he proceeded forward with his more confident director, seeming not a little pleased at the increased velocity of his motion.

"But soon he found reasons to repent. Whenever a torrent crossed their way, his guide taught him to despise the obstacle by plunging him in ; whenever a precipice presented, he was directed to fling himself forward. Thus each moment miraculously escaping, his repeated escapes only served to increase his temerity. He led him therefore forward, amidst infinite difficulties, till they arrived at the borders of an ocean, which appeared unnavigable from the black mists that lay upon its surface. Its unquiet waves were of the darkest hue, and gave a lively representation of the various agitations of the human mind.

"The Genius of Probability now confessed his temerity, owned his being an improper guide to The Land of Certainty, a country where no mortal had ever been permitted to arrive; but at the same time offered to supply the traveller with another conductor, who should carry him to the Land of Confidence, a region where the inhabitants lived with the utmost tranquillity, and tasted almost as much satisfaction as if in the Land of Certainty. Not waiting for a reply, he stamped three times on the ground, and called forth The Demon of Error, a gloomy fiend of the servants of Arimanes. The yawning earth gave up the reluctant savage, who seemed unable to bear the light of the day. His stature was enormous, his colour black and hideous, his aspect betrayed a thousand varying passions, and he spread forth pinions that were fitted for the most rapid flight.

The traveller at first was shocked at the spectre ; but finding him obedient to superior power, he assumed his former tranquillity.

"I have called you to duty,' cries the genius to the demon, 'to bear on your back a son of mortality over The Ocean of Doubts into The Land of Confidence: I expect you'll perform your commission with punctuality. And as for you,' continued the genius, addressing the traveller, 'when once I have bound this fillet round your eyes, let no voice of persuasion, nor threat the most terrifying, persuade you to unbind it in order to look round; keep the fillet fast, look not at the ocean below, and you may certainly expect to arrive at a region of pleasure.'

"Thus saying, and the traveller's eyes being covered, the demon, muttering curses, raised him on his back, and instantly, upborne by his strong pinions, directed his flight among the clouds. Neither the loudest thunder, nor the most angry tempest, could persuade the traveller to unbind his eyes. The demon directed his flight downwards, and skimmed the surface of the ocean; a thousand voices, some with loud inyectives, others in the sarcastic tones of contempt, vainly endeayoured to persuade him to look round; but he still continued to keep his eyes covered, and would in all probability have arrived at the happy land, had not flattery effected what other means could not perform. For now he heard himself welcomed on every side to the promised land, and a universal shout of joy was sent forth at his safe arrival; the wearied traveller, desirous of seeing the long wished for country, at length

pulled the fillet from his eyes, and ventured to look round him. But he had unloosed the band too soon; he was not yet above half way over. The demon, who was still hovering in the air, and had produced those sounds only in order to deceive, was now freed from his commission; wherefore throwing the astonished traveller from his back, the unhappy youth fell headlong into the subjacent Ocean of Doubts, from whence he never after was seen to rise."

GOLDSMITH.

A MOTHER'S FUNERAL.

My dear mother died when I was four years old. I remember that she held out her hand to me just before she kissed me for the last time; and it was so very thin and white; her eyes too looked larger than they ever seemed, and of a deeper blue she turned round to my father that night, and said, "Let Charles sit up a little longer this evening, my love." My father only looked at her; I wondered he did not answer; but I believe it was because he could not speak just then, for I saw him crying behind the bed curtains soon after. When I woke the next morning, they told me mama was dead. I did not pay much attention to what they said, for I did not know what it meant to be dead; I did not think the morning seemed at all gloomy; for the sun was shining as brightly as ever, and when I went out into our field, the larks were singing as cheerfully as ever, nothing seemed dull. I was sitting under a large hawthorn tree, at the end of

our field, and watching a goldfinch which was dancing among the slender branches; while, every now and then, a little shower of white blossoms came flying down to the ground. I was always very fond of peeping up, from under a tree, and observing how many little shady arbours were formed among the boughs; and how transparently green and bright the leaves appeared, when seen from quite beneath. The merry goldfinch had just flown away, when Elizabeth came out; and I began to think about my mother again: "What does 'dead' mean, Elizabeth ?" I asked; "for Jenny says mama is dead." My sister only began to weep; but at last she said, "Dead, means," she looked round and hesitated; but she saw the hawthorn blossoms on the grass, and said, "these flowers are dead, Charles; those on the tree, which have that beautiful pink colour, blushing over them, are the most fresh ; those, which look dark in the centre, are dying: after a few days, these, which are now white on the ground, will have wasted away, and will not be seen any more: some of the blossoms are shaken by very rough winds; and your mama died as they do."-Here Elizabeth wept again: "but all these," she added, "after hanging on the tree some time, must fall off and die; as persons who are as old as grandpapa must die." Elizabeth told me a great deal more, and explained why mama was different from the hawthorn blossoms; because she had a soul, which always lives; and she told me, that if I obeyed God, I might see my mother again (after I was dead) in heaven. I was very happy to hear that;

because I had begun to fear that she would never be seen again, like the dead flowers. I supposed then that my eldest sister, Magdalen, was dead; for I had never seen her since she had left her home, to stay with her aunt in Devonshire; and no one had talked about her for many months. I just remember that she was very good natured, and much prettier than Elizabeth; she had bright gold coloured hair, which hung down nearly to her little waist, in such large shining curls. She was a very merry girl, and always made my father and mother laugh when she was with them.

I wished I could see my mother, but I hardly knew whether she had not wasted away into nothing, as I saw the fallen hawthorn blossoms had. A few days after, I was so surprised to see a large long box carried down stairs one morning, covered with black cloth. I went up to the men, and asked what they were carrying, which seemed so heavy? One of them, a silly looking lad, answered, "Your mother's coffin, little master." I ran down stairs to tell my father, and asked what that silly looking lad meant; but he was not in his study. I went to the window, and looking out, I saw the men carrying something: guessed it must be the same box, only it was hidden by a long black sheet, edged with white; my father and Elizabeth were walking after them very slowly. I ran out without my hat, and asked my father to take me with them. I did not overtake him till he reached the churchyard. An old woman came, and said, "You had better come home