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ON COMING OF AGE,

BY THE LATE TUOMAS HOOD, No flaummery then from flowery lips,

T'o-day it is my natal day,

‘Three ’prenticeships have passed away,

A part in work, a part in play, Since | was bound tolife!

This tigst of May L come of age,

A man I enter on the stage

Where human passions fret and rage, ‘'o iningle in the strife.

it ought to be a happy date,

Me friends they al] congratulate

"fat | am come to * Man’s Kstate,” To some, a grand event;

But ah! to me descent allots

No acres, no paternal spots

In Beds, Bucks, Herts, Vilts, Essex, Notts, Hants, Oxon, Berks, or Kent.

From John o’Groat’s to Land’s end search,

| have not one rod, pole, or pearch

fo pay me rent, or uthe to church, That lL can cali my own.

Not common-right for goose or ass;

‘shen what is Man’s Estate? Alas,

Six feet by wwo of mould and grass When lam cust and bone.

Jieserve the feast! The board forsake! Ne’er tap the wine—don't cut the cake, No toasis or foolish speeches make,

At which my reason spurng. — Before this happy term you praise, And prate about returns and days, Just o’er my vacant rent-roll gaze,

And sum up my returns.

] know where great estates descend

That here is Boyhood’s legal end,

And easily can comprehend How © Manors make the Man.”

But as fer ine, | wae not born

‘{'o quit-reat of a peppercorn,

And gain uo ground this blessed morn From Beersheba to Dan.

No barrels broach—no bonfires make

To roast a bullock for my sake,

Who in the country have no stake, Would be too like a quiz ;

No banners hoist—let off no gun—

Pitch no marquee—devise no fun—

But think when man is ‘I'wenty-One

What new delights are his!

What is the mora! legal fact ?

Of age to-day I’m free to act

lor self—free, namely, to contract Engagements, bonds, and debts ;

I’m free to give my LO U,

Sign, draw, accept, as.majors do;

And free to lose my freedom too For want of due asseis.

I am of age, to ask Miss Ball, Or that great heiress, Mis: Duval, Yo go to church, hump, squint, and all, And be my own foe life. Rut put such reasons on their shelves, To tell the truth between ourselves, 1’m one of those contented elves Who do not want a wife.

What else belongs to manhood still ?. I’m old enough to make my will, W ith valid ciause and codicile, Before in tarf 1 he. Rut L have nothing to bequathe In earth or waters underneath, And in aj] candor Jet me breathe, 1 do not want to die.

Away! if this be Manhood's forte, Put by the sherry and the port— No rng of bells—no rustic sport— No dance—no merry pipes! No flowery garlands—-no bouquet— No Birthday Ode to sing or say— ‘So me it seems this is a day For bread and cheese and swipes.

To justify the festive cup

What horrors here are conjured up!

What things of bitter bite and sup, Poor wretched Twenty-One’s |

No landed lumps, bat frumps and hamps

(Diseretion’s Days ere far from trumps},

Domestic discord, dowdies, dumps, Peath, dockets, debts, and duns:

¥f you must drink, oh drink “the King”— Reform—the Church—the Press,the Ring, iyrink Aldgate Pump—or any thing,

To put me on my solemn oath,

Is young Nineteen so far from sage?

Gr young Kighteen irom bliss ?

No three tines three and hip-hip-nips, Because Pm ripe and full of pips— I Jike a litthe green.

Ifsweep-like, | could stop my growth, {would remain and nothing loth, A Boy—abort nineteen.

My friends, excuse me these rebukes ! Were l a monarch’s son, or duke’s,

Go to the Vatican of Meux

And broach his biggest barrels— lmpule whole elephants on spits— Ring Tom of Lincoln tll he spits, And dance into St. Vitus’ fits,

And break your winds with carols!

But ah! too well you know my lot,

Ancestral acres greet me not,

My freehold’s ina garden-pot,

And barely worth a pin.

Away then with all festive stuff!

Let Robins advertise and puff,

My * Man’s Estate,” [’m sure enough, [ shall not buy itin.

The Yankee Pedler.

BY COLONEL JOHNSTON,

I said a long time ago that Ralph Brown had been a member of that asso- ciation while a merchant’s clerk. Let me here add that, being highly musical from childhood, he excelled in that char- ming art, and was distinguished on the) piano forte even at the Handel and Hay-| den; and seven years’ subsequent travel | in all parts of the Union, and his being much in ladies’ drawing rooms with his, tempting goods, and his often touching the instrument when there, had qualified him to be a most accomplished performer at the time he listened to Laura.

Her song was chaste, and all very well; and at its close, as a matter of course, both Major and Madam Carro!] looked that the Yankee Pedler should be delighted, if not astonished at vhat be hadheard. It was rather cold comfort to these partial judges to hear the silence succeeding the air, thus broken by the pedler--

‘Thank ye, Miss—thongh your pianny is ducedly out of tune.’

The major frowned, Madam Carroll kindled with indignation; but Laura more just to the criticism, while blushing deep- ly replied—

‘You are right, sir. My tuner has not been here fortwo years; and I would give anything to have the instrument put in tune,’

Ralph was at once upon his feet; and going towards the door, said ‘{ rather guess [ can do’t for ye, Miss,’ and left the room for the large box inthe hall. He teturned in a trice, with his hands full of tuning instruments, reeds, wires and cat- guts, as if he had done nothing but tune pianotortes through life.

Without the least ceremony, or asking leave of any one, he threw off his coat, rolled up his sleves to the elbow, and in five iminutes had Laura’s instrument scat- tered in fragments about the floor.

‘In Heaven's name,’exclaimed the major, ‘are you mad, Mr. Brown? No tuner we have ever had here has taken the instru- ment all to pieces in this fashion. I fear you will ruin it,’

‘Now do be auiet. major, and take it easy like,’ coolly replied the pedier; ‘ the subject is very sick, and [ must go to the voweis of the compiaint. These tinkers you have down here south, major, only know the outside of things, you see. I’m araal penetrator, you'll find, when you come to know ine better, major.’

So saying, the pedier plied his fingers and thumbs, winding and screwing his key as he whistled Yankee-doodle in un- ison with his artisuc notions. When he had thus regulated the bowels of the thing, the disrupted all came together like clock-work at his lightest touch; and as he drew his fingers from end to end across the keys,a connisseurmight per- ceive that a master had touched the in- Strument that just before was al! in pieces. |

|

“Nufore a toast like this!

NT ow ep Af: .. mie * leg ¥.- . . “4 ‘Now, My 62.5 ‘ne } . yen

puta little buman natur’ into ’t.’

Laurti apologised; she begged to be excused; asked the favour of an overture or other piece from the tuner. ‘The taajor and Jady jomed in the request.

‘ Well, Miss,’ said Ralph, “tis tarnation strange—somehow rather, but so it is— l can’t deny you anything you ask ime; so, if you’ve some notes I'l] tuuch a bar Or tivo,’

Laura brought in her notes: the quick eve of Ralph scanned readily as he would detect damaged goods or counterfeit bank notes, throw- ing them down one after another till they were through, and then adding, ‘ How these tramping rogues put the leek into you dons when they come down here south with their paltry trash! ‘These here} notes, major, are not worth a wooden nut- | meg.’

This was felt,to the quick by parents: and child; for Laura had been practising with these notes for years.

Ralph again went to his big box in the, hall; and, placing back his tools, and re-| turning with his hands full of choicest’ music from the great masters of Germany| and Italy, he spread out one of the sheets before him as he took his seat at the in-| strument. It was a piece ef great power and almost magic conception. Even the! fingers of the performer seemed to catch inspiration from the mighty genius of the composer. ‘The whole nervous system of Ralph Brown was in unison with the me- lody ; and his thrilling voice thrown in and mingling with the fine tones of the, instrument while esssving the most im- passioned sentences of the piece, made such music in Major Carroll’s drawing room as had never been heard in Virginia until that hour.

Lavra was overwhelmed in tears ; while the fixed gaze of the major and his lady testified their delight.

The quick eye of the performer per- ceived at once that the desired effect had been produced on the auditors. Rising to his feet, he shut up the piano, saying—

*] guess she can be made to talk now by help of an interpretor.’

Falling again into the chit-chat, he told over some of the amusing incidents of his travels, to the delight of the family, til approaching bed-time, when the ma- jor drew out his watch to note the hour. The watch had stopped.

‘| wonder what ails my watch?’ cried the major; ‘it has stopped every evening these three weeks ?

‘Shall I Jook at its insides ?’ quoth the pedler, reaching out his hand to take the watch. Qn opening it he teuched a wheel setting it in motion, as he held it to his ear. * Major!’ he exclaimed, ‘ you are forcin’ this here critter to work with a heavy load on its back! Here,Miss, you vou will accept the gift of this here mn- sic? There are fifty pieces inall, and the poorest of em will make yourn blush be- side ’em.’ Thus saying, he left the room, with a candle in one hand and the watch in the other. He soon returned with a handful of watchmaker’s tools; and with- out ceremony he scattered the major’s watch in fragments as he had done the piano.

‘What are you at, Yran? cried the major, ‘you'll ruin my watch. The dest repairers in Richmond say tha&mecharism of this watch is so intricate and\ delicate they dare not tamper with it.’

Footer, major, I calkilate I ¢ gate the entraijs of a watch, as can shoe a horse, put a new sprin watch, or doctor sick piannies, vellers have to turn our hands t ailments of creation, else we sh into many an awkward scrape a fast in the mud. ‘This here spring is confoundedly out of reckon; and this verge don’t navi best, anyhow.’

Thus dividing his time betwe ing to himself and whistling doodle, as before he put the wa perfect repair, touched it witha li oil,and brought the parts togeth the dexterity ofa perfect machinist

* There, major, keep her shet, ghd re- gular wound, and [’}]] warrant her filravels for dive years to come, withoat ofrhav-

| i |

‘talk- nkee- into ke new witl

them as}

make the thing talk, 1 reckon, since I’ve; {t was now 1834, ‘wo years pre-

iviously the Asiatic Cholera had raged ‘over the country, filling many graves, and jmaking many homes desolate. Major ‘Carroll’s tamily and slaves bad then es. /caped the scourge. But now, ia August, 1334, the fatal inalady had re-appeared, and just as the pedler was going te his bed, a loud rap came to the outer door, it was caused by a negro in great terror ‘with teeth chattering, and his eyes and ears distended, he notified massa-major that Sambo, the old fiddling overseer, wag ‘rolling, and writhing, and crying in great agony. ‘ti is the cholera,’ said Madam Carroli, ‘T heard ithad appeared en the neigh- bouring estate,where Sambo went yester-

‘eve to fiddle for a dance.’

The pedier was arrested in his course to bed, and he and the major were soun at the hut of the sufferer. Madam and Laura soon after followed.

‘Oh, golly, golly, [ die! neber feel ’ern so, Oh, sabe, massa, dear me, oh, sabe "im! cried Sambo, as the visitants enter-

im! ed the shop.

Brown saw the case was cholera. He had been in the midst of 1232, and knew as much about the needed remedy as did the London Buard of Health—perhaps more. He left the shed, and repaired once more to his well filled-b0x in the major’s hal], On his return he carefully measur- ed out a table-spoonful of pulverised rock salt, a tea-spoonful of Cayenne paper, and twenty drops of laudanum. These he placed in a large tumbler, pouring half a pint of warm water over the compound, Griving it a good stir with lis peacil-case, he said to the patient :—

‘Here, nigger, shut your eyes, open your swallow wide, and keepa_ stiff up- per lip, while ye pour this here down ve.’

The negro obeyed, draining the harsh liquid to the dregs.

*Now,don’t let a drop of it up,blackee,’ cried the leech, as the sufferer was reach- ing; ‘it willsoon make ye’r inwards as hot as atinker’s ladle; then {| defy ye to get rid of it ull itdoes the job for ye.

The pedjer was right. The perspira- tion soon began to pour in showers from the sable brow of Sambo, forced out by the raging fire kindled within. The pa- tient soon fell into a quiet doze; and by the next day, though severely shaken by the draught, he was free from pain and out of danger. The pedjer gave him some soothing febrifuges, snd pro to be offto another estate, jor resolutely opposed, entreating Brown for the sake of humanity to stay a day or two longer,to watch the disease among the stock of the farm. Little did the ma-

jor reflect that the fatal shaft might be.

aimed at an object lying nearer his heart than the slaves of his homely sheds.

The next day the rich southern planter and the Yankee pedler were seen riding out together, side by side, over the forest domains, equipped for game; and as Ralph was a first rate shot, and the major not slow, they returned with lots of game. _ But what was the revulsion that came over the spirits of the buoyant sportsmen on learning that Madam Carroll had been seized with cholera curing their absence.

The blacks might oe turned over whea seized with the matady; but it would not do to try his nostrums on tie family.— So reasoned the major, and forthwith des- patched two faithful domestics on horse- back to the nearest physicians. The doctors came, but the disease mocked their skill; and despite calomel, opium, camphor, &c., Madam Carrol! was in the collapsed state ere the light of another morning.

After the doctors had given her over in despair, and retired from the bed of the

‘Idying, the pedier was called in as a for-

lornhupe. He looked at the sufferer, and the agonised daughter sobbing ut her feet,

and hastily withdrew from the room. The major foliowed.

‘No use, major, said the pedier, in solemn accents, to * disturb the ashes of the dead. Death has fixed its seal on the partner of your joys and sorrows, = Wight hours agu | might have warded of his stroke; but eight hours in Asiate cholera, major, is a fearful gap.’

The major was called back into the room. His lady telt that the last tide of ‘ife was fast ebbing out. She desired

ing, f’s my hed time, major, anf if the

hinek wt!) chow me oan. [TH bid nu al’

& vob ie : Primi

oravers to be read in her trying hour. ‘o clorryman was within sevea miles,

This the ma- -

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