it, is most conducive to its health, or if it can possibly be, that its galloping one time, and standing still at others, is owing to a defect in the machinery. He smiles blandly; advises leaving it on a short visit; has the hands pointed right, and the case polished up with chamois-skin and 'rouge; and restores it to its dainty owner, always with the proper charge for its board and lodging, with a suppressed grin.

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Then there is papa's watch, which was "never known to go wrong," any more than its owner; oh, no! Other clocks, other watches may point where and as they like; his is the only infallible. Biddy, the cook, may quote the kitchen clock till she is black in the face, to bear her out in serving the family meals at just such a moment; her retort of "And sure didn't the masther set the kitchen clock his own self?" avails her nothing, while that 9oracular watch is five minutes ahead of it.

Then there is grandpapa's lumbering, old-fashioned silver watch, with a big 1ocornelian seal hanging to the silver chain. Grandpapa laughs to scorn all the trumpery inventions of modern days; he tells how that watch was worn by his brave grandsire at the battle of 11Bunker's Hill; yes, sir; and shows a place where a bullet should have spoilt it, if it didn't-so narrow was the escape. Grandpapa has left that watch in his will to his favourite grandson; and never dreams, poor old man, that his grandson will very likely lay it by in some old drawer, and forget all about it.

Lastly, there is the matron's solid, sensible gold watch; worn for use, not show, on a simple black cord about the neck, except when it hangs over the toilet table while she is changing her dress. Examine it closely, and you will see numerous little 12indentations in the case. Not for worlds would she have them removed by any jeweller

who ever polished a diamond. Sometimes she sits in her nursery, with that watch in her hand, passing her finger slowly over those indentations, while warm tears drop over them; for little Johnny-whose little frocks lie folded away, and may never more be worn-little Johnny made those places with the pained teeth which caused at last the cruel death-spasms. How many times she has sat with him on her knee, holding that watch between his lips, and hearing the grit of those two little front teeth upon it! She remembers the very morning she first discovered that those little pearly treasures had found their way through the swollen flesh; and she remembers how papa was called, and the watch put between the coral lips, that he too might hear the wonderful sound; and she remembers how baby laughed, and how rosy his cheeks were, that morning; and how they both kissed him; and how—— but dear, dear! the tick of the watch is the only music in the nursery now.

Fanny Fern.

'counterpart, corresponding part; exact copy. 2 susceptible, this word means literally capable of admitting anything additional, or any change, affection, or influence. From the Latin sub (changed to sus), under, and capio, I take. Here playfully expresses that the watch could take an additional winding on the way to school. 3alternately, by turns. systematic, regular, methodical; proceeding according to system or regular method. 5 Liliputian, belonging to a diminutive race described in Swift's "Voyage to Liliput." Hence very small. 6 essential to its, etc., necessary to its going again. rouge, the French word for red; a red substance. * infallible, not liable to fail or err; entirely free from liability to mistake. In the sentence in which this occurs, playful sarcasm is expressed. oracular, authoritative, positive. The word oracle is derived from the Latin oraculum, signifying the answer of a pagan god to an enquiry respecting an affair of importance, also the deity who was supposed to give the answer, and also the place where it was given. 10 cornelian,

8

9

the correct orthography of this word is carnelian, from the Latin carneolus, fleshy-from its fleshy colour. It is a variety of chalcedony (a precious stone). of a clear deep red, or a reddish white colour. "Bunker's Hill, in Charlestown, immediately to the north of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Bunker's Hill is celebrated as the first battle-field in the American War of Inde

pendence (See American War in the appendix). 12 indentation, dent, a mark made by a blow or pressure, in this case of the teeth. The word indentation is usually applied to a notch or cut in the margin or border of paper or other things. It is derived from the Latin in, into, and dens, a tooth. Hence anything cut into points or inequalities, like a row of teeth, is said to be indented.

THE Queen's barge was on the very point of putting off; the seat allotted to Leicester in the stern, and that to his master of the horse on the bow of the boat, being already filled up. But on Leicester's approach there was a pause, as if the bargeman anticipated some alteration in their company. The angry spot was, however, on the Queen's cheek, as, in that cold tone with which superiors endeavour to veil their internal agitation, while speaking to those before whom it would be 1derogation to express it, she pronounced the chilling words, "We have waited, my Lord of Leicester."

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"Madam, and most gracious Princess," said Leicester, you, who can pardon so many weaknesses which your own heart never knows, can best bestow your commiseration on the agitations of the bosom, which, for a moment, affect both head and limbs. I came to your presence a doubting and an accused subject; your goodness penetrated the clouds of defamation, and restored me to my honour, and, what is yet dearer, to your favour: is it wonderful, though for me it is most unhappy, that my master of the horse should have found me in a state which scarce permitted me to make the exertion necessary to follow him to this place?"

"How is this?" said Elizabeth hastily, looking at Varney; "hath your lord been ill ?"

"Something of a fainting fit," answered the readywitted Varney, "as your Grace may observe from his present condition. My lord's haste would not permit me leisure even to bring his dress into order."

"It matters not," said Elizabeth, as she gazed on the noble face and form of Leicester, to which even the strange mixture of passions by which he had been so lately agitated gave additional interest; "make room for my noble lord. Your place, Master Varney, has been filled up; you must find a seat in another barge." Varney bowed, and withdrew.

"And you, too, our young 3Squire of the Cloak," added she, looking at Raleigh, "must, for the time, go to the barge of our ladies of honour.”

Leicester seated himself in his place in the barge, and close to the sovereign; whilst Raleigh, with a profound bow and a look of the deepest humiliation, was about to quit his place.

A noble courtier, the gallant Lord Willoughby, read, as he thought, something in the Queen's face, which seemed

to pity Raleigh's real or assumed semblance of mortification.

"It is not for us old courtiers," he said, "to hide the sunshine from the young ones. I will, with her Majesty's leave, relinquish for an hour that which her subjects hold dearest, the delight of her highness's presence, and mortify myself by "walking in star-light, while I forsake for a brief season the glory of "Diana's own beams. I will take place in the boat which the ladies occupy and permit this young cavalier his hour of promised felicity."

7The Queen replied, with an expression betwixt mirth and earnest, "If you are so willing to leave us, my lord, we cannot help the mortification. But, under favour, we do not trust you-old and experienced as you may deem yourself with the care of our young ladies of honour. Your venerable age, my lord," she continued, smiling, "may be better assorted with that of my Lord Treasurer, who follows in the third boat, and whose experience even my Lord Willoughby's may be improved by."

Lord Willoughby hid his disappointment under a smile -laughed, was confused, bowed, and left the Queen's barge to go on board my Lord Burleigh's. Leicester, who endeavoured to divert his thoughts from all internal reflection, by fixing them on what was passing around, watched this circumstance among others. But when the boat put off from the shore-when the music sounded from a barge which accompanied them-when the shouts of the populace were heard from the shore, and all reminded him of the situation in which he was placed, he abstracted his thoughts and his feelings by a strong effort from everything but the necessity of maintaining himself in the favour of his patroness, and exerted his talents of pleasing captivation with such success, that the Queen, alternately delighted with his conversation, and alarmed