voluntary offering of a part drew down a blessing upon the rest. Michel, upon the whole, was not ancomfortably situated, for he worked hard in the service of the fishermen, and was generously rewarded. His malady, I was told, was always at its height during the full of the moon; and the present was not the only occasion on which he had passed the night on the beacon pole. A long interval, however, had elapsed since his last escapade, and the fishermen had ceased to watch him. Such was my visit to the Amphibious City. It was productive, it must be owned, of more fatigue and terror than I had anticipated. But, for all that, I say still, the mussels of Aiguillon are excellent.-Chambers' Journal. THE OLD CHURCH. I stood within those ancient walls, time's ruthless the sacred shrine Oh memories how full and deep throng this changed heart of mine! Before that solemn altar my young sister knelt a bride; I viewed the gallant company with childish glee and pride: With wreaths of fairy roses, and tears so strangely springing, I sported down the sombre aisles while marriage. peals were ringing. And again at that old altar, in the spring-time of my youth, Bobed in the mystic veil, I heard confirmed my vows of truth: 'Mid bands of young companions and hand in hand with one, Whose sweetness even then was doomed-whose death-call forth had gone. Within those sacred walls I knelt a newly-wedded wife, With girlhood's smiles yet lingering, and hope, still charming life: The old familiar faces! That look good-by with pain, May ne'er look on their changed brow, nor I on And now within this noble pile, once, once again Father! 'tis thou alone can'st know the pangs thy creatures feel; Fond memories are clinging fast, dark shadows claim their sway; Long years have passed-one vivid dream-since childhood's careless day! All is unchanged within these walls, all as in days of yore; And so 'twill be in future years when I shall be no more; And plaints as mournful as my own, from living ones that come, Will sound, old church, within thy aisles, like voices from the tomb. EXTRAORDINARY IMPOSTURE. IN the quiet village of Shottisham, in Suffolk, a young girl is now engaged in an imposture of a most extraordinary kind-only rendered more so by the tender interest which she is fitted in other respects to excite. Her parents are in humble life, but admitted to be persons who have heretofore borne an irreproachable character. Elizabeth Squirrell, for such is her name, gave early tokens of superior intellect, and during two years of schooling, between the tenth and twelfth of her age, made singular progress, spending most of her spare time in reading. She became acquainted with history and the works of the English poets, and devoted much attention to matters connected with religion. At length, as sometimes happens with brilliant pupils, illness, in the form of a spinal affection, obliged her to leave school. After being taken home, and there speedily became worse. treated for some time in an hospital, she was Being assailed with locked-jaw, she could obtain sustenance only from milk poured into her mouth; her death was daily expected. Still she lived on and this was taken in such small quantities, that for of the powers of seeing and hearing. At midsum many weeks, though deprived, it was alleged, mer, 1851, she recovered from locked-jaw, but continued, as was given out, to live without solid food. The case now attracted general attention, and many persons came to see her. They found her in an humble apartment, placed on a bed with pillows to raise her head, and carefully attended by her parents. Her air of resignation, a spiritual grace beaming from her countenance, and the high tone of her religious expressions, added to the interest excited by her alleged abstinence admired for beauty of language, as well as elevafrom solid food. Her prayers were particularly had had a vision of angels, and one of them had tion of thought. She told her visitors that she for the confirmation of her tale, some manifesta undertaken to be her guardian. She prayed that, tion might be made by this tutelary spirit; and in time this prayer appeared to be granted. A small drinking-glass of antique construction, which stood by her bedside, seemed to give forth faint sounds, which she said were produced by her angel brushing it with his wing. The visitors, especially such as were of a devout frame of mind, listened with wonder to these sounds, and many became convinced that a true cause had been assigned to them. All through the winter of 1851-2, Elizabeth Squirrell continued in this state, an object of infinite local wonder, though not as yet alluded to in the public prints. At length, early in summer, her mother announced that the milk had lived without food of any kind. This of course ceased to nourish her, and she thenceforward increased the public curiosity, and an immense afflux of visitors was the consequence. Some of these, almost as a matter of course, gave money to the mother, and it has been alleged that considerable revenue was thus realised by the family; but, on the other hand, the mother has indignantly denied this allegation, and stated that the whole sum did not exceed £7. Clergymen, and other persons of the upper ranks of society, she pretended to, and that she was capable of both seeing and hearing. were among the visitors of the Squirrell cottage, and all came away with a feeling of deepened interest, owing as much to the beautiful expres- It does not appear that this decision has either sions which flowed from the child's lips, as to stopped the child in her course of deception, or anything of a more marvellous nature connected settled the curiosity or the faith of the public in with her. On being asked when her present ex-regard to the case. Two or three weeks after traordinary state would end, she said: "Oh, in my the events above detailed, the Rev. Mr. Erskine triumphant entrance into glory!" Neale paid her a visit, which he has described in a volume recently published by him. We give Elizabeth," says he, "lying on her low pallet-bed, his statement, with a little abridgment: "I found in a small but neatly-arranged room, on the groundThe hour was early, but a group of visitors was floor of a little cottage, encircled with a garden. assembled round her. The attendance she needed was supplied by her mother, who stood at the back of her bed, ministering kindly and sedulously to her wants. The appearance of this widelycontroverted personage, by some so greatly caressed, by others so severely stigmatised, is beyond question most prepossessing. She has a very gentle, intellectual, and highly devotional and touching in its tones, is susceptible of very cast of countenance; and her voice, clear, sweet, day was warm, and a parasol lay open upon the effective and very impressive modulation. The had to screen her from the light. This, to a bed, to which her mother told me recourse was person perfectly blind, seemed to me a superfluous precaution; and I said as much. The explanation given was, that the sensitiveness of Irer skin was scorch her where they fell. Her countenance extreme; and that the sun's rays seemed to and what struck me as most unusual, after such was plump; her skin moist and warm; pulse, 85; lengthened and close confinement to her couch, As might be expected, many of the visitors beheld the whole case with something more than doubt, and were anxious to subject its genuine ness to some decided test. It was arranged that two women should remain with the girl as a watch for a week. They did so, one relieving guard with the other, and, at the end of the appointed term, returned with the report, that no food had passed the child's lips during that time. Doubts being still entertained, it was resolved by a committee of gentlemen, that they should themselves mount guard upon the bed of the ecstatic, and minutely chronicle every event that took place. This watch was commenced on Saturday the 21st of August by two gentlemen, who remained at the cottage till the ensuing Thursday, without obBerving anything of a suspicious nature. They were then relieved by two clergymen, Messrs. Webb and Whitby, the former of whom was more than usually sceptical. While Mr. Webb was absent for a walk, the father came into the child's apartment, and addressing Mr. Whitby complainingly on the scepticism which had been shewn regarding his daughter, proposed that they should seek the blessing of God. He immediately commenced a prayer of great fervour, which extended to a considerable length. In the midst of it, the suspicions of Mr. Whitby were excited by a circumstance, of which Mr. Webb was likewise disagreeably sensible the moment he re-entered the room. Nevertheless, on the bed being searched by the nurses, nothing unusual was discovered. The watchers, being still unsatisfied, called in a medical gentleman, named Frances, who happened to be in the neighbourhood, and a new search was instituted. It ended in the discovery of a bundle between the child's arm and body, and which she made great efforts first to conceal, and finally to retain. On its being opened, upwards of twenty pieces of old dress were found, offering indubitable evidence that digestion had taken place, and, consequently, that food must have been received by the stomach. The parents seemed overwhelmed by this discovery; but Elizabeth only folded her hands, and said: "I commit myself to the care of my guardian angel, and know that God will take care of me." The watching committee now quitted their charge, under the belief, that sufficient evidence had been found that the child did not live without food. The Squirrells made efforts, through the newspapers, to arrest the judgment pronounced against them by the public; and a medical gentleman, named Matcham, announced his conviction, that the testimony against the girl was at least defective; pointing particularly to the fact, that the evidence of the cloths did not apply to a recent date. The decision of the watching committee, as expressed in a report they drew up, nevertheless was, that Elizabeth Squirrell did not practise that system of total abstinence from food which excoriation or abrasion of the skin apparent, ed drinking-glass, of which so much has been said; or complained of. By her side was the old-fashionwhich rang out when brushed by an angel's wing and audibly gave response to prayer! It stood letters and papers and manuscripts, among which on a little deal-box by her bedside, containing was a letter to Elizabeth from the Rev. Thomas the kindest and most sympathising terms. Our Spencer, the temperance advocate, couched in interview was long, for I wished to arrive at some definite conclusion, and thought it sad, that, if a case of well-contrived imposture, religion should be so largely mixed up with its details. I asked her-the finger-alphabet was used-whether she thought she should ever cat again? She replied with emphasis, and with an expression of countenance very animated and very pleasing: Never, never, till I eat of the new bread, and drink of the new wine, in the kingdom of my Father.' Now, if the whole affair was based on fraud, there seemed something frightfully blasphemous in this reply. I looked at her again. Her face bore no trace of emaciation. No mark of suffering, or pain, or famine was visible. It was the plump, fleshy face of a smiling, happy girl. She went on after a pause. I loathe food altogether. The very sight of it disturbs me. Far from wishing to partake of food, the very mention of it disgusta me.' The mother then added, deliberately and firmly: 'Nothing, either solid or liquid, I SOLEMNLY declare, has passed my poor girl's lips • The Summer and Winter of the Soul, for seventeen weeks.' The next question was: to Elizabeth. In most peremptory terms, she "What object do you think THE SUPREME has forbade the exchange, and declared in unequivocal to answer by keeping you in this state?" To language how distressing the destruction of the make His power known; to shew what He can do; glass would be to her; adding: 'It has been the to shew that, with food or without it, He can honored medium of communication between Heasupport the frame.' 'Do you wish to be released?' ven and myself, and its destruction would be After a pause: 'I have no wish at all on the heinous sin." In the unwillingness of the daughter subject. I form none. My only wish is to lie that the glass should be removed, destroyed, or passive in the hands of God, to do and suffer His in the slightest degree injured, the mother will. If the moving of a finger would suffice to vehemently coincided. The interview had now alter my state, to restore me or to release me, I lasted nearly three hours, and I took my leave would not make the effort. Sufficient for me to with saddened feelings. It was a grievous specknow I am in MY FATHER'S HANDS!' The calm, tacle. Before me was a noble intellect. Intimate gentle, and submissive tone in which this was knowledge of Scripture-great command of diction uttered was very touching, and the uplifted eye-an imagination fertile in images-and a most and devotional expression with which it closed winning and graceful delivery-all these were carried the feelings of her hearers involuntarily there, and each and all wrecked hopelessly and with the speaker. If acting, no Siddons need have irretrievably. The web of deceit was Woven disdained it!.... Her mother then, with con- around all. I was convinced she saw. I was siderable tact, as if to escape from a painful sub-convinced she heard. How she was sustained in ject, and divert her daughter's thoughts, asked being without food was a medical question: with Elizabeth to repeat her poem on blindness. She that I had nothing to do." complied. The lines were not many, but the It is difficult to imagine the state of mind, a images they embodied were striking, and recited mixture of religious exaltation, vanity, and love as they were with good taste and emphasis, and of excitement, which can lead a young person in a full melodious voice, told greatly in her into a course, attended by so much personal infavour. One of the party asked her-the mother convenience, and in which detection is so probable interpreting by means of the finger-alphabet-in the long-run, and so certain to be attended whether time did not pass heavily during this long confinement. She replied: 'No; I am constantly attended by my guardian angel. I see him now. Closely, most closely connected are the visible and the invisible world. You can form no idea of the beauty and earnestness of the countenances of the angelic host. One of that glorious retinue is always hovering around me. He is with me now.' This was said calmly, slowly, and impressively; without any rant, or any mock display of feeling, but as the deep and settled conviction of a thoughtful mind. This introduced the subject of the glass.... The mother of Elizabeth said it had belonged to her parents. While examining it, one of the party put this question to the sufferer: Do you consider your life as prolonged or sustained by supernatural influence?' No, no,' was the answer: 'I have always objected to that conclusion.' What, then, sustains you?" The air: I feed on that, and that alone.' She then added: 'But the question, the material question, is this: do I or do I not hold spiritual and intimate communication with Heaven? I maintain solemnly that I do.' The tone and earnestness As for the deception in question, it is not worth with which this latter asseveration was made were while pursuing its history further. We may just remarkable. The gentleman before alluded to- mention, however, that at a meeting in Ipswich, I know not his name, but for distinction's sake held for the purpose of examining the phrenologilet us call him 'Mr. Grey-here said: This cal character of the girl's head, a circumstance glass, and the legend connected with it, throw was mentioned which was conclusive, even with great doubts on your story. It is a stumbling- the most credulous. The wife of a dyer stated, block with many. Why not remove the glass that she had called at the house one day and left elsewhere? Place it, let me suggest, in some a veil, which had been under her husband's treatother corner of the house.' This advice was comment. Having occasion to return in a few minutes, municated to Elizabeth, who said, with much she entered the room suddenly, and found the dignity and emphasis: 'No: it SHALL NOT be hlind saint with a mirror before her adjusting the moved. Its place is by my side. There it received veil on her head and shoulders !—Chambers direct communications from Heaven, and there it Journal. shall remain.' Mr. Grey then proposed to take it away, or to break it then and there, promising both mother and daughter that he would replace it by another, or give them its value in money. ... The mother communicated this proposal VOL. 11.-3 with a crushing effect. But we know very well that such things are within the compass of human nature. There is one proof of the subjective character of all such phenomena, which we wonder has never been thought of by any of the good people who have gone to see Elizabeth Squirrell. When such a case happens on the continent, the patient always has visits of the Virgin Mary. Now, Squirrell's other-world experiences are all of a strictly Protestant order. A Squirrell in Italy would probably have had "the five wounds" marked in the appropriate parts of her person. Squirrell, in Suffolk, only sees an angel; she is strictly evangelical in her illusions or deludings. This might be a lesson, too, for the worthy people who are so often imposed upon by ecstatics in Catholic countries-namely, that the analogous persons in England never see the Virgin, and never manifest any especial tendency to miraculous representations of the physical sufferings of Christ; things which, as is well known, are much more dwelt on in their literal character by Catholics than by Protestants. True living is not thinking what to act, but acting what we dare to think. Love, only, unlocks the door upon that futu rity where the isles of the blessed lie like stars. AN ODD ADVENTURE BEFORE serious tone, that caused the brothers to draw BREAKFAST. closer to each other. THE three brothers slept lying along the ground within a few feet of one another. Their tent was gone, and, of course, they were in the open air. They were under a large spreading tree, and, wrapped in their blankets, had been sleeping soundly through the night. Day was just beginning to break, when something touched François on the forehead. It was a cold, clammy object; and, pressing upon his hot skin, woke him at once. He started as if a pin had been thrust into him; and the cry which he uttered awoke also his companions. Was it a snake that had touched him? François thought so at the moment, and continued to think so while he was rubbing his eyes open. When this feat was accomplished, however, he caught a glimpse of some object running off that could not be a snake. "What do you think it was ?" inquired Basil and Lucien, in the same breath. “A wolf, I think,” replied François. "It was his cold nose I felt. See! yonder it goes. See -see-there are two of them!" François pointed in the direction in which the two animals were seen to run. Basil and Lucien looked, and saw them as well. They were about the size of wolves, but appeared to be quite black, and not like wolves at all. What could they be? They had suddenly passed into a darker aisle among the trees, and the boys had only caught a glimpse of them as they went in. They could still distinguish their two bodies in the shade, but nothing more. What could they be? Perhaps javalies? This thought, no doubt, occurred to the brothers, because of their late adventure with these animals. During all this time Marengo stood by, restrained by them from rushing forward. The dog had not awakened until the first cry of François roused him. He was wearied with the long gallop of the preceding days; and, like his masters, had been sleeping soundly. As all started almost simultaneously, a word from Basil had kept him in; for to this he had been well trained; and without a signal from him he was not used to attack any creature, not even his natural enemies. He, therefore, stood still, looking steadily in the same direction as they, and at intervals uttering a low growl that was almost inaudible. There was a fierceness about it, however, that showed he did not regard the strange objects as friends. Perhaps he knew what they were better than any of the party. The three mysterious creatures still remained near the same spot, and about fifty yards from the boys. They did not remain motionless, however. The two smaller ones ran over the ground-now separating from the upright figure, and then returning again, and appearing to caress it as before. The latter now and then stooped, as if to receive their caresses, and, when they were not by, as though it was gathering something from the ground. It would then rise into an upright position, and remain motionless as before. All their manoeuvres were peformed in perfect silence. There was something mysterious, awe-aspiring in these movements; and our young hunters observed them not without feelings of terror. They were both puzzled and awed. They scarcely knew what course to adopt. They talked in whispers, giving their counsels to each other. Should they creep to their horses, mount, and Iride off? That would be of no use; for if what "They are too large, and run too clumsily, for they saw was an Indian, there were no doubt javalies," said Lucien. "Bears!" suggested François. " others near; and they could easily track and overtake them. They felt certain that the strange No, no; they are not large enough for creatures knew they were there-for indeed their bears." All three were puzzled. They had risen upon their hands and knees, disencumbered themselves of their blankets, and each had grasped his gun, which they always kept close by them when asleep. They remained in this position, straining their eyes up the gloomy alley after the two black objects, that had stopped about fifty yards distant. All at once the form of a man rose up before them, and directly in front of the animals. Instead of retreating from the latter, as the boys expected, the upright figure stood still. To their further astonishment, the two animals ran up to it, and appeared to leap against it, as if making an attack upon it. But this could not be, since the figure did not move from its place, as one would have done who had been attacked. On the contrary, after a while, it stooped down, and appeared to be caressing them! horses, some thirty yards off, could be plainly heard stamping the ground and cropping the grass. Moreover, one of the two animals had touched and smelt François; so there could be no mistake about it being aware of their presence. It would be idle, therefore, to attempt getting off unawares. What then? Should they climb into a tree? That, they thought, would be of just as little use; and they gave up the idea. They resolved, at length, to remain where they were, until they should either be assailed by their mys terious neighbours, or the clearer light might enable them to make out who and what these were. As it grew clearer, however, their awe was not diminished; for they now saw that the upright figure had two thick, strong-looking arms, which it held out horizontally, manœuvring with them in a singular manner. Its colour, too, appeared reddish, while that of the small animals was deep black! Had they been in the forests of Africa, or South instead of North America, they would have taken the larger figure for that of a gigantic ape. As it was, they knew it could not be that, The light suddenly became brighter-a cloud having passed off the eastern sky. Objects could be seen more distinctly, and then the mys tery that had so long held the young hunters in torturing suspense was solved. The large animal reared up, and stood with its side towards them; and its long-pointed snout, its short erect ears, its thick body and shaggy coat of hair, showed that it was no Indian nor human creature of any sort, but a huge bear standing upright on his hams! "A she-bear and her cubs!" exclaimed François. "But see!" he continued, "she is red, while the cubs are jet black." Basil did not stop for any observation of that kind. He had sprung to his feet and levelled his rifle, the moment he saw what the animal was. "For your life do not fire!" cried Lucien. "It may be a grizzly bear!" His advice came too late. The crack of Basil's rifle was heard; and the bear, dropping upon all fours, danced over the ground, shaking her head and snorting furiously. The light had deceived Bazil, and instead of hitting her in the head as he had intended, his bullet glanced from her snout, doing her but little harm. Now, the snout of a bear is its most precious and tender organ, and a blow upon it will rouse even the most timid species of them to fury. So it was with this one. She saw whence the shot came, and, as soon as she had given her head a few shakes, she came in a shuffling gallop towards the boys. Basil now saw how rashly he had acted, but there was no time for expressing regrets. There was not even time for them to get to their horses. Before they could reach these and draw the pickets, the bear would overtake them. Some one of them would become a victim. "Take to the trees!" shouted Lucien; be a grizzly bear, she cannot climb." "if it As Lucien said this, he levelled his short rifle, and fired at the advancing animal. The bullet seemed to strike her on the flank, as she turned with a growl and bit the part. This delayed her for a moment, and allowed Lucien time to swing himself to a tree. Basil had thrown away his rifle, not having time to reload. François, when he saw the great monster so near, dropped his gun without firing. All three in their haste climbed separate trees. It was a grove of white oaks; and these trees, unlike the pines, or magnolias, or cypress-trees, have usually great limbs growing low down, and spreading out horizontally. These limbs are often as many feet in length as the tree itself is in height. branch, and he thought it was no use going higher. So he stopped and looked down. He had a good view of the animal below; and, to his consternation, he saw at a glance that it was not a grizzly, but a different species. Her shape, as well as general appearance, convinced him that it was the "cinnamon" bear-a variety of the black, and one of the best tree-climbers of the kind. This was soon put beyond dispute, as Basil saw the animal throw her great paws around the trunk, and commence crawling upward! It was a fearful moment. Lucien and François both leaped back to the ground, uttering shouts of warning and despair. François picked up his gun, and without hesitating a moment, ran to the foot of the tree, and fired both barrels into the hips of the bear. The small shot hardly could have penetrated her thick shaggy hide. It only served to irritate her afresh, causing her to growl fiercely; and she paused for some moments, as if considering whether she would descend and punish the "enemy in the rear," or keep on after Basil. The rattling of the latter among the branches above decided her, and she crawled upward. Basil was almost as active among the branches of a tree as a squirrel or a monkey. When about sixty feet from the ground, he crawled out upon a long limb that grew horizontally. He chose this one, because he saw another growing above it, which he thought he might reach as soon as the bear followed him out upon the first, and by this means get back to the main trunk before the bear, and down to the ground again. After getting out upon the limb, however, he saw that he had miscalculated. The branch upon which he was, bending down under his weight, so widened the distance between it and the one above, that he could not reach the latter, even with the tips of his fingers. He turned to go back. To his horror, the bear was at the other end in the fork, and preparing to follow him along the limb! fierce brute in the teeth. There was no branch He could not go back without meeting the below within his reach, and none above, and he appeared the only alternative to escape the was fifty feet from the ground. To leap down clutches of the bear, and that alternative was certain death. The bear advanced along the limb. François and Lucien screamed below, loading their pieces It was upon these that they had climbed as rapidly as they could; but they feared they Basil having taken to that one under which they would be too late. It was a terrible situation; had slept, and which was much larger than the but it was in such emergencies that the strong others around. At the foot of this tree the bear mind of Basil best displayed itself; and, instead stopped. The robes and blankets drew her at- of yielding to despair, he appeared cool and coltention for the moment. She tossed them over lected. His mind was busy examining every with her great paws, and then left them, and chance that offered. All at once a thought struck walked round the trunk, looking upwards, at in- him; and, obedient to its impulse, he called to tervals uttering loud "sniffs," that sounded like his brothers below-"A rope! a rope! Fling the "scape of a steam-pipe. By this time me a rope! Haste! a rope, or I am lost." Fortunately, there lay a rope under the tree. It was a raw-hide lasso. It lay by the spot. where they had slept. Basil had reached the third or fourth branch from the ground. He might have gone much higher; but, from what Lucien had suggested, he believed the animal to be a grizzly bear. Her colour, Lucien dropped his half-loaded rifle, and sprang which was of a fern or fulvous brown, confirmed towards it, coiling it as he took it up. Lucien him in that belief-as he knew that grizzly bears could throw a lasso almost as well as Basil himself; are met with of a great variety of colours. He and that was equal to a Mexican " vaquero" or had nothing to fear then, even on the lowest la "gaucho" of the Pampas. He ran nearly un |