sister had placed it round his neck about ten years back, as a preservative from evil spirits.

"A preservative from evil spirits!" ejaculated Mrs. Fairfax, with anger, "the word of God in your heart, cousin, would be better a thousand times: ten years back, why that was when the godly Paul Hallet left us, after he had cured your possession, which, that thoughtless one, your sister, will, I warrant me, attribute to this idolatrous piece of graven gold. She is for opposing satan's shield to satan's sword,-but that may not be, Mr. Corsegraye," continued she, to that minister, who was standing by.

"Most honourable lady, no ;" returned he, "for albeit our diseases are of the devil, our medicaments must be of God. Cast it off, then, my young friend, and believe me thou shalt be under surer protection than if thou hadst a thousand sigils satan may well refrain from hurting, where he sees his own mark already placed."

Overcome by their persuasions, Edmund took the medal from his neck, and as he did so Paul Hallet entered the room! and attempted to seize it, but ere he could touch it, it was gone, and no one knew by what means! When his guardian had thus mysteriously departed, his fits of possession again seized young Bezant with increased rage, and with all the appearance of deadly convulsions, "My hour of departure is arrived," said he, "and I shall be for ever free from the tyranny of Paul Hallet."

"Call me not by that name," replied the stranger. "Fervent Corsegrave, look upon thy father!"

"

'My father!" exclaimed Corsegrave in terror, "he died and was buried in New England!"

"True," said the appearance, "but his spiri hath no rest, because of his crimes; it hath wandered over the earth which he dishonoured by his cruelty, and deceived by his hypocrisy ; and it hath been used as the instrument of punishing and instructing one, who would else have fallen to destruction of teaching others, that the very means they take to avoid what God hath pre-determined, are often the readiest for their accomplishment. Farewell! ye shall see me no more, but let my permitted appearance affright you from my sins."

As he spake these words he was gone, without any flash of light, or sign of vanishing, but he disappeared suddenly and instantaneously; whilst at the same moment, with a smile of angelic beauty on his cheek, the soul of the possessed one left his body.

THE BEAR HUNT.

FROM THE GERMAN OF WYSS.

THE church clock struck five, at which hour all Lindenau (we thus denominate a mountain village in one of the cantons of Switzerland)—was to set out on an expedition against a bear, whose presence had been sufficiently attested, both by ocular witnesses, and the repeated disappearance of sheep and other cattle. Two days previous a proclamation had been issued, awarding the sum of forty francs to him who should succeed in delivering the country of so dangerous an inhabitant.

As the sun began to tinge the distant rocks that towered above the lonely valley on almost every side, not only the men capable of bearing arms, but even women and children, were summoned to attend them for the purpose of surrounding the disturber of the general tranquillity.

The whole night had been passed in anxious preparations for the great event. The women brought forth ham, bacon, sausages, and tongues, to invigorate their more hardy companions; while the children made themselves

drums, pipes, and horns, to supply the want of martial music; and those who could no longer bear the fatigue of such an arduous undertaking spread some salve in case of accidental wounds.

The evening before, three herdsmen had been dispatched to discover the usual place of abode selected by the bear. All the men sat in the public house, endeavouring to arrange, each one according to his ideas or fancy, the plan of the approaching attack. The greatest number, to whom a close engagement seemed somewhat dangerous, was unanimous in the resolution of driving the fierce intruder headlong over some precipice, or back to his native land; and had it been possible to have drowned him in wine, the deed would soon have been achieved.

But the courage of many a bragger sunk to its natural level when retired to his own house or room; and the assurance of the herdsmen, that the bear would undoubtedly be found in a ravine not far distant from the village, was not most acceptable to many; and it caused the utmost terror in the breast of Vincent Valentine Horner, the first and best tailor of the district, whom curiosity, and a faint hope of collecting some sparks of the general fire, had led to the rendezvous. But in vain did he endeavour to drown his fears in each succeeding glass; in vain did he utter the most heroic or murderous expressions; in vain even did he vow to perform a good action if fortune would permit him to aim but one manly shot at

the bear; but courage is courage,—and neither vows, nor words, nor wine, could produce the least spark.

Trembling in every limb he proceeded homewards a little after ten. How willingly would he have fallen and sprained his foot; or caught a cold, however slight: he would even have submitted patiently to the attack of the butcher's great dog. Nothing would have been more acceptable. But fear had counteracted the effects of the wine; and the lamps, which burned in every cottage, cast a considerable degree of light on the road. Master Horner arrived safe and sound at the door of his house, where his aunt, assisted by an amiable daughter, were making the most formidable preparations for the fearful lord of the house.

Horner was not a native villager, but a stranger whom chance had conducted to the valley of Lindenau; he had, by the death of the old tailor of the village, been induced to settle there, and take a wife, whom he however soon lost; and he now lived with one of her widowed aunts, whose daughter Salome was, according to the intentions of her mother and the tailor, to have become his second wife, if Wolfhard the chamois hunter had not been such a handsome and brave young man.

Salome considered Wolfhard as the most valiant youth of the whole valley; and, like most unprotected maidens, cherished a desire of being accompanied through the intricate paths of life by such a man. But Horner would rather have assumed this protection himself; and thought