but an indoor apprentice. I have many and powerful objections to any other arrangement."

"You might with another family," interrupted Mrs. Davis; "but think, my good friend, how my husband has brought up his children-how hard he works, and what little enjoyment he has, and what a comfort Frank is to him. Think, too, what an advantage such a father is to his son, when both take a delight in each other. As an old friend, do not refuse me; let me have the pleasure of making my poor husband happy this evening by your compliance with our united request."

Mr. Sharman looked uneasy. "Will you give me two or three days to think of it?" said he.

But Mrs. Davis was far too skilful a diplomatist not to see the advantage she had gained, or to be insensible to the danger of not securing it.

"Oh no," replied she quickly. "Where would be the use? There's no time like the present. It is no new subject to you; you have no more to consider than what you have already often and well weighed before, and your mind once made up is, with you men of business, made up for good; at least, so says Mr. Davis. Now, what answer may I take him?"

Mr. Sharman seemed irresolute. "Don't press the matter," said he. "But I must press it," replied she: "come, say the word. I can see well you are disposed to do it. I can read your countenance; and your words, I know of old, are never at variance with your meaning."

Mr. Sharman smiled. "Then I suppose I must give way," said he. "Thank you, thank you!" exclaimed she; eager to prevent any possibility of his retracting; "it is very kind of you, and I am sure my husband will feel it as such."

There was still an expression of dissatisfaction on the features of Mr. Sharman, as he said, "I hope we shall none of us have cause to regret the step."

"I am sure we shall not," cried Mrs. Davis; "I feel quite confident on that point."

"Tell Mr. Davis," said Mr. Sharman, "that it shall be as he desires; and that though I regret it on my own part, I feel pleasure that I have been able in any way to gratify him."

Mrs. Davis having now learnt the terms required by Mr. Sharman, under this new arrangement, left the house well satisfied with her success, and returned home. She told the elder children as much of what had passed between her and Mr. Sharman as answered the end in view,—a new proof of her own superior skill in overcoming a difficulty; but with the strict charge that they were to be silent about it, for it is wonderful how much mystery in these cases adds to their importance.

Mr. Davis had been absent on business for two days, and did not return till late in the evening. Nothing, therefore, was said on the subject. The next morning at breakfast, however, he asked his wife whether she had seen Mr. Sharman. He did not raise his eyes from the plate as he spoke, and Mrs. Davis, seeing him intent on what he was eating, quietly took a small slice of bacon from the dish beside him; put it into her own plate, from which she transferred it to the little girl, who sat at her right hand, whilst she replied,

"I have, and I hope matters are arranged to your satisfaction, and that, too, without your being put to any trouble about it."

The child on her left hand seeing that her sister had fared so well, now pulled her mother's sleeve and made a sign, which was easily understood.

She did not dare to speak, as the indulgence of eggs, cream, sugar, was forbidden.

or much

"I have got it all in writing," continued she, "that no disagreement or misunderstanding may arise; I knew you would wish me to use this precaution. I will give you the paper when we have finished breakfast." Let me see it now," said he, "it will save time."

Mrs. Davis directed Frank where to find it, and taking advantage of the movement, for Mr. Davis's eyes had followed his son, she dropped a lump of sugar into the child's cup, who with a smile nodded her thanks. When Frank gave the paper into his father's hand and had reseated himself, he looked significantly at the bacon and then at his own plate. His mother understood him, but as there was but a small slice left, and she was uncertain whether Mr. Davis wished for it or not, she did not venture to give it him. She herself had taken an egg, not as a usual thing, but because Mr. Davis had refused it. She made a motion to Frank to learn if he would like it, and reading at once his intended reply, she passed it to him, while he, adroitly turning his shoulder to his father, in almost a second of time, despatched it. Then taking the empty shell into his hand he slipped it into his pocket. The others laughed, and the manœuvre was considered as very clever by every one who saw it.

Mr. Davis read the paper which Frank had given him attentively.

"But how is this?" said he. "The premium stated is for an outdoor apprentice."

"He has named the sum for both indoor and outdoor apprentice, has he not?" replied she. "I asked him to do so."

"He has not, as I can perceive," returned Mr. Davis, turning over the

paper.

"Oh! I know now," replied she. "He does not wish for an indoor apprentice."

"No!" cried Mr. Davis, "I am sorry to hear it; it was one of the principal reasons I had, in wishing to place Frank with him, that I understood he would have indoor apprentices only."

"Poor man!" returned Mrs. Davis, "that was his plan; but his wife has been so unwell lately, and the last apprentice has been so troublesome to her, that for her sake, I suppose, he has been obliged to make this alteration.

"I am greatly disappointed," said he; "it is not at all what I wish."

"Nor what Mr. Sharman wishes," replied she; "but what can he do? He knows well what a father you are, he says, and that he should feel the boy being with you would be the same as if he was with himself, and certainly he could learn such good from no one as he could from you."

"That's not to the purpose," said Mr. Davis, "the present is no question of that sort. I have done my duty by the boy, and I now wish some one else to do his duty by him. Frank could not be better than under the roof of an upright man like Sharman, let me be what I may; and so I shall tell him. Besides, I should be thankful to ease my shoulders of a burden, rather than to add a new weight to the burden. I must see him on the subject, and if he will not give up the point we must think of something else for the boy."

"Oh no, my dear!" cried Mrs. Davis, "pray do not think of such a thing. It would unsettle Frank, I am sure; and really I don't see how you can raise any objection now to the plan. I went in your name to him, and he will think it so very odd that I should say one thing and you another.

Depend upon it, it is all for the best. I say so, and you know when you trust to me, you seldom find I have been much out of the way; do you now?"

"Certainly not," replied he.

66

"Well, then, trust to me now," said she; say nothing to Sharman, you will have obliged a kind neighbour, and we shall have our boy under my eye; he shall be no annoyance to you, I'll take care of that; so let all parties be satisfied."

Mr. Davis looked by no means as his wife desired; and he continued to eat his breakfast, without seeming to know what he was doing.

"I must speak to him," said he at length.

"No, pray don't," replied she. "Mr. Sharman knows you gave me the power to settle what I thought best."

"Not exactly," returned he; "I never meant to supersede all opinion of my own on the subject, or to resign my authority to any one, in a matter like the present."

"Well, that's my mistake," said she; "and if you now set aside all I have done, or consented to, what a foolish light you will place me in! No, Mr. Davis, think better of it, either send the boy elsewhere, or let him go as I have agreed. I am sure it will be a great disappointment to Mr. Sharman to lose such a youth as Frank for such a trifle.'

"It would be a great disappointment to me, certainly," returned Mr. Davis," to lose such a master as Sharman for him. But I must be off; we'll talk more about it another time."

Wife and children saw that the point was gained, and a look passed between the mother and her son, whose eyes had been intently fixed upon her, to that effect. The door closed on her husband as Mrs. Davis declared with an air of satisfaction, that she knew she should have her way; while "how cleverly she had managed it," was the exclamation of those who were in the secret. [To be continued.]

MICHAELMAS DAISY.

THIS plant is called also Sea Starwort, and is one of the few flowers which deck the saline soils in the neighbourhood of the ocean. It is very common on the salt marshes, not only of the sea, but of tidal rivers. Its blossom appears in August and September: the stem is often three feet high, and its clusters of pale lilac flowers overtop the strongly-scented and grey-green southernwood, and the little fleshy-leaved sandworts, and the tufts of sealavender and of other smaller plants of the marsh. Like many other natives of saline soil, the stems and foliage are very succulent, and have a saltish flavour, and their surfaces are free from all down. It is not an uncommon circumstance to find a cluster of the Michaelmas daisy in which the lilac rays are quite absent, and the disk only is to be seen. Many of the plants which flourish in the neighbourhood of the sea grow, too, on elevated mountains in inland countries. The thrift and sea milkwort, and several others, are found on such spots; but our starwort never grows wild but on salt land. It is, both in flower and foliage, of too pale a colour to be highly ornamental, yet it lends a charm to spots whose aspect is dreary, and to a season whose flowers are daily becoming fewer in number.

"The marsh is bleak and lonely. Scarce a flower
Gleams in the waving grass. The rosy thrift

We have but one species of the genus Aster, the name of which is significant of the starry form of all its flowers. But America is the native land of Michaelmas daisies, and the multitudes of those which deck our gardens were brought thence. Lyell, speaking of the fir woods on the banks of the Piscataqua, says, "I have seen this part of North America laid down in some botanical maps as the region of Asters and golden rods." He adds, that both are there very numerous and striking flowers.

BRITISH INDIA.-No. IV.

PENANG.

IN 1784 the Supreme Government of India had deemed it expedient to establish a depôt for stores, for shipping stores as well as for commercial transactions, at some eligible situation in the Straits of Malacca; and Acheen Head, in Sumatra, was at first deemed an excellent and central position for vessels trading between India and China: accordingly, a Mr. Kinloch was despatched as envoy to the King of Siam. This barbarous and savage prince, however, had no wish to encourage the encroachments of foreigners in his territories, and the late exploits and conquests of the English in India served only to increase his alarm and suspicion; consequently Mr. Kinloch's mission proved a failure, and the attention of Government was then directed towards the desolate island at the mouth of the Straits, then only known as the resort of hordes of cutthroat pirates, and since risen into opulence and importance as Penang, or the Prince of Wales' Island.

Mr. Light was the first to suggest to the Government the feasibility of converting Penang into an admirable harbour and commercial depôt; for it was then the last thing to be imagined that the island itself would in the course of a very few years yield a valuable and staple commodity of commerce. Mr. Light's suggestions were happily attended to; and stipulations having been agreed upon between the King of Queda and the Bengal Government, the island was duly taken possession of, and Mr. Light appointed first governor. For this situation he was peculiarly adapted, from his long acquaintance with the Straits, and his knowledge of the language, laws, and habits of the Malays, and from the respect in which he was held by the neighbouring chieftains.

In 1786 a small detachment of Bengal Infantry was sent over to Penang, and placed under the command of the newly-nominated governor. At that period the island was such a dense forest that it required some time to clear away a sufficient space for the governor and the troops to pitch their tents-a work, however, which was accomplished on the 12th of August 1786, when the British flag for the first time waved over the island; and the day chancing to be the anniversary of the birthday of the eldest son of the King of England, the place was accordingly christened Prince of Wales' Island.

As may be easily conceived, in a wild island forming one dense jungle from the seaside up to the summit of the highest hills, the labours and difficulties encountered by the small band of early colonists was very great, before they could clear out sufficient space for the erection of primitive habitations, which only served to shelter them from the heavy showers and violent squalls against which the best-constructed tents could never be made proof. The means f the first colonists were limited and inadequate; large ravines had to be filled up, and swampy marshes drained, before a site could be chosen for the intended settlement; but perseverance and zeal will, under the blessing of the Almighty, overcome what may appear to man almost insurmountable obstacles. These two great requisites Mr. Light, and those under his command, possessed to a praiseworthy degree. The appearance of the country towards the water's edge soon changed, and George Town was marked out. The fame of the rising settlement rose faster than the foundations of the future populous towns, and