her five sons - felt naturally low of spirit; | cothes such a mess 'e never see a'most! and it was good for him to have a lively And poor Patty go to 'e back pithole, till child around him. He did not seem quite 'e boofely Dush yun all into 'e yater." what he was. And nothing brought him "Oh, and Dutch pulled her out again, to himself so much as to watch this shadow did she?" of life; although she was still afraid of him.

this little creature; at least unless there | ickle bother, because it just fit in between were three or four to hearten one another, his teeth, and 'nis with 'e 'ooking-gass, for and a strong sun shining. The Abbot's Susan, because she do her hair all day Walk was its proper name; because a yong." certain Abbot of Neath, who had made too much stir among the monks, received (as we say) his quietus there during a winter excursion; and in spite of all the masses said, could not keep his soul at rest. Therefore his soul came up and down; and that is worse than a dozen spirits; for the soul can groan, but the spirit is silent.

Into this dark lonely passage I was led by a little body, too newly inhabited by spirit to be at all afraid of it. And she came to a cupboard door, and tugged, and made a face as usual, when the button was hard to move. But as for allowing me to help her, not a bit of it, if you please. With many grunts and jerks of breath, at last she fetched it outward, having made me promise first not to touch, however grand and tempting might be the scene disclosed to me.

She held up the little bit of tin, and mimicked Susan's self adornment, making such a comic face, and looking so conceited, that I felt as if I should know her Susan, anywhere in a hundred of women, if only she should turn up so. And I began to smile a little; and she took it up tenfold.

"'E make me yaff so, I do decare, 'e silly old Davy; I doesn't know 'hat to do a'most. But 'e mustn't tell anybody."

At

This I promised, and so went a-fishing, wondering what in the world would become of the queerest fish I had ever caught, as well as the highest-flavoured one. It now seemed a toss-up whether or not something or other might turn up, in the course of one's life, about her. any rate she was doing well, with her very bright spirits to help her, and even Black Evan, so broken down as not to be hard upon any one. And as things fell out to take me from her, without any warning, upon the whole it was for the best to find the last sight comfortable.

What do you think was there collected, and arranged in such a system that no bee could equal it? Why, every bit of everything that every one who loved her (which amounts to everybody) ever had bestowed And a man of my power must not always upon her, for her own sweet use and pleas-be poking after babies, even the best that ure, since ashore she came to us. Not a were ever born. Tush, what says King lollipop was sucked, not a bit of "taffy" David, who was a great-grandfather of tasted, not a plaything had been used, but mine; less distant than Llewellyn Harper, just enough to prove it; all were set in but as much respected; in spite of his tryportions four, two of which were double-ing to contribute Jewish blood to the lot sized of what the other two were. Nearly of us in some of his rasher moments? half these things had come, I am almost But ancestor though we acknowledge him sure, from Newton; and among the choicest treasures which were stored in scollop shells, I descried one of my own buttons which I had honestly given her, because two eyelets had run together; item, a bowl of an unsmoked pipe (which had snapped in my hand one evening); item, as sure as I am alive, every bit of the sugar which the Dolly had taken from out my locker.

(when our neighbourhood has a revival), I will not be carried away by his fame to copy, so much as to harken him.

The autumn now grew fast upon us, and the beach was shifting; and neither roon nor time remained for preaching under the sandhills, even if any one could be found with courage to sit under them. And as the nights turned cold and damp, everybody grumbled much; which was just and right enough, in balance of their former grumbling at the summer drought and heat. And it was mainly this desire not to be behind my neighbours in the com

Times there are when a hardy man, at sense of things (however childish), which have left their fibre in him, finds himself, or loses self, in a sudden softness. So it almost was with me (though the bait on fort and the company of grumbling and my hooks all the time was drying), and for no better reason than the hopeless hopes of a very young child. I knew what all her storehouse meant before she began to tell me. And her excitement while she told me scarcely left me breath to speak.

"Nat for papa, with 'e kean pipe to 'moke, and 'nat for mamma with 'e boofely bucken for her coke, and 'nat for my dear

exchanging grumbles, which involved me in a course of action highly lowering to my rank and position in society, but without which I could never have been enabled to tell this story. And yet before entering on that subject, everybody will want to know how I discharged my important and even arduous duties as trustee through Sir Philip's munificence for both those little children. In the first place, I felt that my

position was strictly confidential, and that | people would think, concerning Bardie's it would be a breach of trust to disclose to property; for if I had not saved her life, any person (especially in a loquacious vil- how could she have owned any? lage) a matter so purely of private discre- So far, however, from dealing thus, I not tion. Three parties there were to be con- only kept all their money for them, but insidered, and only three, whatever point of vested it in the manner which seemed to view one chose to take of it. The first of be most for their interest. To this intent these was Sir Philip, the second the two I procured a book for three halfpence (paid children, and the third of course myself. out of mine own pocket), wherein I deTo the first my duty was gratitude (which clared a partnership, and established a fishI felt and emitted abundantly), to the sec- ing association, under the name, style, and cnd both zeal and integrity; and for my- description of "Bardie, Bunny, Llewellyn, self there was one course only (to which I & Co." To this firm I contributed, not am naturally addicted), namely, a lofty only my industry, and skill, but also nets, self-denial. This duty to myself I dis- tackle, rods and poles, hooks and corks, charged at once by forming a stern reso- and two kettles for bait, and a gridiron fit lation not to charge either of those chil- to land and cook with; also several welldren so much as a single farthing for proven pipes, and a perfectly sound totaking care of her property until she was bacco-box. Every one of these items, and twenty-one years of age. Then as regards many others, I entered in the ledger of the second point, I displayed my zeal im- partnership; and Mother Jones, being mediately. by falling upon Bunny soon strange to much writing, recorded her after day ght, and giving her a small- mark at the bottom of it (one stroke with tooth-combing to begin with, till the skin one hand and one with the other), believof her hair was as bright as a prawn; after ing it to be my testament, with an Amen which, without any heed whatever of roars, coming after it. or even kicks, I took a piece of holy-stone and after a rinsing of soda upon her, I cleaned down her planking to such a degree that our admiral might have inspected Ler. She was clean enough for a captain's daughter before, and dandy-trimmed more than need have been for a little craft built to be only a coaster. But now when her yelling had done her good, and her Sunday frock was shipped, and her black hair spanked with a rose-coloured ribbon, and the smiles flowed into her face again with the sense of all this smartness, Sir Philip himself would have thought her consistent with the owner of five pounds sterling.

But knowing what the tricks of fortune are, and creditors so unreasonable, I thought it much better to keep my boat outside of the association. If the firm liked, they might hire it, and have credit until distribution-day, which I fixed for the first day of every three months. My partners had nothing to provide, except just an anchor, a mast and a lug-sail, a new net or two, because mine were wearing, and one or two other trifles, perhaps, scarcely worth describing. For after all, who could be hard upon them, when all they contributed to the firm was fifteen pounds and ten shillings?

And as touching the money itself, and It was now in the power of both my the honesty rightly expected from me, partners to advance towards fortune; to although the sum now in my hands was permit very little delay before they inlarger than it ever yet had pleased the sisted on trebling their capital; and so reLord to send me, for out and out my own, invest it in the firm; and hence at the age nevertheless there was no such thing as of twenty-one be fit to marry magistrates. leading me astray about it. And this was And I made every preparation to carry the more to my credit, because that power their shares of the profits over. Nevertheof evil, who has more eyes than all the an-less, things do not always follow the line gels pat together, or, at any rate, keeps of the very best and soundest calculations. them wider open, he came aft, seeing how The fish that were running up from the the wind was, and planted his hoof within Mumbles, fast enough to wear their fins half a plank of the tiller of my conscience. out, all of a sudden left off altogether, as But I heaved him overboard at once, and if they had heard of the association. Not laid my course with this cargo of gold, ex- even a twopenny glass of grog did I ever actly as if it were shipper's freight, under take out of our capital, nor a night of the bond and covenant. Although, in downright week did I lie a-bed, when the lines recommon-sense, having Bunny for my grand- quired attendance. However, when fish child, I also possessed beyond any doubt are entirely absent, the best fisherman in whatever belonged to Bunny; just as the the world cannot create them; therefore owner of a boat owns the oars aud rudder our partnership saw the wisdom of declaralso. And the same held true, as most ing no dividends for the first quarter.

From The Spectator.

OF SOLAR ERUPTIONS.

than half an hour, what was his surprise to find that "the whole thing had been A SINGULAR interest is given to the literally blown to shreds." "In place of observations to be made on the December the quiet cloud I had left," he says, "the Eclipse by the results which have rewarded air, if I may use the expression, was filled the recent study of the sun's coloured with flying debris – a mass of detached fragprominences by Fr. Secchi in Italy and ments." These fragments were, in fact, so Professor Young in America. A very insignificant as to measure only from 4,500 strange theory of the corona - the theory, to 13,500 miles in length, with a breadth namely, that it is in part due to solar (scarcely worth mentioning) of from 900 eruptions seems to receive countenance to 1,350 miles - mere shreds, in fine, from these observations, and more particu- the least having a surface scarcely exceedlarly from one very remarkable phenome- ing that of Africa. They were rapidly asnon (presently to be described) which was cending. Already nearly 100,000 miles witnessed a short time ago by Professor above the sun's surface when Professor Young. The labours of Secchi show the Young first saw them, they moved higher solar spot-zones to be the chief scene of and higher under his very eyes, “with a the eruptions; and, as our readers are motion almost perceptible to the eye." probably aware, it is opposite the solar until in ten minutes some of them were spot-zones that the corona has been ob- upwards of 200,000 miles above the surserved to have its greatest extension. face of the sun. This motion, "almost But unless it could be shown that the so-perceptible to the eye," must in reality lar eruptive forces are mighty enough to have amounted to the utterly inconceivaffect the distant regions to which the able velocity of 167 miles per second, coronal rays extend, it would be impossible this, too, only as an average velocity. At to admit that this coincidence can be ex- this enormous rate these fragments, these plained in the suggested way. Professor strips of glowing hydrogen (a score of Young has observed a solar outburst which perhaps would have sufficed to which seems to supply precisely the re- cover the whole surface of our earth), quired evidence, an outburst so wonder were flung upwards by some trememdous ful in its effects that apart from any refer- outburst, having its origin far down beence to the solar corona, it must be re-low the visible surface of the sun. They garded as absolutely the most striking seemed to dissolve away when they had phenomenon yet witnessed by observers reached the vast height of 200,000 miles. of the sun. We propose briefly to de- At a quarter past one less than half an scribe here what Professor Young actually hour from the commencement of the outwitnessed and watched, believing that the burst "only a few filmy wisps, with interest of the results which may be ob- some brighter streamers low down, retained by the eclipse-observers cannot but mained to mark the place." be enhanced by the record of a solar phenomenon so imposing.

Here, then, was one of those solar eruptions of which much has been imProfessor Young was studying on Sep- agined during the last few months, but tember 7 last a large coloured prominence, hitherto very little certainly determined. or rather a bed of solar clouds. It was Astronomers had begun to believe that an object of the kind compared by Mr. those long radiant beams which give to Lockyer to a banyan grove, a long layer the solar corona so striking an aspect, are of cloud-like masses, seemingly supported due to an outrush of matter from the by a few stems of the red prominence- depths which lie concealed beneath the rematter. It was formed, in the main, of splendent light-surface of the sun. No glowing hydrogen. The height of the other explanation seemed available instems was estimated by Young at about deed, when all the facts observed during 15,000 miles. The cloud-bed was about recent eclipses were taken into account. 100,000 miles long (some 13 times the earth's And yet the explanation was so startling, diameter), and 40,000 miles deep, “a long, that even those who advocated it were low, quiet-looking cloud, not very dense fain to apologize, so to speak, for urging or brilliant, nor in any way remarkable views which seemed at a first view alexcept for its size." At half-past twelve together fanciful. For the solar orb this rather remarkably large cloud was to vomit forth matter to distances seemingly as quiescent as at first, though corresponding to the vast extension one of the stems had become much of the coronal rays, required a degree brighter and was singularly bent. But of eruptive energy falling little short when Professor Young returned, in less of that which would be needed to project

missiles clean away from the sun, to visit travelling with a rapidity far exceeding other suns perchance, but never to return that of our imagined missile, and was to the neighbourhood of the solar system. brought to rest at the height of 200,000 But here we have evidence of precisely miles, not by the sun's attraction solely as such eruptions. Compared with the in the case of the missile, but partly heavier erupted matter, the filmy wisps of (almost wholly indeed) by the resistance hydrogen were but as the smoke from a of the solar atmosphere. We cannot woncannon's mouth compared with the can- der that this atmosphere, rare though it non-ball. We may be sure that the probably is in those high regions, should heavier matter really belched forth was exert so great a retarding influence, when propelled with far greater velocity and we remember that the flight of a cannonwas carried very much farther from the ball through our own air is reduced by atsun than the light hydrogen wisps. Yet mospheric resistance to a mere fraction of even to reach a height of 200,000 miles the range which would be attained in a vacmatter must pass the sun's visible surface uum. If a globe of solid metal, propelled at the rate of about 210 miles per second. from the cannon's mouth at a rate of perIf the steam and smoke, so to express our- haps half a mile per second, is thus reselves, of the great solar geyser rushed to tarded, it will be conceived how enorSo vast a height, how much greater must mously a mass of glowing hydrogen' prohave been the height reached by the pelled with a velocity many hundred times Leavier matter propelled along with them! greater must be checked by atmospheric Another question seems to be answered resistance. Secchi tells us that in the by the phenomena of this strange out- eruption-prominences several other elebarst. It was pertinently asked by Sir John Herschel, why — if the red promiunces are eruptions - the eruptive force does not scatter upwards and outwards those bright objects resembling flakes or scales which can be seen over the whole surface of the sun, and have been called the solar willow-leaves. But the wisps watched by Professor Young corresponded in appearance very closely to what we Sould expect to see if a number of the dlar flakes were flung upwards by some Truly the study of the solar prominences Eighty eruption. And we observe, too, and corona will have led to a strange rethat as the flakes were only visible for a sult, if it teaches us to regard our sun and few minutes, we need not wonder that the his fellow-suns as centres whence metallic phenomenon has not oftener been wit-matter-such as we see in the meteor Lessed. It is interesting to notice that on is scattered throughout space.

the evening of the day on which Professor Young saw this strange sight, there was a fine aurora borealis, "the earth's response, perhaps," he says, "to the magnificent solar outburst."

But we have something more than this interence sound as it unquestionably is -to guide us. The rate at which the matter watched by Young passed from a height of 100,000 miles to a height of 200.000 miles, was far greater than that with which a solid missile propelled to the last-named height would traverse this space. From a careful calculation made by the present writer, it results that such a missile would occupy no less than 25 minutes 56 seconds in passing from a height of 100,000 miles to the extreme limit of its upward motion. Only one explanation of the rapidity with which the hydrogen wisps traversed this space is available. The hydrogen must have been

ments than hydrogen are present, most of them being metallic. It is almost certain that the flight of these metallic vapours (much denser, no doubt, than the glowing hydrogen) is much less retarded by atmospheric resistance, and it is highly probable that no inconsiderable proportion of the matter thus erupted passes even further from the sun than the outermost limits of the corona, if it does not in some cases pass finally away from his domain.

From The Spectator.

THE SOUTH-SEA ISLANDS COOLIE.
FROM A CORRESPONDENT,

SIR,In the former letter which you have done me the honour to insert in your paper I gave you a short account of the origin of the introduction of Coolie labour into Queensland, with a narrative of my cruise as far as the island of Vaté. Since I last wrote, the Australian mail has brought us news of several cases of murder and cannibalism in the New Hebrides, and I resume the subject with the deepest feeling of regret for the untimely death of Bishop Patteson, a man who, as far as I can hear, was universally loved and respected on the Islands. I hope however, to be able to show you that the Queens