THE ROSE-COLORED PACKET.

"Whom he had sensibility to love,

Ambition to attempt, and skill to win."

SOOTHINGLY played the sunset breeze over the sleeping sea, laden with the perfume from the orange groves of Genoa. As the mellow light gilded the palace-roofs and domes of the old city, its aspect, to the imaginative spectator who gazed distantly from the ocean, was not unlike an ancient and splendid amphitheatre, with golden battlements, an azure canopy, and an arena of polished emerald. The quiet waters of the bay wore an air of unwonted solitude; and but a single vessel was moored in a position which indicated a speedy departure. This was a brigantine, of beautiful proportions-evidently one of the comparatively small, but singularly efficient craft, which supplied Britain with the finer fabrics of southern Europe. If the eye lingered unconsciously upon the symmetrical exterior of the "Sea-Nymph," a glance at her occupants and equipments could not but speedily yield to a gaze

of earnestness and pleasure. The most prominent figure discernible upon her deck, was that of a young man clad in mariner's vestments, the quality of which indicated superiority of rank not more distinctly than did their perfect adaptation serve to discover superiority of form and strength. There was enough in the stranger's appearance to denote his English origin; but other characteristics as readily suggested to an intelligent observer, that circumstances of birth or experience had modified the peculiarities so obvious in the sons of the north. A certain nervousness of temperament and latent warmth of feeling, were discoverable in the natural language of the seaman; and as the light puffs of air, ever and anon, threw back the side-locks from his uncovered head, the disciple of a beautiful but misinterpreted science would have noticed the cause of the bland complacency which rested on his countenance, as his eye roved over the surrounding scene. The breadth of the brow indicated a large endowment of ideality, to the delight of which that fairy-like picture was now silently ministering. The mother of Captain Roberto was a native of Spain; and neither the qualities of his Albion father, which he largely inherited, nor a boyhood spent amid the fogs of the island, had sufficed to eradicate the southern leaven from his nature. Earlier, by several years, than ordinary prudence would warrant, he had been entrusted with a large interest in the

trade in which he was then engaged. For him, it had many and peculiar charms. His latent affinity with the region of his mother's nativity found free scope during his frequent sojourns in the cities and campagna of the Mediterranean coast; and in every port there were those who welcomed the "Sea-Nymph" and her gallant commander, with a greeting such as seldom cheers the arrival of foreign merchantmen.

"I think the lad has started, yonder," said the captain.

Ay, ay, sir," replied his second in command, turning his eye towards the shipping.

"A slacker boy than Zed would have lingered longer on his last land errand."

In a few moments the boat, propelled gently on by the skilful arm of the young sailor, touched the vessel's side, and he stood, hat in hand, before his commander.

"All's right," observed that functionary, taking a small file of papers from the boy, and hastily glancing at their contents; "and had ye brought a good breeze with ye, Zed, we would see how much nearer the Straits the dawn would find us."

"Your honor knows that Zed would ever be the bearer of pleasant things;" and drawing from his vest a small pink packet, he presented it," with unusual obeisance, whereby-as the quick eye of Roberto was not slow to detect-the lad

hoped to conceal the arch smile that was playing on his lip.

"Whence this?" exclaimed the captain, with an air of surprise.

"It was left at the consignee's, an hour since, sir;" and so saying, he retreated among his

messmates.

Nicholas Vanblunt, the mate of the "SeaNymph," possessed the numerous solid excellencies which characterized his Dutch progenitors. Indeed, if the truth must be told, the prudent partners of Roberto had connived to secure the old man the berth he enjoyed-deeming his caution and judicious timidity well fitted to neutralize the action of the captain's more mercurial nature; and they were wont, in private converse, to yclep Vanblunt the ballast of their enterprises, and Roberto the sails;-the one ever advocating steadiness, and preferring perfect immobility to the least risk; the other striving to catch every breeze of fortune, and carry some canvass even in a tempest. One quickening impulse, however, occasionally wakened into temporary vivacity the energies of Nicholas; this was that restless appetite, of mother Eve memory, denominated curiosity; and, had one seen the start and the gaze, which the phenomenon of the rose-colored packet gave rise to, he would have thought that the Netherlands had suddenly become visible over the bow of the brigantine. The effect

which the epistle produced upon the demeanor of Roberto, was well calculated still farther to excite the inquisitive spirit of his mate. He dwelt long and curiously upon the superscription; and the listless manner in which he broke the seal, was strongly contrasted with the expression of intense interest which its contents awakened. He read; then walked the deck and read again; now he turned his eyes intently upon some inland object, and now surveyed, with anxious circumspection, the hues of the horizon; he smiled as the breeze evidently freshened, and glanced complacently over the garniture of his vessel; then resuming his walk, he hummed musingly a Spanish air, till the flutter of the paper seemed to awaken his mind from its abstraction; once again he read, then carefully refolding and depositing it in his bosom, he murmured, yet in a tone of resolution-" It shall be done!"

"What, sir?" ejaculated the impatient Nicholas, at his elbow.

"A trifle, in the way of business on shore. Harkee, Mr. Vanblunt, send Zed, with the small boat and two lads, alongside; loosen the sheets and make all ready; in five minutes after my return, we must be off."

Roberto hastened to the cabin; and Nicholas, having given orders agreeable to his instructions, returned to his post, determined, on the captain's re-appearance, to learn the occasion of these unexpected movements.