"How can you be such a silly thing," replied Dora, slapping my hand, "as to sit there telling such stories?"

But I looked so serious that Dora began to cry. She did nothing but exclaim, Oh, dear! Oh, dear! And Oh, she was so frightened! And where was Julia Mills? And Oh, take her to Julia Mills, and go away, please! until I was almost beside myself.

I thought I had killed her. I sprinkled water on her face; I went down on my knees; I plucked at my hair; I implored her forgiveness; I besought her to look up; I ravaged Miss Mills' work-box for a smelling-bottle, and in my agony of mind, applied an ivory needle-case, instead, and dropped all the needles over Dora.

At last I got Dora to look at me, with a horrified expression which I gradually soothed until it was only loving, and her soft, pretty cheek was lying against mine.

"Is your heart mine still, dear Dora?"

"Oh yes! Oh yes! it's all yours. Oh don't be dreadful.” "My dearest love, the crust well earned-"

"Oh, yes; but I don't want to hear any more about crusts. And after we are married, Jip must have a mutton chop every day at twelve, or he'll die."

I was charmed with her childish, winning way, and I fondly explained to her that Jip should have his mutton. chop with his accustomed regularity.

Time went on, and at last, here in this hand of mine, I held the wedding license.

I doubt whether two young birds could have known less about keeping house than I and my pretty Dora did. We had a servant, of course. She kept house for us.

We had an awful time of it with Mary Anne.

"My dearest life," I said one day to Dora, "do you think Mary Anne has any idea of time?"

"Why, Doady?"

"My love, because it's five, and we were to have dined at four."

My little wife came and sat upon my knee, to coax me to be quiet, and drew a line with her pencil down the middle of my nose.

"You know, my love, it is not exactly comfortable to have to go out without one's dinner. Now, is it?"

"N-n-no!" replied Dora, faintly.

"My love, how you tremble ?"

You must remem

"Because I know you're going to scold me." "My sweet, I am only going to reason. ber, I am sure, that I was obliged to go out yesterday when dinner was half over; and that the day before I was made quite unwell by being obliged to eat underdone veal in a hurry; today, I don't dine at all, and I am afraid to say how long we waited for breakfast, and then the water didn't boil. I don't mean to reproach you, my dear, but this is not comfortable."

“Oh, you cruel, cruel boy, to say I am a disagreeable wife. When you know that the other day, when you said you would like a little bit of fish, I went out myself, miles and miles, and ordered it to surprise you."

"And it was very kind of you, my own darling."

"You enjoyed it very much," sobbed Dora. "And you said I was a Mouse ?”

"And I'll say so again, my love, a thousand times!"

"I am very sorry for all this, Doady," said Dora. "Will you call me a name I want you to call me?"

"What is it, my dear?"

"It's a stupid name-Child-wife. When you are going to be angry with me, say to yourself, 'It's only my Childwife.' When I am very disappointing, say, 'I knew a long time ago, that she would make but a Child-wife.' When you miss what you would like me to be, and what I should

"How can you be such a silly thing," replied Dora, slapping my hand, “as to sit there telling such stories?"

But I looked so serious that Dora began to cry. She did nothing but exclaim, Oh, dear! Oh, dear! And Oh, she was so frightened! And where was Julia Mills? And Oh, take her to Julia Mills, and go away, please! until I was almost beside myself.

I thought I had killed her. I sprinkled water on her face; I went down on my knees; I plucked at my hair; I implored her forgiveness; I besought her to look up; I ravaged Miss Mills' work-box for a smelling-bottle, and in my agony of mind, applied an ivory needle-case, instead, and dropped all the needles over Dora.

At last I got Dora to look at me, with a horrified expression which I gradually soothed until it was only loving, and her soft, pretty cheek was lying against mine.

"Is your heart mine still, dear Dora ?"

"Oh yes! Oh yes! it's all yours. Oh don't be dreadful." "My dearest love, the crust well earned-"

"Oh, yes; but I don't want to hear any more about crusts. And after we are married, Jip must have a mutton chop every day at twelve, or he'll die.”

I was charmed with her childish, winning way, and I fondly explained to her that Jip should have his mutton chop with his accustomed regularity.

Time went on, and at last, here in this hand of mine, I held the wedding license.

We

I doubt whether two young birds could have known less about keeping house than I and my pretty Dora did. had a servant, of course. She kept house for us.

We had an awful time of it with Mary Anne.

"My dearest life," I said one day to Dora, "do you think Mary Anne has any idea of time?"

"Why, Doady?"

"My love, because it's five, and we were to have dined at four."

My little wife came and sat upon my knee, to coax me to be quiet, and drew a line with her pencil down the middle of my nose.

"You know, my love, it is not exactly comfortable to have to go out without one's dinner. Now, is it?"

"N-n-no!" replied Dora, faintly.

"My love, how you tremble?"

"Because I know you're going to scold me."

"My sweet, I am only going to reason. You must remember, I am sure, that I was obliged to go out yesterday when dinner was half over; and that the day before I was made quite unwell by being obliged to eat underdone veal in a hurry; today, I don't dine at all, and I am afraid to say how long we waited for breakfast, and then the water didn't boil. I don't mean to reproach you, my dear, but this is not comfortable."

"Oh, you cruel, cruel boy, to say I am a disagreeable wife. When you know that the other day, when you said you would like a little bit of fish, I went out myself, miles and miles, and ordered it to surprise you."

"And it was very kind of you, my own darling."

"You enjoyed it very much," sobbed Dora. "And you said I was a Mouse ?”

"And I'll say so again, my love, a thousand times!"

"I am very sorry for all this, Doady," said Dora. "Will you call me a name I want you to call me?"

"What is it, my dear?"

"It's a stupid name-Child-wife.

When you are going

to be angry with me, say to yourself, 'It's only my Childwife.' When I am very disappointing, say, 'I knew a long time ago, that she would make but a Child-wife.' When you miss what you would like me to be, and what I should

like to be, and what I think I never can be, say, 'Still my foolish Child-wife loves me.' For indeed I do."

I invoke the innocent figure that I dearly loved to come out of the mists and shadows of the past, and to turn its gentle head towards me once again, and to bear witness that it was made happy by what I answered.

Glaucus.

BULWER LYTTON.

Stunned by his reprieve, doubting that he was awake, Glaucus had been led by the officers of the arena into a small cell within the walls of the theatre. They threw a loose robe over his form, and crowded round in congratulation and wonder. There was an impatient cry without the cell; the throng gave way, and the blind girl flung herself at the feet of Glaucus.

"It is I who have saved thee," she sobbed.

"Nydia, my child! my preserver!"

"Oh, let me feel thy touch! Yes, yes, thou livest! We are not too late! That dread door, methought it would never yield! and Calenus, oh it seemed hours ere food and wine restored to him something of strength. But thou livest! thou livest yet! I have saved thee!"

"The mountain! the earthquake!" resounded from side to side. The officers fled with the rest; Glaucus and Nydia paced swiftly up the perilous and fearful streets. The Athenian had learned that Ione was yet in the house of Arbaces. Thither he fled, to release-to save her! The few slaves whom the Egyptian had left at his mansion huddled together, stunned and frightened, and Glaucus passed on through the vast hall shouting aloud the name of Ione. At length he heard her voice in wondering reply! To rush forwardto shatter the door to seize Ione in his arms to hurry from the mansion-seemed to him the work of an instant!