THE FUNERAL.

'Tis only friendly
To lay a brother's head beneath the clay,
A duty which we owe to one another;
So let it be performed-well, 'tis a sad one.
How dismal does it seem to take repose
In such a lonely, narrow house as this?
I shiver when I think on't

the perseverance of a third, knock all my resolutions on the head. In truth, I am kept in perpetual employment, and my health is beginning to suffer seriously. I have given the three foregoing letters as a specimen of the way in which I am assailed. If I On a cold, wet Sunday in last should only get rid of such cases, I October, I had preferred the comforts should be able to move more freely; ofthe fireside, and the perusal of my bible but alas! I am hemmed in on all sides, to the exhibition of my shattered frame and must either give up my benevolent at church, and was seated in my arm chair reputation, or perish under the load. enjoying the sublime effusions of the Miss M'Arthur's desires cannot be psalms of Israel. I was reading the accomplished without putting me to 102d psalm, which is one of my fagreat inconvenience, and I have certain vourite subjects of contemplation, when reasons for thinking that she is not sleep unwittingly stole upon me, and quite so disinterested as she pretends. buried me in its embraces. I do not Barbara Pattison's petition I have al- mention this with any other intention, ready answered, by restoring her in than to show how little capable I am amity to her husband; but if I attempt of enjoying the sublime and beautiful any reconciliation between Mr. Douch-in poetry, and the wonderful influence erty and his rib, who knows but I may of sleep, which steals our senses imreceive a broken head from Mr. Dun- perceptibly. Every man of true taste can Connachy, for interfering in his will allow that the book of psalms sister's affairs. I have been thinking abounds with extraordinary beauties, of forming a register-office for the and might have potency enough to keep purpose of fitting sighing damsels with awake a much more or less refined husbands, and for restoring disconsolate animal than myself: but alas! I am yoke-fellows together. By this means, naturally of a somnific disposition; I shall be paid for my trouble, and the and, to my shame be it spoken, I presum shall be so fixed, that, while it fer sleep to any other amusement on keeps me free of trifling cases, it shall earth. I have forgone the pleasures not check the tide of my benevolence of the table a hundred times, and have in those of importance. My talents broken, heaven knows how many assig for intrigue (of an honourable kind) nations with female loveliness, for the are well known, and there are many sake of indulging my slothful propendames in the evening of life-and many sity. I awoke from my nap just as a as yet in its noon-who would gladly dish of excellent beef-steaks and onions remunerate me, if I could prevent them was placed almost under my nose, on from sinking disconsolate and compan- the table on which I was leaning, and ionless into the vale of years. And I was congratulating myself on my comtrust there are some wives and hus-fortable situation, when my aunt, who bands, who, like Barbara Pattison and had just returned from church, reFelix Doucherty, are more willing to minded me that I had to attend a come together, than to remain separ- funeral. The thought of trudging a ated. mile or two through dirty streets, ex

JOHN M'ARTHUR. posed to wind and rain, rather abated the fervency of my devotion to the dish set before me, and the shrill voice

of my aunt, lecturing me on my slug-vat's tied roun' your neck like a tether
gishness, so completely discomposed about a stick; and your braw weel-plet
me, that I frequently ran the risk of ruffle sark, clean out o' the faul, might
being chocked, as I good-naturedly as weel been in the bottom o' the kist
strove to repress my rising choler. as whare it is: naebody can see gin
My aunt is, unfortunately for me, ye hae yin on. There's your stick-
what is vulgarly termed an old maid, trudge.'
or in more polite terms, a Maiden Lady, I left the house, and was soon out
verging on fifty; and, as she has not of the reach of my aunt's tongue, who,
a husband to vent her spleen on when with all her bad humour, is the best
the fit is on her, I am always the ob- and truest friend I have in the world.
ject of her vituperations. She had She is but 7 years older than myself,
more acid in her manner this day left at that early age an orphan, she
than she generally has when she re- became the faithful attendant and pro-
turns from church; but the truth is, tector of my infant years; from that
she had seen her only beau bow to a time we have never lived asunder. She
lady who is much her junior, and who has borne with me in sickness, and
is rather more handsome, as she was mental distress ;-she has poured the
coming out of church, and the demon balm of consolation on the wounds of
of jealousy had made a lodgment in affliction, and has cheered me with
her heart, hitherto impregnable to all hope, when the victim of despair; and
the sieges of Cupid; this last is her I ought, and will bear with her peevish-
own unqualified assertion, I neither ex-ness. Grumbling as I went along, at
tenuate nor set down aught in malice.' the roughness of the day, I hastened
'So, gin ye could stay awa' wi' ony kind to the house of mourning, The long
o' decency, ye wudna gang to see your spokes, and the three legged stool, ar-
frien's head laid in the yird,' was the rayed, in funeral insignia, warned me
assault. I could have dispensed with of the place where the earthly part of
doing him such an office, I assure ye, had my friend made its present resting-
providence willed it otherwise, was the place. It was down one of those long,
reply. Ye'll maybe need a lift o' dark closes, so common in the large
somebody's han' yoursel', or lang towns in Scotland. A few half-starved
gang; an' nae doubt ye wad like to be fowls, dripping with water, gave ad-
weel conveyed to your lang hame, as ditional gloom to the scene, as they
every decent, respectable person sud. sheltered themselves below an outshot
We sud aye do as we wad be done stair, as the people here term it, and
by; an' ye ken ae guid turn deserves the squalled looks of the dingy inhabi-
another. True, I exclaimed, I re- tants, peeping forth from their miser-
quire no person to put ine in mind of able dwellings, with the eye of curio-
those gloomy inevitables; and besides, sity, still added, as I thought, to its
I have no wish that any person should dreariness. As I ascended the stair,
be put to that trouble with me at pre- the steps of which were rough and un-
sent. Mackin's catching,' she replied, even, from the accumulated dirt of
hae, there's your black coat. Tak' perhaps years, I felt an involuntary
care na, an' no file the weepers, for shivering fit steal over me. In idea,
they're clean out o' the drawer. Bide I stood already at the grave, which
till I dight your elbows; I ne'er saw seemed more lonely and uncomfortable
sic a han less being as you are, ye can than I had ever thought it; no doubt this
do naething for yoursel.' Your cra- idea was occasioned by the contempla-

I

tion of so many images of misery.-less, that my soul accompanied the When I entered the house, the master petition to the throne of grace.of the sad ceremonies inquired my My thoughts now reverted to the days name; on hearing which, I was ushered of my youth, when her husband, now into the presence of the widow of my cold and motionless, won her from my friend years had passed since we had arms, and left a blank in my bosom scen each other. She held out her which succeeding years have never been hand and led me to a seat. This is able to fill up; yet I never troubled a melancholy occasion on which we the world: what I suffered I alone are met,' she said, but the will of the knew. I have been gay with the gay, Lord be done. "Amen,' Iresponded. cheerful with the cheerful. If I I felt that emotion in the olfactories groaned under disappointment, the which can scarcely be described, but walls or the wind were the only listenwhich is occasioned by sudden grief, ers. I never harboured ill will against sympathy, &c.; but for my soul I him who desolated my heart. I knew could not speak, nor was it to be she repented of her rashness; yet wondered at. She had been the ob- never pleased myself with the knowject of my early and only love; and the ledge of her sufferings. A single glass alienation of her affections by her de- of wine was handed to each person. ceased husband, dubbed me a bache-In spite of all I felt, I could not help lor for life. We ha'e seen monnie remarking the manner in which I changes since we last parted, yet I thought the boon appreciated by couldna ha'e believed your hair wad the various personages. Some proha'e turned sae sune grey.' We looked longed the scanty portion to the time at each other; a tear stood in her eye. in which they might have swallowed a I coughed, hemmed, and keeping pint, evidently showing how seldom down the emotion which I felt at her they tasted such a luxury; others drank remark, said, I was turning old; the it off with the most perfect indifferwinter of life is sooner felt by some ence, evincing the frequency of similar than by others; mine has, perhaps, applications; some eyed the wine with been premature. A sigh was all the the look of connoisseurs, sipped a litreply. My heart smote me when she tle, smacked their lips, and returned answered not: I had touched a chord their glasses almost untasted; others which should have rested for ever. concluded the potation with a long I strove to speak comfort, but failed in sigh or an augh! What an excellent every attempt; at last the voice of the opportunity for philosophising. But undertaker, calling on some one to ask the entrance of a person, laden with a blessing, furnished me with an oppor- sugar biscuit and sponge cake, detunity to leave the room. We shook prived the world of the benefit of my hands, and I was soon seated among speculations. In the application of the group of mourners. An old man these delicacies, I could remark other delivered a most impressive prayer, as distinguishing characteristic traits: the I was afterwards told, the effect of eagerness of the young in devouring which, I hope, was generally felt.-the scanty morceau; the careful affecStrange as it may appear, I paid more tion of the father, who seemingly attention to the faces of the assemblage scorned to appropriate the sweet morthan to the admonitions of the speaker; sel to his own use, as he slyly slipped and it was not till he besought a bles- it into his pocket for the general besing on the widow and the father-nefit of his expecting imps at home. I

6

envied him the feeling, and sighed as sexton, 'it'll lie better.' The earth rattled I thought of my own loneliness. on the lid, where, stretched in the ghostThanks were returned; the company ly panoply of death, lay the souless form was asked to move to the close-mouth. of him who had blighted the best I lingered behind, and saw the coffin hopes of my heart: I never felt a He is gone, I menborne from the sight of the widow.pang so bitter. Farewell, may God bliss you,' I ex-tally exclaimed! as I put my hand to claimed. She held out her hand; I my hat, and perhaps ere the return of pressed it and bade her adieu. By the Sabbath I may be a clod as inthe time I got to the close-mouth all sensible as he is. How vain is the was ready to move forward. The rain, accomplishment of our dearest hopes! driven by the wind, pelted us severely. they are all marred by death, and our We arrived at the burying-ground as memories pass as a dream. When I the clock struck five. The grave-dig- got home, my aunt had on her best ger, old and decrepit, with two at- looks; the toast smoked on the table, tendants, were in readiness. The cof-flanked with some excellent beef-ham; fin was soon laid on the rollers, as and ere the tea things were removed, they are technically called. I never I had forgot the funeral; so transient before thought the grave looked so are the effects of death. I thought as dismal and cheerless. Before we let I tumbled into bed that night, in vain go the strings of the coffin, How will we sigh for immortality, when the very ye hae't?' cried the undertaker, with the swallowing of a meal steals rememimportant air of indifference, which the brance from the mind; and a new day unfeeling and ignorant in office generally brings along with with it new subjects assume. To the head wi't,' was the la- of recollection. conic and apathetical reply of the hoary

2

SONG.

POETRY.

Tune-Believe me if all those endearing young
charms.

As ripe meiting fruit in a desart, would make
The weary parched traveller sigh
For possession, that he might his thirsty soul slake,
As his bones 'neath the burning sun fry;
So thy lip's ruddy richness would tempt me to sin,
If sinning could be in the bliss,
Of melting that bosom, possession to win

Of those rubies. Good heavens, how I'd kiss!
My heart's like a desart, both lonely and drear;
A fiddle without e'er a string;

A sky full of clouds, when no star-lights appear;
A bird that's deprived of a wing:
But thy smiles to an Eden that desart would turn;
Thy looks make that fiddle to play;
Chase the night from thy bosom, and make the stars
burn,

And sorrow take wing and away.

Glasgow.

EVENING.

R. G.

Ah, purple and gold have cover'd the west,
And the sun like, a bright sparkling gem,
Enchas'd 'mong thewaves,on the blue ocean's breast,
Seems a diamond, encircled by them,

The groves are o'erspread with a deep sombre hue,
And the green leafy branches are still;
The sweet little flowers are all sparkling with dews
'S though their heads had been dipp'd the rill.
The nightingale's minstrelsy, mellow and loud,
Through the woods, like a trumpet of war,
Resounds, as if bidding yon silver-rolled cloud
To uncover the bright evening star.
Far, far, in the cast, twinkling, one after one, ..
Like the white pearls strung upon gold,
Rise the stars, to encircle the night's chon throne,
For her casket rich jewels unfold.

The clear crystal streamlet they look themselves in,
Murmurs on with its babbling tongue,

As if in derision, when echo's wild din,

Mimics strains which the nightingale sung. O, calm silent eve, when the fond lover's hopes Rise unbridled and free in the breast;

When from the gem'd bosom of flowers, the dew drops,

By the light foot of maiden, are prest. Į

For this is the hour, when she hastes to her love,
Nor lingers sweet music to listen;

The earth is all green, and the sky bright above,

And the stars in the firmament glisten.

And this is the hour, when with rapturous delight,

Ere night's gloomy reign hath begun,

The bard mounts his throne, 'tis the mountain's

steep height,

Still crown'd by the rays of the sun.