"The charm is broken," they said, "Jansen will never toll the bell for another funeral !"

"For one more for one more !" said Jansen, feebly; even the event of the day could not root out the superstition from his mind.

"I dreamt, last night, that I was tolling Big Bess for the last time-and that I was a ghost tolling a bell for my own funeral.”

The day following an event occurred that long after afforded a theme for the gossips of the town. It was the Sabbath, and Peter and his wife attended service in their usual seats. During the sermon Mrs. Shaw was seized with apoplexy and carried out of the church a corpse.

On the day of the funeral, Jansen, who, since he had become feeble, had usually taken his grandson, a man bordering on fifty, to assist him in ringing the mighty bell, persisted in going to the belfry alone. As the funeral cortége approached the churchyard the bell suddenly ceased-people thought at the time that this was done purposely, because the deceased had, by one day only, falsified Jansen's prediction. Several hours after the companions of the latter sought him in the belfry. He was dead on the floor-the rope which he had twisted round his arm, had carried him off his legs, and, no longer having strength to subdue the huge mass of metal, he had been dashed to the ground and killed.

The story is still current in the neighbourhood, where they even say that on the day of his interment the bell tolled of its own accord; and even declare that it was his own ghost that tolled it; and add that for many years after, at Candlemas, the bell has been heard to toll, but with a strange unearthly sound like distant music, and then only by those who believe in ghosts and witchcraft. Be that as it may, there are many still living who believe devoutly in the Legend of the Bell.

(From the British Journal.)

THE DYING GLADIATOR.

LORD BYRON.

THE seal is set.-Now welcome thou dread power!
Nameless, yet thus omnipotent, which here
Walk'st in the shadow of the midnight hour,
With a deep awe, yet all distinct from fear;
Thy haunts are ever where the dead walls rear
Their ivy mantles, and the solemn scene
Derives from thee a sense so deep and clear,
That we become a part of what has been,
And grow unto the spot, all seeing but unseen.
And here the buzz of eager nations ran

In murmur'd pity, or loud roar'd applause,
As man was slaughter'd by his fellow-man.

And wherefore slaughter'd? wherefore, but because Such were the bloody circus' genial laws, And the imperial pleasure.-Wherefore not? What matters where we fall to fill the maws Of worms-on battle plains or listed spot? Both are but theatres where chief actors rot.

I see before me the Gladiator die :

He leans upon his hand—his manly brow Consents to death, but conquers agony;

And his droop'd head sinks gradually low; And through his side the last drops, ebbing slow From the red gash, fall heavy, one by one, Like the first of a thunder shower; and now The arena swims around him he is gone Ere ceased the inhuman shout which hail'd the wretch who won.

He heard it, but he heeded not-his eyes

Were with his heart, and that was far away;
He reck'd not of the life he lost, nor prize,
But where his rude hut by the Danube lay-
There were his young barbarians all at play;

There was their Dacian mother-he, their sire, Butcher'd to make a Roman holiday:

All this rush'd with his blood.-Shall he expire, And unavenged?-Arise! ye Goths, and glut your ire!

THE DEAD LETTER.

J. E. CARPENTER.

How she strives her grief to smother,
Tears fall on the snowy page;
To a daughter writes the mother,
Calls her home to cheer her age;
Weary then with looking, longing,
Weeks and months pass sadly by,
All the past to mem'ry thronging,
Hoping on but no reply,
Till, at last-there comes a letter,
'Tis her own-she traces there,-
Better she had died-far better-
"Gone away and not known where."

From her home across the ocean,
Blotted with repentant tears,
Writes the daughter her emotion,
How she turns to earlier years;
Prays that Heaven may bless her mother,
Tells her of her wedded joy,—
How she left her for another,-
Sends the picture of her boy.
Then she wants to be forgiven
Till another year has fled;-
Back her letter, torn and riven,

Comes and on it written—“ DEAD!"

JANUARY, 1866.

(From our own Correspondents and the Local Press.) HUNTINGDON. These readings for the season commenced at the Institution Hall, on Friday, the 3rd inst., when several gentlemen took part in them, including Mr. B. Brown, Dr. Foster, Dr. Porter, and Mr. Dance, District Superintendent of the Great Northern Railway; Mr. Potts, and Mr. Edis. Mr. Cluff, organist of St. Mary's, presided at the piano, and Master Ingram played on a cornet. Several ladies rendered material aid in the vocal music.

LLANGOLLEN.-The first of a series of these meetings was held at the National School-room; the Rev. H. Edwards, B.A., in the chair. After delivering a short duoglott address, the respected chairman called upon Mr. Tregellas, who read "Tennyson's Dora" with expression and ease. Miss Hughes Parry, with great effect, played a solo on the pianoforte. The chairman then read "Y Diog a'r Diwyd," by "Gwilym Hiraethog," and was loudly and continually applauded. Miss Edwards and Miss Mackenzie sang a duet, the accompaniment being played by Miss Hughes Parry, and were loudly encored. Mr. Hiram Davies recited the "Bashful Man," and gave great satisfaction, keeping the audience in tremendous bursts of laughter. Miss Tregallas sang a solo, playing her own accompaniment in the most touching style. The Rev. D. Jones then read a humorous piece by Poole, called "Early Rising, or a Sketch of the Old Coaching Days," which was well received. The room was crammed, and we may add the meeting turned out a great success.

DEREHAM.—At a meeting of the committee of the Institute, it was determined unanimously to carry out the recommendation adopted at the annual meeting, to commence Penny Readings. To give efficiency to the determination a sub-committee, consisting of G. Hyde, Esq. (chairman), Rev. B. J. Armstrong, Mr. Hatfield, and Mr. F. J. Smith was appointed.

WATTON.-On Thursday evening last a meeting was held in the National School-room, for the purpose of establishing a system of Penny Readings, to be held at intervals during the winter months.

BEDFORD. These interesting entertainments are now very successful at Woburn and Leighton Buzzard Mechanics' Institutions, why should they not be so at the Working Men's Institute at Bedford? St. Mary's School-room is also crowded on these occasions every other Monday.

ROMFORD.-The Readings in aid of the Literary and Mechanics' Institution were resumed on Monday evening last under very favourable auspices. They were given in connexion with music and singing. Miss Annie Cox played some pieces in an effective

and brilliant manner; she also most ably occupied the position of accompanyist.

SOHAM. The first of these Readings this season took place in the Town Hall, on Wednesday evening last. The Rev. W. Shipman and A. J. Holmes read several interesting pieces; and the church choir and amateur band did great service during the intervals of the reading with appropriate music. The place was well filled with an attentive company.

WICKEN.-The Wicken Music Society gave the first of their Penny Readings and Concerts this season on Tuesday evening last, which was well attended. Amongst the pieces selected for reading was an account of the "Plague in London," "The Gold Fields," "A Chinese Story," &c., which were amusing and instructive.

WREXHAM.-It is with more than an ordinary degree of pleasure that we this week record the first attempt that has been made in Wrexham to establish Penny Readings, and that attempt a perfect success. Innocent and instructive entertainment for the masses is a desideratum that has been so long sighed for in this town, and all former efforts have proved so abortive, that an essay of this kind of such promise does our heart good. The following was the programme:-Prologue, spoken by Mr. E. M. Jones; instrumental music by Messrs. Stephenson and Edisbury; “The Field of Waterloo," a reading by Mr. G. Bradley, Advertiser Office; “John Brown," a song by Mr. Snape, accompanied by Miss Potter; "Bardell v. Pickwick," a reading by Mr. J. T. Jones; "The Homestead;" "The Organ Grinder," a song by Mr. Albert Bury, accompanied by Miss Potter; "The Armada," a reading by Mr. Acton, solicitor; "The Monks of Old," a song by T. E. Jackson, accompanied by Mr. Edisbury; "Mr. Caudle made a Mason, a reading by Mr. Darlington, Grove-park.

[The admission of the vulgar and immoral song, "The Organ Grinder," shows the absence of a committee of taste in the selection.-ED. P. R.]

SNARESBROOK.-Lectures and Readings are given to the children of the Merchant Seamen's Orphan Asylum every Monday evening. Subscribers to the Institution are admitted, with their friends, by tickets, procurable of the Secretary, 78, Gracechurch-street.

PLYMOUTH LITERARY ASSOCIATION.-Readings were delivered before the members of this association at the Assembly Rooms, on Tuesday evening, by Messrs. T. Saull, J. Eadie, W. Elliott, W. Harvey, J. Howe, T. Pearse, and T. Hussey. The selections were from the writings of Dickens, Ingoldsby, Eliza Cook, Longfellow, and Franklyn, and were generally well rendered.

WOODDITTON.-The Rev. J. Walker, vicar of this parish, commenced a series of Penny Readings, to be continued through the winter months, in the National School. There was a large assemblage of the people of this and adjoining villages, and the pleasure experienced by the audience was enhanced by the performance of some of the Woodditton and Kirtling Church choirs.