HAMAN. Have mercy upon me, as thou hopest in God! ESTHER. Peace, monster! Talk not here of mercy! Fly! Such mercy as thou hast shown us, I will show! HAMAN. Make intercession for me with the king, mild consort of the Persian royalty! Where, if not in thy sweet looks, can the fallen find favor, when a king is roused to wrath? I never have sought least harm to thine, or thee. Be witness, God, and all ye holy ones! ESTHER. I'll make intercession that thou be hanged! The king, in wrath, now hastes to his garden-not to be pacified, if I have power, till thy false carcass feed the ravenous birds! Haste, liar!--begone! Fly, perjured villain !—fly! AHASUERUS. What! will he force the queen too in my house? Guards! cover his face, and hale him from our sight! HARBONAH. Behold a gallows, fifty cubits high, stands in the house of Haman, that he reared with the intent that Mordecai should hang! AHASUERUS. Hang there the traitor! Give up all his house to pillage and to slaughter, that his race no more may stand before kings to their harm! Then let the Hebrews arm them for defence against their foes throughout our utmost realms! CHORUS OF ISRAELITES. Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth! O sing praises unto the Lord! Sing praises to him that rideth upon the heaven of heavens from ancient days! Lo, he doth send out his voice, even a mighty voice. Ascribe ye strength unto God; his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds. O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places! Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth! THE CARELESS WORD. BY THE HON. MRS. NORTON. A WORD is ringing through my brain; It was the first, the only one Of those which lips forever gone Breathed in their love-which had for me Ah, then, perchance-but I have heard Oh, ye who, meeting, sigh to part, Whose words are treasures to some heart, FELIX, THE STUDENT. BY ROBERT HAMILTON. E "I saw her on her lowly bier; No tablet or proud dome Were raised, to tell her worth or shame; In the winter of 1830, I was a student at the college of this gentleman, it was customary to single out the most attentive of his pupils, and once or twice in every week, afford them the benefit of his private instruction. Among these, at the period of which I write, was Felix D—————————, a young and favorite student, with the Professor. In person, he was tall and commanding-his features were correctly formed and intellectually expressive-his eye was bright as the eagle's, and his hair dark and glossy as the raven's wing. Although a placid and pleasureable expression, generally, rradiated his face, yet occasionally would the cloud of melancholy settle on it, and a deep sigh burst from his breast, as if some silent sorrow were its inmate. Our studies being of a kindred character, we were ever brought together, and a love of the same pursuits and pleasures soon cemented us in the bonds of fellowship. One evening returning from a private lecture of the kind Professor-it was a wild and stormy hour-the snow fell thick and fast, the wind blew with cutting keenness, and the streets were completely unpeopled-we were arrested by the voice of supplication. It came from a poor emaciated female, who stood trembling in the mouth of a darksome alley. We had already passed her, when Felix, arrested my arm, saying, "Hold a moment,” and returning, placed in her hand some money; a loud scream followed the act, and the word Felix fell from her lips-in the next moment she had darted from his presence. When I joined him, he was standing transfixed to the spot, and faintly muttering to himself, but so inaudibly, that I could not catch the substance of his speech. "What does this mean, Felix ?" I said to him, at the same time taking his arm, which he quickly withdrew. 66 Nothing, nothing!" he wildly replied. "Come, let us begone. I am faint-ill-mad! Oh! God! oh, God!" and striking his forehead with all the force of frenzy, rushed from the spot. With difficulty could I keep pace with him, and when, at length, we gained his dwelling, he sunk in a deep swoon upon the threshold. Having called the attendants, and conveyed him to his chamber, by degrees, he was restored to consciousness, but his eye was wild and wandering, and he continued to mutter incoherent phrases, and point at some object which seemed to be present to his sight. In a few hours he fell into a deep slumber, and consigning him to the care of the domestics, I departed home. It was beyond a doubt that some mystery was attached to Felix and the unknown mendicant. Who could she be ? by what strange chance had he thus encountered her ?— Was she the victim of his infidelity? and had Providence in its wise decrees thus singularly manifested his retribution towards him. Such, and a thousand other surmises floated through my brain as for some hours I lay sleepless upon my pillow, and when, at last, I sunk into slumber, the squalid female and Felix continued to people my dreams. In the morning, on entering the class room, I was surprised to behold him in his usual place dressed with more than ordinary care, and one of his bright and bland smiles playing upon his handsome countenance. He saluted me with friendly warmth, and thanked me for my attention to him on the preceding night. "You, no doubt," said he, "thought my behavior, last evening, very strange, but the truth is, the sight of a female in distress always so affects me. It is childish, perhaps, but I cannot help it. There are none of us masters of our feelings, and I am sorry that you should have been made a participator in mine.” "My dear Felix," I replied, "I rejoice to hear that such was only the cause. I suspected-" "What?" he quickly interrupted me, and a wild and suspicious expression took the place of the glow of pleasure which, but a moment before, had lighted up his countenance. "Why," said I, half laughing, "I suspected that she might have been some neglected beauty, and that—” "Nonsense, nonsense!" he responded. "It is a silly affair altogether, but as I have explained to you the cause, I trust you will be satisfied, and not again revert to the subject." I promised him I would, and thus, for the present, the matter rested. Three months after this incident, I was requested by Felix to wait upon him to the altar. He had wooed and won a beautiful and accomplished young lady, and nothing seemed to prevent of his drinking of the cup of happiness. Never shall I forget the evening when I first beheld Miss Arlington," the admired of all admirers," as she gracefully glided into the room, leaning upon the arm of her betrothed. A more beautiful creature was never cast in the mould of nature, and as the person of Felix has already been described, need I say there walked not in this "vale of tears" "A lovelier pair, Round which the rosy wreath of Love entwined." At length the morning of the bridal arrived, bright and beauteous as if smiling upon their union-carriage after carriage rolled up to the dwelling of Mr. Arlington, depositing their happy burdens, 'till the hour for the ceremony had arrived. We accordingly departed to the church, where stood the priest awaiting us. The service commenced-the responses by Felix and his betrothed were audibly given, but |