MR. HUMPHREY MARSDEN was a retired merchant, and lived in a country villa in Lancashire. He was a prudent and tidy bachelor, and having acquired a considerable fortune, he determined to spend the rest of his days in contemplation and rural bliss. As to family connexions, he had one brother, a married clergyman,—and one nephew, the son of this married clergyman, who was, at the time we speak of, a student of Cambridge. It was Easter Sunday, and Mr. Humphrey Marsden was sitting over his coffee and eggs, when the post-bag was brought in; there was a letter in a strange hand, which he opened first; the contents were as follows: Cambridge, Saturday. My dear Uncle,-I have at last taken advantage of your numerous invitations, and made up my mind to come down and see you for a few days; -expect me to-morrow night. Your loving nephew, HARVEY MARSDEN. Mr. Humphrey Marsden was a little disconcerted; he had certainly given a general invitation, but he had never seen Harvey since he was quite a boy, and was rather at loss to account for this sudden affection on the part of his nephew. However, there was nothing to be done, he was coming the next evening. So Mr. Humphrey made all due preparation for his reception. The drawing-room table was laid out with books-the best bed-room arranged for his use, and the larder amply supplied with seasonable luxuries. The evening of Easter Monday came at last, and Mr. Humphrey awaited the arrival of his nephew from the railway station five miles distant, when the sound of a horn attracted his attention, and he ran to the front door just in time to see a tandem wind round the corner of the gravel walk at a terrific pace, and pull up at the front door with a jerk that almost threw the wheel horse on his haunches. The gentleman who drove was rather tall, with curly hair, and a light, merry expression in his countenance; he was enveloped in a white great coat, with a shawl handkerchief round his neck, and a cigar in his mouth, and accompanied by a small negro in a green livery, who, having dispensed with his bugle, descended with wonderful rapidity to the horses' heads the moment they had reached the door. “How are you, uncle?" cried the driver in a loud voice, throwing the reins down and getting out of the gig with the whip in his hand; "Never had my mare in leader before-I could hardly hold her. Can you give me stable room to-night?" Mr. Humphrey nervously assented to do so, and sent for his coachman. "Now, Jasper!" says Harvey Marsden-" mind you see them eat their corn; "then turning to his uncle continued-" Now, sir, I'm your man," and accompanied him to the drawing-room. When Harvey went up stairs to dress for dinner, Mr. Humphrey, for the first time since his arrival, recovered himself sufficiently to ruminate. "Humph," thought he, "this is my nephew, is it—a son of a clergyman, eh? I wonder where the money comes from,-I rather expected an academical scholar instead of a stage coachman ;-well, never mind, I trust he wont stay long." These considerations were interrupted by the arrival of Harvey in evening costume, and soon after dinner was announced. "Have you got a good tap, uncle?" enquired the collegian, after the soup; "let's taste your barley-water-footman, just ask Jasper for my pewter, will you." The pewter was brought, and the ale pronounced excellent, and Harvey proved his approbation by disposing of a quantity which caused the eyes of Mr. Humphrey to assume an unusually wide appearance. "How did you come?" mildly inquired the uncle as they sat over their wine, having a faint idea that he had driven from Cambridge. "Oh, I brought my mare on the rail, answered Harvey, "and hired a gig at the station-put her in leader-rather awkward at the corners." "So I should think," returned the uncle. "She's a stunner at timber," continued Harvey," and the cleverest animal at a double fence I ever crost." "Indeed!" said Mr. Humphrey, who was getting rather out of his depth, and more and more nervous. The evening passed at length, and Tuesday morning came. Mr. Humphrey had purposed taking his nephew over the union workhouse, but was forestalled in his proposal by Harvey's announcing that he was going that day to C races, ten miles distant. The tandem was brought round, the whip taken down from the hat pegs, and Harvey was out of sight before his uncle quite understood where he was going. "How did he know there were races at C-," thought Mr. Humphrey: "I never saw such a fellow in my life." The old bachelor was quite put out, his notions of propriety were disturbed, and he was miserable. Dinner came; no nephew-evening; no nephew-night; no nephew. Mr. Humphrey went to bed; but at midnight he awoke and heard a great noise on the stairs, and on going to his door perceived his nephew lying on the landing, strenuously refusing the solicitations of Jasper that he should go to bed. Mr. Humphrey came down the next morning with a full conviction that he should have to wait breakfast very late for a penitent nephew with a headache, but was surprised to find Harvey already up, as fresh and lively as ever. "I suppose, uncle," said he, "you would like to see my mare leap this morning-we'll put up some hurdles in the paddock." The morning was accordingly spent in erecting hurdles, and afterwards in Harvey "larking his mare over them," to use his own expression, to the great delight of Jasper and the consternation of Mr. Humphrey's two cows. That evening a few friends had been invited to meet the Cambridge student, and only the most earnest request prevented Harvey from dressing Jasper in plain clothes and presenting him as a young Morocco prince who had lately come up to the university. The dinner passed off very well, Harvey having explained to the clergyman of the parish the pedigrees of most of the celebrated race-horses and their performances. Mr. Humphrey and his nephew retired to their rooms, and Mr. Humphrey had just fallen into his first sleep, when he heard a sound of voices singing, which appeared to come from the back part of the house. Having put on his dressing gown he went down stairs and found the noise proceeded from the kitchen. On opening the door a curious scene presented itself. Harvey was sitting by the fire in a shooting-jacket and nightcap, smoking his cigar, and in close confab. with the housemaid-while Jasper was singing a popular negro melody, and accompanying himself on the floor in his boots. "I suppose you want me to go to bed," said Harvey, laughing. “Well, 1 will; but she's rather a pretty girl, eh, uncle?" and he gave Mr. Humphrey an insinuating little dig in the ribs. Order was at length restored, and the household retired for the night. On Thursday Mr. Harvey insisted on getting up a pigeon match with some young farmers in the village. The paddock was again brought into action, and a considerable quantity of Mr. Humphrey's ale consumed on the occasion. Amongst Harvey's other amusements, he borrowed a rifle and practised shooting at a mark. And we may here observe, that a few days after, the weathercock of the church was found incapable of performing its office, the cause of which was discovered to be the loss of its tail by the blow of a bullet. As Mr. Humphery had an inveterate dislike to fire-arms, and a constitutional timidity in sporting society, he was not sorry when Thursday was over. On Friday, Harvey not having arranged his programme for the morning, remained in bed 'till three o'clock, P.M., when, after a two hours' gallop to give him an appetite, he sat down to dinner with a relish which astonished Mr. Humphrey in no small degree, He was in unusually high spirits, and plied his uncle so earnestly with the wine, that at twelve o'clock the old man was distinctly heard to sing "Alley Croker" on the stairs; and his butler affirms that on entering his master's room the next morning, Mr. Humphrey was discovered lying outside the bed with his clothes on. It was Saturday, twelve o'clock, and the uncle was still reposing, when he was awoke by his nephew coming into the room. "Well,-good bye, uncle. I'm going to-day. Do you think you could lend me ten pounds? for I don't know how I shall get on. After some pros and cons, Mr. Humphrey consented to do so. 'Well, you're a trump," said Harvey; "the fact is, that the governor and I are not on very good terms. You see I've been so unfortunate as to get rusticated, and I'm now on my way to a private tutor's in Surrey. Lancashire, certainly, appeared a curious route to take on his way to Surrey. But Mr. Humphrey merely replied,-" Indeed!" "Well, good bye, old fellow," continued Harvey, "you'll have a bill sent in for the gig I have had this week, which, if you'll settle, I'll pay you again. 'Pon my soul, I'm afraid 1 shall have to go to my other uncle's when I get to town." And Harvey departed in high good humour,— the tandem, the horn, and Jasper,-just as he came. Mr. Humphrey Marsden didn't soon forget this Easter week. ON FUTURITY. If man could tell what Fate decreed- No pleasure then, or pain would tell Where, then, the bliss of knowing all J. E. SOME years ago, when parish lunatics were not so well provided for as they are now, there stood a small cottage receding from the street of a village in Leicestershire. It consisted of two stories, with one room in each-the lower occupied by a maniac, the upper by an old labourer, who received a slight remuneration for attending to this unfortunate being. And now picture to yourself the scene in the bottom apartment; it was an empty, white-washed cell-totally devoid of furniture-rude and cold. On one wall there was a strong staple fixed, to which was attached an iron chain, confining the madman by a band round his waist; and thus restrained, and perfectly naked, he dragged on his pitiable existence. His long dark hair, matted by neglect, hung over his face, giving his wild and flashing eyeballs a still more terrific appearance than they naturally possessed, while ever with frantic gesture he strove to break the links which held him, or seized rapaciously the food which his attendant had put within his reach. But he inspired the greatest dread by the fearful cries with which he made his little room resound; at one time muttering, with inconceivable rapidity, strange and incoherent sentences; at another, yelling in piercing tones the expression of his NO. V.-VOL. III. Q |