duty of announcing to the descendants of her deceiver the fearful intelligence of their approaching destiny.

In one of the revolutions which this part of the country underwent, this branch of the Fitzpatricks were expelled from Ossory, and settled in the district of O'More, where their descendant, better than half a century ago, erected the mansion which is yet standing. This gentleman, as a necessary requisite to the retention of his property, had embraced the reformed religion; and as a Protestant is, in some measure, a negative Papist, he determined to disbelieve the superstitious, as well as the religious creed of his ancestors; but in nothing was he more positive than in the non-appearance of the Benshee. In vain the old retainers of his family alleged their having repeatedly heard the cry, and instanced the case of his father, who had expired in London on the very night it was last heard in Ireland. Still he was incredulous, and dared those who believed in the apparition to tell him when next the Benshee should be heard; for, if she remained the usual time at the well, he would have an opportunity of seeing and hear. ing her, the distance not being quite a quarter of a mile.

Years rolled on, and no Benshee was heard, when Fitzpatrick became confirmed in his incredulity, forgetful that none of his family had, during all this time, needed such a monitor. At length a favourite daughter fell suddenly ill, and the alarmed father fled himself, at twelve o'clock at night, for a physician. Returning with the doctor, he heard a sad and solemn cry proceed from the direction of the well, and, thinking it a trick of some one to mock his incredulity, he hastened home, seized his pistols, and hurried alone to the fountain. Cautiously casting his eyes through an aperture of the shade that protected the water during the day from the sunbeams, he saw a female figure, dressed in white, sitting on the bank, and uttering a most melancholy cry. Enraged at what he thought an attempt to terrify himself, and possibly accelerate the death of his child, he cocked his pistol, aimed at the object, and fired. A scream of superhuman force and horror, that nearly froze the blood in his veins, instantly burst upon him and, as he turned to fly, the figure of the Benshee, all covered with blood, crossed his path, and continued, at intervals, to intercept him as he ran. When he reached home he rushed into his daughter's room, and on his entrance

the sick girl screamed out, "See, see! oh see that beautiful lady, all covered with blood!" "Where, oh! where?" demanded the father? "In the window, sir," replied the poor creature," oh! no, she's gone."

From that moment the patient, in spite of the doctor's skill, continued to grow worse; and next day, about twelve o'clock, she expired. On that evening, about twilight, as the afflicted father was pacing up and down one of the walks in his garden that overlooked the avenue, he was surprised at hearing a noise as if a coach and horses were coming up to the house. Casting his eyes over the edge, he distinctly saw six black headless horses, driven by a headless coachman, drawing a hearse, which regularly stopped before the hall door, and to his amazement a coffin was brought out and placed upon it, when instantly the bloody figure of the Benshee mounted upon the pall, and the hearse drove off.

When he had somewhat recovered from his astonishment he ran into the house, where, finding the corpse as he had left it, he began to suspect that his eyes had deceived him. “ By no means, ," said his lady; "that hearse follows my father's family; I saw it myself when one of my uncles died, and you know it's quite as natural as the Benshee"

"Hold !" exclaimed Fitzpatrick," there she is, outside of the window, bloody, and vindictive-looking as when I shot her! She recedes-she's gone! Heaven forefend from me her wrath; for I am sure she bodes me evil!"

His apprehensions were but too just; for next day another of his children died; and he could not stir from home any night after dark without encountering the appalling figure of the Benshee. She crossed his path, whether he rode or walked-was alone, or in company; till, at length, in the hope of avoiding her, he quitted the country, and passed over into England, where he soon after died.

The enraged Benshee, whose kind offices were so badly requited, was never heard to lament the approaching death of a Fitzpatrick after the night she had been fired at. In fact,

her services in that way appeared to cease, as she has only since been known as the persecutor of those over whose existence she would, if properly treated, have continued to watch.

About twenty years ago the mansion of Fitzpatrick was

visited by the owner, with the intention of residing in it; when, on the night of his arrival, the dreadful cry of the infuriated Benshee assailed the house, and continued to do so nightly until it was once more deserted; since which time it has been totally uninhabited.

Such is the strange relation which is familiar in the mouths of the peasantry in that part of the country where the incidents are supposed to have taken place. But the idea here given of a Benshee is by no means without exceptions; for, in some parts of the country, the apparition is described as an old man, and, in others, an old woman, who announce their doleful news from the ashes' corner, or from under the staircase. In general, however, the Benshee is understood to be like a beautiful young woman, who utters her melancholy cry, sometimes once, and sometimes twice, before death, near to a spring, a river, or a lake. Whether she is the friend or enemy of the family to which she is attached is not distinctly understood.

THE GLOW-WORM AND THE NIGHTINGALE.

A DUET.

Look! brother, look! in the green hedge-row shining,
The sparkling glow-worm, the gern of the night,

The vesper-star's rival, in ocean declining,

How beauteous its colour, how lucid its light!

Yes! sister, yes! but its radiance playing,
But lures the destroyer, but lights to its prey,
As exquisite beauty too often betraying,

Leaves the maiden who boasts it to pine and decay.
Hark! brother, hark! the lone nightingale pouring
His song of deep melody-love-breathing strains;
The shadows of night and its silence adoring,

Still choosing his haunts where mute solitude reigns.
Yes! sister, yes! but that minstrel, believe me,
E'en now dooms the glittering glow-worm his prey,
And let not his voice of enchantment deceive thee,
For, lo! where he bears the bright insect away.

Then learn, my dear sister, this lesson in youth,
And ne'er may repentance obscure thy bright day;
That falsehood may speak with the accents of truth,
And beauty be given alone to betray.

F. F. F.

CHIT-CHAT.

DRAWING-ROOMS.-The Queen will hold Drawing-rooms at St. James's Palace on Monday, Feb. 25th, (in celebration of her Majesty's Birth-day); Thursday, March 21; Thursday, April 18; Thursday, May 16; Thursday, May 28, (being in celebration of the King's Birth-day); and Thursday, June 20.

LORD CHAMBERLAIN TO THE QUEEN.-The Right Hon. the Earl of Denbigh has been appointed to this post by her Majesty.

THE PEERAGE.-The Marquis of Stafford has been created Duke of Sutherland; and the Marquis of Cleveland, Duke of Cleveland and Baron Raby. Mr. Western, the late M.P. for Essex, but rejected at the last election, has been raised to the peerage by the title of Baron Western, of Rivenhall, in the county of Essex.

BRIGHTON. This place has experienced a very dull season notwithstanding the sojourn of their Majesties. The Almack's balls have been discontinued.

PAGANINI. This famous fiddler has been created a Baron and Commander of Westphalia. The newspapers lately said that it had become proverbial in Germany to suspect a person if called a Baron, but to trust him if only a Mr.

LIBERALITY.-The Queen of Spain has sent £20 to the subscription for the public monument to Sir Walter Scott, proposed to be erected at Edinburgh. The people at New York, and in other parts of America, are also coming forward very liberally.

WASHINGTON IRVING.-This most pleasing of modern writers has retired to a beautiful spot in New Hampshire, celebrated in his own writings by the designation of "The Sleepy Hollow."

FEMALE HEROISM.-On the evening of January the 5th,

a boy about five or six years of age fell into the Thames at Hampton Court. His clothes kept him floating a short time, and his piercing cries attracted the notice of the Hon. Miss Eden, one of her Majesty's Maids of Honour, who was walking in the Palace Gardens, and seeing the struggles of the child she immediately leaped over the high wall, and, without a moment's consideration, dashed into the river. She had reached within a few feet of the child, when, having got beyond her depth, she was carried in a contrary direction. Luckily she again recovered her footing, but the child was now far beyond her reach. She then retraced her steps to the bank of the river, calling at the same time to the little sufferer to keep its head up and she would save it. Her cries at last aroused the ferryman at Thames Ditton, for by this time the child and Miss Eden had reached nearly opposite to that village, and she had the inexpressible delight to see the child's body rescued from the raging flood. It was brought ashore, but was insensible. She had it, however, carried up to the palace, and, though wet to the crown of her head, gave every necessary direction for the medical gentlemen to be sent for. Notwithstanding every effort was persevered in for more than an hour life was found to be extinct. We are happy to find that Miss Eden has not suffered in the least from the exertion she made to save the child, and which she did even at the risk of her own life; for, had she not been carried into shallow water, she, too, would have been swept away by the current. The child belonged to Adams, a labourer in the King's garden. In testimony of esteem for so noble an act of humanity, a public subscription was opened for the purpose of presenting Miss Eden with a magnificent silver vase, and upwards of £80 was rose in two days, but which she very feelingly declined accepting, stating that "it would only be a memorial of a melancholy circumstance."

ORIGIN OF HONEYMOONS.-The first month after marriage is termed the honeymoon; a phrase derived from a custom practised by the northern nations of Europe, who used to indulge themselves in drinking a liquor made from honey for thirty days successively, at the marriage of their chief men.