Leaves for the Little Ones. Nay," answered his father, with true Spanish pride," why should we send for a doctor when we cannot hope to pay him? My boys, we are penniless beggars!" Then in a few words he told the story of his loss. His wife burst into loud lamentations, while the children, though hardly as yet understanding the full extent of their misfortune, wept for sympathy. 66 "This will not do," said the father, rousing himself at length, we are forgetting Lotta." He then proceeded to try such remedies for fever as his simple skill suggested. His wife left the room to attend to her household affairs, and her eldest son followed, but little Philippe still stood by bis sister's bedside, the tears chasing each other down his dark cheeks. "Oh, father!" he at length burst forth passionately, "what would we do if Lotta should die ?" The father only groaned and buried his face in his hands. Long he sat there motionless, whilst the sunset light faded away, and the dim, shadowy twilight crept on apace. Suddenly the sound of footsteps broke the stillness, and, looking up, he saw standing in the doorway the tall figure of a man. How goes the world with you, my good Pedro?" said a pleasant voice, whose tones sounded strangely familiar. "I found the door open, and, taking the liberty of an old acquaintance, I entered without knocking. What! do you not know me?" he continued, smiling at Pedro's bewilderment. "Have you forgotten the wounded stranger whom you found on the plains, and nursed back to life again ?" "I understand," said the latter, nodding with a satisfied air. When the doctor had departed the stranger "I hope the little one has not forgotten me," More than a week past away before little "I knew you would come back,” she murmured, while a glad smile lighted up her pale face. Then stretching out one little wasted hand, she laid it in her friend's broad palm with a look of perfect contentment. 66 'Yes, Little Lotta," he whispered, leaning over her, "I have come back, never to go away again. Now lie still, darling, and you will soon be well." "Ah! wife," said Pedro, who was watching "did I not tell thee that a good at a distance, action never goes unrewarded?" Pedro's words have been more than fulfilled. From a poor muleteer he has become a rich trader, but never are the wretched and sorrowing turned away from his door. As for little Lotta, she is now a beautiful maiden, the pride and joy of the whole family, but especially of her adopted brother, who always calls her "the Rose of Granada!" THE SILLY SHEPHERDESS. "Let us have a game of the Silly ShepNo, Pedro had not forgotten him. Starting up, he warmly welcomed his old acquaintance. herdess," said little Fanny, one bright summer"But what is this?" said the merchant, glanc-morning, as the young family assembled on ing at the couch. 'My little Lotta sick! not the lawn. dangerously, I hope?" "I do not know," stammered Pedro: "we have not sent for a doctor." 66 "Not sent for a doctor!" said the stranger reproachfully; here, Philippe," and he turned to the little boy; "haste thee quickly for the most skilful physician thou canst find. Tarry not!" The boy needed no second bidding. He flew off like the wind, and speedily returned with a grave old doctor. "It was well you did not delay sending for me any longer," said that worthy, shaking his "The head gravely as he bent over the couch. child is very sick, but I think, with the aid of the Blessed Virgin, we can bring her through safely." said the "Spare no pains, no expense, stranger, slipping a gold piece into the doctor's hand. "How do you play it ?" asked her cousin Katie, who was staying with them. "O, we will show you. Philip shall be a wolf, and I will be a shepherdess. All of you are to be my sheep. Now take hands, all six of you, and stand closely, side by side, shoulder to shoulder, with your arms down by your sides. Philip will hide behind the laurels. Now I take a stick which I must call my crook, and I measure how long a string you make instead. of counting you; that is why I am called the silly Shepherdess. I must see how many sticks or crooks you are long. Now! One, two, three, four, five, six," she added, measuring them across the chest with her stick. six sticks long. Now I must go away, and Ada will show you what to do next. "I see, Fanny then ran off, sat down on the bench under the oak-tree, and pretended to go to sleep. THE PEARL RING. "Sister lambs," said Ada in a whisper, “ ། think I should like to have a little run outside the fold. If the Shepherdess should come while | (Lines suggested by a ring, the pearls in which were I am gone, will you try to prevent her from findcaptured at Seringapatam.) ing out that I am not here?" All the lambs answered-"Yes, we will try." Then Ada ran away, and danced and jumped about like a little frolicking lamb. But very soon Philip (who made a capital wolf) sprang from behind his tree, and carried her off with him to his den. And now Fanny woke up; and when the lambs saw her coming, the two end ones stretched out their arms as far as they could. "For," they said, "two arms' length will be wider even than our sister-lamb was." The silly shepherdess measured her lambs again. When she had finished, she said "This is wonderful! they have grown since I went to sleep; they have grown a little longer.” Then she went away again. "Sister Lambs," said Anna, "I think I should like to have a little run outside the fold. If the Shepherdess should come while I am gone, will you try to prevent her from finding out that I am not here?" All the lambs answered-" Yes, we will try." Fanny woke up again, and came to measure them. And now the lambs stood apart a little way from each other, and stretched out their arms to make the length of the six sticks. This sort of play went on till so many lambs were gone, or had been taken by the wolf, that only two were left. Then they put only the tips of their fingers together, and stretched out their arms, to deceive the shepherdess; but as they could not, even thus, make six sticks in length, the silly shepherdess guessed what had happened, and went in search of the wolf. 'Wolf, wolf!" she cried, "give me back my lambs." "Shepherdess, you shall have them if you can catch them," said the wolf. And he let all the lambs out of his den. The shepherdess ran after them. While she was gone, the cunning wolf stole the two lambs left. When at last the shepherdess caught a lamb, it became "Shepherdess" instead, and the game began over again. Do you understand it now, Katie?" gasped breathless Fanny, as she brought Katie, whom she had caught, back to her place. "Yes; only does 'Wolf' go on always the same, or do we choose a new Wolf?" "The old Shepherdess' becomes Wolf," said Fanny. "It is my turn now, and Philip will be a lamb. I will let you have a good frolic before I catch you." Katie soon knew the game, and so I think will you, if you try it. BY H. P. MALET. While gazing on that ring of thine, While looking on these gems we hide These pearls were brought by busy hand But Tippo Sultan fell, the prize PRINTING,-The origin of printing is completely enveloped in mystery; and an art which cominemorates all other inventions-which hands down to posterity every important event-which immortalises which has been the most effectual instrument in the discoveries of genius and the exploits of greatness banishing the darkness and overturning the superstiIf there are any very little ones amongst the tion of a bigoted age-and which above all continues party of playfellows, the wolf must be careful to extend and diffuse the word of God to all mankind not to howl too loud, for fear of frightening—this very art has left its origin in obscurity and them. A good boy or girl will always take care given employment to the studies and researches of not to frighten or hurt the tender little creatures the most learned men in Europe to determine to whom who are allowed to join their sports. the honour of its invention is justly due. LEAVES FROM MY MEDITERRANEAN JOURNAL. BY A NAVAL CHAPLAIN, returning to rest we issued the necessary orders to be called at 5 o'clock a.m. on the following day: and then all preliminaries having been duly settled we retired, if not to rest, "perchance to dream" of eastern scenes, and Pachas, and Pyranids. In due time on the following morn heard as he knocked at each cabin-door to announce "two bells." As this was the appointed hour of our réveille we were soon stirring, and dreams at once gave place to the stern realities of a hasty toilet and a scramble for a cup of hurriedly-prepared coffee. To "muster" was the next duty; and as the boat had been ordered over night, to "shove off" at four bells (six o'clock a.m.,) little time was lost ere we were all safely stowed in the stern sheets of the Cutter, accompanied by the dragoman who had wisely slept on board the night before. CHAP. IX.-FROM ALEXANDRIA TO CAIRO. "Now we shall hear all the old story of the Alexandrian Library and the heating of the baths with priceless records," some reader may be fancied to exclaim in reading the above heading. To dismiss such fears at once, I maying the gruff voice of the cockpit sentry was remark, in limine, that no such topics will be treated of in the following pages. The Alexandria of which I write is merely the great resting-place of the overland route, the third and most important stage in the journey from England to India. This journey, beginning at Southampton, finds its first stage at Gibraltar, coals and proceeds to Malta, takes in mails and passengers, and having deposited a mail from England, takes a fresh departure for Alexandria. The mail deposited at Malta brought orders to the Mediterranean Fleet to send a branch squadron to Alexandria on public service; and in consequence of these orders some four or five Line-of-Battle-ships were despatched, with the Hannibal as flag ship, thither; and hence came the opportunity of seeing what will be described in the following pages. Passing over the voyage as the least interesting portion of the narrative, let us at once arrive within a day of our destination. We had already learned that the stay at Alexandria would be sufficiently long to admit of a visit to Cairo and the Pyramids, and consequently were busily engaged, by the way, in reading up for the purpose. The eight days' run from Malta had afforded ample time for the discussion of the pros and cons of a sight-seeing expedition; so that by the time we were within a day's distance of our destination each ship was ready to send its quota of tourists on shore by the first opportunity. A four-mile's pull in a man-of-war cutter against a rough sea, is an experience neither pleasant at the time nor one of which the wellknown line of Virgil, "Haec olim meminisse juvabit," could with any degree of truth be predicated. Hence passing over this part of the journey, I shall conduct the reader at once to the place of our debarkation, the transit wharf at Alexandria. It was only when we had disembarked that the many varieties of "plain clothes" presented by the costumes of our party exhibited their wellknown eccentricity. Time, however, being of a proverbially fleeting character, we could not devote much of it to the admiration of the originality displayed in "the get-up" of some individuals of our party; but found more profitable occupation in the mustering of our Arriving at night, there was nothing to be carpet-bags, knapsacks, rugs, &c. Immediately done but obtain the necessary leave and make on our landing the dragoman assumed the arrangements for the morrow. A dragoman direction of the expedition, and taking possesduly boarded each of the ships to make offer of sion of all personal luggage, made it up into a his services, and after some delay in negotiation group by ineans of a stout rope being passed we of the Flag-ship engaged one of these through bag-handles, and knapsack, and rugfunctionaries to be our guide and general master straps, and committed the whole to the care of of the ceremonies. The terms of our contract a native porter. Preceded by the last-mentioned were that each excursionists was to pay the sum functionary we now wended our way from the of one pound sterling per diem to cover all the wharf to the neighbouring thoroughfare, preexpenses of the journey to and from the Pyra-senting, as we went, a very picturesque, if not mids. This, though not an exorbitant charge, was more remunerative to the dragoman than we were then all aware of, owing to the fact that the Pacha of Egypt had generously placed free railway passes at the service of all officers desirous of visiting Cairo. This complimentary attention on the part of the Viceroy was cunningly kept secret by the dragoman till after our terms had been agreed upon. Before imposing appearance. The ragged Arabs, however, who had crowded down to receive us, did not, I must confess, seem to be much impressed with respect for the cortege as it passed, but most rudely pressed upon us in our attempt to quit the wharf. To reach the thoroughfare was in consequence a matter much easier to speak of than to accomplish-a fact we were made aware of as soon as our presence was perceived by a mob of donkey boys. These gamins, as is | their wont, soon made a rush upon us, each dragging along his own particular donkey for hire. The effect of this " charge" was such, that in an incredibly short space of time our party was surrounded by a motley collection of boys and donkeys, the former screaming out the praises of the latter in rival assertions, very good donkey, Captain," "Captain, very good donkey." Now, as all were vociferating at the same time with a violence of tone and gesticulation known only to Arabs, and each one "suiting the action to the word" by forcing forward his own donkey, as a practical illustration of the truth he was shoutiug himself hoarse to proclaim, it became necessary to mount the nearest quadruped in self-defence. The dragoman, meanwhile, was engaged in an indiscriminate attack upon the boys and their donkeys, and was "laying about" vigorously with a stout stick! Arabs take a thrashing well, and, apparently the more indiscrimanately it was administered the better! Whether it was that the mob were all in fault, or that justice was not to be obtained against a dragoman in charge of a European party, we could not determine; but the wonder was none the less, that sound castigation could be administered to the many by one, and, above all, with such manifest impunity! Once safely extricated from the noisy mob, I have just described, our way was easy to Shepherd's hotel, and a few minutes sufficed to reach it. Our stay here was of the shortest, but as we saw more of this world famed establishment in the course of our return, I may reserve notice of it till I come to describe our second visit. From Shepherd's hotel we drove to the terminus of Alexandria railway in the open carriages to be hired on the stands. On arriving at the terminus some slight delay occurred, owing to the number of passengers being in excess of the accommodation; soon, however, additional carriages were attached, and we were not sorry for the delay, as it gave us time to study the scene presented by the groups on the platform. Many present seemed to have no higher object in being there than to gratify their curiosity. Others, however, (women of the poorer class) carried pitchers of water, which they offered for sale at the carriage windows. Water sold as a luxury seems to the European-at least at first sight a strange thing enough! It does not, however, require a very long residence in the east to teach one to appreciate this novel practice. It is only in a climate like that of Alexandria that water-always and everywhere a necessity of life-becomes a perfectly indispensable companion for a journey, and an invaluable addition to comfort. Fortunately, though at the time unaware of what a luxury it would prove, we purchased a couple of these water pitchers, the cooling contents of which we fully appreciated during the day. The usual bell-ringing and railway-whistling having been gone through, we at last started, and experienced, as we leaned back in our richly padded carriages, that momentary feeling of re lief that always accompanies a decided start in a journey well begun. The scene that now met our eyes as we steamed away miles from Alexandria, was one of an essentially eastern character, presenting extensive plains of sand sparingly interspersed with patches of verdure, and here and there a pool of muddy water dammed up with a care that evinced its great value. These were the principal physical features of the immense level that not only lay around us on all sides, but seemed also to stretch ad infinitum towards Cairo. Meanwhile, groups of wandering Arabs leading camels, venerable-looking old men riding on donkeys, and even the presence of oxen treading out the corn, furnished foreground figures so much in keeping with the scene as to be suggestive of the pictures to be seen in many an old family-bible. Barren indeed must the fancy be, and feeble the memory of him who could not here recognize a likeness to Eleazar journeying in search of a wife for his young master; and there a group such as the Ishmaelite presented to whom Joseph was sold. Even yon solitary Arab, with his turbaned head and flowing beard, meditatively riding along on his ass, was sufficient to conjure up a recollection of the sad fate of the man of God from Judah, whom a lion met in the way. The aptness of the groups we were now passing to the incidents of early Scripturehistory was such that it could scarcely fail to strike even the least observant. Many of the Scripture allusions to the scorching heat of the sun, and the luxury of a "shadow from the heat," seemed all the more vivid to us now that we beheld practical illustration in some weary traveller halting beneath the friendly branches of a solitary tree; or if no better shade presented, gladly availing himself of the shelter of a standing wall. So necessary was it to have some protection against the sun, that travellers seemed in some cases to be provided with a piece of carpet or other coarse cloth, which when stretched upon light stakes, at a height of some three feet from the ground, allowed the weary owner to creep under and stretch his tired limbs until, the heat of the day having passed, he might resume his journey. To return, however, to the progress of our journey: we arrived in due time at the halfway-station, access to which is obtained by the train passing over a splended iron bridge which here spans one of the branches of the Nile. This magnificent structure is the work of an English engineer, who, report says, received a deserved recognition of his merit in the form of a munificent present from the late Pacha. To our great surprise, on arriving at the halfway-station we found it to contain a spacious refreshment-room! Here we were marshalled into places by our attentive dragoman, and were soon busily engaged in discussing the merits of what, from its number of courses and dessert, was a dinner in every sense of the word. Somebody has said that "all animals rejoice at sight of food"-a dictum which we found true, even of the higher animal Man, who though lord of creation, is never altogether insensible to the attractions of the table. The early hurried breakfast on board, followed as it was by eight hours on the road, had, as may be easily understood, done little to prevent our now doing ample justice to the repast set before us. Our banquet, though plentiful, was at an end ere the time came to return to the train. When seated in the carriages once more, we had time to study the garbs and groups of idlers looking on. All the women were of a poor class, and their dress consisted of a cheap blue cotton material, their heads being covered by a square piece of the same stuff; they almost all wore the long black triangular veil, which is suspended by a rude brass tube-like ornament, reaching from the hair to the meeting of the eyebrows; to this the upper edge of the veil is attached at the centre, so as to allow it to droop under either eye for seeing purposes, but being caught up at its ends round the ears of the wearer, it descends almost to the feet, tapering out at its extremity to a mere point. Two-was at length announced, and right glad we thirds of the face are thus concealed by what the British tars, on first seeing it, irreverently called "a nose-bag!" The usual selling of water, requests for "backshiesch," &c., already described, were again present, and served to amuse us until the signal was given to "take a fresh departure," as sailors call a fresh start. The fierce heat of the sun, now at its greatest intensity, rendered the following two or three hours' journey none of the pleasantest. The absence of curtains from our carriage windows was a great inconvenience, and we were forced to suffer by being covered by the clouds of dust that entered by the open windows, rather than adopt the alternative of closing the latter to the exclusion of air. As the day wore on we naturally became rather weary of the length of the journey, and began to peer anxiously into the distance, in the hopes of obtaining a distant glimpse of Cairo or of the far-famed Pyramids. The desire of seeing the Pyramids being the motive of our excursion, it became stronger as we were lessening more and more the space separating us from that goal. After many false alarms, and much consequent amusement, the Pyramids were at last really" sighted;" although the fact of what we saw being such was at the first doubted, owing to our ignorance as to how such structures would look when seen from a great distance. Instead of the triangular face of the quadrangular structure we were looking out for, we had here what appeared to be two cone-topped pillars of gigantic proportions, such as might have supported some fabled Herculanean gate! The difficulty of accounting for these objects, otherwise than by concluding them to be the Pyramids, caused their claim to that distinction to be finally admitted. Cairo were that the hot, dusty journey was at an end. Extricating ourselves and our not very cumbrous luggage from the train we drove to Shepherd's Hotel. This famous resting-place for overland route passengers has, I believe, been burned down since the date of our visit, and it is to be devoutly hoped that its successor can boast of more supervision than the old one seemed to possesss. Our first impressions of this house were not favourable, as we saw it under circumstances of great crowding, which perhaps accounts for the difficulty of getting hold of a waiter, or the still greater one of getting him to give his attendance! OUR LIBRARY TABLE. CIRCLE OF LIGHT; OR, DHAWALEGERI. | am entitled to do so, either by the height or By H. P. Malet. (London: T. Cantley Newby, depth of my subject, but simply because I re30, Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square.)-The quire a measure of comparison to refer to. On title of this work does not explain the purpose no other pretence could I aspire to write of one of it, or even suggest its subject. The first of the highest mountains in the world-one of chapter is at once initiatory and introductory, the first evidences that the chaotic masses of and we shall best enlighten our readers by water were gathering into one place, and that quoting parts of it, merely observing that dry land was appearing; one of the first that Dhawalegeri is the name of a lofty mountain in stood up triumphant over the muddy waters India, which in the native language means seve- and testified to the fact of firmness and solidity. ral things: "Dhawal is a temple, Dewalle is a Proudly Dhawalegeri raised its head as a proof festival, Devi is a divinity, Walla is a fellow, that earth was growing distinct from water, asGheira is a circle, Ghur is a hill, fort, or house.' suming its place in creation, and offering its "Those who please," says the author, " may drying and consolidating masses as one of the call it the Circle of Light, or it may be called strong bulwarks against the troubled waves. God's House. I do not use it thinking that I On the top of this mount shone one of the first |