234 A FRAGMENT. 



in a little pond in the garden, she pointed out to me a fine red 

 one that had been in the pond upwards of 50 years." " Pray 

 what became of these fishes ?" " I afterwards dragged the pond 

 and gave the fish, in a large glass globe, to the commander of the 

 Viper." "There, sir, these very fishes and the one so much ad- 

 mired and regretted by the poor old nun, are in my house at 

 Plymouth." 



But alas ! the " Lady Abbess" is now no more, the poor fish 

 fell sick after spawning time, and a dreadful civil war broke out 

 in the glass globe ! the whole sisterhood attacked the lady abbess ; 

 and bit her without mercy ; she was removed to a place of safety, 

 but died in a very short time. These beautiful fishes are of the 

 genus Cyprinus : are the golden carp of naturalists ; they are na- 

 tives of the northern provinces of China, and are found in a 

 natural state in the lake Kiang ; they are great favourites among 

 the Chinese, and were brought to Europe by the Portuguese, 

 soon after Vasco de Gama pointed out a way by water to India. 

 They were first brought to England in 1694, and are now very 

 numerous, breeding in artificial ponds, supplied with river water, 

 provided their spawn be deposited in mud, and protected from 

 their own ravages ; they are fond of small worms, flies, and 

 aquatic animalculae, and it is highly probable that they occasion- 

 ally live to a very old age. 



W. 



A FRAGMENT. 



" My love, you seem at times so melancholy, that one might 

 suppose you were the most miserable man in existence." 



" Mignonne, dear Mignonne, if I am melancholy, it is only in 

 your absence — who could be sad in the presence of so much 

 loveliness." 



He gently put aside the long shining curls that strayed over 

 her beautiful forehead, and imprinted upon it a long kiss of love. 

 Oh ! the extacy of that magical touch. When the heart is with- 

 ered, and the sternness of life has subdued our purest feelings, 

 and the poetry of affection has yielded to the soberness of reality, 

 with what exceeding pleasure we think on the dreams of our 

 youth — a spell gathers round us — for a moment there is an obli- 

 vion of the present, and we rejoice in all the fascinations of the 

 past. 



The timid girl expressed no unyieldingness, but turning to 

 pluck a small flower from the green knoll on which they recljned, 



