The crisis was now come. He mounted-his wife followed him; I was behind the door. He opened it; but before he entered he put down the lamp, which his wife took up, and coming in, with his feet naked, she being behind him, said in a smothered voice, hiding the light partially with her fingers-"Gently, go gently." On reaching the ladder he mounted, with his knife between his teeth, and going to the head of the bed where that poor young man lay with his throat uncovered, with one hand he took the knife, and with the other-ah, my cousin!-he SEIZED--a ham which hung from the roof,-cut a slice, and retired as he had come in!

When the day appeared, all the family, with a great noise, came to arouse us as we had desired. They brought us plenty to eat; they served us up, I assure you, a capital breakfast. Two chickens formed a part of it, the hostess saying, “You must eat one, and carry away the other." When I saw them, I at once comprehended the meaning of those terrible words, "Must we kill them both?"

INDEMBERANCE.-CARL PRETZEL.

"Vill der times efer come, vill dot day efer break,
Vhen der peobles forefer dot trinking forsake?"

-BAYRUM.

Der many wrecks of human peobles vat efery tay we see, as we walk dot shtreet ofer, should been a shtrong incendif to bring to your minds der trooth of dot old atferb vich did said, "nefer don'd put dot teif in your mouth vot vould shteal your prains right avay gwick oud." Dose vas a dhrue remarks in some inshdances, und in odders it don'd abbly to der cases; for der man vat vould trink himself dot fatal combounds, commonly called vhisky, vas mitout sences, und der man mitout sences he could fool dot teif, on ackound he got no prains to shteal right avay gwick oud.

How many young mans hafe been cut down, shust as der brightest brosbects vas looming him ub, by a kobious use of dot fatal fire waters; und vat shtronger incendif do you

vant, dhen to saw der young mans trunk like a post-hole, mitout a fife or dhree-cent pieces in der dwo-dimes National Pank, or a rag of a new bair of clothes to his backs.

Who ish der reason of dot decay, und how is der matter mit dot lowness down of der yooth? Yoost look you back, und say, who makes oben der flood-gates of all dot zin und unhabbiness. Vas dot der drinker? nein; vas dot der dealer? nein; vas dot der manufackdure? vell, I baed you. He vas der feller, und mine brayer vos dot he should been combelled to look down indo his deep shtills, filled shucpfull of dheir outsites in mit dher tears of wifes, modhers and sis- · ders, und been made to feel himself der hefy emotions of greif und sorrows, vat causes cach leedle dear-drob to drickle dheir feadures down. I yoost dink dot der zin of Mister Kain yould been notting, in kombarison to der afflictions of his soul, on dot periods.

Young mans, nefer don'd trink some tings. Demberance vas der froot of goot tings. Indemberance vas ids destroyer. Der first makes you habby like der deuce; vhile der seckond brings on your head misery und crime, und in der eshtimation of your friends you vas a toadshtool, mitout one redeeming feadures. Enyhow, your feadures would soon brove it, of you shduck to it.

HOW HE SAVED ST. MICHAEL'S.

So you beg for a story, my darling, my brown-eyed Leopold, And you, Alice, with face like morning, and curling locks of gold;

Then come, if you will, and listen-stand close beside my knee

To a tale of the Southern city, proud Charleston by the sea.

It was long ago, my children, ere ever the signal gun
That blazed above Fort Sumpter had wakened the North

as one;

Long ere the wondrous pillar of battle-cloud and fire

Had marked where the unchained millions marched on to their hearts' desire.

On the roofs and the glittering turrets, that night, as the sun went down,

The mellow glow of the twilight shone like a jeweled crown; And, bathed in the living glory, as the people lifted their eyes,

They saw the pride of the city, the spire of St Michael's rise

High over the lesser steeples, tipped with a golden ball, That hung like a radiant planet caught in its earthward fall,First glimpse of home to the sailor who made the harborround,

And last slow-fading vision dear to the outward bound.

The gently gathering shadows shut out the waning light; The children prayed at their bedsides, as you will pray tonight;

The noise of buyer and seller from the busy mart was gone; And in dreams of a peaceful morrow the city slumbered on.

But another light than sunrise aroused the sleeping street; For a cry was heard at midnight, and the rush of trampling feet;

Men stared in each other's faces through mingled fire and smoke,

While the frantic bells went clashing, clamorous stroke on stroke.

By the glare of her blazing roof-tree the houseless mother fled, With the babe she pressed to her bosom shrieking in nameless dread,

While the fire-king's wild battalions scaled wall and capstone high,

And planted their flaring banners against an inky sky.

For the death that raged behind them, and the crash of ruin loud,

To the great square of the city, were driven the surging crowd;

Where yet, firm in all the tumult, unscathed by the fiery flood, With its heavenward-pointing finger the Church of St. Mich ael stood.

But e'en as they gazed upon it there rose a sudden wail,-
A cry of horror, blended with the roaring of the gale,
On whose scorching wings up-driven, a single flaming brand
Aloft on the towering steeple clung like a bloody hand.

"Will it fade?" The whisper trembled from a thousand whitening lips;

Far out on the lurid harbor, they watched it from the ships,

A baleful gleam that brighter and ever brighter shone, Like a flickering, trembling will-o'-wisp to a steady beacon grown.

"Uncounted gold shall be given to the man whose brave right hand,

For the love of the periled city, plucks down yon burning brand!"

So cried the mayor of Charleston, that all the people heard; But they looked each one at his fellow; and no man spoke

a word.

Who is it leans from the belfry, with face upturned to the sky,

Clings to a column,and measures the dizzy spire with his eye? Will he dare it, the hero undaunted that terrible sickening height?

Or will the hot blood of his courage freeze in his veins at the sight?

But see! he has stepped on the railing; he climbs with his feet and his hands;

And firm on a narrow projection, with the belfry beneath him, he stands;

Now once, and once only, they cheer him,-a single tempestuous breath,—

And there falls on the multitude gazing a hush like the stillness of death.

Slow, steadily mounting, unheeding aught save the goal of the fire,

Still higher and higher, an atom, he moves on the face of the spire.

He stops! Will he fall? Lo! for answer, a gleam like a meteor's track,

And, hurled on the stones of the pavement, the red brand lies shattered and black.

Once more the shouts of the people have rent the quivering air:

At the church-door mayor and council wait with their feet on the stair;

And the eager throng behind them press for a touch of his hand,

The unknown savior, whose daring could compass a deed so grand.

But why does a sudden tremor seize on them while they gaze?
And what meaneth that stifled murmur of wonder and a-
maze?
CCC*

fifty cents. One day, when the stage was approaching the house of this obliging landlord, a passenger said that he had ⚫ often heard of the landlord's trick, and he was afraid they would not be able to eat any breakfast.

"What!-how? No breakfast!" exclaimed the rest.

“Exactly so, gents, and you may as well keep your seats and tin."

"Don't they expect passengers to breakfast?"

Oh, yes! they expect you to it, but not to eat it. I am under the impression that there is an understanding between the landlord and the driver, that for sundry and various drinks, &c., the latter starts before you can scarcely commence eating."

"What on earth air you all talking about? Ef you calkelate I'm goin' to pay four-and-ninepence for my breakfast, and not get the valee on't, yo're mistakin," said a voice from a back seat, the owner of which was one Hezekiah Spaulding -though "tew hum" they call him "Hez" for short. "I'm goin' to get my breakfast here, and not pay nary red cent till I do."

"Then you'll be left."

"Not as you knows on, I won't."

"Well, we'll see," said the other, as the stage drove up to the door, and the landlord, ready "to do the hospitable,"

says

"Breakfast just ready, gents! Take a wash, gents? Here's water, basins, towels, and soap."

After performing the ablutions, they all proceeded to the dining-room, and commenced a fierce onslaught upon the edibles, though Hez took his time. Scarcely had they tasted their coffee, when they heard the unwelcome sound of the horn, and the driver exclaim-"Stage ready!" Up rise eight grumbling passengers, pay their fifty cents, and take their seats.

"All on board, gents?" inquires the host.

"One missing," said they.

Proceeding to the dining-room, the host finds Hez very coolly helping himself to an immense piece of steak, the size of a horse's hip.

"You'll be left, sir! Stage going to start!"