sailing, to say nothing of my dexterity in a whirlpool; for what with frequent passages between Mull and Skye, with an occasional visit to Coll and Muck island, together with a pretty intimate acquaintance with the storms that are always howling about Islay and Jura, I count myself, (Christie being present to aid and abet,) something more than a mere fresh-water sailor.' What a bustle did we create during the day in our preparations! Old Christie was summoned to a confidential conference. I believe I have already spoken of this veteran. In age he was nearly fifty, though his hardy frame, his alert step, and the quick glance of his eye, told of one in the very prime of physical existence. His beard was however somewhat grizzled, the only revenge Time seemed to have taken upon him. In person he was tall, very bony and muscular, with not an ounce of superfluous flesh to encumber him. He was a sort of Major Domo at the castle, in consequence of his long experience, well-tried fidelity, and great good nature. He was born at Glencoe, and was, if I mistake not, foster-brother of the Earl. He had always been near his person, had accompanied him abroad, and served him often in cases of extremity. As the young men grew up, Christie seemed to renew his youth, and entered into all their sports with as genuine a zest as if he was of their own age; they, by the way, always deferring to him, in matters of practical expediency. In this way Christie would often make excursions with them to the neigboring islands to hunt, fish or explore, 'it being very necessary,' as he would remark, 'that the education of the puir lads suld na be quite negleckit; for wha could tell what might na just happen ony time yet?' The Earl, it would seem, as before intimated, tacitly approved of Christie's reasoning: he certainly made no objection to it; so that the young men were soon initiated into all the hardy exercises of their race. The summons for Christie was shortly followed by the appearance of the old fellow himself, who had no sooner entered the room than he was seized by Hubert, who, after ineffectually endeavoring to give him a whirl round, (a familiarity exercised toward no other servant,) shouted merrily: 'Rouse yourself, my old lad! Did you know that you are getting so rusty that the Earl has ordered you banished from Glencoe, and I am commissioned to see the order put into execution? You have till day-break to-morrow morning to make ready. So lose no time; off we must go, for I am to be along, for fear you will be stealing back again before your time is up!' During this edifying discourse, the old man stood regarding the youth very much as an old, sagacious and well trained mastiff watches the pranks of a favorite young dog who is cutting his gambols around him, and although well pleased with his capers, is hardly willing that his own dignity should be entrenched upon by them. When Hubert therefore paused for breath, Christie very cooly turned up his gray eyes, exclaiming: 'What's in the wind noo? Pshaw, Christie! do n't affect so much indifference, when you know you are crazy for a scamper of some kind;' and thereupon Hubert proceeded to give the detail of the proposed excursion, which comprised a visit to some of the ad stretch out as far as St. Kilda, And now, Christie, you know We have the Earl's permis jacent islands, and afterward a bold the most remote of the Hebrides. all about it; keep our plans secret. sion, remember; we shall leave every thing to you. We can expect nothing fit to eat after leaving Skye, so see that you lay in a good stock of small stores, and-and 'But master Hubert,' interrupted Christie, 'I dinna ken an' I can be spared just noo at the castle, and ye ken weel I am getting just too auld for the like o' this. I wad na mind to ferry ye over to Skye, but when ye talk about St. Kilda, it is quite anither thing, ye suld mind; for I wad na care to catch a blast of the hurricane outside of Lewis.' 6 Christie's countenance during this harangue would have been a model for a painter. From the first, I perceived that he was only practising upon Hubert in return for his speech; and to see the old fellow's endeavor to assume an expression which was so unnatural, was ludicrous enough. Hubert, on the contrary, at first mistook his meaning, and was about to express his impatience and astonishment at such an extraordinary disclosure, when a humorous twinkle of Christie's eye explained matters in an instant, and Hubert was himself again. Ah! Christie,' said he, you are the true metal, after all. But Christie here cut off all farther superfluous discourse by insisting that we should proceed to business. First, a plan must be drawn up, to be followed explicitly; then a consultation about the craft we should go in, and again who to select for the crew. The first was soon settled; about the second there was more difficulty. Donald Mac Cae's fishing smack (belonging to the Earl) was not quite the thing, in Christie's opinion; she was ower wet in a gale of wind,' though that was not to be minded, but she was withal a lubberly sailor. The Earl's new yacht would do for a trip to Mull in fair weather, and poorly enough at that; (it had been ordered without taking Christie's opinion on the subject!) Finally, Donald Lairg's craft was selected as best qualified to perform all the offices required; but Christie feared that Donald was not yet home from his herring cruise; he would send down to the Loch and see. After long hesitation, and after discussing to himself the merits of the various retainers about the castle for the purposes of our enterprise, Christie finally made choice of two brothers, Hugh and Aleck Mac Donald, as most competent to do duty in it. These two he insisted would be quite sufficient for us, and any more would only be in the way. We soon ascertained that Donald Lairg had fortunately returned; whereupon Christie took his leave, to see that the craft was well provided, and her ballast stowed as it should be. Next, fowling-pieces, pistols, bows-and-arrows and fishing-gear of every description, were put in order, and an abundant supply of every thing that was deemed needful made ready. We kept the house quite in an uproar. Both Margaret and Ella entered most actively into all our preparations, and did much to aid them. Frank was not at the Castle; he was spending a few days with Glenfin glas, who had quite recovered from the effects of his late wound. The morning was fair, and I was first up. It was scarcely daybreak, when I threw open the window looking toward the mountain, and let the cool air breathe through the room. A heavy fog covered the summit, which was now slowly dispersing before the light just dawning in the east. Presently I heard the noise of some one in the court-yard; and going down, I saw Christie busy in getting together what we were to take on our voyage. He was alone, and I watched him a few moments unperceived. He was whistling a stirring Highland air, while he worked away with all the glee of a lad of fourteen, who had broke away from school. ‘A plague on the lazy loons!' muttered he, after awhile; 'I'll just gie them another call.' So saying, he ran past where I was standing, almost overturning me in his hurry, and I soon heard him shouting: Hugh! Aleck!-Aleck! Hugh!' accompanied with various expletives which would have aroused the Seven Sleepers themselves, had they been so forcibly addressed. Hubert soon made his appearance, and every thing was got ready. We sat down to a very early breakfast, where we met the young ladies only, and having received their kindest wishes for a pleasant excursion, we left the castle. Proceeding to the Loch, at no great distance, we found the men ready to get under way. We had a pleasant breeze from the north, and sailed rapidly down the Frith, till we made the coast of Mull; then changing our course, we stood to the north'ard and westward, intending to land first at Skye. This was my first experience at sea, and every thing was new and strange to me; but the effect was salutary: a world seemed opening before me, of a new but not unwelcome creation. Shut out from the pleasures, the enjoyments, the occupations of earth, the mind undergoes a distinct change. It discovers that its former classes of ideas were not absolutely essential, while new images crowd upon it, new thoughts take possession of it, and new feelings characterize it. I felt that I was still in a transition state. But for the first time, almost in my whole life, I felt my soul enlarge. My curiosity was also active. I had not betrayed my secret to Hubert; for some reason I felt disinclined to do it. So impatient was I to reach St. Kilda, that I would willingly have foregone a visit to the intermediate islands, but I did not care to urge this; so I could only revolve in my mind the curious incident of the package entrusted to me by Aunt Alice, and the more curious character of its contents. Something I was sure awaited me in that island. The impression was too strong to be shaken off. So I nursed it the more carefully. 'Wœdallah! Wodallah!' 'Hubert,' said I, rousing myself from my reverie, what is the meaning of Wodallah!' Wodallah?' I am sure I cannot tell. I never heard it before. Pray where did you pick it up, and what possesses you to be mumbling it over now?' answered my cousin. Up with the helm, Christie! and let us speak that fisherman. I will wager you that we come up with him in half an hour. Now we have her in a line-keep her so. Come, St. Leger, no more moping! Wait till we reach St. Kilda, and then ask the old Norsewoman, if she is still alive, about that unintelligible word. She can tell you, I doubt not.' 'I hope so,' replied I, musingly. 'I HAVE often dreamed that we must have lived in some other and more glorious state of being; and that the mysterious glimpses, that here linger around our souls, are the broken remembrances of that better realm.' IN the deep hush of midnight's shadowy hours, And the calm moon, which shone o'er Eden's bowers, In the adoring silence of my soul, I stand alone alone with night and heaven; Like those fine spiritual essences, which bow That yet shall fully clothe this weak mortality. Light of my dreams! bright solitary star! A perfect beauty on the brow of night; But thy rich urn sheds radiance purer far O star intense! I gaze and almost deem That the soul's essence is a part of thine; Are but the broken memories of that clime Whose glorious gleams still linger round us here; Who knoweth this? The ETERNAL hath not given LITERARY NOTICES. THE RAVEN, AND OTHER POEMS. By EDGAR A. POE. In one volume. pp. 91. Number Eight of WILEY AND PUTNAM'S Library of American Books.' THE author of this slender volume is of course one of the sundry citizens of this good land, meaning well, and hoping well, who, prompted by a certain something in their nature, have trained themselves to do service in various essays, poems, histories, and books of art, fancy and truth; for we find this very remarkable passage as a motto on the cover of his poems. But the certain something' which has prompted him to publish, according to his preface, is not the 'paltry compensations nor the more paltry commendations of mankind.' These have been powerful 'somethings' with most poets, but we think that the author of The Raven' has wisely chosen to regard them as nothings; for the amount of either likely to be bestowed upon him as a poet by the mankind' he esteems so lightly we fear will be small. Mr. PoE says in his preface: Events not to be controlled have prevented me from making, at any time, any serious efforts in what, under happier circumstances, would have been the field of my choice. With me poetry has not been a purpose, but a passion.' This is very pitiable, but entirely incomprehensible. According to the biographies of Mr. PoE, he must be very near the age at which BYRON died, and beyond that at which all the great poets produced their greatest works; and according to his own story, he began writing poetry at an age much earlier than any poet of whom we know any thing. His whole life has been spent in literary pursuits, and here we have the results of his poetical career. At what period he commenced writing verses we do not know; but he tells us in a note that it was in his earliest boyhood,' which begins we believe with the jacket-and-trousers, generally at three or four years. If Mr. PoE wrote the Ode to Science at that early period, he was certainly a remarkable boy, but hardly a poet. We have heard that, in the paper of which he is the editor, he has stated that he wrote Al Aaraaf,' the poem with which he professes to have humbugged the poor Bostonians, in his tenth year. The Boston Post' thought it must have been produced at a much earlier age. We have no opinion on the subject ourselves, not having read it, but are disposed to believe the author, and should believe him if he said the same of the poems which we have read. We see no reason why they might not have been written at the age of ten children are more apt, in remembering words, than men; and as there have been infant violinists, pianists, mimics and dancers, we see no reason why there should not be an infant rhythmist. A talent for versification may exist without a genius for poetry; and according to our own estimate of Mr. Poe's abilities, his poetical constitution is nothing more than an aptitude |