the darkened house. It was the night before all that was mortal of poor Cyril was given to earth. They could now speak of him without tears; and they talked of old times, and old pleasures shared with him who was

no more.

Frances took the hand of her former companion. 'All is changed with us now, Lucy; we are no longer young, and our feelings are different from what they once were. It can do no wrong, either to the living or the dead, if I tell you, now that you are a cherished and devoted wife, that he who is gone loved you with a passionate love which ceased but with life."

Lucy's face grew pale, and she burst into tears. Why -oh why did I never know this?'

'Because he could not hope to marry; and he was too honourable to drive his sisters from his home, or to bind the girl he loved by a doubtful engagement. He saw you did not love him.'

Because he never said one word of love to me, or I should soon have learned to love him, and then he might not have died!' said Lucy, still weeping.

Hush, Lucy! All is best now. You are happy-you love your husband.'

'I do love him; and he is worthy to be loved,' answered the wife earnestly. But poor, poor Cyril!' and again she wept.

Do not mourn for him,' said Frances; he might never have had a long life; and who shall say that he did not feel the sweet peace of duties fulfilled, and of knowing that his self-sacrifice was not in vain? Lucy, I, Cyril's sister, amidst all my grief, shall love you, and feel that you have done no wrong. Yet it is very bitter!' cried Frances as her composure forsook her, and she bowed herself in agony. Oh, would that I had died for thee, my brother-my only brother!'

FORTUNES OF PHILIP YORKE. THERE was once a little lad called Philip Yorke, who was born in the year 1690. His paternal ancestors had been of some consideration in the county of Wilts, but that was an old story now; and his father, who practised as an attorney, was very well contented to marry his two daughters, one to a dissenting minister, and the other to a tradesman in a country town. As for his mother, she was of the family of Gibbon-a rather famous name, having been borne by the historian of the latter days of Rome-who boasts of some alliance with a certain Lord Say and Seale, who was brought into notice by Jack Cade. Indeed his lordship, if we are to believe the historian, distinguished himself by his own misdeeds-inasmuch as he had 'most traitorously corrupted the youth of the realm in erecting a grammar-school, causing printing to be used, and, contrary to the king, his crown, and dignity, building a paper-mill-talking of a noun and a verb, and such abominable words as no one can endure to hear.' But all this was gone by; and the little lad, whose family could look back so far, was fain to get any education that was going at a school kept by a dissenter in Bethnal Green. At fourteen, his father desired to bring him up to the law; but his mother, who was in the way of knowing what the law was, insisted upon 'some honester trade' being found for the boy. Still, when a desk was offered him in the office of a respectable attorney in London, she did not persist in her scruples; and accordingly Philip Yorke mounted his desk seat in Brooke Street, Holborn.

Here, young as he was, he set himself to business in downright earnest, and very speedily attracted the attention of his master by his uncommon assiduity. But he did not confine his labours to office hours. The great obstacle in his way was a defective education, and this he set himself to remedy with zeal and perseverance. He was not contented with acquiring the necessary knowledge of law Latin: he would likewise read the classics. It is true he was never quite au fait of the prosody, and to his dying day was very shy of quota

tions; but it was a great thing to be able to construe Virgil and Cicero. As for Greek, he did not pretend to be so far learned as that. His master was at length so well satisfied with his conduct, and so convinced that talents and industry like his only wanted encouragement to be followed by brilliant results, that he entered him as a student in the Temple. Here was a chance for young Philip Yorke! But even this dignity had its attendant indignities; for the attorney's wife considered it only fair and proper to make the 'gratis clerk' useful, and therefore never scrupled to despatch him on family errands, highly derogatory to the honour of a Templar. When this had gone on for some time, the master, in settling his periodical accounts with Philip, was surprised to find such entries as these: Coach hire for roots of celery and turnips from Covent Garden market' Ditto for a barrel of oysters from the fishmonger's;' whereupon a consultation took place between the husband and wife, in which it was decided that the practice of the latter was clearly against the rules of good housewifery.

It must not be supposed, however, that Philip's professional business was very dignified. Attending captions, and serving processes, are not very gentlemanly employments; but they were necessary to a young lad who could contemplate nothing but the necessity, when his studies were over, of going upon the roll of attorneys, with perhaps a misty prospect of the office of clerk to the magistrates at petty sessions. All on a sudden, however, the attorney was asked by Lord Chief-Justice Parker if he knew of any decent and intelligent person fit to be employed as a sort of law tutor for his sons; and Philip Yorke receiving his master's strong recommendation, removed at once from Brooke Street to Lincoln's Inn Fields. Here he studied something of more consequence than Latin or Greek-namely, English; a study, says Lord Campbell, generally so much neglected by English lawyers, that many of the most eminent of them will be found in their written "opinions" violating the rules of grammar, and without the least remorse constructing their sentences in a slovenly manner, for which a schoolboy would be whipped.' At that time Addison's Spectator was coming out in numbers; and Philip was so well satisfied with his progress in English, that he would needs try a paper. And, what is more, that paper actually appeared, and proved distinctly-although it proved nothing more-that the author had learned to write his mother tongue.

But Philip Yorke was not cut out for an author: and he knew it. He attended the courts closely, revising and digesting his notes in the evening; and with actual practice in prospect, he took care to study elocution and oratory. He was at length called to the bar in his twenty-third year; and enjoying, as he did, the good opinion of his former master the attorney, and of his present patron Chief-Justice Parker, and recommended to all who knew him by uniform good conduct, it is not very surprising that he should have met with immediate success. Still, many people were surprised; and on one occasion at a circuit dinner, Mr Justice Powis, addressing the flourishing junior, who was sitting nearly opposite to him, said, "Mr Yorke, I cannot well account for your having so much business, considering how short a time you have been at the bar; I humbly conceive you must have published something; for, look you, do you see, there is scarcely a cause before the court but you are employed in it, on one side or other. I should therefore be glad to know, Mr Yorke, do you see, whether this is the case?" Yorke. "Please ye, my lord, I have some thoughts of publishing a book, but as yet I have made no progress in it." The judge, smiling to think that his conjecture was not quite without foundation, became importunate to know the subject of the book; and Yorke, not being able to evade his inquiries, at last said, "I have had thoughts, my lord, of doing Coke upon Littleton into verse; but I have gone a very little way into it." Powis. " This is something new, and must be very entertaining; and I beg you will

well. And it could scarcely fail to do so. All that is wanted is a little energy, in union with a little common sense, and any dozen of rural labourers may instruct themselves in a manner which would not discredit much higher circles. The value of a small library of miscellaneous literature in a country district-say no more than a hundred volumes, mostly of a cheap classcannot be too highly estimated. Vacant hours in the evening, formerly spent in listless idleness, or degrading amusements, are devoted to reading, and by and by a sensible improvement in the morals of the neighbourhood is effected. A few days ago, when visiting the house of a parish clergyman in a mountainous, though agricultural district of Scotland, he mentioned that a remarkable change for the better had taken place in the morals of the neighbourhood within the last twelve months, in consequence of a small library which he had set on foot. Among the population, young and old, there was already created an eager thirst for reading, which unconsciously banished tastes and habits of a meaner kind.

On our way to the above district, we had occasion to pass through a small county town, where a readingroom on a peculiar plan had been established about a year ago, and was now in a flourishing condition. The way in which this useful engine of instruction had been brought into, and kept in existence, deserves notice. A small committee of management, who assumed the institution and direction of the establishment, procured the use of a public hall gratis; and this apartment was already furnished with a table and forms. Newspapers were supplied from divers individuals, also gratis. Gentlemen at a distance, who take an interest in the undertaking, send London and other papers daily; many papers have come even from America and India, the gift of natives of the town; in short, the quantity of papers which are contributed is immense. On the day of our visit to the room, from forty to fifty different papers-English, Scotch, Irish, Isle of Man, Jersey, British American, United States, Bombay, and Australian-lay on the table; the whole forming quite a feast to the various readers. We were told that the average attendance daily is about fifty persons, most of whom, however, make two or more visits. The only expenses incurred are for one or two newspapers, which it is considered necessary to have regularly and promptly, along with two magazines and a review, at half price. The providing of attendance, and fire in winter, with lights, forms also an unavoidable cause of outlay; but it is confidently expected that the voluntary contributions dropped into a box in the room, and money from the sale of papers, will leave only a trifle to be raised by subscription. Admission is free to all. The whole population are invited to come and read for nothing; and this is a boon of so much value, that one could reasonably have expected to hear of a greater attendance than that above alluded to. The pleasures and advantages of literary recreation, however, are everywhere slowly appreciated. Men accustomed to stand thirty years in the street with their hands in their pockets, do not all at once fall in with the fashion of reading newspapers or monthly periodicals. Everything in the way of mental improvement requires time; and perhaps, after all, little is to be expected from the old or middle-aged. The great thing is to prevent the young from forming bad habits; and this, to all appearance, is done by the reading-room which we speak of. As one means of improvement usually leads to another, a library has just been added, which will greatly promote the objects of the institution.

The account of the above reading-room will suggest what may be accomplished in thousands of situations where no place of resort exists, at least for popular improvement. There must be an incalculable number of newspapers, of one kind or other, wasted after being read. Why should a single paper be destroyed, while there are millions of people mentally famishing for want of any accessible literature? Every news

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paper bears a stamp, and this gives it wings to fly over the whole country. Without expense, and with no other trouble than the tying of a piece of string, and the writing of a name, off it will go to any part of the United Kingdom, even to the obscurest hamlet. Hacknied and useless though it seem to the sender, with what delight is it received at its destination! A 'Times,' read and tossed aside in a London counting-room, is new to the inhabitants of a village hundreds of miles distant, and is read with an avidity greater than that with which it was received wet from the press. We would, then, endeavour to press on all persons who have used newspapers at disposal, the propriety and benevolence of despatching them to parties who are not in the way of seeing them. Little recommendation, however, will be necessary. Most people would be glad to find an outlet for what becomes a nuisance in their parlours. What we must incite people to do, is to get up readingrooms in various parts of large towns, and also in small towns and villages, to which used papers could be gratuitously sent. Let the directors of these institutions make known their wants to all who are likely to assist them—natives of small towns living in cities or abroad not to be forgotten-and there can be little doubt of their success.

We have seldom heard of a body of artisans doing anything more likely to be useful to themselves than that which has just been undertaken by the operative printers of Newcastle-on-Tyne. These individuals have organised themselves into a society, to be called the Newcastle and Gateshead Typographical Mutual Improvement Society; the object being the improvement of the profession generally, but more particularly in reference to the training of youth in a knowledge of the rise and progress of the art of printing, as well as to imbue them with a spirit of emulation to become more proficient workmen, to promote a better general knowledge of all matters appertaining to the trade, and to cultivate the moral, intellectual, and social well-being of all parties connected with it. The ordinary members of the institution are to consist of journeymen printers and apprentices; honorary members are to be employers, and others connected with the press, and donors of books or money. Besides addresses on the history and peculiarities of the art of printing, likely to improve the professional taste, lectures are to be delivered on generally scientific subjects. A library is formed for reference and instruction.

Every one must wish well to a scheme fraught with so much benefit to the parties interested. As soon as the prospectus of the society came under our notice, we felt that such an association was needed, and we should be glad to hear that it was imitated in Edinburgh and other cities. According to existing arrangements, apprentices receive only technical instruction in the particular department to which they are put. They never hear a word of general principles; they may grow up in ignorance of every interesting fact connected with their profession; and even as journeymen, they may be deficient in a knowledge of nice peculiarities in the art, which an improvement of taste would suggest. The scheming of handsome titles, of neatly-shaped pages in reference to size of type, and similar matters, form exceedingly suitable themes for general and mutual instruction among compositors. As to pressmen, how few are able to distinguish niceties in colour! In printing a book, one sheet will be made pale and another dark, by which general uniformity in the volume is destroyed. Among the high-skilled pressmen of London a better knowledge prevails; but rarely have we seen proficiency in this respect in any provincial printing. It is this defect alone-a defect arising entirely from want of care and taste-that keeps provincial typography inferior to that of London. To this imperfection, and also to a general ignorance in the art of printing wood-engravings, we beg to direct the attention of the Newcastle Society. We cannot conclude our notice without expressing a hope that other operatives

All this we mention in a friendly way to bodies of working-men who feel inclined to attempt co-operative trading. The subject is one of great difficulty, not only in consequence of its novelty, but the state of the law, and other circumstances. Our belief, on the whole, is, that operatives, as a class, are not prepared to enter on projects involving a considerable amount of capital, enterprise, and risk. But there is no reason why they should not prepare themselves for taking advantage of any reasonable scheme of this nature which may by and by offer. With this end, it is desirable in the meanwhile that three things should be steadily kept in view, and upon this there can be no mistake. Every man proposing to rise out of his sphere requires, first, to possess the general instruction and intelligence which would adapt him for performing the function of a partner; second, he requires to save and accumulate a certain amount of capital, the whole of which he must be prepared to peril or lie out of for a time; and third, he requires to train himself in those habits of self-denial which would insure his conservation of whatever advantages fell to his share. All working-men who possess these three requisites are ready to become partners in a co-operative trading system; and if their plans be well matured, we wish them speed. Those who do notand we fear the bulk of the operative body are in this condition-must wait. Self-culture, economy, steadiness-how much is kept back in the social world in consequence of your lingering delays!

A TRIP ACROSS THE ISTHMUS OF DARIEN. I WAS attached to a ten-gun brig, on the West India station, when we were ordered to Chagre with despatches for Panama. Chagre was a miserable, dirty village, which, however, derived some importance from being at that time the starting-place from the Atlantic to Panama, and also the port at which specie and goods from Panama, destined for England via the West Indies, were embarked.

The despatches with which we were charged were not only important, but urgent; and being out of the regular course of the mail, we could find no courier at Chagre to convey them to Panama; and as I had a great desire to cross the isthmus, I volunteered my services as courier, and made arrangements for starting on the following morning. Fortunately I found at Chagre a merchant who was also desirous to cross. He was an exceedingly pleasant Scotchman, who had been to Panama several times, and spoke the Columbian Spanish' like a native.

We engaged a large canoe, the after-part of which was covered by a caravan-roof, composed of wicker-work and stout grass mats. This formed an excellent defence from the sun by day and the heavy dew by night; and had it not been for the mosquitoes, which invaded our snuggery like an army of trumpeters, singing in our ears, and stinging us right and left, we should have been comfortable enough. As it was, we smoked, to endeavour to choke them; and by laughing at our troubles, we made them lighter. In truth we had great need of all our philosophy, for the current ran so strong, that the four stout Indians who composed our boat's crew were obliged to abandon the paddle, and pole up the river the whole distance of sixty miles; consequently it was not until the afternoon of the third day that we landed to refresh ourselves on the bank, a few miles below the point where the part of the journey by water terminates. Thus far the journey had been exceed

ance to the water's edge-or at a lazy alligator basking in the sun on a bank of mud, and which, if the ball struck his impervious hide, rolled over and over like a log, till he sunk beneath the stream and disappeared. The heat by day was intense; for although the river is very deep, it is very narrow, and so choked with foliage on both sides, that a breath of agitated air is an unknown luxury. Then, although the heights were cooler, it was impossible to meet with a vacant spot to take exercise; and it may be imagined that three days and two nights of such purgatory was irksome in the extreme.

6

The spot where our canoe was now hauled up on the muddy bank commanded a beautiful view, considering it was in a wilderness, and flat. On the opposite side of the river nature had formed for herself a perfect park; the velvet lawns sloped and undulated as if they had been laid out by elaborate art, whilst the majestic trees, centuries old, now singly stood, and now in groups,' and it only required a stretch of fancy to picture an old baronial hall in the distance, to transport one in imagination from a wilderness where possibly the foot of man had never trodden, to a country-seat in dear old England; so true is it that all the beautiful designs of art may be traced to nature for their model.

It was during our rest at this place that I nearly lost the number of my mess:' the Indians were busied making a fire of dried sticks to roast a guana I had shot, and I determined to take advantage of their absence from the canoe to make my toilette. I was leaning over the side of the boat, bathing my head in the rapid stream, when the canoe suddenly tilted with my weight upon her gunwale, and losing my equilibrium, I plunged headlong into the river. How wonderful is the flight of thought! I could not have been more than a few seconds under water, and yet in that brief space I recollected not only that alligators were abundant, but that, about a fortnight before, a brave officer had lost his life by falling into this same river, and getting, as was supposed, into a strong under-current, was hurried away by it, and unable to rise to the surface. What an age it seemed before I shook my head above the water; and when I did so, I found the stream had already swept me a considerable distance from the canoe, and more into the middle of the current. age!' shouted the captain of the boat's crew.

Cour

Are there any alligators?' I cried. 'Oh no,' said he, laughing encouragingly; and in a few minutes I reached the bank, and, by a desperate effort, threw myself on a bed of mud, from which I emerged darker in hue than our sable boatmen.

At about nine in the evening we arrived at Cruses, the place where the water-carriage ceases; and proceeding to the 'head inn,' I pleased myself with visions of a good dinner, and a refreshing night's rest, preparatory to the ride of thirty miles onward to Panama on the day following. Alas that our waking visions should so often prove no less illusory than our dreams of the night!

The head inn was not a dwelling for either feasting or repose: the room into which I was shown to rest for the night was furnished with two grass hammocks, suspended from the rafters, and exactly resembled a large net made from the tough variegated grasses of South America, the meshes being about the size, and the network about the strength and substance, of an ordinary cabbage-net. I stretched myself in one of these, and had just begun to enter the realms of Somnus, when I was startled by the shrill crowing of a cock within a yard of my ear. This was followed by another, and another crow, and anon half-a-dozen throats were screaming defiance at one and the same moment. The noise in so confined a place was absolutely painful, and jumping out of the hammock, I discovered that there were eight fighting cocks, each tied by the leg,