calico, would have a cool effect; while a pair of washleather gloves, and nankeen boots laced up the front, completed this charming toilette. Parasol she had none, but she had what did duty as such-a Chinese umbrella, round and flat at the top like a mushroom, with a thick bamboo stick, which finished its likeness to the fungi genus. Thus equipped, she sallied from her domicil in Lavender Lane, up the High-street, down Silver-street, and so on to Cross-street, where the church was situated; and, after having bestowed so much care on the decoration of her person, it must have been a great source of satisfaction to Miss MacScrew to think that the fairest lady that ever walked in the cortége" never attracted half so much attention as she did perambulating these thoroughfares of the flourishing town of Blichingly.

Arrived at the church-door, she was surprised to see not only the Symmons's blue coach, the Tymmons's green fly, and the doctor's gig, but also Lords Cheveley, Sudbury, and Shuffleton's carriages, with divers other unknown and anti-country-looking equipages; a stagecoach also, full of "the officers" from Triverton, drove up just as the last toll of the bell sounded.

"Bless me!" said Miss MacScrew, as she inflicted fruitless poundings on the stiff and rusty spring of the Chinese umbrella; "all the world seem to have come to Blichingly church to-day; hope it's not a charity sermon; quite ruinous, so many of them; however, I've got two new farthings that memma gave me ; they'll look like sovereigns in the plate, like sovereigns, and I need not give again for some time." Here she renewed her attacks upon the umbrella, but in vain; so, popping her head in at the church-door, she beckoned to the sextoness, and consigning the celestial umbrella to her care, desired her to leave it in the vestry till service was over, as it would not shut. The church was indeed crowded to excess, and notwithstanding the indecorum of such a proceeding, an ill-suppressed titter ran through the congregation the moment Miss MacScrew appeared. Nor was it till she was fairly seated in Mrs. Tymmons's pew, which, being immediately opposite the pulpit, was partly concealed by it, that this unhallowed mirth subsided.

Mrs. Tymmons looked redder, and fatter, and hotter than ever. Mr. T. had had his last bill of costs paid by

the dowager Lady de Clifford the week before, and had, consequently, got an up-in-the-world sort of look, peculiar to attorneys with fat faces, snub noses, and "fine families."

Miss Seraphina had made every preparation for a faint by taking off her gloves, untying the strings of her bonnet, placing a bottle of salts by the side of her prayer-book, and her shoulder in juxtaposition with that of her brother Joseph, that he might be ready to receive her in his arms when the catastrophe took place. Miss Isabella looked every five minutes at the painted window behind her, that "the officers" might have the pleasure of seeing her face. Mr. Rush looked, as usual, the essence of sentiment and sensibility, and even more martial than the officers, inasmuch as, having adopted the present fashion for the hair, he wore his firelocks on his shoulders. Master Grimstone, though in church, was as busy as usual, for he had sucked the green strings of his velvet cap quite blue, rubbed off all the blacking of his shoes on his socks, ran a pin into his sister Isabella's arm, and double-dog'seared all his mother's prayer-book. Notwithstanding these trifling incidents, the service proceeded without any interruption, till a linnet flew in at the window, and, lighting on one of Miss MacScrew's black hollyhocks, endeavoured to peck the artificial petals. This greatly amused "the officers," and so excited the poetical imagination of Mr. Rush Tymmons, that he could not resist the strong impulse of noting down on the spot, on the flyleaf of his hymn-book, some very original ideas about the human heart being often lured on by false hopes and appearances, like the bird on Miss MacScrew's bonnet! But even poetry must yield to preaching.

Mr. Hoskins ascended the pulpit; Miss MacScrew fidgeted on her seat even more than usual. Mr. Rush closed the hymn-book. Silence reigned around; and at the end of a sufficiently solemn pause after the prayer, Peter hemmed three times, and, in a distinct and sonorous voice, gave out the following text, keeping his eyes steadily fixed on Miss MacScrew.

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"My beloved brethren, you will find in the lxxiii. Psalm, at the 23d and 26th verses, these words:

"Nevertheless I am continually with thee. Thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to

glory. Whom have I in heaven but Thee, and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee.""

Mr. Hoskins then proceeded, without any reference whatever to his text, to assure the whole of his congregation that they were going, one and all, by the railroad of sin, straight to the infernal regions, whose fires would consume them till the end of eternity.* He warned them also against the abomination of balls and plays, which were likely to demoralize the neighbourhood during the approaching election, and the civil authorities he especially admonished against gormandizing dinners; for what saith St. Paul: 'Be ye not drunk with wine.' And oh, my beloved friends, those midnight orgies called suppers are of equal iniquity. Where the mayor and corporation, who have souls as well as bodies, though people might not believe it, go into the idolatries of the ancient Egyptians, and appear to worship Ham!" But this was the exciting and stirring part of Mr. Hoskins's discourse: he soon grew soporific and consolatory; he told them that "heaven was a feather-bed that would never want making! and faith a pillow that would never want shaking!"† At this point he perceived that the whole of the congregation (except Miss MacScrew, whom nervousness kept awake) had suited the action to the word, and fallen fast asleep. This was the consummation he had so devoutly wished, and for which reason he had assumed his most evangelical voice, and spun out his exordium to an hour's length: giving three groans, he resumed, 66 Oh ye generation of vipers! I speak unto you the words of everlasting life, and you sleep on your posts; in vain I say unto you, watch; watch, for it is not the things of this world I bid you watch; and ye are of the earth, earthy. Far different would it be were I to pour into your ears the tunings of sinful merriment; you would not sleep nor slumber then, but rejoice, as did the soul of Saul at the strains of the harp of David. Here then, oh children of wrath, prove to your God how much less you attend to him than to the meanest thing which one of his creatures has made !" So saying, Pe

*It was the late Edward Irving who first made this very interesting discovery in chronology.

Ridiculous and far-fetched as this may appear, the author heard it nearly verbatim, with more that is really too absurd to write, from a Methodist preacher, about four months ago,

ter drew a kit from his pocket, and struck up, "Haste to the Wedding,"* which having completely awoke all who slept, he concluded with a solemn reprobation of his parishioners for sleeping over his sermon and waking to the sound of a fiddle.

Miss MacScrew had fainted, for she felt as if her life had "sold out." Not so Peter: "Io Triumphe" was written in every line of his countenance. He had caused it to be cautiously but widely disseminated, that on the last Sunday of the month it was his intention to play his bold strike for a wife, and accordingly the church had filled beyond his most sanguine expectations, and the congregation appeared as reluctant to separate as they had been eager to assemble. "The Officers" in particular, who were profuse in their offers of assistance to the amiable invalid, remarking, at the same time, that it was rather anticipating events to faint before the wedding, however orthodox and indispensable it was to do so during the ceremony. But, at length, with the aid of Miss Seraphina's salts, Miss Isabella's fan, and Mrs. Tymmons's "Poor thing," Miss MacScrew revived sufficiently to be conducted to the vestry by Mr. Tymmons, who whispered that he would draw up the marriage-settlements gratis, but not to mention this to "Mrs. T.," as gentlemen with large families could not exactly venture to tell everything to their wives, though there was not a more indulgent or forgiving wife anywhere than his; "Still, money is money, ma'am, as you know, and children are children, as I know," concluded Mr. Tymmons, as he opened the vestry door and placed Miss MacScrew in an armchair, where the fascinating Peter instantly fell at her feet, and, seizing her hand, exclaimed,

"Mine, all mine! by all that's fair; and, even when the first raptures of the honeymoon are over, augh feel that the stirling qualities of my Lavinia will make her as valuable in her Peter's estimation as she is now." Here Peter attempted to execute a kiss, but Miss MacScrew repulsed the vicious manifestation with maidenly propriety.

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"Ah! my beloved Lavinia," sighed Peter, you are right; I cannot lay claim to a freehold until I have a

* This occurrence really happened about twenty two years ago.

life interest; give me, then, the dividend of a promise, and tell me when you will transmute Miss MacScrew into Mrs. Hoskins; this day week? shall I say this day week? or, rather, will you say this day week?”

"Oh! this day week is such a short time, such a very short time, you know: shan't be able to write to memma: generally write to her by sending a newspaper; and seeing it directed by me, she knows I'm well, which is quite satisfactory."

'Well, then, let us send mamma a newspaper with our marriage in it," suggested Peter; "and then she'll know that you are not only well, but, what is more extraordinary, well married!"

“Oh, but memma might be angry; angry, you know, if I did not tell her first."

"Well, then, you must assure her that you never did so before, and, I sincerely hope, will never do so again; and, after that, I'm sure she cannot be so unreasonable as to continue angry," urged Peter.

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"But tell me," said Miss MacScrew, with a vain effort to waive the subject, "tell me, when your first name is Nathaniel, why everybody calls you Peter?" Why, when augh was young, you must know, augh was a sad pickle, and my brothers and sisters nicknamed me Salt Peter; so, never having been at Eton, augh did not care for the salt, you see, but have retained the name of Peter ever since; and now having told you why I am called Peter, tell me, thou golden dream of all my hopes, when I may call you mine."

Here a knocking was heard at the door, and Peter, thinking it might be the clerk, said, in his parochial voice, 66 Enter, beloved."

But it was only Mrs. Tymmons, Miss Seraphina and Miss Isabella Tymmons, Messieurs Joseph and Rush Tymmons, and Master Grimstone Tymmons, who all and each began interceding with Miss MacScrew for their cousin Peter, whom, they could bear witness, had fairly won her on her own terms.

Whether it was that she feared his resorting to legal and compulsory measures in the event of her refusing, or an habitual dislike to being asked for anything, but, in less than a quarter of an hour, Miss MacScrew had acceded to Peter's proposals of espousing him on the following Monday; and Mrs. Tymmons, who understood those sort of things, abdicated the fly in favour of