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sketch by putting it on record. Gideon was, on a sudden, seized with a passion for speculation to the East Indies; and accordingly purchased a vessel, loaded her to the very hatches, and, like a prudent man, insured ship and cargo to a considerable amount. It is true, there were some trifling discrepancies between the invoices and the shipments, but such things will occur in the hurry of business, and underwriters are not particular so long as the ship stands A.E., and they get their premiums.

"Two months afterwards, news arrived that the vessel had foundered, to the great dismay of Gideon, who alleged that he had insured too little, and of the underwriters, who found that they had assured too much. Some of them had taken heavy lives upon the risk, and one man, in particular, had ventured to an amount, the exaction of which would have left him and his family without a shilling in the world, and Gideon, unluckily, was not slow in advancing his claim. A meeting was appointed between Owen and the underwriters, at a coffeehouse, for the purpose of discussing certain matters connected with the loss, when his documents were produced, and found to be altogether unchallengeable, One of the parties, however, ventured to express a doubt as to the total loss of the vessel.

cased: I had the curiosity to examine a few of them while the tide was subsiding.'

"And what, may I ask, were the contents?' "Why, the boxes, for the most part, contained mineralogical specimens chiefly of silex or flint, which appeared an appropriate article of exportation to a country whether we had already sent so much steel.'

"And the bales-what did they contain?' "Oh!-rags, principally rags, which I thought also a very proper article of export from a country in which there appears a superfluity of the commodity.'

And do you imagine the rest of the cargo was of the like materials?'

"Can't say as to the materials, but, I apprehend, of pretty much the same value; for I remarked that some of the inhabitants of the coast, who ran down to the wreck at low water, to see if they could be useful, returned emptyhanded.'

"And, pray, sir,' continued the querist, is it your opinion that the loss of the vessel was occasioned by the captain's bad management and ignorance of the coast?”

"Oh, no! I never saw any thing better managed in my life; and nothing but a most intimate acquaintance if it with the seas could have enabled him to run her upon the only rock which. was to be found within ten leagues of the spot.'

"Nay,' exclaimed a voice from an adjoining box, be the loss of the Hopewell, I can vouch for that.' "And pray,' enquired one of the parties interested, regarding the volunteer witness with no complacent look, what makes you so knowing about the loss of the ship?' "The simple fact of my having had the pleasure of being in her company at the time,' rejoined the first speaker, a fashionably dressed young man, with a very handsome but sunburnt countenance, rising, and leaning carelessly against the partition of the boxes, so as to confront the party, one of whom, the individual who had at first addressed him, took upon himself the office of spokesman, and continued his interrogatories by saying, Why, you were surely not one of the crew?'

"No,' answered the young gentleman, bowing in acknowledgment of the compliment implied, I was only a passenger, and so, when the Hopewell struck, the captain and crew took to the long boat, and, paradoxically enough, alleging that I did not belong to the ship, left me in undispated command of her.'

"And you were picked off from the wreck afterwards, I presume?' said the querist.

"Within an ace of it, by a shot from a Dutch man-ofwar, fired for no earthly reason that I could guess, except that I did not answer their first signal.'

"You should have waved your handkerchief.' "I should have been waved myself, then,' was the reply, seeing that it was the only tie that bound me to life and the main-top-mast, from which it was not exactly convenient for me just at that time to part company.' "And pray, sir,' continued the inquisitor, how many hours did you continue in that perilous situation?'

"Upon my honour, sir, I am unable to answer your question with any degree of precision, as I committed my watch to the trusteeship of the deep; for the precious metals, however they may contribute to keep a man's head above water on the Royal Exchange, have a marvellously anti-buoyant tendency in the Atlantic. Besides, to let you into a secret, I had, at that particular juncture, a strong impression that Time and I had very nearly done with each other.'

"And may I enquire, then, by what miracle you escaped ?'

"By no miracle at all, sir, but by simply waiting until the tide turned, when the vessel was left high and dry upon the sand; and I took the opportunity of stepping on shore.'

"Upon my word,' exclaimed another of the party, 'you were in high luck to have been able to hold out so long.' "Luck, you call it !' replied the person addressed; well, we will not cavil about terms; I have been accustomed to call it by another name, though.'

"But, sir,' interrupted the first interrogator, did the crew make no effort to save the cargo?'

"Oh, yes! their exertions were wonderful, and their success complete, in saving themselves, which they seemed to consider the most valuable part of it; and, as far as my observations went, they were about right, for always, excepting myself, there appeared to be little else in the ship worth caring for.'

"The goods, then, must have been wretchedly packed.' "Quite the contrary, I assure you; had they been the crown jewels, they could not have been more beautifully

"And do you think the captain and his crew got safely to land?'

"I have no reason to doubt it, for they chose a fine day and a fair wind for the excursion. Besides, I saw the captain, six months after, at New York, in high feather, living away, en prince, at one of the principal hotels in the city."

Indeed! that is somewhat extraordinary for a shipwrecked mariner: whence think you he derived the means?' "I cannot for the life of me imagine; unless, by the way, it was from a huge pocket-book which I observed him to stow away carefully in his bosom, about ten minutes before he made the notable experiment on the ship's bottom.'

"He must have been somewhat abashed at seeing you?'

"Not a whit! He shook me cordially by the hand, alluded partly to the auspicious circumstances in which he had left me, apologised for the oversight, and concluded by asking me to dinner.'

"And you immediately discovered him to the police.' "Not I! for as Brother Jonathan is much too jealous a dry nurse of his adopted children to admit of any interference in their education, so I sat down to a partie quarrée, consisting of the captain, his chief mate, an under secretary, and myself, and we laughed immeasurably over the claret and the story of my escape.'

"Upon my word, young gentleman,' exclaimed the other, gravely, that is what we should call, in England, compromising a felony.'

"Very like it, I confess; but it was better than compromising my safety, and I knew my nautical friend too well, not to feel assured, that if he had had the least suspicion of my attention to the cargo he left in my charge, he would scarcely have allowed me to quit America without some testimonial of his gratitude.'

"During this dialogue, Gideon, who found the young gentleman so well informed on the subject under discussion as to render any explanation from himself superfluous, took an opportunity of withdrawing, leaving the matter entirely in the hands of the underwriters. The latter worthies held a consultation, continued by three several adjournments, which ended, ou the 4th day, in their obtaining a warrant for Gideon's apprehension. He, however, having only his own safety to consult, had availed himself of certain paper wings which he kept in his pocket-book, and had sailed from Gravesend, with a fair wind, on his passage to join the captain, just three days before the arrival of his officer in pursuit.

"He was overtaken, however, not by Mr Lavender, but by a storm, by which he was shipwrecked in good earnest, and found his way to New York, in so wretched and dilapidated a condition, that his old friend could not be prevailed on to believe he was the same person, and positively refused him assistance, alleging, that it was a principle with him never to encourage impostors."

The "Humourist" will no doubt have a good sale, else there will be an end of its merriment.

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The Iris: A Religious and Literary Offering.

Edited by the Rev. Thomas Dale, M. A. London. Simpson Low; and Hurst, Chance, and Co. 1831.

WE have already spoken of the embellishments of this volume, which are very admirable, and mostly from the old masters. They are all on religious subjects. "Christ blessing the bread," by Carlo Dolci, is one of the finest things of the kind we ever saw. We are sorry we cannot bestow equal praise on the literary contents. They are rather heavy, and many of the articles are written by authors whom no mortal ever heard of before. Thus we have "The Dream," by the author of " Private Life;" "Nathan and David," by the author of "The Heir of Jeroboam;" ;"" A Reflection," by J. H. Hollings; " Passages," by Willis Gaylord Clark; "Parted Twins," by Mrs Cockle, (" Phoebus! what a name!") and many others of equal eminence, among whom we may reckon Miss Susannah Strickland, who treats us to five pages of rhyme upon that "small and easy" subject-the Deluge. The Editor himself seems a respectable gentleman; and Thomas Haynes Bayley, who writes songs on all themes, contributes a couple about the Virgin and Child, and the Infant St John. There are contributions, however, of a superior cast, from Miss Jewsbury, Mary and William Howitt, James Montgomery, Mrs S. C. Hall, and Miss Jane Porter.

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SOME REMARKS ON THE LIFE OF SANDY
ELSHINDER.

By the Ettrick Shepherd.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LITERARY JOURNAL.

DEAR SIR, THIS Life of Alexander Alexander, or Sandy Elshinder, as he is called here, is a remarkably queer book-one of the most interesting narratives I ever perused; and it is scarcely accountable how it should be so interesting, for certainly the life of a greater goose never was written. For an absurd, dissatisfied, petted deevil, certainly his equal never was born of a woman. I know not how it is, but, from long and curious observation, I have remarked that bastards of both sexes are extremely liable to this capricious disposition; and, in a general point of view, Falconbridge was wrong-manifestly and specifically wrong-in proof of which, I only appeal to every man and woman's recollection. Let them take a retrospective view of the characters of all the natural children they ever knew, and they will find that seven out of every ten of them are not like other people, either in body or mind; either they are decripit and misshapen in the one, or

crooked and perverse in the other. The greatest cowards I have ever known among mankind were all bastardsthe very thoughts of some of whom never fail to set me a-laughing. There was one-a gentleman who had, indeed, a little of the Blackamoor blood in him, but not much--the whole tenor of whose life was one uniform track of fear and astonishment; even in his most festive hours he was seized with emotions of wild apprehension, while day and night he was on the look-out for objects of terror. A sound of thunder sent him home running with eyes like to leap out of his head; and once, on going out to the moors by himself-a rare thing with him-a certain sound which he heard, which, from his description, must have been the cry of a mountain falcon, frighted him so, that he left gun, game-bag, coat and hat, on the waste, and came home running in a state of absolute derangement. At another time, one very warm day, I saw him going with a particular swagger down towards the river, I think to bathe, when, just at an abrupt corner of a hedge, he came upon a huge black Aberdeenshire ox, with tremendous long horns. He was almost close on the animal's face before he saw it, and, although the beast was looking quite innocent, standing in the shade, and shaking his head and ears at the flies, it struck such a terror into the young man's heart, that he lost all power of his limbs, and stooping forward, and leaning his hands upon his knees, looking his adversary straight in the face, he bellowed out in the most frightful manner, every bray following hard at the tail of the other, till the ox himself was confounded, and, first cocking up his head and then Our gentleman then tried to his tail, he scampered off. fly in the adverse direction, which had not once come into his head till the stot showed him the example-but no ; he could fly none. Down he came at every three steps, and at every fall uttered a cry of horror, which waxed fainter and fainter. I never saw a more laughable scene. It did him a great deal of ill, however. Every one of these frights made him worse and worse, till at length he went fair mad with fear; and his friends were obliged to confine him in a lunatic asylum, where, for any thing I know, he is to this day; for, though he was pronounced well, he was so terrified for men, women, and beasts of all descriptions, that he would not come out again, judging himself only safe within double-bolted doors.

This is the

The women, on the other hand, are all unstable and they are to do to-morrow, and constantly fretting at wavering in their minds, never knowing to-day what their lot, and impatient for something else. general character of all that spurious race, to say no worse of them; and in countries where they greatly abound, these qualities are known, and the race despised. If a thousand natural children were to write autobiographies, they would be all tinctured with a shade of the same dye with that of poor Alexander, and the fewer that any town or country has of that sort of breed the better.

I think there can be no doubt that these unhappy constitutional failings generally proceed from the irritated state of the mother's mind, both during the time that she is nursing, and before the child is born. Disappointed affections, terrors of a discovery, and visions of infamy and want surrounding her, all prey upon her heart, and produce that trembling irritability of soul, known only to those who have wept under its baneful influence. Why, sir, one may as well expect to find a ripe and luscious cherry on an unhealthy tree, as a steady frame of body and mind from such a parent stock.

It is on this principle alone that I can account for the inconsistencies of Alexander, for he seems to have been a sensible, sober, and honest man, and his work is manifestly a narration of simple, downright facts, and the only pill in it that is hard to swallow, is the wretched degradation of the British troops in India, and the overpowering superiority of the native regiments. Such a revolting picture never was drawn, as that of the eco

nomy of the 19th and 66th regiments while in Ceylon. But no man could, or durst, have invented such scenes and published them.

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his behaviour; yet, with the above threatening impressed on his heart from infancy, he pops into his father's house to give him a call! Although kicked out by the domestics, and a lawburrows put into his hand, on the 14th of December following, he thought proper to pay his father another friendly visit, and another, till at length he was taken up and sent to jail, the peace having been sworn against him.

To speak of the work shortly, as a whole, I have read it with the most thrilling and painful interest. It is ten times better worth reading than Robinson Crusoe, and I hope it will at least go through half as many editions. The one is a romance, founded on a single extraordinary incident. The other is a narrative of simple facts, of a Now, Sandy had nothing ado to intermeddle with the far more wonderful description, transacted in every cor-justice or injustice of his father's feelings towards him. ner of the world, and told with equal simplicity, energy, and candour. I wish from my heart that Johnie Howell had left out a line here and there, half-a-dozen in the whole work would have counted in its favour; but that can easily be effected in the next edition.

When I was in Edinburgh, I heard Alexander's father upbraided with the utmost vituperation. I differ from them in this respect, and think that the son was ten times more to blame than the father; for certainly a more provoking, self-willed wretch never existed than the former, although evidently a man of many estimable qualities. I will state my sentiments to you candidly on this subject, and should they fall into the elder Alexander's hand, I hope he will approve of them.

He was perfectly aware what these feelings were, and it was his duty to have respected them. He knew what his orders were, and he ought to have obeyed them, and his temerity only met with the punishment it deserved. I have no doubt that the elder Mr Alexander is a very just and worthy gentleman, and that he will yet leave his wretched son an annuity that will add some comfort to his broken-down frame and helpless age. I have a great mind to go and see him.

There is only one thing I would impress upon the father's consideration, and it is this-that the constitution of his son's mind is absolutely not like other people's; and as harsh treatment has no effect on it, there is nothing for him but to bear with it, and take it as it is. I have no doubt that he is a sober, honourable, conscientious being, though nearly as great a coward as my friend who met with the ox; and as for the formation of his mind's frame, for that he is not accountable. I have shown from whence it proceeded, and Mr Alexander was partly to blame himself.

fain hope there may be a little exaggeration of circumstances here; and yet, I am sorry to say it, truth is too plainly engraved on the tale. The sanguinary nature of that war of liberty is truly horrible.

You know then, sir, that no man can account for the feelings of such a father towards such a son ; but any man can conceive them, after they have been manifested by deeds. Alexander was ashamed of his son, and of his connexion with that son's mother, as a virtuous and conscientious gentleman ought to have been. In order, then, to break off that connexion for ever, was it not the most Another principal recommendation of the work is, the natural thing imaginable that he should send away the unaffected and very curious descriptions of events, chachild to a distance from himself and friends, to be brought racters, manners, and customs, in so many and distant up in private? He did this, and the boy was brought up corners of the world; for honest Sandy, for all his unin a poor, but respectable family; and Mr Alexander fortunate heirships, is a man of acute observation, and no never had wit that he was harshly used. He next learned extraordinary incident, particularly of the horrible sort, business with Mr B, in Kilwinning, a most worthy seems ever to have escaped his notice. But of all the insoman. Then was completely fitted out for the West lent and intolerable wretches I ever read of, I give the BriIndies; for he confesses himself" my father did me tish officers, when abroad, the precedence. The descripevery justice, for I was well supplied with every neces- tion of those in South America, where there were whole sary both for use and comfort." What could any father, hordes of officers without any body to command, is highly in such circumstances, do more? He proffered him a ludicrous; while the whole of, their behaviour, particucommission in the army; the other refused it, and pre-larly to one another, is perfectly disgusting. I would ferred the West Indies. He proceeded there as well as heart could wish for a young adventurer—better than he deserved; and there is not a doubt, that, had he continued to fight his way like a man, his father would have assisted him forward, and that he might, at this time, have been one of the first planters on those islands. It is quite manifest to me, that Mr Alexander wished the lad well, and meant to forward his views in life, but that he was intent on keeping him out of his sight, and at a distance from him. Sandy was quite sensible of this himself. But what does he next, with this assurance before his eyes and impressed on his heart? What! but from the fairest prospects, he takes the pet,-comes home crying with vexation again, pops himself under his father's nose, and asks a commission in the army! Confound the fellow! Who could have any patience with him? His father answered the demand very properly. If I had been in his place, I would have been in a greater rage than he. Really there was nothing to be made of such an inconsistent being. He says of himself, and very truly, "I was the sport of fortune, I never could remain when she took a turn in my favour; I had had so many disappointments, I had no faith in her smiles. I think the maladie du pays was upon me."

In short, there never was so unaccountable a chap as
Sandy Elshinder :

"O! had I a headstane as high as a steeple,
I would tell what he was, and astonish the people :
How solid as gold, and how light as a feather;
What sense and what nonsense were jumbled together!"

Among his other qualifications, he was perfectly stupid, and never yet could travel a road by himself, without going wrong; and the serious way in which these misadventures are described, is really beyond all bounds ludicrous. There is one, but I have lost the place, which made me laugh till the tears ran down on the spectacles. He was riding upon a dour ass; and a terrible storm of thunder, lightning, and rain, coming on, he became quite dumfoundered, and lost himself, of course. In the midst of his greatest perplexity, the ass got into a vile pool with him, and Sandy, not knowing the proper way out again, adopted what struck him as the next best resource.. I will defy any man or woman who has not read the book, The last scenes with his father are, indeed, most pain- to guess what that expedient was! Let such prepare ful ones: but in my heart I justify the elder Mr Alex- their cheeks and jaws for a hearty laugh. It was to sit ander throughout. It is too plain that his son had written still there on the ass's back all the night! Now, we him bitter and threatening letters; and worse than all, must not lose sight of Mr Watson Gordon's picture. To this had constantly been his threat from the beginning, think of Sandy's demure face sitting on the back of the "If ever you show yourself within my door, I will throw cuddy, in the midst of a pool, with the lightning flashyou off for ever." He was at this time paying the pooring, the rain pouring, and the water waxing every mifellow L.20 per annum, though much dissatisfied with nute, is really beyond any thing that ever happened in

nature. But the best of all is to come. In the darkness of that awful night, it struck him that he was dead, and that his soul, for his stupidity, was condemned to sit on the back of that cuddy till the day of judgment! I am not joking, sir, he tells it seriously that he thought so.

He had another grand adventure with a mule in the West Indies, a beast of Belial, who threw him over its head into the fosse surrounding the garrison, broke away into the woods with him, and, in fact, carried him wherever it listed. Finally, sir, it is my humble opinion that this book will be extensively read, and the longer it is known, the more extensively, for when it gets among the common people, it will be read with as much avidity as Robinson Crusoe or the Pilgrim's Progress. As to the interest that Mr Blackwood has taken in the work, he certainly never did any thing more laudable, and I shall like him the better for it as long as I live. I feel disposed to apply a Covenanter's verse to him which I have somewhere seen :

"If good deeds count in Heaven, ladye,
Eternal bliss to share,

Ye hae dune a deed will save your soul,
Though ye should ne'er doe mair."

THE VICTIM OF THE "THREE DAYS."*

By the Author of " Tales of a Pilgrim."

'Tis vain-a little while, and thou
Wilt pass away.

ANON.

You remember her, then-that bright-eyed, fair-haired English girl, who, some twelve months ago, on the occasion I mention, graced our little fête? We had known her in her childhood, in her own home; and when she came among us in the blush of womanhood, a

populace have flung themselves on the troops, and, after
three days' sanguinary fighting, have gained the victory."
And the English residents," said she," how have
they been occupied amid this horrible conflict ?"
"Some of them have fought side by side with the fu-
rious bourgeoisie," was my answer, " and some of course
have fallen; but those who kept within their own houses
have suffered neither injury nor insult. The Parisians,
having won the victory bravely, have used it with the
generosity of men."

"Thank God!" said my fair companion, her countenance brightening. "For a moment I did tremble, but your assurance sets my heart at rest. My friend is a man of peace, and such being his special vocation, he would scarcely rush into such a broil. And now, farewell-for a long, long time. To-morrow I depart for England, my own dear native land, never, perhaps, to visit your Scottish mountains again."

I gave her a friend's kind wishes, and she moved away. As I watched the flutter of her drapery, it struck me as more than probable that that change which all fair damsels contemplate as certain to happen at one time or other in their lives, was about to befall her—and that she was soon to find solace and protection on a husband's breast.

It is two mouths, two short months, as I have already said, since this interview took place. The other day I obtained from a mutual friend, fresh from England, a few further particulars regarding her—a sad and moving issue to her story. As I suspected, she had the prospect of a happy home before her. She had won the heart of one qualified in every respect to make the cares of life pass lightly over her, and his hand awaited her acceptance-as soon as some trifling family arrangements, which he had repaired to Paris to expedite, should be completed. In the interim, at the entreaty of his mother, who natusolitary sojourner in a strange country, we were delighted rally desired to become better acquainted with the object to repay to her the courtesies, which, in other days, her of her son's choice, she consented to pay a visit to the fafamily had showered upon us. mily of which she was so soon to become a member, and Duties, however-the often ungracious duties which are demanded of accomit was on the eve of her setting out on that journey that plished females, who are compelled, by adverse circum-I chanced to bid her farewell. How darkly evolved are stances, to leave their paternal hearth to educate the the destinies of some, even of the fairest and best whom children of the high-born and the wealthy-occupied her this earth numbers! That poor girl—young, beautiful, closely, and sometimes months elapsed without her having and accomplished-her heart bounding at the blissful an opportunity of paying us a visit. The last time I met prospect before her-made haste to reach the threshold her was about two months ago-on the very spot where of her future home-half persuaded--for what will not we now stand-here, in the centre of our crowded city, would be there to welcome her. She arrived-not to affection anticipate?-that the object of her thoughts about three of the clock-in as lovely a sun-burst as ever she was taught to expect were to elapse before she meet an impatient lover-not to pass the few short days

fell on yonder hoary ramparts. She flitted along, a thing of light-her eyes full of joy-her cheeks gently flushed with exercise her every feature expressive of hope and happiness. A letter was in her hand, and, as she carelessly turned up the superscription, while replying to my friendly greeting, I observed that it was addressed to Paris. To Paris!-I could not for the life of me refrain from repeating the words, and something like confusion appeared in her bright eyes as I did so-but not of a nature to impress me with an idea that the liberty I had taken was unpardonable. So, with the impertinence of an old friend, I followed up the ejaculation, by enquiring whether she had any one whom she was anxious about in the French capital?

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"One friend-only one!" was her answer, and he,' cheeks flushed deeply while she spoke. "But why, she added, turning interrogator in turn, "do you put the question with so much gravity?" "Because matters have been going on somewhat roughly there of late," I replied. "The people, finding their rights rashly invaded by their governors, have risen against them, and”.

"And what?" exclaimed my breathless auditor, every sense evidently on the stretch to catch the coming expla

nation.

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66

gave her hand,
With her heart in it, to Francesco,"

in preparing her bridal garments—but to find him dead
coffined-a spectacle of blood!

Struck down by a French bullet in the heat of the revolutionary tumult of the "Three Days," into which he had rushed to rescue an aged and rashly inquisitive relative, the youth had perished under the hoofs of the royalist squadrons, and she who was to have been his bride, reached his paternal threshold almost in the same hour that the hearse arrived that brought home his remains. Her grief-but why expose the feebleness of language by attempting to depict it? She is on the bed of suffering, and it will be well if the mere pangs of bodily ailment form the finale of this brief, but TALE."

THE LONDON DRAMA.

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Regent's Park, London, Monday, Oct. 25th, 1830. MR WADE's long-talked of tragedy of "The Jew of Arragon, or the Hebrew Queen," is already amongst the things that were; and those who saw it not when it was performed for the first time, on Wednesday evening last, have now lost all chance of ever seeing it, for never will

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