ly catching his companion spirit by the hand, begged earnestly, lovingly, and with all humility, a heavenly rest and lodging for them both.

"Take to thy lap, dear Earth, the good old boy,

Who did thy tasks with such a loving joy

[sometimes interspersed, April-like, with a little loving sorrow]

Wherefore lie lightly on his temples grey,

And let the turf that wraps him flower in May."

GAIETIES AT GRAVESEND.

"TWADDLE," said Snubbs to me, the other evening, as we sat making the punch to our liking, "was you ever at Gravesend ?"

"Well," I replied, " as far as I can recollect, if I must confess so much, I don't think that I can safely say that I ever was. Why?"

"Now, why the deuce, Twaddle," cried Snubbs, "couldn't you say yes or no!-Con-found you, one would think you were in the witness-box, answering questions before judge and jury, with an Old Bailey barrister watching the moment when to trip you up! But that is the worst of you-you will not come to the point at once, and in few words!"

"Well, then, if I must reveal my ignorance, I never was at Gravesend."

"Then it is high time that you went there. How you do bury yourself alive! And all for what? To save twenty pounds out of an income of a thousand a year, which you do not enjoy to anything like the tune of five hundred! What is the use of all your toiling and moiling, if you have not health?-and when I look at your parchment-like skin, you seem to me not to have much of that to boast of. Why don't you do as I do-get out of smoky London, and rinse your lungs well with wholesome draughts of pure, fresh air? What is

wealth when wanting health? There is no making a thousand a-year after the sexton has thrust his grave divining-rod into the ground to find out a vacant nine feet of earth to bury you in."

I listened calmly to my friend Mr. Snubbs, for I knew his way, and let him have it. He is a well-informed person in general, but, as it happened, in this particular fact of my income, he was not exactly correct, for it is somewhat more. But no matter. To appease him, however, I said "Now don't utter another word of reproach"-for I saw that he was in one of his snubbing humours ;-"I will

and how you please 80 to Gravesend when you please,

"There, now," said he, "that's spoken like a man and a citizen!"

"But," I suggested, "is not that celebrated wateringplace not quite so fashionable as frequented-in short, is it not, if I may say it, a leetle low

"Oh, my lord High-and-Mighty!" he broke out: "what! you are beginning to toss your head, and affect-" "Now, don't be so very severe ! Really" was about to excuse myself, but he interruped me.

-I

"I tell you what, Twaddle, I've no patience with you!-Give me the lemon, do !"-and he showed evident signs of excessive irritation.

I promptly replied, and deservedly, I think, "If I am at all justified in making such a remark, I must say, Mr. Snubbs, that you seem to me to have had quite enough of the lemon already."

"Sir!" said he, firing up like a furnace.

"What has, all in a moment, so soured your temper?" I demanded; and, feeling my dignity as a Warddeputy assailed, I stood upon the defensive.

"Pooh!" said he, impatiently; and snuffing the candles, put one out, and then pushed the snuffers and tray off the table.

66

Really, Mr. Snubbs," I was on the point of saying, "when I reflect—"

"You reflect !" he retorted.

I could bear his temper no longer. "Mister John Snubbs

"Don't Mister me, Sir!" he abruptly interrupted: "Hand me the lemon-squeezer-do!"

I handed it to him, hoping to allay his evident irritability by the readiness of my condescension. It was lost upon him. I have often thought that I don't know whether any one has much to thank his stars for who has the fortune to have a man of genius for his friend, persons of rare intellect are so much in the habit of treating all other persons, when below them, so cavalierly-stand so much upon their superiority and make their poor friends feel so frequently the difference there is between them. However, I endeavoured not to rebel; and, to turn his anger aside, I said, goodhumouredly, "Come, now, Snubbs, don't be so crusty! Stir the fire"-he did, but rather severely, as I thought; -"light your cigar"-he lit it ;-" and I'll give you a toast and sentiment."

Oh, with all my heart!" said he, but still a little sulkily.

'Well, then-'Here's may we have in our arms what we love in our hearts!-a favourite toast of my Lord Chesterfield's.'

"Hah!" he remarked, laughing ironically, "I know what would be in your arms in that case."

I was curious to know what; I accordingly inquired. "Either the Mint or the Bank," he answered, "for I can safely say that you love nothing so much as gold." "I love nothing but gold!" I exclaimed, in astonishment at so barefaced an assertion.

"Yes, that is your god! I assert it! And if ever there should again be another political run for it, I know who will be first in at the whipping-post."

I had made up my mind not to be offended with his sarcasms, so I laughed. Even that did not please him. "D-n it, Twaddle," he cried out, "it is quite provoking that there is no provoking you! But, there-Į forgive you!"

(" Because you have tried to offend me and I wouldn't be offended-eh?" I put in, by way of a poke in his ribs. Well, well, let it pass! The punch is good -isn't it?" he inquired, good-humouredly.

"Capital!" I confessed-it would have been a sin to have denied it.

"And you'll go to Gravesend, like a good boy?" "Well, I don't know-why, yes, decidedly so." "When ?"

"To-morrow, if you like."

'Agreed, nem. con. I'll name the party. Sister Fanny, Mrs. Jones, Jones, his brother Tom, Wilson, and Tomlins: they will all be ready and willing to go with us at a moment's notice. They are wise enough not to put off pleasure till a rainy day, but 'take it while 'tis May,' as some poet says. By the bye, I think I have said it somewhere? I beg pardon for quoting myself, though it is becoming very fashionable, and a very self-patronizing fashion it is."

"A very nice party," I remarked; "we shall be very happy!"

"Yes, I hope so. But ah, Twaddle, now indeed we miss one who would have been happy with us! Poor sister Fatima! How she would have jumped to be one of the party! But she is gone to Gravesend before us!"

I do not hesitate to say that I started at so untimely a jest; but, remembering my friend Snubbs's inveterate infirmity of humour, which would prompt him to have his joke if he died for it, or anybody else, I passed it over "in solemn silence." He had touched a tender chord in my bosom, however, and it responded to the touch. Miss Fatima Snubbs was to have been Mrs. Tomlinson Twaddle; but she is no more! Peace to her manes!-If I recur for a moment to my loss upon that melancholy occasion, my passion will, I trust, bear me out in exclaiming, as I did, "Angelic girl! I shall never forget her! So happy as we might have been! I with an improving business, which might have been so much extended with the assistance her annuity of five hun

dred pounds a-year would have afforded! Shewas indeed a severe loss!"

It

Snubbs started at these words, and glanced at me one of his penetrating looks. "Which was the severe loss?

My sister, or the annuity?" he inquired.

"Both," I exclaimed, and I burst into a passion of sorrow. Snubbs wept with me, and we tenderly mingled our tears for the dear departed! and, when our sorrows had subsided, mixed a stiffish tumbler of punch a-piece, and lighting a fresh cigar, that smoked out, parted good friends.

I am thus particular in detailing this extraordinary scene, and playing so accurately my humble part of Boswell to my Johnson, Snubbs, because hereafter it is by no means improbable quite the reverse-pretty certain, that these very minute traits of the character of so remarkable a person as JOHN SNUBBS will be greedily remembered, and devoured with avidity.

Accordingly, as was appointed, the next morning, as early as seven o'clock, a meeting and muster of my dear young friends took place at my house in the neighbourhood of Cornhill, where I had the honour of giving them a truly substantial English breakfast, by way of foundation for the arduous enjoyments of the day. At eight o'clock, all being ready, the hackney-coach No. 1299 was hired and driven up to my door. I was particular in taking the number, because it is quite remarkable that the driver was neither drunk nor abusive-charged only the regular farc, neither more nor less-and having to give change, what was more remarkable than all, all of it was good, pure current coin of the realm!-circumstances these so uncommon, that they seemed like happy omens of a day of unalloyed delight and pleasure.

This was all very well; but as a hackney-coach could not contain, when crammed close, more than six thin insides, what was to be done with eight of us, and two of that number particularly stout-namely, Snubbs and myself? Snubbs, always prompt and ready with expedients, soon settled that difficulty by bidding me