main, honesty is the safest policy, and will always succeed best in the end. So indeed it happened on this occasion: for the cabin passengers, in grateful acknowledgement of Hobson's disinterested integrity, every day took care to send to him from their own table a plate of something much better than the common ship's fare. At the same time, to punish the mate for his criminal connivance at the sailors' roguery, and the deception he had practised on themselves by his insidious suggestions respecting the disposal of the dead fowls, they never once, during the remainder of the voyage, treated him with a single glass of their wines or liqueurs, or imparted to him the smallest share of their fowls or other delicacies. [In a Post-script, in which Dr. C. attests the truth of every inportant fact related in his little history, he adds the following remarks.] Some unthinking people, who have not proper notions of right and wrong, would consider Thomas Hobson as a fool, for making a disclosure, by which he was himself likely to be a loser. But Thomas, though an illiterate peasant, had more correct ideas on the subject than they: for he had, even from his childhood, been On the nocturnal mortality punctually regular in joining the among the fowls, I cannot speak congregation at church on Sun- with equal confidence as on the days, and had carefully attend- other points: for," though I have, ed to the sound practical doc in more than one voyage, been a trine preached, by a truly pious sufferer by those nightly deaths, and sensible pastor. Taught by I never could discover the cause that worthy man, and further con--for want, perhaps, of having firmed in his opinion by those moral and religious, books which his son had been used to read to him at leisure hours, he rightly considered, that, whether we lose or gain by honest upright conduct, it is our incumbent duty to pursue it at all events: and he was frequently heard to say, that, though knavery may sometimes thrive for a while, yet, in the such a man as Thomas Hobson among the steerage passengers. have, indeed, been subsequently informed, and by a seaman too, that the case was as Thomas represented it; and even the mode was described to me, in which fowls are killed without noise or violence the same which is said to be practised by the robbers of hen-roosts on land. themselves upon a seat, waiting their approach. Ferdinand, who VIRTUOUS LOVE REWARDED. lay as it were in ambush near A TALE. By Miss Wyndham Foot James. [Continued from Vol. xl. p. 591.] CHAP. IV. where they were sitting, for the purpose of starting up to surprise the ladies and Lord Bolton as they passed, at hearing the name of Clementina, listened attentively. He heard their eulogiums of her, whilst they talked of future assignations, and the happiness which they had just experienced in her pleasant company. He did not emerge from con ON the next morning, Adol- cealment, but waited till they all phus, soon after that walked off together, when he took a contrary tendency, devising, as he passed on, stratagems for putClementina, against whom he was ting himself in the possession of ing his offers. Soon after his ensomewhat incensed at her repulstering the house, he wrote the following billet to the lovely girl, signing it in his brother's name: O, my beloved Clementina ! since the happy moments I spent with you in the copse, love has suggested to my ardent breast a scheme, which, I hope, my adorable girl will coincide in and assent to. You know we mentioned. going to the races at R***; but, as there is no Clementina there, I intend excusing myself, by feigning indisposition. To-morrow, then, my angel! fly with me to scenes of bliss and endless felicity! I would make you my wife, but my father would disinherit me; and could I bear to see the object of my tenderest affection struggling with penury? Ah! no. Indeed, I think, that marriagerites, and the primitive appellation of wife, are totally incompatible with love! • Curse on all laws but those which love has made! Love, free as air, at sight of human ties, Spreads his light wings, and in a moment flies.' Believe me, my sweet girl, you shall ever possess my esteem, love, and affection; nay, you shall command my heart and soul. Hesitate not a moment, adored maid! but, at nane in the evening, hasten to that delightful spot, where, not many hours past, I heard thy honeyed accents. A chaise, which I have already procured, will be waiting there for our departure. Adieu; then, my love! my life! my soul! until the happy to-morrow, and believe me ever thy adoring APOLPHUS. P.S. My sister's Abigail is the bearer of this, by whom, I hope, my dear Clementina will return an answer.' After receiving a handsome gratuity, with an injunction not to deliver the letter to any one but Clementina, Mrs. Maud carried this to the farm. She happened to meet Clementina at the door, therefore gave her the billet. The lovely girl desired her to walk in, whilst she retired to read it. But what language can delineate her anguished feelings as she glanced her tearful eyes over each insulting line! O, Adolphus exclaimed she, bursting into tears, and sinking into a chair, little did I think that you could have made so base and infamous a proposal. Ah! 1 thought a noble and exalted soul dwelt in that fine form, which has, alas! captivated my foolish heart.' She sat for some time weeping; but at length a little recovering herself, she wrote as follows: That I am a very disproportionate match for you, sir, I candidly own, and, as you know, have often told you. But does this give sanction to your degrading and base proposals? No, sir. O! vicious, degenerate, and deceitful youth, to employ words and conduct so foreign to your nature, for the purpose of stealing my credulous heart, and thus to throw off the veil of hypocrisy, when you thought that you possessed it! But know, sir, that my heart is again my own. Nay, I can recollect your vows without breathing one sigh, shedding one tear, or saying, Would to heaven these asseverations had not been founded on baseness !' Virtue, my only dower, is as dear to me as your patrimony is to you. With what warmth you this morning spoke of virtue and honor; and with what energy you repeated these lines: That Adolphus is now banished from her affection,' thought he, is some little compensation for the defeat of my purposes; but, perhaps, my lucky stars may yet throw her in my power,' Adolphus and Julia, after their return from R****, went to the copse at the hour they, previous to their going from home, had assigued. They waited, and waited, but no Clementina appeared. For several mornings, they repeated their visits, but were still disappointed. Adolphus at length determined on going to the farm; and, accordingly, one morning he walked forwards thither. But, as he passed down the meadow that led to the house, what was his astonishment at seeing Clementina walking with a very fine and handsome young man! She leaned carelessly upon his arm, and was in familiar converse with him. Poor Adolphus was almost petrified. As he advanced towards them, he heard Clementina say Then, alas! I never should have been blest with seeing you.' The youth replied: But a good Providence ordered otherwise, my dear Clementina.' 6 These words were as forinidable to the ears of Adolphus, as the roaring of a lion to the weary traveler when passing over the arid plains of Arabia. He arrested his steps, and tremulously uttered, Good morning.' Clementina dropped him a courtesy, and coolly answering, passed on with her companion, who politely bowed. Adolphus returned homeward, his feelings wrought up to the highest degree of anguish, and all the baleful poignancy of disre garded love., He might truly "Here forlorn and lost I tread, In the poplar grove he met Miss Julia, to whom he communicated the above incident. Ah!' sighed he, who would have thought that deception and falsehood had dwelt in a forin so heavenly! But,' he continued, elegant exteriors are not the criteria by which the mental worth is to be judged.' ་ 'True, brother,' returned Miss Julia; but I think you judge with too great asperity of the lovely Clementina, whom, I truly be lieve, to be a young person of the most conscientious sincerity, and a paragon of female excellence, You view her behaviour with the eye of a jealous lover, I, though perhaps from potent reasons, with that of a partial admirer.' Miss Julia had received information from her abigail concerning the two billets. When in her dressing-room, Maud, who stood looking out at the window, observed, that Mr. Ferdinand had taken his usual walk- He goes,' said she, every morning towards the copse; for, I suppose, to meet the young lady.' What young lady interro gated her mistress. I 'Well,' returned Maud, suppose there is no harm in telling one's mistress a secret, though, to be sure, I was given money not to tell it; but,' continued she, I must beg, ma'am, as how you will condescend to say nothing about it.' Julia's curiosity was awakened. But she could not prevail on Mrs. ing.' Maud to reveal the arcanum until proposal most abject and degradshe had promised to give her a handsome gown of hers, which she had oftentimes admired. This being the very recompence the subtle abigail wished, she recovered her usual volubility, and related the whole affair. • You must know, ma'am,' said she, as how I took the liberty of peeping into Mr. Ferdinand's note; but I could not make it all out, the words were spelt so different to the way, ma'am, as I spell them, that they looked like outlandish. I, however, saw something about a chaise, and about a copse; but what vastly much made me wonder was, to see it ended with Mr. Cleveland's name.' • Did you read any of the contents of the billet you brought back?'interrogated her lady. No, ma'am,' she returned, it was done up so comically. But,' continued she, I cannot think what the intents, as you just now said, ma'am, could be; for, the Miss Somebody's eyes, when she gave it me, were swollen as big as my thimble, and they looked as red as fire coals. I thought it a pity such pretty eyes should cry; indeed, next to yours, ma'am, they are the shiningest I ever saw.' Miss Julia related to Adolphus, as they walked to the house, every particular of this intelligence of Maud's. On his speaking of Clementina, she thus replied: I know not what to say concerning her familiarity with the young gentleman; but the cause of her frigid and distant behaviour is very evident. I,' continued she, will write to her, and will vindicate your innocence of the billet, which, undoubtedly, contained a To her writing Adolphus assented. Their conversation then reverted to their sister, whose marriage with Lord Bolton was soon to be solemnised. As soon as they entered the house, Julia retired to write to Clementina. Adolphus walked to the library, but not to pore over learned tomes, no; but to ruminate on themes which, though not abstruse, were poignant and corrosive. He was not long by himself ere the door opened, and his father entered. His lordship enveighed against him for being so gloomily thoughtful, and uttered many invectives concerning his not being assiduous in his addresses to the young widow. Emily's nuptials,' said he, are to be solemnized on Thursday, and, had you listened to my admonitions, on the same day you might have been married to Lady Dormer.' It gives me the most ineffable pleasure, my lord,' returned Adolphus, that her ladyship gives the preference to my cousin, whose patrimony is small; and,' he continued, sixty thousand pounds. annexed to the possession of so lovely a woman, will be a great acquisition to him.' It is an acquisition that might have been yours,' rejoined his lordship, had your addresses to her ladyship not been so phlegmatic and constrained. I just now,' he continued, overheard her speaking of you to her brother, who was an advocate in your favor.' The following was what his lordship had overheard: • Cleveland,' said Lord Bolton, |