ways, spent like a child on cakes and gingerbread.

People may become accustomed even to that i sad nickname an authoress. In process of time the imputed culprit ceased to be shocked at the sound, seemed to have made up her mind to bear the accusation, and even to find some amusement in its truth or its falsity. There was an arch and humorous conscious

be construed either way, and left it an even wager whether our little lame girl were a poetess or not.

There was no fear of the source failing: for gentle, placid, grateful and humble, considerate beyond her years, and skilful far beyond her opportunities, every one liked to employ Olive Hathaway. The very sound of her crutch in the court, and her modest tap at the door, in-ness in her eyes, on such occasions, that might spired a kindly, almost a tender feeling for the afflicted and defenceless young creature, whom patience and industry were floating so gently down the rough stream of life. Her person, when seated, was far from unpleasant, though shrunken and thin from delicacy of habit, and slightly leaning to one side from the constant use of the crutch. Her face was interesting from feature and expression, in spite of the dark and perfectly colourless complexion, which gave her the appearance of being much older than she really was. Her eyes, especially, were full of sweetness and power; and her long straight hair, parted on the forehead and twisted into a thick knot behind, gave a statue-like grace to her head, that accorded ill with the coarse straw bonnet, and brown stuff gown, of which her dress was usually composed. There was, in truth, a something elegant and refined in her countenance; and the taste that she displayed, even in the homeliest branches of her own homely art, fully sustained the impression produced by her appearance. If any of our pretty damsels wanted a pretty gown, she had only to say to Olive, "Make it according to your own fancy ;" and she was sure to be arrayed, not only in the very best fashion, (for our little mantua-maker had an instinct which led her at once to the right model, and could distinguish at a glance between the elegance of a countess and the finery of her maid,) but with the nicest attention to the becoming in colour and in form.

Her taste was equally just in all things. She would select, in a moment, the most beautiful flower in a garden, and the finest picture in a room and going about, as she did, all over the village, hearing new songs and new stories from the young, and old tales and old ballads from the aged, it was remarkable that Olive, whose memory was singularly tenacious for what she liked, retained only the pretty lines or the striking incidents. For the bad or the indifferent she literally had no memory: they passed by her "as the idle wind that she regarded not.' Her fondness for poetry, and the justness of taste which she displayed in it, exposed poor Olive to one serious inconvenience; she was challenged as being a poetess herself; and although she denied the accusation earnestly, blushingly, even tearfully, and her accusers could bring neither living witness nor written document to support their assertion, yet so difficult is it to disprove that particular calumny, that in spite of her reiterated denial, the charge passes for true to this very hour. Habit, however, reconciles all things.

Such was, and such is Olive Hathaway, the humble and gentle village mantua-maker; and such she is likely to continue: for too refined for the youths of her own station, and too unpretty to attract those above her, it is very clear to me that my friend Olive will be an old maid.. There are certain indications of character, too, which point to that as her destiny; a particularity respecting her tools of office, which renders the misplacing a needle, the loss of a pin, or the unwinding half an inch of cotton, an evil of no small magnitude; a fidgety exactness as to plaits and gathers; a counting of threads and comparing of patterns, which our notable housewives, who must complain of something, grumble at as waste of time; a horror of shreds and litter, which distinguishes her from all other mantua-makers that ever sewed a seam; and, lastly, a love of animals, which has procured for her the friendship and acquaintance of every four-footed creature in the neighbourhood. This is the most suspicious symptom of alt. Not only is she followed and idolized by the poor old cur which Rachel Strong keeps to guard her house, and the still more aged donkey that carries home her linen, but every cat, dog, or bird, every variety of domestic pet that she finds in the different houses where she works, immediately following the strange instinct by which animals, as well as children, discover who likes them, makes up to, and courts Olive Hathaway. For her doth farmer Brookes's mastiff-surliest of watch-dogs! - pretermit his incessant bark; for her, and for her only, will dame Wheeler's tabby cease to spit and erect her bristles, and become, as nearly as a spiteful cat can become so, gentle and amiable; even the magpie at the Rose, most accomplished and most capricious of all talking birds, will say, "Very well, ma'am," in answer to Olive's "How d'ye do?" and whistle an accompaniment to her "God save the King," after having persevered in a dumb resentment for a whole afternoon. There's a magic about her placid smile and her sweet low voice: no sulkiness of bird or beast can resist their influence.

And Olive hath abundance of pets in return, from my greyhound Mayflower, downward; and indeed takes the whole animal world under her protection, whether pets or no; begs off condemned kittens, nurses sick ducklings, will give her last penny to prevent an unlucky

urchin from taking a bird's nest; and is cheated
and laughed at for her tender-heartedness, as
is the way of the world in such cases.
Yes, Olive will certainly be an old maid,
and a happy one,-content and humble, and
cheerful and beloved! What can woman
desire more?

A CHRISTMAS PARTY.

ing, the whole cortége, bride and bride-groom, lame ostler, red-haired lass, grey mare, and black sheep-dog, adorned exactly as on the preceding Monday, made their appearance at church; Jacob looking, as aforetime, very knowing-Hester, as usual, very demure. After the service there was a grand assemblage of Master Frost's acquaintances; for, between his customers and his playmates, Jacob was on intimate terms with half the parish-and many jokes were prepared on his smuggled marriage and subsequent desertion; but he of the brown jerkin evaded them all, by handing his fair lady into the cart, lifting the poor parish girl beside her, and even lending a friendly hoist to the lame ostler; after which he drove off, with a knowing nod, in total silence; being thereunto prompted partly by his wife's entreaties, partly by a sound more powerful over his associations-an impatient neigh from the old grey mare, who never having attended church before, had begun to weary of the length of the service, and to wonder on what new course of duty she and her master were entering.

THE wedding of Jacob Frost and Hester Hewit took place on a Monday morning; and, on the next day (Tuesday), as I was walking along the cornmon-blown along, would be the properer phrase, for it was a wind that impelled one onward like a steam-enginewhat should I see but the well-known fish-cart sailing in the teeth of that raging gale, and Jacob and his old companions, the grey mare and the black sheep-dog, breasting, as well as they might, the fury of the tempest. As we neared, I caught occasional sounds of "herrings- oysters!-oysters-herrings!" al- By this dispatch, our new-married couple though the words, being as it were blown certainly contrived to evade the main broadaway, came scatteringly and feebly on the ear; side of jokes prepared for their reception; but and when we at last met, and he began in his a few random jests, flung after them at a venold way to recommend, as was his wont, these ture, hit notwithstanding; and one amongst oysters of a week old (note, that the rogue them, containing an insinuation that Jacob had was journeying coast-wise, outward bound), stolen a match to avoid keeping the wedding, with a profusion of praises and asseverations touched our bridegroom, a man of mettle in which he never vented on them when fresh, his way, on the very point of honour-the and when I also perceived that Jacob had more especially as it proceeded from a bluff donned his old garments, and that his company old bachelor of his own standing-honest had doffed their bridal favours, it became George Bridgwater, of the Lea-at whose clear that our man of oysters did not intend to hospitable gate he had discussed many a jug retire yet awhile to the landlordship of the of ale and knoll of bacon, whilst hearing and Bell; and it was soon equally certain that the telling the news of the country side. George fair bride, thus deserted in the very outset of Bridgwater to suspect him of stinginess!the honey-moon, intended to maintain a full the thought was insupportable. Before he and undisputed dominion over her own terri- reached the Bell he had formed, and commutories-she herself, and her whole establish- nicated to Hester, the spirited resolution of ment-the lame ostler, who still called her giving a splendid party in the Christmas week Mistress Hester-the red-haired charity-girl, a sort of wedding-feast or house-warming; and the tabby cat, still remaining in full activity; whilst the very inscription of her maiden days, "Hester Hewit's home-brewed," still continued to figure above the door of that respectable hostelry. Two days after the wedding, that happy event seemed to be most comfortably forgotten by all the parties concerned -the only persons who took any note of the affair being precisely those who had nothing to do with the matter; that is to say, all the gossips of the neighbourhood, male and female -who did, it must be confessed, lift up their hands, and shake their heads, and bless themselves, and wonder what this world would

come to.

On the succeeding Saturday, however, his regular day, Jacob re-appeared on the road, and, after a pretty long traffic in the village, took his way to the Bell; and, the next morn

consisting of smoking and cards for the old, dancing and singing for the young, and eating and drinking for all ages; and, in spite of Hester's decided disapprobation, invitations were given and preparations entered on forthwith.

Sooth to say, such are the sad contradictions of poor human nature, that Mrs. Frost's displeasure, albeit a bride in the honey-moon, not only entirely failed in persuading Master Frost to change his plan, but even seemed to render him more confirmed and resolute in his purpose. Hester was a thrifty housewife; and although Jacob was apparently, after his fashion, a very gallant and affectionate husband, and although her interest had now become his

and of his own interest none had ever suspected him to be careless—yet he did certainly take a certain sly pleasure in making an attack

at once on her hoards and her habits, and fortable prospect that his good-humour, his forcing her into a gaiety and an outlay, which good-fellowship and his fiddle, would in promade the poor bride start back aghast.

The full extent of Hester's misfortune in this ball, did not, however, come upon her at once. She had been accustomed to the speculating hospitality of the Christmas parties at the Rose, whose host was wont at tide-times to give a supper to his customers, that is to say, to furnish the eatables thereof-the leg of mutton and turnips, the fat goose and the applesauce, and the huge plum-puddings-of which light viands that meal usually consisted, on an understanding that the aforesaid customers were to pay for the drinkables therewith consumed; and, from the length of the sittings, as well as the reports current on such occasions, Hester was pretty well assured that the expenditure had been most judicious, and that the leg of mutton and trimmings had been paid for over and over. She herself being, as she expressed it," a lone woman, and apt to be put upon," had never gone farther in these matters than a cup of hyson and muffins, and a glass of hot elder-wine, to some of her cronies in the neighbourhood; but, having considerable confidence both in the extent of Jacob's connexions and their tippling propensities, as well as in that faculty of getting tipsy and making tipsy in Jacob himself, which she regarded" with one auspicious and one dropping eye," as good and bad for her trade, she had at first no very great objection to try for once the experiment of a Christmas party; nor was she so much startled at the idea of a dance-dancing, as she observed, being a mighty provoker of thirst; neither did she very greatly object to her husband's engaging old Timothy, the fiddler, to officiate for the evening, on condition of giving him as much ale as he chose to drink, although she perfectly well knew what that promise implied; Timothy's example being valuable on such an occasion. But when the dreadful truth stared her in the face, that this entertainment was to be a bonâ fide treat-that not only the leg of mutton, the fat goose, and the plum-puddings, but the ale, wine, spirits and tobacco, were to come out of her coffers, then party, dancing, and fiddler became nuisances past endurance, the latter above all.

cess of time be missed and wanted, and that he might return to his old haunts and run up a fresh score. When half tipsy, which happened nearly every day in the week, and at all hours, he would ramble up and down the village, playing snatches of tunes at every corner, and collecting about him a never-failing audience of eight and ten-year-old urchins of either sex, amongst which small mob old Timothy, with his jokes, his songs, and his antics, was incredibly popular. Against justice and constable, treadmill and stocks, the sabre-cut was a protection, although, I must candidly confess, that I do not think the crack in the crown ever made itself visible in his demeanour until a sufficient quantity of ale had gone down his throat, to account for any aberration of conduct, supposing the broadsword in question never to have approached his skull. That weapon served, however, as a most useful shield to our modern Timotheus, who, when detected in any outrageous fit of drunkenness, would immediately summon sufficient recollection to sigh and look pitiful, and put his poor, shaking, withered hand to the seam which the wound had left, with an air of appeal, which even I, with all my skepticism, felt to be irresistible.

In short, old Timothy was a privileged person; and, terrible sot though he were, he almost deserved to be so, for his good-humour, his contentedness, his constant festivity of temper, and his good-will towards every living thing-a good-will which met with its usual reward in being heartily and universally returned. Every body liked old Timothy, with the solitary exception of the hostess of the Bell, who, having once had him as an inmate during three weeks, had been so scandalized by his disorderly habits, that, after having with some difficulty turned him out of her house, she had never admitted him into it again, having actually resorted to the expedient of buying off her intended customer, even when he presented himself pence in hand, by the gift of a pint of home-brewed at the door, rather than suffer him to effect a lodgment in her tap-room-a mode of dismissal so much to Timothy's taste, that his incursions had beOld Timothy was a person of some note in come more and more frequent, insomuch that our parish, known to every man, woman, and "to get rid of the fiddler and other scapechild in the place, of which, indeed, he was a graces, who were apt to put upon a lone wonative. He had been a soldier in his youth, man," formed a main article in the catalogue and having had the good luck to receive a sa- of reasons assigned by Hester to herself and bre wound on his skull, had been discharged the world, for her marriage with Jacob Frost. from the service as infirm of mind, and passed - Accordingly, the moment she heard that to his parish accordingly; where he had led a Timothy's irregularities and ill example were wandering pleasant sort of life, sometimes in likely to prove altogether unprofitable, she reone public-house, sometimes in another-toler- vived her old objection to the poor fiddler's ated, as Hester said, for his bad example, until morals, rescinded her consent to his admishe ran up a score that became intolerable, at sion, and insisted so vehemently on his being which times he was turned out, with the unordered, that her astonished husband, fairly workhouse to go to, for a pis aller, and a com-out-talked and out-scolded, was fain to pur

chase a quiet evening by a promise of obe- Frazer by name, who travelled the country dience. Having carried this point, she forth- with muslins and cottons, and for whom cerwith, according to the example of all prudent tain malicious gossips asserted both ladies to wives, began an attack on another, and, hav-entertain a lurking penchant, and whose insening compassed the unordering of Timothy, sibility towards the maiden was said to have began to bargain for uninviting her next neigh-been the real origin of her match with Jacob bour, the widow Glen.