Bedouins, who sold it here in Cairo. Such is the history of this article. Judge whether it be not equal in virtue to a talisman."

After such recommendation, who could resist buying? I became the purchaser, and the blood of the Eylât princess is now religiously preserved in London, as a relic rendered sacred by love.

THE OLD OAK TREE.

HAIL! Hail! to the old Oak Tree,

The boast of the brave, and the joy of the free;
For while thou art ours merry England shall be
The pride of the world, and the queen of the sea!

Spring adorneth thy limbs with bright emerald studs,

Summer bathes thy proud head with her fresh falling floods;

Thy rich flowing tresses doth Autumn caress,

And Winter flings o'er thee his frost-spangled dress.

Then Hail! Hail! to the old Oak Tree,

The boast of the brave, and the joy of the free ;

The pride of the world, and the queen of the sea!

Wave, wave all thy wide-spreading arms,

Which embrace thy soft winds as they sing of thy charms:
For centuries laugh at the storm's iron rage,

And live in the joy of a green old age.

In my infancy thou wert my earliest friend,

;

Childhood taught me to climb where thy tall branches bend,
And manhood near thee all its bravery calls,

In "Britain's best bulwark, her own wooden walls."

Then Hail! Hail! to the old Oak Tree,

The boast of the brave, and the joy of the free;

For while thou art ours merry England shall be

The pride of the world, and the queen of the sea!

THE

FLOWER GIRL OF THE PONT NEUF.

I WAS crossing the Pont Neuf at the moment when a porter belonging to the Bank of France, pretty well tired of the weight he carried (it was a bag containing nine thousand francs in silver), stopped to rest himself by leaning against the parapet wall of the bridge; but at the moment that he did so, his valuable load, either from awkwardness or carelessness, slipped out of his hands, and fell into the Seine, which is very deep just in that spot.

Never shall I forget his look of despair. He made a movement as if to jump over; and, I believe, would have effected his purpose, but for the presence of mind of a girl; a little delicate looking thing of about sixteen, a violet-seller, who, clasping her arms around him, cried for help, which in an instant was afforded.

Myself and some others seized him; he struggled with us desperately. "Let me go! let me go!" cried he; "I am ruined for ever. My wife, my children, what will become of you?" A multitude of voices were raised at once, some to console, others to inquire; but above the rest were heard the clear and silver tones of the little violet girl:"My friend, have patience, you have lost nothing." "Nothing! Oh, heavens!" "No, no; I tell you no. Let some one run for the divers:

there is no doubt they will succeed in bringing it up." "She is right," resounded from a number of voices, and from mine among the rest; and in an instant, half-adozen people ran to fetch the divers.

Those who remained, exerted themselves as well as they could to solace the poor porter. One brought him a small glass of liqueur; another, a little brandy; a third, some eau de Cologne; and four or five presented the grand specific, sugar and water. The little violet girl had been before all the rest in administering a cordial; and, perhaps, hers was the most efficacious-a glass of pure water, which she held to his trembling lips, and made him swallow. "Drink," she cried, "drink it up, it will do you good."

Whether it was the water, or the kind and sympathetic manner with which it was offered, that relieved him, I know not, but certainly one of the two had its effect, for his looks grew less wild; burst into a passionate fit of weeping, and, by degrees, he became composed enough to make his acknowledgments to the spectators, who had shewn such interest in his misfortune.

The divers soon came, and one of them descended without loss of time. Never did I witness such an intense anxiety as the search excited; if the fate of every one present had hung upon the success, they could not have testified greater interest in it. He soon re-appeared, bringing up-not the bag of silver, but a small iron box. It was instantly broken open, and found to be full of twenty-franc pieces in gold; they were quickly counted, and found to amount to nearly twelve thousand francs ; about four hundred and fifty pounds sterling. There were three divers, who, overjoyed at their good fortune, speedily divided the prize among themselves; and di

rectly afterwards another descended in search of the porter's bag.

This time he returned with it in triumph. The poor fellow could scarcely speak when it was put into his hands. On coming to himself, he cried with vehemence, “God reward you!" you know not what good you have doneI am the father of five children. I was formerly in good circumstances, but a series of misfortunes reduced me to the greatest distress. All that I had left was an irreproachable character, and that procured me my present situation; I have had it but a week. To-day I should, without your help, have lost it. My wife, my children, would have been exposed to all the horrors of want; they would have been deprived of a husband and a father; for never, no never, could I have survived the ruin I had brought upon them! It is you who have saved us all; God will reward you, he alone can."

While he thus spoke, he rummaged in his pockets, and drew out some francs. "This is all I have, 'tis very little; but tell me where you live, and to-morrow "Not a farthing," interrupted they, with one voice; and one of them added, "Stop a bit, let me talk to my comrades." They stepped aside for a moment; I followed them with my eyes, and saw that they listened to their companion with emotion. "We are all of a mind," said he, returning with them. "Yes, my friend, if we have been serviceable to you, you also have been the cause of our good fortune; it seems to me that we ought to share with you what God has sent us through your means. My companions think so too, and we are going to divide it into four equal shares."

The porter would have remonstrated, but his voice was drowned by the acclamations of the spectators. "Gene

rous fellows!"-" Much good may it do you!"-"The same luck to you," resounded from every mouth. There was not one present but seemed as happy as if he or she were about to participate in the contents of the box. The money was divided, and, in spite of his excuses, the porter was forced to take his share.

The generous divers went their way; the crowd began to disperse; but the porter still lingered, and I had the curiosity to remain, in order to watch his motions. He approached the little violet girl. "Ah! my dear," cried he, "what do I not owe you! but for you it had been all over with me. My wife, my little ones, must thank you." "Ma foi! it is not worth mentioning. Would you you have had me stand by and see you drown yourself!" "But your courage, your strength! could one have expected it from so young a girl!" "Ah! there is no want of strength where there is good will." "And nobody ever had more of that. Give me six of your bouquets, my dear; my children are so fond of violots, and never have they prized any as they will do these."

She twisted a bit of thread round six of her fairy nosegays, and presented them to him. He deposited them carefully in his bosom, and slipped something into her hand; then, without waiting to hear the acknowledgements which she began to pour forth, took to his heels as if his bag had been made of feathers.

your nose

The girl looked after him with pleasure sparkling in her eyes. "What will you take for the rest of gays?" said I, going up to her. "Whatever you please to give me," cried she, with vivacity; "for that good man's money will burn my pocket till I get home to give it to my mother. Oh! how glad will she be to have all that, and still more so when she knows why it has been