The scene was to me a novel one, and I was filled with awe and admiration. 'Alas, poor child!' I thought; 'hard, indeed, has been her fate! How oft did she, in the pride of her heart, as her hour of travail approached, dwell, with all a mother's tenderness, upon the burden she bore! how oft did she speculate upon the color of its hair and eyes; and then too, doubtless, in the midst of her visions, the form of her loved husband would appear, and she would fondly whisper: ' He will love me even more than now, when he beholds our first-born!' And now, she and the babe are no more; to-morrow they will be buried, and the next day forgotten by all, save this poor old man. Such is

life!'

My countenance must have betrayed what was passing in my mind: for I was awakened from my reverie by a shout of laughter from the idlers about me, who, I found, were making merry at the expense of the pensativo Americano, one of their number having likened me al caballero de la triste figura.' I was retiring in some disgust at their heartlessness, when the sound of light foot-steps fell upon my ear. A moment after, a soft, sweet voice at my side murmured, in rich Castilian, ‘Pobrecita! se ha muerto muy joven.' The speaker was a dark-eyed, darkhaired señorita, just budding into womanhood. Her figure was as faultless as Marcela's, and her face like that of Murillo's guardian-angel. She blushed slightly as she met my ardent gaze, and, drawing her blacklace mantilla closely around her, tripped lightly across the street to the cathedral, and disappeared through ‘la puerta del perdon,' while I slowly continued my walk to the paseo, which I reached not much before night-fall.

It was a mild evening of the merry month of May. The air was redolent with the perfume of the orange-blossom, and the last rays of the setting sun were still lingering, in a flood of crimson light, upon the waters of the poetic Guadalquivir; and, as I watched the sportive maidens who thronged its banks, gladdening the earth with their innocent merriment, I thanked God in my heart that I was permitted to behold so fair a scene. How long I remained here, I know not; but when I turned my steps homeward, the paseo seemed deserted, and all nature hushed in a deep sleep, save that a solitary songster from a neighboring grove poured forth his evening-carol to the rising moon. Loitering a moment by the column of Hercules, to cast a last look upon the bewitching scene, my eye rested upon three persons who were engaged in an animated, and apparently angry discussion. These were two women in black, and a man of middle age, eminently handsome, but bearing in his countenance the evident traces of a life of dissipation. He was clad in the undress of a captain of artillery. Although the trio were but a few yards removed from me, the shadow of the pillar against which I leaned effectually concealed me from their sight; and I was about to discover myself, when, recognizing in the voice of the younger female that of the compassionate looker-on at the window, I remained as it were, spell-bound and immovable. 'Basta, Fernandez,' she said, sadly; no hay mas que decir: vamos, madre mia.' As she spoke these last words, she drew her mother's arm within her own, and the two walked slowly off, followed at a little distance by the cap

tain. A moment after, he sprang madly forward and seized the maiden by the waist; while the feeble mother, vainly endeavoring to extricate her from his grasp, called loudly for aid. Quick as thought, I was by her side, and, blind with passion, I felled the assailant to the earth. 'Muchas gracias, señor!' 'Bendito seas!' cried mother and daughter in a breath. The crest-fallen captain, rising with difficulty to his feet, laid his hand, with a significant gesture, on his sword: 'Caballero, nos encontrarémos otra vez,' he said, as he strode haughtily away.

As soon as the ladies had recovered sufficient composure to enable them to converse freely, they overwhelmed me with thanks for my opportune assistance, and insisted upon my accompanying them to their residence, which, they said, was not far distant. On our way thither, I learned that they were the wife and daughter of General Gonzales, of the Spanish army, and that the officer who had behaved so badly was a cousin of the señorita's, who had long courted her in vain.

6

He has been drinking to-night,' said the old lady, and to-morrow will be heartily ashamed of what he has done; but never more,' she added, indignantly, 'shall Fernandez de Lema cross the threshold of my doors!'

'And what do you think of Seville?' asked the señorita, as we passed the city-gates.

'I quite agree with Gil Blas :

And, as for the Sevillañas, I verily believe they are the most lovely beings en earth!'

'Vamos, señor! you speak like a lover, or a poet, which is worse, as the niece of Don Quixote avers,' rejoined the now-laughing girl; 'may-be, however, you are both poet and lover, in which case you are the more to be pitied. Let me tell you, then, Señor poet, or lover, or both, las damas de Sevilla no se precian de hermosura pero en toda Andalucia hay mucha gracia.'

'Hay mucha gracia, y mucha hermosura tambien,' cried I, to the no small amusement of the mother; and I was just proceeding to give a most glowing description of a fair damsel whom I had met twice that very day once at a certain reja, and again by the borders of the 'trembling river'- when my discourse was cut short by our arrival at their mansion. Entering with them, I was ushered into a large room on the second floor, elegantly furnished, where sat an elderly gentleman, perusing the evening papers. 'My husband,' said the Señora, introducing me. To you, William, who know something of Spanish character, I need only say, I found General Gonzales an hidalgo worthy of Spain's proudest days. His manners were reserved, but not cold, and in his upright carriage and lofty bearing, one might read pride without arrogance, self-respect without conceit. He received me with much cordiality when he was informed of the service I had rendered his family, and in a short time, I found myself as much at my ease with him, as if he had been the acquaintance of years. That evening was one of the happiest of my life; and the 'a las doce, y sereno ·

ave

Maria!' of the watchman had already greeted my ears, ere I rose to take leave. When I did so, the General gave me a hearty embrace, after the Spanish fashion, and exacted a promise from me, to make his house my home, should I ever visit Seville again; while his wife called upon all the saints of the Calendar to watch over and protect me. The señorita, the while, sat waving her fan in silence. I took her hand, and in a few hurried words expressed my regret that duty compelled me to leave Seville the following morning, and a hope that I should meet her again, at some not distant period. 'Paciencia y esperanza, Señor!' said she, with an arch look. 'T was thus we parted.

On the morrow, I returned to Cadiz: not, however, before I had addressed a line to Don Fernandez de Lema, telling him where I was to be found. To my surprise, my note was unanswered; nor did I ever set eyes on the Captain again.

Time rolled slowly on. Our good ship visited many pleasant ports on the classic shores of Italy, where objects of interest met my gaze at every turn; but, go where I would, see what I might, that fair girl's spirit was ever at my side; and, whether roaming gaily through the stately palaces of Naples, or standing pensive amid the ruins of Pompeii, a sweet voice would ever and anon breathe into my ear, ‘Pobrecita! se ha muerto muy joven,' followed immediately by the cheering words, 'paciencia y esperanza!'

A year had now passed, and our noble frigate lay at anchor off Funchal, Madeira, where she was to remain some months, preparatory to returning to the United States. It was the morning after our arrival here a bright morning of the first month of summer when, throwing the reins to my guide, I alighted from my horse on the heights overhanging the town, and entered the chapel of 'Nossa Senhora do Monte,' where, although the hour was an early one, I found many good Catholics gathered around the altar; while a choir of monks chanted a requiem for the dead. Among the worshippers knelt a young girl, in deep mourning, and evidently in deep distress; for, in that part of the Mass where, after the elevation of the Host, the priest recites the words, Quiescant in pace, she sobbed as if her heart would break. I took my place near her; and as she was passing by me on her way out of the chapel, upon the conclusion of the service, her long veil became entangled in one of the buttons of my sleeve, and she turned to extricate it. 'Can it be possible?' I exclaimed; Maria Gonzales!' Almost at the same instant, she uttered a joyful cry of recognition, and smiling through her tears, as sun-shine follows an April shower, stretched forth both her tiny hands to me; which, I need hardly say, I pressed with all a lover's devotion.

As we walked on together, I learned that, since we parted, sorrow, and even death, had visited her once happy home. You had scarce been gone a week,' she said, 'when my father was arrested, upon a charge of being in correspondence with the Carlists, the enemies of our beloved Queen. The accusation against him was contained in an anonymous letter to the Minister of War, the hand-writing of which none could recognize; and yet, poor father was thrown into prison, and chained and manacled like a common felon. In the trial which ensued,

consciousness returned, I was lying on a th my mother and sisters bending over but one idea took possession of my mind: I of Maria, and either marry her, or lay do Granada, I learned that she and her moth thence, I traced them from city to city, unt have entirely lost sight of them.

e is finished, William; I have nothing mo Pierre likened our day of life to that of th one part of which cannot receive the light to darkness. For me, my sun of happiness rk, dark night of sorrow has set in.

THERE's a spell in the mighty Past;
There's a charm round the days that a
And a sorrowful look behind we cast,
Though our path lies ever-on.

Its mystic depths profound,

In fancy I love to explore;

To steal awhile from the world around
To dream in the world of yore.

In the evening hour, while yet
Some struggling day-beams last,
I think of the ages, long since set
In the gathering night of the Past.

Of the grandeur and greatness, flown;
Of heroes and sages, sublime:
Of woman's beauty, that sweetly shone
In the vanished, olden time!

Fled are they now, for aye;

Gone, the assemblage vast;

But like stars that gleam in the dark nig
Their memory gilds the Past.

of the past; and when, after plighting our troth, we knelt before the good old lady, and received her sanction to our engagement, my happiness was complete. It was settled that, as soon as I arrived home, I should procure a leave of absence and proceed to Seville direct, where mother and daughter were to join me; Señora Gonzales wishing Maria to be married in the same house in which they had passed so many happy days during the life of the General.

And now, the time of my departure was at hand. 'T was evening : one of those delicious summer-evenings in Madeira that no pencil can describe. Maria reclined upon a couch in the verandah, and I sate by her side, holding her hand in mine. We had ridden out, in the morning, to the chapel where we had first met after our long separation, and afterwards to the 'Corral. On our return, as we were riding along the brink of a precipice, my horse suddenly took fright, and ere I could curb him, had carried me several yards in advance of her. 'Jesus!' I heard her exclaim. Looking back, I perceived that her pony had stumbled, and but for the guide, who with admirable presence of mind had seized the bridle, would have precipitated her into the abyss beneath. She was dreadfully alarmed, and I had no sooner reached her than she fainted in my arms. She soon revived, however; and the ' good Pedro,' who was always with us, having procured a palanquin, we bore her swiftly home; while the guide, who, honest fellow ! seemed as much concerned as myself at the accident, ran at the top of his speed for the nearest physician. Upon examination, the doctor, a bluff, good-natured Englishman, immediately declared, to my infinite relief, that Maria had sustained no bodily injury; and after rallying her a little, in true John Bull style, upon her want of courage, prescribed a soothing-potion, and took his leave. She was still, however, nervous

and depressed.

'Harry,' said she, 'I have lost the note you sent me the other evening, and I feel so superstitious about it! I fear some evil threatens us.

A fig for your nonsensical superstitions,' cried I, jestingly; my only fear is, that some one of the handsome cavaliers of Seville will make you entirely forget the ugly American.'

'Nay, Harry, you must not say so,' she rejoined quickly, at the same time laying her little hand upon my mouth. ‹ You do but jest, I know, but then, I am well aware, too, that the women of my native land are generally characterized by foreigners as fickle and inconstant; and por Dios!' she added, with a virtuous indignation, her eyes flashing fire as she spoke, 'I believe the accusation to be as false as was that of the arch-traitor Judas himself. Undoubtedly, there are in Spain, as elsewhere, very many females among the lower classes, who are a disgrace to their sex; but to say that a Spanish lady is light of love, is to affirm that Roger de Lauria was a saint, and Gonsalvo de Cordoba a coward: and know, Harry,' she continued, passionately throwing her arms about my neck and resting her head on my bosom, as she spoke, when a Sevillana loves one of your sex, she loves him with her whole soul, prescinde de si es Español, ó estrangero!' And I believed then what she said, William, as I believe it now; as I would believe 'proof of holy writ.'