"Don't alarm yourself, Syl,' says she, no one ever takes cowld here, its the nathur of the place; but for all that I've a small sample of real mountain dew in my pocket, for I knew you'd be looking for it after the ducking you got;' and with that she pulls a tidy little bottle out of her pocket, and handed it to Syl, who took a hearty pull of it and small blame to him, for better stuff never went inside his teeth. The whiskey having put mesnagh into Syl, he began to brush up to the lady, and throwing at her one of his sleeveen looks, says he, 66 6 As you were the manes of bringing me here, ma cailleen dhas,↑ maybe you 'd tell me where I am? Is it in Jeruslum or Saint Helayna, or the Baltic sea; or whereabouts in the wide world is it I am at all?' "Don't be frikened, Syl,' says she, you're in the Water Queen's kingdom, and this is my palace, where you may live at your ase like any noble of the land." "And sure enough when Syl looked up there was a mighty illigant house afore them, with chimbleys and glass windeys, a front door and a back door, and all other convayniencies that could be desired. "Is it game you're making of me, my darling?' says Syl, opening both his eyes. "Devil a morsel of game, Syl,' says she, 'you're the master of all that place-.' "By the powers of turf!' shouted the boughals, cutting a caper, it's I that's in luck; sure it wasn't for nothing I got out of bed back'ards for'ards this morning. And is your beautiful self to go along with that fine place, ma cailleen bawn?' whispered Syl in that wheedling voice that would coax the birds off the bushes. "We'll talk of that by and by, Syl,' said the young lady laughing; and so by gorra they went on discoorsing as loving as you plase, until they got to the palace; and there's no use in talking, it's it that did bate cockfighting for all sorts of grandeur and beauty; but the thing that took Syl's fancy most was the sight of two murdhering big salmon standing one on each side of the hall door with great shilleyleys in their fists, and powdered wigs, and cocked hats upon their heads; and when Syl and the Queen went into the palace they bowed down to the ground as civil as you plase. If the outside of the palace was complate, the inside was ten times finer, and there was lashings and lavings in kitchen and parlour, and the hoigth of good usage for all that resorted the place: but what Syl thought mighty remarkable was, that the divel a Christian was to be seen about the house, barrin himself and the Queen, but fishes. The porter was as fine a turbot as you'd wish to see, gintlemen, and the footmen were all illigant silver trout. Syl, however, kept his toe in his brogue, and said nothing, for he knew what was manners well enough. So he and the Queen went divarting themselves about the palace, and sure it isn't the half of its curosities they could see till they were called to dinner by a smart little sprat. "At dinner the Queen, to show her regard for Syl, planted him Courage. + My beautiful girl. § Boy. alongside herself on the sophy, and helped him to the best of every thing; but what was mighty quare antirely, the sarra morsel of fish was to be seen on the table, though it was Friday-a day, gintlemen, that no conthrite Christian would ate mate. As Syl was bred and born in the thrue Church, he was a little stomached at first to touch the vittals that was put afore him, until the Queen told him it was agin the laws of the country to ate fish, and there could be no harm in tasting a bit of fresh mate when there was nothing else to be had, even if the soggarth more himself was present. Well, fair persuadance from a honey mouth goes a great way with a man, and so it was with Syl Coogan, for he made no more bones about the business, but set-to upon a shoulder of mutton, and ate as hearty a dinner as the Pope of Rome himself. When it was over the Queen took a black bottle out of a corner cupboard, and, filling a glass from it, she first tasted it herself, and then handed it to Syl; and by all accounts it was most beautiful liquor antirely, and Syl was the boy could do it justice. Any how, he soon got mighty loving with the Queen, and they grew so uncommon thick together, that Syl, the bould rogue, afther one of his blarneying speeches, ups and gives her a smack upon the lips that sounded through the palace like a pistolshot. After this to be sure there was no more to be said, and matters were soon made up as pleasant as you plase. "Syl now lived like the son of an Irish prince, for the Queen doted down upon him, and thought nothing in life too good for him. However, at long last the Queen began to grow a little stout in the waist, and it was as plain as eggs that there would be shortly a little Syl to the fore. So when he saw how matters were likely to be, he began to think upon his coorses, and, though he was a wild harumscarum devil, he thought it was high time to make the Queen an honest woman, so he tould her bouldly, one morning afore they got up, that he was detarmined to go back to his own parish, and get dacently married like all his people afore him. When the Queen hard this she set up the mischief's own phillalieu, and the tears run down from her beautiful eyes like a couple of mill-coorses; but Syl's mind was made up to go; so when she saw there was no use in talking agin it, bedad she consinted at last, and away they set out one fine morning together to return to Syl's parish. "So far all went on well, but Syl, who had never tasted a morsel of fish all the time he had lived with the Water Queen, began to long for a male of it,-and as the dickens would have it, he thought it would be a good time for him to bring up a dish of fresh fish to his mother; so taking his advantage when the Queen wasn't minding him, packing up her little things in a handkerchief, he cotched a couple of the footmen (them was the silver trouts, gintlemen), and thrust them into his coat pocket unownst. "When they were all ready, the Queen took Syl Coogan [by the hand, and before you could bless yourself, they were standing forninst his own cabin door. The great priest, or bishop. 557 "God save all here,' says Syl to his mother, who was smoking her pipe on the hearth. "God save ye kindly, genteels,' says the ould woman, taking the dhudeen from her jaw, and making a curtshey, for how could the crather know her son Syl in all his fine clothes, and his topped boots and carline hat? 666 Mother asthore, don't you know me?' says Syl. "Och ma bouchileen bawn,+ Syl, is it yourself is in it? Och wirra? Where wor you all this time? And who is this cailleen oge you have brought back with you?' 666 pre Mother, dear, don't be axing me any more questions at the sent, but get down half a dozen of geese and plenty of bacon and cabbage for dinner, and run up to Dan Costigan's and tell him to send me five gallons of his best whiskey; and you may as well call on Father Pether, and say that he's wanting down in all haste to marry me to a grand lady.' "Away scampered the ould woman, and as she went along she tould all the neighbours of Syl's good fortune, and becoorse they came as full as a beegathering to wish him joy until the house was hive, all laughing, drinking, and talking together; and there was Syl in the middle of them, with the Queen sitting on his knee, but she kept a white veil over her face, because she was rather shy of the strange people, and Syl was in the heart of a long noration about his thravels when Father Pether's horse stopped at the door. So he went out to make his manners, and while he was helping his reverence off he whispered in his ear that as the warning for marrying him was something of the shortest, he had brought him a dacent fee, at the same time slipping a glove that had as good as twenty guineas tied up in it into the priest's hand. 666 you your upon en By my breviary! Sylvesther, you're a big sleeveent to be coaxing hearts have both set but since the girls this way; thering the holy state of mathrimony, I wouln't like to see you put to an amplush, and so,' says his reverence, thrusting the glove into his Where's the breeches pocket, I'll see what I can do for you. cailleen ? "Here she is, your reverence,' says Syl, pulling the Queen out of Hould up your head, asthore the corner where she was sitting. machrec; I'll be bail you won't fellow her in the four provinces, and that's a big word. Take off this mischief's veil, alliannah, and let his reverence see your purty face.' "With that Sylvesther took away her veil, and, as I have hard tell, there was not one there that was not knocked all of a heap with the sight of her beauty; but her face was as white as marvel, and her eyes were brighter and darker than ever was seen in mortal head. "More power to you, Syl,' says the priest, it's yourself made a good choice ;-but, come, let us have the dinner at once, for I am getting cruel hungry, and I long to drink both your healths.' "It wasn't long till the dinner was smoking upon the table; and, afther Father Pether said grace, they fell to work upon the geese and * A short pipe. + My white little boy. A sly fellow. bacon like thrashers; but Syl didn't touch a morsel of the mate, as he had a longing to begin with the fish he had brought home, which his mother had fried with her own hands. When they were laid before him they looked so nice and brown that his teeth began to water, and he made no more ado, but, sticking his fork into the fattest of them, cut off a large slice, and clapped it into his mouth. But he had hardly touched the bit, when, all at once, the Queen screeched out— Syl Coogan, you villain, is it ating my footman you are?" "Poor Syl let his jaws drop, and was going to mollify the Queen, when he persaved that she had vanished suddenly away, and had left him sitting in his ould blue coat and corduroys instead of all the fine clothes he had on him a minute afore. "To be sure there was wondhering and staring amongst the neighbours at this remarkable incidence, but all their wondhering nor all Syl's curses upon every fish that ever swam were of no use; the beautiful Queen never came next or nigh him again. "Afther that evening Syl Coogan minded nothing but moping about talking of his hard fortune, and bemoaning himself, until the next St. Martin's eve, when he got his corragh and went upon the river to look for the Water Queen in the place where he had first seen her. What happened that night no one can tell for a sartainty. Syl's corragh was drifted ashore the following morning, but Syl himself never was seen or heard of since. Some of the ould people say that the Queen forgave him, and took him back to her palace; others say that she still kept spite again him, and that she turned him into the big salmon that we call Sylvesther. Any way, gintiemen, if Syl Coogan hadn't been in such a hurry to get married, and had kept his teeth off the Queen's footman, he might have lived and died a king, and his children after him. You may laugh, gintlemen, but ax all the neighbours, and they'll tell you the same." Our ciceroné having concluded his legend, pushed his boat into another part of the river, where Jack Wilson soon succeeded in hooking a fine salmon; which, after affording him considerable sport, he at length succeeded in capturing, to the great gratification of Jim, whose conversation, during the remainder of the day, turned more upon sporting than legendary fables. MORNING. THE morning breaks, and, o'er the gleamy woods, The sun-light pours its ever-burning floods. But, beauteous morn, how dim to me thou art; And fill'd my spirit with unmix'd delight, They are not here to glad me with their light. Now Nature wakes in song, and from each dell, HAFED. WASHINGTON IRVING'S ASTORIA.* THERE cannot be a more interesting subject of enquiry to the investigator of psychological history than the progressive improvement effected on the human mind by the gregarious propensities of the species. When we look back to the primitive condition of man, as the authentic records of profane and sacred history represent him; when again we consult the testimonies of travellers, and see him as he at present exists in different countries in all the progressive states of moral cultivation-from that of the naked savage to the more enviable condition of the personally free denizen of a continental despotism, and compare all these improvements with our own state that so much more nearly approaches the acmé of moral perfection, -namely, self-government,-we cannot avoid the remark that there is much matter for the study of the moralist. Nor is the general reader indifferent to the interest of such enquiries. There is a feeling of curiosity deeply ingrafted on human nature,—a certain desire of knowledge that makes it delightful to a man to know, and disquieting to him to know imperfectly, while any thing remains in his power that can make his knowledge more accurate or comprehensive. It is this desire of stepping from the known to the unknown, which rivets the attention of the child to the recital of a nursery legend, and the gratification of his infant curiosity produces a pleasure which stimulates him to the further pursuit of the unknown. What the nursery legend is to the child, the romance, the drama, the book of travels is to the graver years of manhood. It was such a feeling that bid Brabantio oft invite Othello and question him the story of his life; and, urged by a like prospective emotion, Desdemona would seriously incline and with a greedy ear devour up the Moor's discourse Of antres vast and deserts idle, Rough quarries, rocks and hills whose heads touch heav'n, The Anthropophagi, and men whose heads Do grow beneath their shoulders. Neither is it necessary even in this utilitarian and matter-of-fact generation, that even in the absence of truth probability should be substituted for it. What pleases more than a fairy-tale? When will the thousand-and-one-nights cease to be the delight of young and old? Who will deny to the fairy legends of Ireland their proper meed of praise? And what refined taste can reject the grim tales of Germany? No, they must be read; they must be admired, and enthusiastically admired, as long as human nature continues what it is. The whisk of a comet, a change in the obliquity of the ecliptic, or an alteration in the laws of gravity may modify, change, or destroy the order of moral as well as material nature; but while man con"Astoria,-or Enterprise beyond the Rocky Mountains," by Washington Irving. 3 vols. Bentley. Our readers will derive much assistance in understanding this excellent work from the consultation of the maps entitled British North America,' and Index Map of the United States' of the Sos. of U. Knowledge. |