Providence; in another it was the prototype or rather the abridgment of the law. The hand has four fingers and a thumb-the first provided with three joints or articulations, the latter with only two-all of them constitute an unity which forms their basis. The law of Mahomet has five fundamental precepts—each of these possess three modifications, except the first, which has only two, answering to the thumb-these are, heart and work-the third signification is purely superstitious. The moors believed that the hand, representing by its structure an abridged representation of the law, became a powerful defence against the enemies of that law. They even thought that it was capable of operating miracles if they could discover in it the favourable signs of the constellations, according to the rules of occult science. And the hand to the present time is traced by the descendants of a moorish or Egyptian race, known in every part of Europe under the names of gitanos or gypsies, when the credulity of weak minds threw away their hard-earned gains to peep into the impenetrable depths of futurity-themselves furnishing at all times sufficient hints to enable the Sybil to fathom, without much celestial wisdom, the secret they most wish to have confirmed.

On the principal gate of the Alhambra is to be seen an open hand, possibly intended to signify that position as being the most favourable to push an enemy away, or to imply a desire that no enemy should approach.

In all parts of Spain old and young may frequently be seen, with little hands, the fingers closed, and the thumb thrust between the middle and fore fingers, sculptured in ivory amber, jet gold, or silver-these are worn as amulets, sometimes on one part, sometimes on another of the body, and frequently applied in cases of local disease to the part affected—it is to be hoped with great efficacy.

In China precisely the same amulets are worn against witchcraft, and it may be a curious matter of research to trace how such a similarity of superstitious feeling should exist in nations differing so widely in every other matter of cre→ dence, or if the expression may be allowed, of faith. That is, however, a speculation not adapted to these pages.

THE PEDLAR'S STORIES.

Passing in the course of our trafficking travel through a thriving seaport, Simon turned into a large shop to make some purchases. At a desk behind the counter there sat a weather-beaten rough little man, who was too much occupied with his day-book and ledger to observe us. While the shopman was supplying our wants, Simon hailed him with "Well captain, how goes it?" Up, or rather down, started the stumpy bustling man from his tall three-legged stool, and blythely returned the salutation. Balancing himself on his two feet, as if he had

been fixing himself on deck in a stiff breeze, and pulling up at each side what no man dare to call by the right name, as sailors are wont to haul up their trousers at the end of a job, he clapt both hands into his waistcoat pockets, end clearing his throat, with an emphatic wag of the head and a wink with one eye, he went on to answer the pedlar's queries after his welfare, in a few common-place phrases which conveyed but little information. He was evidently not in the habit to give other than indefinite answers to such every-day questions; and the sight of a stranger with his old friend most probably occasioned him just as much concern as what to say about his own well-being. "Thank ye, Mr. Simon, thank ye, Frazer, safe at anchor now; had my day of it-a rough day; am now in port; try to do my best; hard lines these, though; poor sales, sir, poor sales, I assure you; worse pay," &c. &c. He was full of civility, and bustle, and anxiety to serve us; asked Simon to his house to dine, to sleep, and so forth, but we only staid to pay what was purchased, and to have the goods packed for our carrying.

The instant we were fairly out of the shop, Simon observed that "it is worth walking five Scotch miles to see that man, if it were no more than to teach everybody, that no man born in this country, if he is blessed with an ordinary share of and number of years, need despair in respect of getting on in the world.

"Who is he?" I naturally inquired.

"Who is he?" Simon repeated. "Indeed, my boy, not many can tell you that; but I'll give you all I know of him.

"About forty years ago, he was put into the basket of the Foundling Hospital in Edinburgh, with a ten pound bank note, and a scrawl pinned to his breast, stating his name should be Charles Galloway. I have no power, whatever might be the wish, to lay open the secrets of the prison-house, or even of those places which are founded on the principles of pure philanthropy and Christian charity. I cannot, of my own knowledge, tell whether the poor infants whom fathers and mothers forsake, find that mercy and kindness under the hands of hired strangers which their parents have utterly denied. Certain it is, however, this singular man's appearance now bears heavy marks of severe accidents, or of great misusage at some period, no doubt of an early date in his life. Still sad injuries may be sustained in spite of the most vigiiant care of nurse or mother. At the same time I must mention that I have learnt, that when apprenticed, which was at a very early age, to be a sea-boy on board a Leith trader, he there received the must cruel treatment from the savage master and the senseless crew; which indeed became at length so intolerable, that, driven to absolute despair, he made his escape in the night, while the vessel was lying at Bristol, with no other pos session than the ragged clothes on his person. He ran for his life through the

unknown city, thinking no doubt every sound he heard was a pursuer; and having by the time day dawned reached the open country, he hid himself in a hole till it was dark again, so as to screen him from his tormentors.

Again, he set forward, wandering he knew not whither, along cross-roads and through by-ways, till about noon he came to a farm-steading, when, exhausted with hunger, fatigue, and misery of heart, he staggered into an open out-house, and sinking down upon some straw, fell asleep. When he awoke, he found several people standing around him, and his dirty ragged appearance exciting suspicion, they were about to tumble him into the road. But starvation and the woe-begone in spirit are eloquent pleaders! He implored in accents of resistless earnestness that he might have a morsel of bread, and told his story with all the evidences of unvarnished home-telling truth. Instantly a prompt-hearted Irishman, nearly as naked as himself, started up in his behalf, and by his intercession, not less straight-forward and eloquent, procured the boy plenty to eat from the well-fed English servants; and following up the impression he had made on the sympathies of his fellow-labourers, he succeeded so well as to gather among them half-a-crown, which he presented to the little wandering out cast. He then set him on his road to London, giving the poor boy kind words, hearty good wishes, and some honest counsel at parting. So that, as the little captain himself has told me, while tears were chasing down his cheeks, he never sees an Irishman but he feels his better nature stirred up, and that his ears tingle at the sound of the thorough brogue.

"On and on wandered and toiled the poor little, naked, and unprepossessing creature. And what greater punishment could one have wished to see visited upon his unnatural parents than to have met and recognised their child in this forlorn condition? But no one knew him, no one was likely frankly to proffer, him succour; so that he entered the wilds of London, altogether friendless, and nearly as wo-worn as before,--without one earthly possession to command aid or notice, excepting the Irishman's half-crown, which, rather than break upon, he had begged and starved on the road. But he had received kindness, had heard the words of compassion, sympathy, and honest affection, and he was no longer desperate, he no longer hated and feared his species,-a fountain of love and liberal thinking was opened up in his soul, that will never, it is hoped, be shut or able to send forth the waters of bitterness.

"By cleaning himself, and by means of the precious well-hoarded half-crown,making the utmost of his appearance, he got the master of a vessel to admit him on board as a sea-boy; and being once there, he took excellent care so to conduct himself that he should never be turned out, or regarded by any man that had not monstrous points about him with other than kindly feeling. By serving and obliging the sailors, taking their jokes and reckless thumps with good

humour, and never exhibiting nnwillingness or a sulky look at the many vexations and plagues which the young and littleest thing-dog or boy-is apt to fall heir to on board a ship, this poor wee practical philosopher, besides many small favours and donations, gained to himself the countenance of the captain, the mate and the men; and by the time the ship returned to port, had, from his early command of temper, assiduity, and alacrity, purchased for himself a superior character for one in his station and of his years. The first and most difficult stage had been passed; patient, steady, and active, he held on his humble career, always, in the very nature of things, advancing. And as he compared one month as it sped with the month that had gone before, he saw and felt, that in spite of all his overwhelming disadvantages, his progress was still in the right direction, and this too with an ever accelerating speed.

The

"While in port, he redoubled his efforts to oblige and serve his master. sailors then all leaving the ship, the labour of delivering the cargo, clearing her out, and reloading and preparing again for sea, devolved as is very generally the case, on hired jobbers and the apprentices. Here the captain felt all the importance of having an honest faithful boy, ever at his hand, and on whose obedience and sound sense he could rely, to watch while he was unavoidably on shore; so that our hero had plenty to do, even when others were at play. Whether he was sufficiently rewarded for all this, I do not know. It but too often happens that when a service or a benefit is unexpected, it is received with gratitude and delight; but that the longer such services and favours are continued, the less they are thought of, till at length they are considered, if not demanded, as a right. While the sailors, most of them three times his age, were raging about in the wildest dissipation and senseless idleness, this poor destitute boy, with neither home nor relation to receive, shelter, or direct him, would, after the severe toil of the day, instead of going to amusement or sleep, clean himself, no easy task! from the pitch and tar and dirt with which he was besmeared; and with his little savings, pinched off himself when hungry and cold, contrive to go to a night school to improve his reading and writing, and afterwards to learn arithmetic and navigation. His eagerness to improve, so delighted his teacher, an old disabled seaman, that he presented him with the remains of one or two useful books, a scale and old pair of compass, all which, though like the giver nearly worn out in the service, were of great value to the laborious and indefatigable learner. What a blessing it would have been to him had he had the money which one of the sailors would squander heedlessly and wickedly in one night! But though he saw their delirious waste, so disunited was he from every being on earth, so utterly destitute of every claim upon any creature, so unused to have his longings, his necessity, his sufferings, thought of by any but himself, that such

an idea as that of grudging, or of expecting the consideration of others did not at all occur to him.

"When the ship was again to sail, and all came once more on board, most of the men were in a state of drunkenness. Several of them were sick and worn out, -others dirty and bruised. Our hero, as he arranged the tackling aloft, and heard the sottish uproar, and saw the degraded objects below upon deck, could not but think that, in spite, of the great riches in his eyes, which each of them possessed when they went on shore, their plenty of time, their means of enjoyment and improvement, of which he was continually thinking, then they were all as poor and pennyless as himself-far more dirty, far more exhausted, and sick, and bruised, and ignorant than himself, after all his ceaseless toil in performing his duty. This was one of the practical lessons which the boy never forgot. "Even before his apprenticeship was out, having at different times received presents of money from the captain and passengers, his sagacity and wits, sharpened by that best of whetstones, necessity, led him, as if by instinct, to lay out his little treasure in the most judicious way and profitable miniature speculations. And though at first his gains to the wasteful blustering seaman seemed so small, as to be the frequent theme of jeering and scorn, yet they were great to him who had nothing, and knew also so well how to use them. By the time his ndenture expired, he was a stout healthy lad, and a steady expert seaman, to whom all on board could trust, and commanding tacitly the good will of all. He still continued in the same ship, and from his knowledge of navigation, having on several occasions done the duty of second mate excellently well, on the first opportunity the captain promoted him. It was not long before he was appointed mate; and, in the course of a few voyages after, the captain having left the West Indies in bad health, he navigated the ship safely to port, and what was still more difficult, preserved by his prudence and firmness the most perfect discipline among the crew, some of them so lately his superiors. His old friend and master being unable to go to sea the next voyage, he warmly recommended in his stead our hero, so that the owners appointed the young man interim captain. And now when the young master looked back on the day he first entered Londor, with scarcely rags to cover him, without an earthly friend, or even acquaintance, without a hole where to lay his head, and only the poor Irishman's half-crown to look to as the means of existence; and when he cast his thoughts a little farther still, and remembered that he was rich and happy and unfearing in comparison of the night, when a half-naked starving fugitive, he was flying from Bristol, starting at every footstep, and hearing the crack of a rope's end in every sound, it seemed to himself that he was in a dream!

"He managed the ship so well, that he was continued as a captain by the