nal country this is! Horrible! horrible! horrible! Bernard.—Quihi*?-Saheeb! Will you cool that Madeira, you? This is what I get by bringing you here. We shall not be able to exist, Bernard.” Thus the Nabob continued to ring a peal on his favourite expletives, till the ladies returned from changing their travelling dresses; when Mr. M'Mahon found that the champagne he had furnished was so completely Irish, that it was undrinkable. The green hock glasses were Irish, and so short in the shank that it was horrible! The finger cups and coolers were as pale as Irish diamonds; they had no brilliancy in them. Because the wax candles in silver branches along the table were not covered with glass shades, it was horrible! At first it was horribly cold; and then, as the large fire and generous fare operated, it was horribly hot; and it was intolerable that there was no punko in the room. The Irish knew nothing of comfort. Then, the joints were all Irish-the fish and soup had been Irish-the mulgatawny was horrible the patties were undone the chandeliers were of Irish cut-the decanters revealed not the Who's there? sparkles of the wines, from their dull Irish huethe fruits partook of the insipidity of our moist climate-the claret was like-I know not what-it was horrible. The Nabob's* chillum was not palatable-Pah! it was Irish. In short, every thing was horribly horrible; and the Nabob agreed with his lady only in this general particular, joined as he was by Miss Francesca, Miss Dorothea, Miss Wilhelmina, and Miss Jemima; their brothers George Mahommed, William Gopagee, and Charles Narrypunt (for they were all named after rich natives whose presents had created kindred affection, and a little more too!) chiming in most delightfully; and followed by Conneferam, the head Konsemah†, and Chinnema, the chief Ayah, or ladies' maid. In after dinner debate, it was decided that orders. should be sent to Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay for all the manufactures of England and Europe.Even West India sugars were horrible, unless they had imbibed an imaginary flavour from the salt of the Indian and Chinese seas. But enough! full enough of this! I have dwelt upon it so long, with * Composed of tobacco and spices. + A butler or head servant. a good and useful intention. We are creatures of habit; and it is absurd to say that, after long absence from our native country, we can return to it with native feelings. Unconscious, however, that time and change have wrought a wonderful transformation in our minds, we torture our tempers with idle vituperations of disappointment and regret. Behold the ocean, which has often been beautifully compared to human life; and learn from it what the state of that man must be, who returns to his native land after having been “ climatized” in a strange region, and forced by the currents of custom and example into harmony with all around him. See yon blue liquid expanse, how tranquilly it slumbers and glitters in lovely ethereal robe, beneath the Sir Joshua Reynolds of nature, the glorious source of light!-Think how similar that picture is to youth in the cradle of his father-landthe school of his mother-tongue-the scene of remembered childish joys-that spot of all the world where every face is known;-where nothing surprises;-where the tear is forgotten as soon as shed, or falls like oil poured on stormy waves only to produce a sweeter calm than nature ever breathed with out contrast. Look again, how the breeze freshens -how naturally the waves swell-how beautifully white they curl, and sparkle, and die by melting into each other's joy. Now they fly before the gale-leap with the impulse of hearts inspired by the excitement of a chase-and seem as if dancing in air. O, how like the agitations of passion, desire, and fortune among our own native hills, where, like bounding goats, we skip from crag to crag, deeming every new elevation an increase of felicity ;-having the power of eye only to look up. But see! see! the storm howls; lightning glares; thunder crashesO how the billows foam, and rave, and roar, and tumble one over another, like whales at blind man's buff. Still all is natural. The gay skiff of life can furl her sails, and with a jib run before them; or with her head bravely meet their spray breaking over her yard-arms. Man can do the same in the general or common storms of his native adversities; he is distracted by nothing new; astonished by nothing unexpected; he guides the helm, and fights his battle full of confidence, health, and hope.-Yes! *The mountain goat can see only above him, and therefore, he cannot know the danger of climbing. yes! O, turn thy sight! behold yon white speck--it swells, like the oriental genius breaking from the jar-peals in the thunder of a giant's voice-sweeps in a black whirl, like the tiphoon-takes ocean aback-hurls a whole element pellmell upon itself-recoiling, and struggling, and foaming, and boiling in suffocating gurgles for life. Mercy! 1 mercy! O, God! O, God! look down and pity yon lone bark! Hark! her masts go with a crash, louder than the hurricane. See! see! yon mountain of slate under whose toppling destruction she quakes. Tremendous! it breaks, and falls, like Niagara, upon the brave but quivering ship. Her boats-her booms-her gallant crew are swept from the deck, and with a scream, loud and terrific, drowned by the whistling and piping convulsion of nature, hurled into the gaping abyss, to serve as morsels for laughing sharks. She reels! she staggers! she is dead drunk with briny libations. She flies, like a crab, backwards! her stern meets a giant blow. Heard you that groan? Down went the gallant ship-down went six hundred souls. Not a sigh was heard; not a scream re-echoed as their crashing bones smacked to the gulp of ocean's |