce corn and grass
in abundance, and the lake is filled with fish. Thus the
inhabitants are rich after their country fashion, and,
frequently, in the primitive manner, lay money beneath
their hearths.

In the year 1816, there lived at St. John, a young
farmer named Daniel Jissjæbergist. He possessed a con-
happiest man in the world,-for he was betrothed to
siderable tract of fertile land, and thought himself the
Raghilda, the fairest maiden in the country. But this
damsel, in addition to her dazzling beauty, was unluckily
endowed with a superabundant portion of caprice and
waywardness; so that poor Daniel often found it hard
work to please her. If he brought her a bunch of rare
and sweet mountain-flowers, she would, perhaps, declare
she had a headache, and could not endure their perfume.
If he came to visit her laden with game from the forest,
she would sometimes toss her pretty head, and say she
could not imagine what amusement he could find in shoot-
ing poor little hares and birds. In short, she often teased
him unmercifully; but then she knew well how to heal
the wounds she inflicted. According to the custom of
in the midst of her hives, and the sagacious insects knew
.Wermeland, Raghilda kept bees: she used to spend hours
her perfectly well, buzzing around her and alighting on her
head and face, without ever attempting to sting.

The lover, as may be imagined, took also great interest
in the welfare of the bees; and one day he proposed to
Raghilda to take down part of a high wall which sheltered
the hives, but which diminished their allowance of sun-
shine. At first, from pure waywardness, she opposed the
alteration, but finally yielded; and the young man speedily
lowered the height of the barrier. During some weeks,
the change answered very well; the increased heat helped
But one morning, when Raghilda
to vivify the eggs of the queen-bee; and, besides, the
heavily-freighted little travellers had now a less lofty ob-
stacle to surmount.
went as usual to visit her hives, she found them over-
turned, and trampled into a mingled mass of straw, dead
bees, and honeycomb. When Daniel arrived, he found
his betrothed weeping in the midst of the ruins.

"Don't cry, dearest," he said, "I am the cause of Look at these marks, they are this mishap, in having lowered the wall; but I will take vengeance on its author. the footprints of a large bear; I will take my gun, put on my skidors, and bring back his skin!"

Raghilda was still out of temper at her loss, and unreasonably angry with her lover; so she scarcely condehome to equip himself for the chase. He would not have scended to look at, or notice him, and Daniel hastened been able to proceed far without the assistance of the They are long, broad shoes, laced Norway, skidors. singular shoes, or rather skates, which are called in round the leg by leathern straps, and terminating in a sharp, turned-up point. That for the left foot is longer