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So, taken off to the station, she
Was charged with due formality-
But the vaulted cell was tenanted too

By her grim friend Death, the sole and true,

Who disposed of the case, without delay,
In his own so merciful, summary way;
And, in place of hard labour, gave the boon
Of a rest which could hardly come too soon.

*

"Fitful fever" of life o'ercast!

Poor downward face! Upturned at last,
Let us hope, to the dawn of a nightless day—
Even your hot tears may be wiped away.

(By permission of the Author.)

THE MARRIAGE OF THE PRINCESS ROYAL.

HOW MRS, GRIDDLES WENT TO SEE THE ILLUMINATIONS. E. L. BLANCHARD.

WELL, I didn't suspect, when I last sat down to my tea, for which I am a stickler,

Which I buys close at hand, at a shop in the Strand, where they know I am very partick'lar,

That the Lord Mayor's Day, which I saw, I may say, in a style that I cries out shame of,

With all that I heerd, would have ever appeared in print, for you folks to make game of;

But it's just like you, whatever we do, your own ends you are still bent solely on

I just wish that, instead of Martha Griddles, you had to deal with Looey Napoleon,

If this, you confess, is the liberty of the press, why, all I can say is, drat it!

I should like once to see you a-pressing of me-only just let me catch you at it.

But that, I'm aware, isn't here nor there, so to come to the point which you seek about,

And that's of the sight of last Monday night-—well, I say that it's nothing to speak about,

Not but I bless the Royal Princess, and the Prince who has took for his bride, her,

And not but I mean her Majesty the Queen, and the rest of the royal family beside her;

And I truly hope a good husband he'll make, and not be like those indiwiddles

Who are all nice men till they marry, and then turn rumbustical, just like Griddles,

Who came to a latch-key and joined a club, where he's always, he said, the first man as stirs,

But 'twas often near four when he opened the door, and came lumbering upstairs by the banisters.

So I hope, poor dear, that her husband will steer clear of clubs, whether social or wooden,

For we've given a good round sum for the Prince, and she ought to have got a good 'un.

Well, as I was a-saying, last Saturday night, I was dealing at Clarke's, which it closer is,

For I'd just been doing my marketing then, and I'd got to get in my groceries,

When who should come in but old Mrs. Jones, to buy in her regular quantum,

And treat herself to some cough drops, beside, which, thank Heaven, I don't want 'em,

And says she, "Mrs. Griddles," says she, "if this isn't the curiousest thing to tell,

As ever I heerd on, to see you here, and I'd just been giving you a ring at the bell

And this makes out my dream, which I had last night, and which now has come true as fate,

By the likes of which I knew a surprise would come to me soon or late;

And seeing you wasn't at home, I thought, as you left the light burning behind you,

You might have gone, p'raps, for the mangling things, when, lo and behold, here I find you."

66 Well," says I, "Mrs. Jones, it ain't to be thought that I'm always at home for a fixture—”

And I then asked the shopman, who hands me the black, for an ounce of his five-shilling mixture; "I goes out sometimes," says I, " as you know-which," says I, "you ought well to remember.”

"To be sure," says she, "there's the Lord Mayor's Day, which happened last ninth of November;"

Then what did we do, but both on us two kept on so a-laughing and sniggering,

That the grocer he looks right up from his books, and says that it bothers his figgering.

Well, at last Mrs. Jones, in mysterious tones, says, "You know, I suppose, that the wooings

Are going to take place on the Monday next, and the marriage and all such fine doings?"

"What marriage ?" says I. "What, Miss Biggs down the court has she made up her mind to the butcher?” Why, the Princess Royal," says she, "in course, and the Prince Frederick William of Proocher.

66

But you never read one of the papers, I know, so it's nat'ral in you for to doubt it,

And if the whole world went to pieces to day, you'd tomorrow know nuffin about it.

But there's going to be such wonderful sights, and such splendid illuminations,

That in all our born days, or in all our born nights, we never saw such celebrations."

"Well," says I, "Mrs. Jones, if you mean for to say, this to beat all the rest by chalks is,

Though the only thing that I care to go out to see is the old Guy Fawkeses;

I don't mind making of one, and doing whatever may seem to be proper,

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If this, you confess, is the liberty of the press, why, all
I can say is, drat it!

I should like once to see you a-pressing of me-only
just let me catch you at it.

But that, I'm aware, isn't here nor there, so to come to the point which you seek about,

And that's of the sight of last Monday night-well, I say that it's nothing to speak about,

Not but I bless the Royal Princess, and the Prince who has took for his bride, her,

And not but I mean her Majesty the Queen, and the rest of the royal family beside her;

And I truly hope a good husband he'll make, and not be like those indiwiddles

Who are all nice men till they marry, and then turn rumbustical, just like Griddles,

Who came to a latch-key and joined a club, where he's always, he said, the first man as stirs,

But 'twas often near four when he opened the door, and came lumbering upstairs by the banisters.

So I hope, poor dear, that her husband will steer clear of clubs, whether social or wooden,

For we've given a good round sum for the Prince, and she ought to have got a good 'un.

Well, as I was a-saying, last Saturday night, I was dealing at Clarke's, which it closer is,

For I'd just been doing my marketing then, and I'd got to get in my groceries,

When who should come in but old Mrs. Jones, to buy in her regular quantum,

And treat herself to some cough drops, beside, which, thank Heaven, I don't want 'em,

And says she, "Mrs. Griddles," says she, "if this isn't the curiousest thing to tell,

As ever I heerd on, to see you here, and I'd just been giving you a ring at the bell

And this makes out my dream, which I had last night, and which now has come true as fate,

By the likes of which I knew a surprise would come to me soon or late;

And seeing you wasn't at home, I thought, as you left the light burning behind you,

You might have gone, p'raps, for the mangling things, when, lo and behold, here I find you.'

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"Well," says I, "Mrs. Jones, it ain't to be thought that I'm always at home for a fixture—”

And I then asked the shopman, who hands me the black, for an ounce of his five-shilling mixture; "I goes out sometimes," says I, as you know-which,"

66

says I, "you ought well to remember."

"To be sure," says she, "there's the Lord Mayor's Day, which happened last ninth of November;"

Then what did we do, but both on us two kept on so a-laughing and sniggering,

That the grocer he looks right up from his books, and says that it bothers his figgering.

Well, at last Mrs. Jones, in mysterious tones, says, know, I suppose, that the wooings

"You

Are going to take place on the Monday next, and the marriage and all such fine doings?"

"What marriage?" says I. "What, Miss Biggs down the court has she made up her mind to the butcher ?" Why, the Princess Royal," says she, "in course, and the Prince Frederick William of Proocher.

66

But you never read one of the papers, I know, so it's nat'ral in you for to doubt it,

And if the whole world went to pieces to day, you'd tomorrow know nuffin about it.

But there's going to be such wonderful sights, and such splendid illuminations,

That in all our born days, or in all our born nights, we never saw such celebrations."

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Well," says I, "Mrs. Jones, if you mean for to say, this to beat all the rest by chalks is,

Though the only thing that I care to go out to see is the old Guy Fawkeses;

I don't mind making of one, and doing whatever may seem to be proper,

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