A MAIL COACH ADVENTURE.

It was on a fine bracing morning in the latter end of the month of October, of the year 182- that I mounted one of those heavy vehicles, commonly called light Post Coaches which proceed northward from the great commercial town of Liverpool. My feelings were expanded with the idea of soon rejoining my friends from whom I had been for some period separated, and my spirits were in unison with my thoughts, as I retraced with pleasure the scenes and feats of my childhood. The coachman cheering his horses now and then, arrested my attention without disturbing the train of my reflections, and I alternately whistled or sung as we rolled along, with a consciousness of happiness I had not experienced for many months before, perhaps too there might be feelings of more powerful interest for I was at that crisis of life when tender attachments are generally more serious and lasting than on the first dawn of manhood.

We had proceeded as far as Garstang before any thing occurred to disturb the visions of my excited imagination, when just as the coach stopped to change, a beautiful female voice was heard from the inside, requesting the coachman in the most touching accents to allow her to get on the top; she was immediately accommodated with a seat, and I proceeded to render her all the attention in my power. She said she felt ill and her pallid yet lovely cheek and heavy eye did not belie the assertion. My attempt to amuse her (as we were the only outside passengers) very shortly superseded the chilling formalities of regular introduction which are now much to the comfort of travellers dispensed with in stage coaches. She soon felt considerably revived by the cool air, and in the course of the day I related to her a few of the incidents of the Summer which I had spent in the East Indies. "You are returning to see your friends," she said after a short pause, and your mother, how happy she will be to see you again." I do not know how it was, yet I thought I had never found the name of "mother" strike so deeply upon my heart, as at that moment. The being who had given me birth, I had lost soon after she had brought me into the world, but it was in name only that I had lost her, as her place had been supplied by one who had tenderly administered to all my wants with the most careful kindness and attention.

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Though my reflections had passed almost instantaneously they had not been lost upon my fellow traveller, and on raising my head to answer her question, I perceived she was observing me

minutely with an expression of deep pity. "You ha no mother?" she enquired; before I could speak, he tenance instantly assumed an expression of inward s so great that it was some minutes before she could herself. I was now convinced that my companion was py and that the iron hand of affliction seemed to have mark upon one, whose loveliness alone might have warra hope of a happier existence.

I explained in a few words that I had indeed lost my but at so early a period of life that I had never felt that l seemed to muse on my answer, and I saw the big te silent and fast down her pale cheek. I remained sil willing to hazard remarks the propriety of which mig been questionable on so short an acquaintance. The set in cold and on her complaining of its effects I preva her to accept a spare top coat I had to cover her, she me for my attention, and sunk again into silence inte only now and then with a deep sigh. To attempt to delin sensations would be impossible, but I believe they would all men would feel for loveliness in distress. It certai not love for I had long

b

more for this female than I could ever have imagined a fe before.

It was quite dark when we arrived at Burton, and on t ping of the Coach a tall elderly looking gentleman who to have been waiting for her enquired for miss T-. “I a Uncle" answered, my companioù. She extended her hand me farewell and thanked me again, and I saw her depar pleasant dream which on waking we wish to prolong. wondered how a being whose very existence but a few before 1 was totally unacquainted with and of whom I no nothing but her name, could have so powerfully interested

Two hours before day break the next morning, I was upon the road, and for sometime I was completely absorb reflecting on the events of the preceding day; as the however advanced and the rich and magnificent scenery lies between Kendal and Ambleside gradually opened ou soon lost to every thing but the beauties of the surroundin try. It was not only with the feeling of an ardent adr of nature, that I contemplated the scenes before me, for i abrupt precipice, heath-clad mountain and wooded slope n lowed with the richer tints of autumn just fading into w traced spots familiar to my memory and endeared by y sports and early recollections,-they were indeed my mountains.

After a short sojourn amongst my friends I was soon immersed in the busy toils of life, and in less than 12 mont

the above incidents, I had become a resident in British India. Commerce and its concomitant cares scarcely left room for reflection on other subjects, and it is probable that the remembrance of my fair fellow-traveller seldom or never intruded itself upon me. Time wore on-five years had elapsed and ill health, the effects, of the baneful climate of Bengal compelled me to visit some more congenial clime and I again embarked for England,

It was six years afterwards, a little later in the year, that I again booked myself in the mail to travel the same road from Liverpool. As we passed along memory was busy on the various scenes of my checquered life which had occurred since that period. The world did not present such bright visions to my senses as it had then done. I was again returning home, but that home was altered; the enthusiasm of youth was gone and 1 had ceased to look upon things with a more favourable aspect than what they really presented. Sorrow, and sickness had deadened the energies of life and there were events fresh in my memory which might indeed call for the poet's question.

"Can fancy's fairy hands no veil create
To hide the sad realities of fate."

Insensibly the remembrance of my last fair companion stole upon me and I entertained a hope which in a short time conjured up into a certainty that we should agan meet, and it was not untill we arrived at Kendal in the fall of the evening that I could bring myself to relinquish it. Having refreshed ourselves for half an hour, the horses, were again put to, and I had given up the hope of meeting with the mysterious lady. The night though lovely was intensely cold when we set out and for the first hour the moon had not risen, yet the snow which was thick upon the ground as we advanced into the mountainous district afforded a sufficient light to distinguish objects around. At length as we reached the summit of an eminence, the pale round moon was seen just topping the rugged height of a range of black mountains on the right, which extend between Shap and Kendal. Already the long ridge of Helvellyn enveloped with thick snow had caught and reflected her beams, and as she gradually imerged from the barrier, a portion of the beautiful lake of Windermere just tinged with her rays could faintly be distinguished from the choas of mountains which frowned in sterile grandeur on the left. Between lay thick and dark waving larch and oak wood, and fancy could almost define in the distance the conspicuous head of gigantic Gkiddam. I had seen nature arrayed in her sublimest forms in every quarter of the earth; the Himalabas with their eternal snows; but they presented no charms or awakened no feelings that could com→ pare in effect with these insignificant Hills. Many a night like

this I had gazed upon them, and the days of childho piness, innocence and love now rushed upon my memo

My brow felt feverish in spite of the intense thought I should feel invigorated (for I was still an by being outside for a short time, the change was complished, but I had scarcely got myself seated an ped up, when descending a steep, but short declivity in which was now very slippery, from the frost, one leaders fell, and in an instant the mail was upon th animal. All was now in confusion. The guard and C used all their exertions to rescue the beast, which was with much difficulty in about ten minutes, when it was fo one of the wheel horses had been lamed also, and it now the duty of the guard to proceed with the Mail bags o the uninjured horses and we were left in the awkward ment of looking out for assistance, and some place to convey the luggage of the Mail. Before any thing could gested, and whilst my only fellow traveller, a peevish old England gentleman, was venting his curses both" loud an and in good round terms also, on the barbarous state of the and roads, the sound of a horse's hoofs, was heard approa a short distance, and in a few seconds a gentleman rode seeing the state of things (for the moon was now high, reflection of the snow made every thing as distinct as in daylight) he instantly dismounted and addressing himse expressed his hope, that no person had been hurt by t dent, and on being answered in the negative he des companion and myself to accompany him to his house w said was about a quarter of a mile distant, and he wou assistance to the Coachman, who was employed with the horses. We retraced the road about 100 yards and ha tered a small wicket gate, which led into an avenue of hal Scotchs firs which appeared studded with myriads of di from the effect of the moon-beams on their icicled br we perceived a cheering fire blazing through a win a short distance and a few minutes brought us to those beautiful villas with which the neighbourhood of V mere abounds. By what name shall I introduce you wife,' said our conductor, as he led us by the hand to th my companion and myself gave our names, we were ushere small neat parlour, where a female was sitting sewing child playing at her feet, she raised her head at our entrar judge of my surprise when I instantly recognised in the our kind host, my quondam interesting fellow traveller. name being mentioned she looked intently, as if the reco of having heard it before suddenly crossed her, and I t opportunity of remarking that, "I believed we had onc

each other before." She might well have found difficulty in recognising the emaciated figure before her, so much was I changed. On adverting to the deep melancholy, under which she was then suffering, she told me with a sigh what I had before surmised, she had lost her only parent, her mother, and was proceeding to her uncle who had been appointed her guardian, and whom I had seen at Kendal. If I had admired her in distress, she now appeared ten times more amiable in the natural liveliness of her disposition, after an hour's pleasant stay, the mail was announced to be ready for proceeding with the assistance of another horse, furnished by our kind friend. I then bade them adieu, promising if fate should lead me that road again to become their guest for a longer period.

Y. H.

THE WARRIOR MARRIED.

BY CAPTAIN R. CALDER CAMPBELL.

1.

SHE laid his sword in the myrtle boughs
That wave o'er the rustic porch;
And long ere the summer's sunny close

Ye might see, by the glow worm's torch,
The rusted blade, once red with guilt,
With pure dew wet, whilst in the hilt
A sparrow had built its little nest,

Where the warrior's hand had loved to rest.

II.

She hung his spear mid the clustering vines
That clung round the window sill;
And red is its point-and it brightly shines,
As if bathed in life's current still;

For round it the ripest grapes twist thick,

But they hang so high that none may pick,

They have burst, in their pride, and their juice shines o'er

The spear that shall glisten with blood no more!

III.

His shield rests now in the cottage room,

And his helmet nods on the wall,

But ah! she hath pilfered its painted plume

For the sports of the festival!

And his war cloak is there,-o'er that basket flung,

Where his first born child, in its beauty young,

Slumbers in peace, as free from guile

As his father's breast, or his mother's smile!