shoes; but whether this is the peculiar practice of any religious sect, or, as I suspect, merely a new punishment of the Proctor's, to keep unruly undergraduates from walking about at night, I could not exactly gather from what he said. I was also glad to hear from him that the sottish custom of wine-parties is greatly on the decrease, the young men not drinking one quarter so much as they did when he was there. Your father, however, desires me to tell you that yours (the two dozen of port and one of sherry) is on the road by the Hoy. I hope they give you good dinners. Do you carve for yourselves ?-or does the head of your college do it for you? And who cleans your shoes? How I should like to see you in your cap and gown!

"I had a thousand more things of the utmost importance to say to you, but am unfortunately interrupted by the cook. She (the cook) desires her duty, and begs me to say, with all respect, that a young man whom she kept company with (1 must look to this, or she will be leaving me) was nearly choked once by trying to swallow a 'college pudding' whole, so hopes, with all humility, 'Mr. Vincent will be careful of his self at meals.' What strange creatures servants are!

"I must now conclude, my dearest boy, by requesting you to be very cautious in the choice of your circle of acquaintance, in which, I dare say, Mr. Rattletone will assist you; and by signing myself, in which your father joins me,

"Ever your most affectionate parent,

"CAROLINE EDEN. "P.S.-Pray write immediately; and don't forget, above all things, to let me know how your new shirts do. Nothing, believe me, can be so interesting to a mother's feelings as anything that concerns her son's welfare."

Eden finished the letter, and ventured to indulge a surmise, that if the Reverend Doctor Somebody or other's contemporaries did drink four times as much as the heroes of the last night's symposium had found room for, there must assuredly have been

giants in the land in those days," if not drunkards; and then went on to wonder why society is always called a "circle" of acquaintance; which important problem being at length solved to his own satisfaction, by the hypothesis that it must be because they were always "going round" calling upon each other, he proceeded to insert his mother's epistle at the side of the looking-glass which was stationed over the mantel. This custom, by the by, although Eden was not aware of it at the time, is one much adopted in the University, and to be recommended to all undergraduates as a most efficient coadjutor in the diffusion of useful knowledge, and the cause of truth generally, answering, as it does, the twofold purpose of letting people know that you really have friends, and actually are worth writing to; and furthermore, of affording a considerable degree

of enlightenment to the scout concerning the names, manners, morals, and social position of the said friends, which cannot fail to enliven the monotony of his domestic duties, and convince him, notwithstanding any opinion which the college habits of his master may have led him to form to the contrary, that at the delicious retreat of Boughton-cum-Bangaway, or whatever appellation the "governor's" village or vicarage may rejoice in, the young gentleman does not run steeple-chases and in debt every day before dinner, and drink an indefinite quantity of claret after, that leather breeches and larking, shilling a-mile hacks, and desserts for twenty-five at eighteen-pence a-head, exclusive of ice, are treated as vague rumours, and that unlimited credit is uniformly considered as a privilege confined to those gentlemen who have the care of the national debt.

Meanwhile the little scout brought breakfast, and had just done condoling with his master on the fact of his having missed chapel, when the quadrangle became once more alive with the quick feet and quicker voices of undergraduates. Eden looked from the window; the chapel was over. Two scholars were playfully strangling a third in his own surplice, and a knot of commoners were getting an appetite for breakfast by rivalling each other in futile attempts to stone a brace of green and gilt griffins, which represented the Trinity arms, and frowned spitefully down from the top of the garden-gates at the impotent efforts of their anti-heraldic assailants.

Suddenly there was heard a Siamese-twin-like sort of rush upon the Freshman's staircase, as of one person closely pursued by another. A desperate plunge was made at the Freshman's door-handle, a forcible entry effected, and the outer door clutched convulsively to by a tall figure, which instantly threw itself into a position as much like a lion rampant as a man with his "commons" in one hand, and two eggs in the other, can be supposed to assume, and then applying the digits of the lastmentioned hand, eggs and all, to his nose, telegraphed a triumphant gesture of defeat and discomfiture to some person or persons outside.

There was no mistaking him. In spite of the disorganised cap, with its fragments of broken board shifting and rattling about in it like the bits of glass in a kaleidoscope, -in spite of the faded silk dressing-gown, representing a peripatetic ménagerie of all the Egyptian monsters that ever lived, and a few more besides,-Eden easily recognised in his visiter the " capital fellow of his own college," the Worcestershire yeoman in his 'undress,-Mr. Richardson Lane in his morning costume.

For about a minute the intruder remained listening at the door in the position we have described, and which would have immortalised any modern tame lion, and made the fortune of three or four Van Amburghs into the bargain. He then turned round, transferred his finger from his nose to his lip, by way of

impressing Eden with the necessity of silence,-expressed a whispered opinion" that that drink was a devil," and told Eden he was come to breakfast with him, if he would allow him.

"The reason of my intrusion," said Mr. Richardson Lane, after the Freshman had whispered back an assurance that he was very happy to see him, and looked very unhappy notwithstanding; "the infernal little reason is now listening outside, in the shape of a small boy with a chapel-list and a message from the Dean. Your scout tells me you missed chapel this morning -so did I. Funny that, isn't it?"

Eden thought of the evening's amusements, and answered with a faint smile, that he didn't think it was particularly funny, all things considered.

"That boy always catches me in my own room,” continued Mr. Richardson Lane; "so I thought, as yours lay handy at the top of the same staircase, I'd give him the slip for once, and come and feed with you. Down upon me, though, he was gave chase directly I put my head out. He'll knock presently. There he goes!"

A single knock here confirmed Mr. Lane's statement, and with it the Freshman's mental state became strongly analogous to the bodily one of a boy seated upon a quickset hedge in a pair of

summer trousers.

"It's no use," said Mr. Richardson Lane; " he knows we're here. "We'll have a brace of colds, and I'll toss you up who shall have the odd sore-throat. Heads! - it's mine. Weevil, sir, is that you ?"

"Yes, sir," said the voice of a boy outside, shuffling his feet at the same time, to make it seem that he had only just come up, and had not been listening. "Yes, sir, it's me. The Dean's compliments to you and Mr. Eden, sir, and you 're to go to St. Mary's and annihilate Dr. Tittlebat's sermon for him, for missing chapel."

"Do what to the sermon?" asked Eden, who had heard something of religious zeal in Oxford, but had no idea it was carried to such an extent as the phrase just used would seem to indicate.

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"Only a figure of speech," said Mr. Richardson Lane, in explanation. Analyse he means not annihilate. Mr. Eden's and my compliments, Weevil, and he's got a bad cold, and I've got a very bad one and a sore throat. Both bad, — but mine rather the worst, if anything-you understand. Oh-not called in time, weren't you? Weevil, sir,-Mr. Eden's cold will keep till next Sunday - his scout did not call him- do you hear?"

"Yes, sir," said the Dean's ambassador, as he withdrew with the two excuses duly impressed upon his mind. If the inward faculties were equally susceptible of disease with the outward frame, the bare carrying Mr. Richardson Lane's catalogue of disorders backwards and forwards to the Dean would have been