330 



TABLE-TALK AND VARIETIES. 



man, gliding about alone, watch- 

 ful, thoughtful, cautious; ponder- 

 ing national character, habits, 

 capabilities, localities, wants, su- 

 perfluities, rival systems of policy, 

 their fruits and workings, imagin- 

 ing new combinations, speculating 

 on remote consequences. Here is 

 one, little thinking that he will fall 

 suddenly dead to-morrow; having 

 much on hand, both of business and 

 pleasure. Here sits a laughing 

 child upon a gleaming cannon. 

 Yonder is a blind man, sightless 

 amidst surrounding pleasures ; but 

 there is one telling him tenderly 

 that he stands beside the statue of 

 Milton. There, in the glistening 

 centre of the transept, stands 'an 

 aged exile ; venerable, widowed, 

 once a queen ; looking at the tran- 

 quil image of Victoria, meditating 

 with a sigh on the happy secmity 

 of her throne. Everywhere, gliding 

 about, are forms of exquisite beauty, 

 most delicate loveliness. (War- 

 ren's Lily and the Bee.) 



THE O'CARROLL. 



My father now amused himself 

 in writing cards to his intended 

 guests, including the English offi- 

 cer who had been mentioned by 

 Jack Walsh. A card was des- 

 patched to him in the customary 

 style of our Milesian invitations, 

 which, for the benefit of my readers 

 on the eastern side of the Irish Sea, 

 I transcribe "The O'Carroll and 

 Madame O'Carroll present their 

 compliments to Major and Mrs. 

 Bulhnan, and request the honour 

 of their company to dinner al five 

 o'clock on Thursday next. Castle 

 Carroll, Monday." It so fell out 

 that Bullman, who, being a stranger, 

 was perfectly unacquainted with 

 the style assumed by the represen- 

 tatives of ancient Celtic families, 

 was extremely perplexed by my 

 father's hereditary designation. 

 Prior to answering the card, he 

 chanced to meet Bodkin, whom he 



slightly knew, and to wLom he 

 immediately applied for informa- 

 tion. "This is the oddest thing, 

 Mr. Bodkin!" said the major; "I 

 have got an invitation from a gen- 

 tleman who does not call himself 

 Mister, but prefixes The to his 

 name ; and his lady is Madame. 

 Can you explain it at all?" "O, 

 dear, yes," replied Bodkin, "it is 

 the universal custom in this part 

 of the world ; and if you wish to 

 pay a particular compliment, the 

 rule is, that you must adopt pre- 

 cisely the same style yourself in 

 your reply." " Certainly, whatever 

 is right," said the unsuspecting 

 major ; " I wish to conform to the 

 etiquette of the country in every- 

 thing." Acting under the treach- 

 erous instructions of Bodkin, the 

 major wrote the following answer : 

 " The Bullman and Madame Bull- 

 man present their compliments to 

 Mr. and Mrs. O'Carroll, and will 

 have the honour of accepting their 

 invitation to dinner on Thursday 

 next." Words are indeed faint to 

 describe my father's rage on re- 

 ceiving this answer. ' He stamped, 

 stormed, and swore the English 

 rascal should pay for his aiidacious 

 insult. "How dares he ridicule 

 my hereditary title with his ras- 

 cally Bullman parody? The fel- 

 low shall fight me in the hall, since 

 my evil fate confines me to the 

 house." (The Gentleman in Debt.) 



OVERTASKING THE MIND. 



Dr. Wigan remarks in his work 

 on the mind, that he could not read 

 thecorrespondence between William 

 Pitt and his father, without a feel- 

 ing allied to terror. Never did man 

 go so near to destroy the intellect 

 of his son by over-excitement, as the 

 arrogant, unreasonable, imperious, 

 and much over-rated man, the great 

 Earl of Chatham, as he is called. 

 " Courage, my son," said he in one 

 of his letters, when the poor lad was 

 complaining of the enormous variety 



