with her fellow-servant in impatience of what is going on, gives her one or two conclusive digs in the side; when the other gets up, and rubbing her eyes, and mumbling, and hastening and shrugging herself down stairs, opens the door with, "Lard, Mrs. Watson, I hope you haven't been standing here long?" "Standing here long, Mrs. Betty! Oh! don't tell me people might stand starving their legs off, before you'd put a finger out of bed."—"Oh! don't say so, Mrs. Watson; I'm sure I always rises at the first knock: and there, — you'll find every thing comfortable below, with a nice hock of ham, which I made John leave for you." At this the washer-women leave their grumbling, and shuffle down stairs, hoping to see Mrs. Betty early at breakfast. Here, after warming themselves at the copper, taking a mutual pinch of snuff, and getting things ready for the wash, they take a snack at the promised hock; for people of this profession have always their appetite at hand, and every interval of labor is invariably cheered by the prospect of having something at the end of it. "Well," says Mrs. Watson, finishing the last cut, some people thinks themselves mighty generous for leaving one what little they can't eat; but, howsomever, it's better than nothing.” "Ah," says Mrs. Jones, who is a minor genius, one must take what one can get now-a-days; but Squire Hervey's for my money."-"Squire Hervey!" rejoins Mrs. Watson: "what's that, the great what's-hisname as lives yonder?"-" Ay," returns Mrs. Jones; "him as has a niece and nevvy, as they say, eats him out of house and land." And here commences the history of all the last week of the whole neighborhood

66

round, which continues amidst the dipping of splashing fists, the rumbling of suds, and the creaking of wringings-out, till an hour or two are elapsed; and then for another snack and a pinch of snuff, till the resumption of another hour's labor or so brings round the time for first breakfast. Then, having had nothing to signify since five, they sit down at half-past six in the wash-house to take their own meal before the servants meet at the general one. This is the chief moment of enjoyment. They have just labored enough to make the tea and bread and butter welcome; are at an interesting point of the conversation (for there they contrive to leave off on purpose); and so down they sit, fatigued and happy, with their red elbows and white corrugated fingers, to a tub turned upside down, and a dish of good Christian souchong, fit for a body to drink.

We could dwell a good deal upon this point of time, but shall only admonish the fastidious reader, who thinks he has all the taste and means of enjoyment to himself, how he looks with scorn upon two persons, who are perhaps at this moment the happiest couple of human beings in the street,—who have discharged their duty, have earned their enjoyment, and have health and spirits to relish it to the full. A washerwoman's cup of tea may vie with the first drawn cork at a bon-vivant's table, and the complacent opening of her snuff-box with that of the most triumphant politician over a scheme of partition. We say nothing of the continuation of their labors, of the scandal they resume, or the complaints they pour forth, when they first set off again in the indolence of a satisfied appe

tite, at the quantity of work which the mistress of the house, above all other mistresses, is sure to heap upon them. Scandal and complaint, in these instances, do not hurt the complacency of our reflections: they are in their proper sphere; and are nothing but a part, as it were, of the day's work, and are so much vent to the animal spirits. Even the unpleasant day which the work causes up stairs in some houses, the visitors which it excludes, and the leg of mutton which it hinders from roasting, are only so much enjoyment kept back and contrasted, in order to be made keener the rest of the week. Beauty itself is indebted to it, and draws from that steaming out-house and splashing tub the well-fitting robe that gives out its figure, and the snowy cap that contrasts its curls and its complexion. In short, whenever we hear a washerwoman at her foaming work, or see her plodding towards us with her jolly warm face, her mob cap, her black stockings, clattering pattens, and tub at arm's-length resting on her hip-joint, we look upon her as a living lesson to us to make the most both of time and comfort, and as a sort of allegorical compound of pain and pleasure, a little too much, perhaps, in the style of Rubens.

1814.

THE NIGHTMARE.

E DO not hesitate to declare to the reader, even in this free-thinking age, that we are no

small adept in the uses of the occult philosophy, as I shall thoroughly make manifest. Be it known, then, that we are sometimes favored with the visits of a nocturnal spirit, from whom we receive the most excellent lessons of wisdom. His appearance is not highly prepossessing; and the weight of his manner of teaching, joined to the season he chooses for that purpose, has in it something not a little tremendous: but the end of his instruction is the enjoyment of virtue; and, as he is conscious of the alarming nature of his aspect, he takes leave of the initiated the moment they reduce his lessons to practice. It is true, there are a number of foolish persons, who, instead of being grateful for his friendly offices, have affected to disdain them, in the hope of tiring him out, and thus getting rid of his disagreeable presence: but they could not have taken a worse method; for his benevolence is as unwearied as his lessons and appearances are formidable, and these unphilosophic scorners are only punished every night of their lives in consequence. If any curious person wishes to see

him, the ceremony of summoning him to appear is very simple, though it varies according to the aspirant's immediate state of blood. With some, nothing more is required than the mastication of a few unripe plums, or a cucumber, just before midnight; others must take a certain portion of that part of a calf which is used for what are vulgarly called veal-cutlets; others, again, find the necessary charm in an omelet or an olio. For our part, we are so well acquainted with the different ceremonies, that, without any preparation, we have only to lie in a particular posture, and the spirit is sure to make its appearance. The figures under which it presents itself are various: but it generally takes its position upon the breast, in a shape altogether indescribable; and is accompanied with circumstances of alarm and obscurity, not a little resembling those which the philosophers underwent on their initiation into the Eleusinian and other mysteries. The first sensations you experience are those of a great oppression, and inability to move: these you endeavor to resist, but after an instant resign yourself to their control, or rather flatter yourself you will do so; for the sensation becomes so painful, that, in a moment, you struggle into another effort; and if in this effort you happen to move yourself, and cry out, the spirit is sure to be gone; for it detests a noise as heartily as a monk of La Trappe, a traveller in the Alps, or a thief. Could an intemperate person in this situation be but philosopher enough to give himself up to the spirit's influence for a few minutes, he would see his visitant to great advantage, and gather as much knowledge at once as would serve him instead of a