A NIGHT ADVENTURE WITH A MOUSE. MOUSE. 19 A NIGHT ADVENTURE WITH A listening, I waited a few minutes; but as all was quiet again, tried to persuade myself I had been mistaken, and put out the light. I felt some trepidation as I lay down, but being thoroughly tired I gradually became calm. Still I felt no inclination to sleep; both ears and eyes would remain wide open. The reader will, perhaps, smile at me and call this foolishness; but I believe there exists in me a natural and insurmountable antipathy to the mouse ONE evening, not long ago, I arrived at the pretty village of C for the purpose of spending a few days with some friends of mine residing there. I found them all well; and, after the salutations were over, was soon seated in the pleasant little parlour, enjoying a cozy cup of tea with my good friend Mrs. H. That finished, the little H.'s were sent for, for presentationseven fine, blooming children, from Miss Maggie, the eldest, a pretty little lady of ten summers, to Master Herbert, a noble young gentleman of one. After yielding myself to the smothering embraces of the whole seven, and promising Miss Maggie she should sleep with me," they were all despatched to the nursery; while I, necessarily somewhat tired by the process I had been subjected to, and from which I fortunately escaped with no greater damages than ruffled hair and crumpled collar, leaned back in my chair, and, I doubt not, looked very wearied indeed. "Where would you like to sleep, my dear?" inquired Mrs. H., imagining, I suppose, I was fatigued; "the blue room is realy, and so is your own little room, the green.' "O. I'll sleep in the green room, if you please," said I; “I always feel quite at home there." And I may as well remark, in passing, that I was once three years a resiCent with Mrs. H., and during that time the green room was appropriated to my se; consequently, I thought my tired frame would find sweeter repose there than anywhere else. We shall see. We talked awhile of "old times," and then Mrs. H. proposed I should retire. She accompanied me to my room, "for the purpose," she said, "of seeing that Mi Maggie was not taking more than her share of the bed." Her observations being ompleted, she kissed us both, and took Live. I glanced affectionately around the little when I found myself alone. Many, Tray nights had I slept there, in that large green bed, with the same dear little Companion; and I felt a sweet, dreamy satisfaction as I looked at the high, snowy pillow that my head was once more going to press, as on former happy occasions. I was soon beside little Maggie; and after kissing her soft, warm cheek and lips, was about to extinguish the light, when I heard a slight scratch on the floor. Instantly I was wide awake, and, intently for mouse I supposed the intruder to be. I have heard and read of several persons whose natures involuntarily entertain antipathies to particular animals and things; for instance, the renowned Cæsar shuddered at the crowing of a cock; and Uladislaus, of Poland, ran from the sight of apples. If this be true of men, distinguished and brave as they were, surely a poor, nervous girl like me may be excused feeling such a horror of a mouse. However, after some time of further listening (during which the gentleman himself must have been taking a nap, for no sound could I hear), sleep came upon me insensibly, and all fear was forgotten in the land of dreams. But I was doomed not to remain long there. I slept, as it were, with one ear open, and that one ear detected an unmistakable scratching .close to my pillow! In the greatest possible agitation, I sprang up, and, shaking the pillow violently, by way of intimidating the intruder, dashed it out of bed. Trembling in every limb, there I sat, and my heart almost became still with fear as I contemplated Mr. Mouse going on a voyage of discovery round my bed-or what if he were already on it! I felt almost paralysed. My shaking hand at last found the candle, and I struck a light. I scarcely dared look around, lest my terrified eyes should meet the dreaded object of their search; but at the same moment I heard a running up the curtains, and thankful it was not actually on the bed, began to hope that the light and the noise I made would soon scare it away. But no! Mousey was not to be scared away by such a timid creature as myself. Unfortunately, it knew better, and continued its perambulations up and down the curtains, doubtless in a style highly creditable to its courage and agility, but, nevertheless, most alarming to myself. At last, however, they ceased, and quietness reigned so long that I again thought of extinguishing the light; but, ere doing so, determined to make a thorough investigation of the neighbourhood of the bolster (the pillow was on the floor) previous to laying my A as briefly and as calmly as I could that w must go into the blue room, as a mous had got into ours. She seemed scarcely to understand, but allowed me to put on her shoes, and wrap a shawl around her, pre I was just in the act of putting on my own shoes, when my tiresome little visitor dropped on the floor with a loud bang doubtless with the friendly intention of presenting himself for a farewell; but, as another meeting would have totally annihilated my little remaining strength, I precipitately retreated into bed, thus considerately sparing himself and me the pangs of another interview. weary head upon it. My search was a Eventually, Maggie and myself were safely lodged in the blue room; but my sleep was broken that night, and I rose early next morning, half-ashamed of my foolish fear of a little, harmless, insignificant mouse! LUCINDA B. STANZAS. HIGH PLACES. HOLD! ye ingrate sons of Mammon. Take, and ask no richer cheer! While your glittering bullion doubles, paralysed. My heart gave one wild leap, INSCRIBED TO THE THANKLESS AND HEARTLESS IN as if terror had unseated it, and my eyes were so fixed on the creature that they ached with the intensity of their gaze. How low I remained in that position I do not know. At last it began to move, and (remarkable as true) walked very quietly along the heading of the deep fringe that crossed the bed just above the pillow to the other side, and edged itself into a fold of the curtain nearest me. My eyes followed it all the time. I dared not stir, lest, by some mischance, it should fall on the bedperhaps on me!—and I sat quaking, watching its manoeuvres as it moved about in the folds of the curtain. At last it disappeared, I knew not where; perhaps into a deeper fold, and a happy thought took possession of my mind. The blue room was close to the green; I would go there for the remainder of the night. Again an obstacle presented itself. I looked at the unconscious, happy Maggie; I could not leave her-it was certain I could not carry herand it might be dangerous awaking her. However, I tried the latter experiment, with success. 66 "Maggie!" said I, at the same time giving her a gentle push, and tapping her cheeks. "Maggie, wake up!" "Yes," said the child, dreamily, with closed eyes. "Maggie!" said I, rather louder, "here's a mouse; wake up Instantly she sprang up, while I told her Souls there are of highest worth,- In the cold and silent earth! Ah! what nobleness of spirit, Think! deserve ye more than they? Half the misery in the world! CARACTACUS. OUR AUTHORESS. PART I. PREJUDICE RAMPANT. "WELL, Mr. Selford, what do you think of 'Minna Herrylon ?” "I have no doubt I should think very highly of her, if I only knew her; but at present I have not the pleasure of the acquaintance." "Now, don't be provoking; you know I mean the book. I am delighted with it." "No doubt; but I never read novels, Miss Fanny, and, from the name you mentioned just now, I should imagine this to be one of the most romantic-and, therefore, least sensible-to be procured. But," continued the speaker, with an arch smile, "I am not a young lady, so my opinion is of very little importance. I suppose they have no better employment, although in my time they used to spend their leisure more profitably." "But have you really not read it ?” "Not I!" "Nor seen it?" "No; and, with all due deference to yon, Miss Fanny, I do not wish to do so.' Fanny was about to reply, when her elder and graver sister interrupted ber:-" Before Fanny commences her arguments, Mr. Selford, I must deliver my message. Mamma and papa bade me tell you (that is, if we were fortunate enough to see you, for you have been such a determined recluse lately) that they hoped you would pay them a visit as soon as possible, and wished me to congratulate you on the literary success of your niece. We had not the slightest idea you had one likely to become an authoress." have not even heard of it," she exclaimed as a prelude to fresh bursts of gaiety, in which even the quiet Eleanor could not help joining. Mr. Selford looked slightly annoyed. "You are right in your conjecture, Miss Fanny. You know for the last month I have been confined to the house with an attack of my old enemy, the gout; at such times I do not care for company, and the few old friends I do see are as little likely to take any interest in such subjects as I am, whilst my housekeeper is no tittle-tattling busybody, to retail the gossip of the town." Fanny struggled hard to restrain her mirth, and Eleanor bit her lip before replying. "Then, as you really do seem in perfect ignorance of the news, I shall have great pleasure in enlightening you." 'Although your not knowing it is a mystery to me," interrupted Fanny, for which breach of good manners that young lady received a reproving glance from her sister, who continued "Last week we were very much surprised to see, in our local paper, a critique, copied from one of the leading journals in London, upon a new work which (you may guess our astonishment) we found was dedicated to you, and the authoress no other than your niece. of course, we ordered the book directly. It fully deserves the critic's warm praise, and we are all delighted with it, as I am sure you will be." "Ahem! where can I obtain this book! though there must be some mistake in the senseless affair." "Not the least," said Fanny, mischievously; "it is dedicated to Austin Selford, Esq.' I'm positive it means you; and it's not a senseless affair; in a single page there is more sense than I have displayed in my whole life." "My dear Miss Hinton, you speak in perfect riddles, to which I have not the slightest clue. None of our family have, and I trust never will, become infected The old gentleman looked as if he conwith the fever of book-making. Between sidered that very poor praise; but, acceptyou and I, it would be less distasteful to ing Eleanor's offer of sending him the me were they counter-jumpers, or strong-book for inspection, and repeating "There minded women; but I see, there is some must be some mistake," he wished them plot between you young ladies. Miss good morning, and turned homewards, Fanny's eyes are brimful of merriment." leaving the sisters to continue their walk. Her musical laugh attested the truth of Mr. Selford's reflections were anything his words. "I do actually believe you but agreeable. Eleanor had been so positive, and, spite of his determination causing them infinite delight, manifested to disbelieve it, such a thing might be; in the performance of sundry original he had an old-fashioned prejudice against dances, that would have made the fortune what he was pleased to term "a blue-of a pantomimist. Profiting by expestocking;" the idea presented an assem-rience, the old gentleman proceeded, blage of horrors impossible to describe, without giving way to any more reveries, though it always presented to.his mind a and reached home safely. species of female dragon, with untidy stockings, slippers down at heel, dowdy collarless dress, long inky nails, and rough hair, who spent the day in scribbling, and half the night in apostrophising the moon (how she spent the time when there was no moon shining he never discovered), who was utterly ignorant of all domestic concerns, scarcely knew where the kitchen was situated, and could not tell a rollingpin from a copper-stick. Fanny's gay "Au revoir! my love to the authoress," rang in his ears, and, half unconsciously, he began to speculate as to the possibility of such a person existing. "Let me see," he soliloquised, "it can't be any of James's bairns-they're all boys. Charles has a lot of girls; but, then, they are too young, and the eldest will be too fond of tearing, harum-scarum, round the country on her horse (wonder what her father gave her one for; much better let her keep her old pony), to stay in-doors writing novels; it's not any of them; then it must be-" Abernethy, or some one else it does not much matter whom-once said, that, at forty, every man is his own doctor; and the truth of this assertion was shown with regard to Mr. Selford. More than a score of years had passed since he attained that age; and even before that time, remedying his own ailments (a favourite study of his), he had been a living experiment as to the efficacy of every kind of treatment that had ever been powerful to kill or cure-from allopathy on the Chinese system; pills every half hour, washed down by copious draughts of the most diabolical mixture ever invented; to homeopathy, with its infinitesimal doses and minute globules. The latter was in favour at the time of our tale, and, thinking that one or two globules would not be amiss after his exertion, he went to his tiny medicinechest for the purpose of procuring them. As he replaced the box in the drawer, his attention was attracted by a small parcel he did not remember having seen before; he took it up, and, removing the paper wrapper, saw the scarlet cover of a book, on which was printed, in gold letters, 66 Minna Herrylon." With a serio-comic resolution to know the worst, he turned to the title-page-Eleanor was right: it bore the inscription, "Dedicated to Austin Selford, Esq., by his Affectionate Niece, the Authoress." He put the book down, with an exclamation between a grunt and a sigh, when a letter fell from between the pages-it was from his brother George, and concluded with the words, "We shall take no denial: you must come to see us, and add your congratulations to those already received by our Authoress.”” But who it was we cannot say; for, just at that moment, he ran against a post, placed at the corner of a village street by some philanthropist, for the purpose of giving the boys an opportunity of displaying their agility in the ancient game of leap-frog, and their mother's patience, in repairing the various rents in their clothes, usually attendant upon the practice of that interesting sport. In this rencontre the post had decidedly the best of it, for it stood firm and unmoved, whilst its involuntary antagonist gasped for breath, to the intense amusement of several small boys round the corner. How is it that small boys are always found where they are not wanted, especially just round corners although we can "Dear me! dear, bless me!" said the understand that the latter position pos-old gentleman; "then a Selford has sesses the double merit of being a good become a pen-scratcher! Well, times are place for reconnoitring and flight. Mr. changed! but I'll go and see them, Selford shook his stick at the juvenile though I know well enough what it will spectators of his discomfiture, thereby be; daresay I shall have damp sheets to sleep in. But I'll go to-morrow, and surprise them." With these words, he esrang the bell, and the housekeeper entered. "Mrs. Mills, when did this come? and why did I not have it before?' ing branches would partially screen any one standing under them, and though they could see all that passed in the room, they were not likely to attract the obser vation of the occupants. Under this tree Mr. Selford stationed himself, and saw, with that slight feeling of disappointment the best people experience when a disagreeable prophecy fails to the ground, the picture the room presented. His three nieces, one of whom was the blue-stocking," were seated there,Dora and Millie, the two eldest, busily engaged in the unromantic, but very necessary, employment of mending stock"Good gracious, sir, you never meanings; while Grace, "the baby," as she was called, though eighteen years had passed over her head, was reading aloud. "Dear! dear! sir, I am sure I am very sorry, but it came one day last week when you were asleep; so, not wishing to wake you. I popped it in that drawer, intending to give it you when you awoke, and quite forgot it since." “Well, never mind. Will you see my things are got ready, as I am going to Elverston to-morrow morning?" it; why, it's half-a-day's journey, and you're not nearly well, and I shall never be able to get all the things you want, and-" "Then you must get what you can, Mills Go I must, and see you don't bother me with too many boxes." "Well, sir, if you must you must," and with an air of injured innocence Mrs. Mills disappeared. PART II. PREJUDICE WAVERING. THE pretty little town of Elverston looked prettier than ever in the bright sunlight, as Mr. Selford left his cushioned seat in the railway carriage and stepped on the platform. Leaving his luggage at the station, with instructions to send it as soon as possible, he set off in the direction of his brother's house. It was a beautiful walk, for the most part between hedges white with clusters of wild roses, while the air was laden with the perfume of flowers and the scent of new-mown hay. At length the place of his destination met his view; it was a large red brick house, neither very picturesque nor old-fashioned, but the beauty of the grounds, the splendid trees, and the almost wild luxuriance of the flowers that surrounded it, more than atoned for any faults in the architecture,-here, at least, was no sign of carelessness. The traveller, who evidently knew the place, walked over the velvet turf of the lawn with careful, noiseless steps. Near an open French window stood a tree, whose droop Is that story nearly finished?" asked Dora. "Yes, almost,-why?" "Because I am afraid, unless you help us, Grace, this pile of stockings will not be finished by the time papa and mamma come home to tea." "Well, find me a needle, and when this chapter is ended, I will do some." "There's a dear, Dora! Baby Grace is growing a woman," cried Millie, laughing. Mr. Selford was puzzled; he had not seen his nieces for some years, and during that time they had altered very much,the children had changed into three beautiful girls, and nowhere could he have found fairer nor more ladylike ones. Everything around them was faultlessly neat and elegant; the most censorious could have found nothing to blame. Dora, who looked like a queen, with her tall commanding figure, piercing black eyes, and the thick braids of raven hair wound like a coronet round her beautifully formed head,-was she a blue? Her dress was tasteful and well-chosen, and her hands, though not small, were white and soft, as every lady's should be. Some might have called Millie no beauty, had she not possessed a pair of brown eyes, whose wondrous depths of light and shade bewildered the beholder,could she be the despised pen-scratcher ? Her masses of dark wavy hair were drawn from her fair face, forming a knot behind; her collar and cuffs were of spotless purity, while from beneath her dress |