risen along of the rains lately, and the road was all flooded; the donkeys didn't much like going into the water, but after a good deal of ' geehupping' and 'come-alonging' we all got well into the flood, when just at this moment (bless you, I can't help bursting with laughter when I think of it) up comes a couple of cows. Mrs. S., you must know, is awfully timid at cows and bullocks, and all those sort of things; so no sooner did she see them coming, than she set to screaming like mad, and saying to the fellow who drove the donkeys: "Oh, my good man, don't leave me, for gracious sake, don't desert me!"

Well, if you'll believe me, my dear Cooler, I laughed so that I could hardly hold on to my donkey, for of course I saw there was no danger; and there was Mrs. S., with her crinoline flapping and hanging about, the donkey standing as still as a post, and the driver running after Olivia's donkey, who was off to the common as hard as he could go. Mrs. S. kept tugging away at her donkey's bridle, and the awkward brute not liking it, I suppose, began quietly to lie down in the middle of the water, and there was Mrs. S. with her fine red petticoat, and her steel wire-work concern, gradually disappearing. Her cries were most dismal, and Maria Alexandrina began to scream too, though I saw the young minx laughing at first as much as I did. The poor cows who were the cause of all this hubbub walked quietly by, and it was as much as I could do to drag Mrs. S. and her donkey on to dry land again, and a pretty figure she looked! And wasn't she just cross too! By George, Cooler, my boy, I caught it finely. If I'd knocked her over in the water on purpose she couldn't have made more noise. I don't think she saw me laughing, however; I'm sure I hope not, or she might poison me or something, even now.

We went on, notwithstanding all this, and came to the castle. It was said to be a fine ruin; but for my part, my dear Cooler, I think ruins is all nonsense. What's the good of going ever so far to see a place because it's two or three hundred years old, and all tumbling to pieces? Why, look at St. Paul's, or Westminster Abbey, they're precious old, so they tell me, and people don't make a bother about them, but directly an old place goes to ruin, everybody comes running to see it.

We had a very tidy lunch among the ruins, and the bottled porter was very genial after our wet ride; but why we couldn't have enjoyed it just as well in our lodgings at Sloppington, I for one can't tell. But the best of the joke is coming, my dear fellow; while we were all eating and drinking, and Mrs. S. had spread out her skirts to dry, all of a sudden we heard somebody coming, and who should pop round an old wall but Greaseby, the butcher, whose shop stood just opposite us when we were in the East, and who has been with us for many a trip to Hampstead and elsewhere. Well, he'd no sooner got round the corner and seen us, than he hollers out: "Here, Hann, come along; why I never, if here haint the Snaggletons." Up comes Mrs. Greaseby, poor soul, puffing and blowing, and all of a tremble, she'd made so much haste,

and she runs up to my wife and shakes hands with her like anything. Well, you should have seen Mrs. S.'s face; a photographer would have given any money for it. She couldn't get out of it anyhow, for her back was up against the ruins, and we were all in a corner. She was awfully stiff, however, and the girls scarcely took any notice of "those odious people," as they called the Greasebys; but, bless you, they didn't care a bit, but chatted as friendly as possible, and talked over old times and asked Mrs. S. if she remembered going to Hampstead Heath and riding the blind donkey, and whether she didn't miss the smell of the candles. At last Mrs. S. got up and shook herself, for all the world like a Newfoundland dog; says she, very lofty-like: "Mr. S., it's time for us to return, we have an engagement with Lady Turtle. I wish you a good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Greaseby." And with that she went off to her donkey. Before we started, however, honest Jock Greaseby came up to me and says he: "I didn't think a little money altered a party Why, Snaggleton, I've sold your wife mutton a half-penny cheaper anyone else in the Row before now."

than

"Never mind, old fellow," says I, "it's not my fault really ;" and it wasn't, Cooler, for 'pon my word, I liked the man and always shall.

Well, I needn't say that there was a pretty piece of work going back, what with the donkeys, and the water, and the rain, for it began to pour before we got far, and above all the meeting with the Greasebys, Mrs. S. and the girls made my life a burden to me; and "hang it all," says I at at last, "if you say much more we'll go back to town to-morrow, yes and to Whitechapel too, which I'm heartily sorry we ever left."

Mrs. S. then called me a monster, and said I hadn't the feelings of a gentleman. "No, my dear," says I, "that's true enough, and what's more, I don't pretend to have 'em; what's bred in the bone comes out in the flesh my father was a grocer, and his father before him, and I'm a grocer still, though I haven't got a shop."

They all agreed that I was a disgrace to the family, which is rather rich, considering that I made the family what it is, except its foolish airs, which don't come from my side of the house; and they also determined to leave "this horrid, vulgar place as soon as possible," to which I made no objection. Next morning Mrs. S. and the girls went to bathe, and while they were having their dip, they met another old acquaintance, Miss Shag, who kept the snuff-shop with the red-nosed Highlander in front of it, just round the corner of our street in the East. She popped up close to Mrs. S. in the water, and being an affectionate old girl, insisted on catching hold of her round the neck, and calling out: "Why if isn't my old school-fellow, Jemima Snaggleton." Lady Turtle was close by, and Mrs. S. was ready to die of vexation. I nearly killed myself with laughing when I heard it. Just, fancy my dear Cooler, coming all this way to do the genteel, and then to meet your old acquaintances at every turn! I don't know whether we shall stay here much longer but Mrs. S. hasn't quite made up her mind yet. Olivia doesn't want

I saw

to go. I fancy she has made some grand acquaintance or other; her walking with a young fellow very finely dressed on the promenade last night. You can write to me, here, Cooler if you've time. Remember me to all at home, and now I remain, yours sincerely and to command,

JOSHUA SNAGGLETON.

AN HEIRLOOM.

BY GEORGE MANVILLE FENN.

"THAT'S a fine pearl, Fiddis," said one of "Ours," admiring a lustrous gem worn with an air of "admire me, do," in "Sam's scarf."

'Ah, so it is," chimed in one or two others, now for the first time noticing the pin in the breast of our new sub.--a fine young fellow from the sister isle, rather given to making alterations in the pronunciation of the Queen's English.

"Yes, pretty fair," said the owner.

"It's an heirloom; and came

into our family in the early part of the seventeenth century through one of my ancestor's tenants, who was a fisherman. There's a legend attached to it."

"Just so," said a voice, "I suppose it's an heirloom upon which you weave your history."

The pearl was passed down the table from hand to hand; deservedly admired; and after the decanter had followed the same course, and a glass or two of its contents had passed away, Ensign Samuel Fiddis, at the earnest request of his messmates, related whence came the lustrous "unio."

"You see," said the narrator, "our folks used years ago to receive tribute from some of their dependants in fish; and one Mike Connor was in the habit of furnishing all the natives that the old people took with their stout; but he was a lazy fellow, a great liar, and always in arrear with his 'tip ;' so much so, that his lord used sometimes to talk of selling him: not, however, with any intention of fulfilling the threat, for he would not have fetched anything worth mentioning; and, besides, he was well up in the position of the oyster beds, and, when he liked, could bring in a capital basket of the molluscs.

"Now it happened one morning, when the poor fellow was just recovering from a large dose of kicks, that he shoved off in his little boat, and with his sadly worn dredge net set to work trying to fish up a few oysters from amongst the rocks; but he was out of luck that day, for do

what he would, no oysters could he get-nothing but empty shells; and at last, almost in despair, he took a large pinch of genuine Irish out of a large whelk shell which he carried well corked in his pocket, pulled in his empty net, and paddled off to try some new ground where net had never before been cast; for he felt that it would be a case with him if he had not something to show upon his return. So at it he went, and at the first drag he got hold of something which made him pull with all his might; and it was not until he had nearly pulled the little skiff over with his efforts that he felt that he had got the upper hand, and made sure that he was drawing in a good netful of the savoury bi-valves. But to Mike's great astonishment, instead of a netful of natives he had drawn up a single specimen, an enormous fellow like a gigantic loo-table. Mike never stopped to think-as a rule we Hibernians never do-and so without troubling himself about what might be the consequences, he puffed, and panted, and strained, and at last hoisted the big monster into his crazy vessel, where it looked almost big enough to swamp it, for six feet across it was at the very least. However, he put a bold face upon the matter as he dragged the monster on board.

“As soon as he had it sitting across, resting with its shell on the two sides of the boat, Mike Connor sat himself down on the thwarts to get his wind again, and taking another pinch of snuff, and wasting half of it by being so nervous at the sight of his visitor, there he sat, staring for all the world like an oyster himself; for he never saw the like of that fish before.

"He had been sitting there the space of about two minutes, when the great baste opens his mouth, and yawns like a catacomb. 'Heigh-ho ha hum-m-m-m,' he says; and when his mouth was well open-'What in the name of all the saints d'ye mane by that, Mike Connor,' says he. "Save us!' says Mike, getting just the laste taste uncomfortable. 'Save us,' he says again.

666

"What d'ye mane, Mike, I say?' says the oyster, giving himself a bit of a shake, and letting one of his edges slip down inside the boat, so that he cocked up sideways. There you go,' says he again, ‘what did you do that for? Put me up horizontal, Mike, and let's have it out like Christians.'

"Mike crossed himself, and then hoisted the oyster on to the edge of the boat again, and then he stammered: "What do I mane, mane by what?'

"Mane by what? why by dragging a dacent body out of his own bed at this time in the mornin', wid your dirty old rope yarns. By the beard of my father, it's likin' I'd be to give you a duckin', Mike.' Saying which the oyster shut his lid with a snap that nearly made Mike jump overboard. Till seeing how helpless and still the great brute lay, Mike began to think there couldn't be so much danger, and so he plucked up spirits again, and took another pinch of snuff.

"By and bye the oyster opens his shell again, and says to Mike,

says he Lift me up, Mike, and put me a little straighter. I'm all of one side yet, and it gives me the water on the brain. There, lift me,' he says, 'I shan't bite ye, ye omadhaun.'

666

'How do I know that,' says Mike stoutly.

'It isn't touching you

again I'll be, without laying the boathook acrass your mouth.'

666

'Mike,' says the oyster, 'you're a fool, or else you'd trust the word of a gentleman. You just put a hand under me at once, and lift me up, or I'll spit a pearl in your eye.'

"Good luck to you,' says Mike to himself, 'I wish you'd spit it somewhere else;' and then he goes quite bould up to the oyster and sets him square."

"That's nate,' says the oyster, and now just put that ugly fist of yours in here, and I'll give you such a pearl as that bodkin eye of yours never saw before.'

"Whereabouts will it be?' says Mike, not much liking to put his hand into such a trap as the oyster looked; whereabouts will it be?' "Why, here,' says the oyster, 'just below my bird; I use it for a shirt button.'

"Whew!' says Mike, giving a long low whistle; why, he talks for all the world like a Christian.'

"Now look alive, Mike,' he says, 'and then you can just tilt me gently over the boat again and be off, for the sooner I'm in bed again the better. There,' he says, yawning till his shells were two feet apart, 'see how sleepy I am. That comes of being disturbed of a morning after having a case of twins in the night, Mike Connor. But, come now, take the pearl, and then put me back, there's a good soul.' Saying which he looked so mighty pleasant and innocent that Mike put his arm in right up to the elbow, and after a little feeling about he got hold of a pearl as big as a hen's egg.

666

"Ah, ye greedy divil, not that one,' roared the oyster; 'not that one, ye thief of the world, the one under my bird; so lave go of that

one and be aisy.'

"But Mike Connor felt that he had hold of a treasure, and only stuck to it the tighter.

6

"Now lave go, Mike, like a good lad,' says the oyster, and don't let's spoil a pleasant meeting by falling out. Take the one I told you and put me over.'

"But Mike stuck to his prize, and tried hard to drag it out, when, smash went the oyster shell, and in a moment Mike Connor's arm was as tight as if in a vice. He roared; he howled; he kicked the oyster; he tried to wrench the shell open with one of his oars, but being lefthanded he could not manage it; and at last in his struggles he made the boat rock so that the oyster slipped overboard, dragging Mike with it; and down they went right into the oyster bed-Mike all the while kicking and swallowing the salt water as hard as he could.

"When they were at the bottom, Mike had grown quite tired of