which was the usual signal from her friendly neighbours to summon her to tea. On this she took courage, walked firmly to the door of the apartment, flung it open, and again beheld the military spectre of the deceased officer of the Black Watch.

He

seemed to stand within a yard of her, and held his hand stretched out, not in a menacing manner, but as if to prevent her passing him. This was too much for human fortitude to endure, and she sunk down on the floor, with a noise which alarmed her friends below for her safety,

On their hastening up stairs, and entering Mrs.

's lodging, they saw nothing extraordinary in the passage, but in the parlour found the lady in strong hysterics. She was recalled to herself with difficulty, but concealed the extraordinary cause of her indisposition. Her friends naturally imputed it to the late unpleasant intelligence from Argyleshire, and remained with her till a late hour, endeavouring to amuse and relieve her mind. The hour of rest, however, arrived, and there was a necessity (which Mrs. felt an alarming one) that she should go to ther solitary apartment. She had scarce set down the light which she held in her hand, and was in the act of composing her mind, ere addressing the Deity for protection during the perils of the night, when, turning her head, the vision she had seen in the passage was standing in the apartment. On this emergency she summoned up her courage, and addressing him by his name and surname, con

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jured him in the name of Heaven to tell her wherefore he thus haunted her. The apparition instantly! answered, with a voice and manner in no respect differing from those proper to him while alive, "Cousin, why did you not speak sooner,my visit is but for your good, your grief disturbs me in my grave, and it is by permission of the Father of the fatherless and Husband of the widow, that I come to tell you not to be disheartened by my fate, but to pursue the line which, by my advice, you adopted for your son. He will find a protector more efficient and as kind as I would have been; will rise high in the military profession, and live to close your eyes." With these words, the figure repre senting Captain Campbell completely vanished. Dne

Upon the point of her being decidedly awake and sensible, through her eyes and ears, of the presence and words of this apparition, Mrs. declared

herself perfectly convinced. She said, when minutely questioned by the lady who told me the story, that his general appearance differed in no respect from that which he presented when in full life and health; but that in the last occasion, while she fixed her eyes on the spectre in terror and anxiety, yet with a curiosity which argued her to be somewhat familiarized with his presence, she observed a speck or two of blood upon his breast, ruffle, and band, which he seemed to conceal with his hand when he observed her looking at him. He changed his atti

tude more than once, but slightly, and without altering his general position.

The fate of the young gentleman in future life seemed to correspond with the prophecy. He entered the army, rose to considerable rank, and died in peace and honour, long after he had closed the eyes of the good old lady, who had determined, or at least professed to have determined, his destination in life upon this marvellous suggestion.

It would have been easy for a skilful narrator to give this tale more effect, by a slight transference or trifling exaggeration of the circumstances. But the author has determined in this and future communications to limit himself strictly to his authorities, and rests your humble servant, SIMON SHADOW. BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINE.

MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS, IN VERSE.

ALL men's intrigues and projects tend,

By sev❜ral courses, to one end;
To compass, by the prop'rest shows,
Whatever their designs propose;
And that which owns the fair'st pretext
Is often found the indirect'st.

Hence 'tis that hypocrites still paint....
Much fairer than the real saint,

And knavés appear more just and true
Than honest men, that make less show ;...17/
The dullest idiots in disguise

Appear more knowing than the wise ; Dení.
Illiterate dunces, undiscern'd, dishes Cum 1stÀ
Pass on the rabble for the learn'd;

And cowards, that can damn and rant,
Pass muster for the valiant:

For he that has but impudence, a ova i Yi að To all things has a just pretence, in main e ti And, put among his wants but shame, y or NUE To all the world may lay his claim.

Should once the world resolve t' abolish 7 913 All that's ridiculous and foolish,. ** It would have nothing left to do, T' apply in jest or earnest to, No business of importance, play, Or state, to pass its time away.

Critics are like a kind of flies that breed

In wild fig-trees, and, when they're grown up, feed Upon the raw fruit of the nobler kind,

yf And, by their nibbling on the outward rind, two?? Open the pores, and make way for the sun ha To ripen it sooner than he would have done. P

As all Fanatics preach, so all men write, Out of the strength of gifts and inward-light, ́ ̈

In spite of art; as horses thorough pac'd
Were never taught, and therefore go more fast.

In all mistakes the strict and regular
Are found to be the desp'rat'st ways to err,
And worst to be avoided; as a wound
Is said to be the harder cur'd that's round;
For error and mistake, the less th' appear,
In th' end are found to be the dangerouser';
As no man minds those clocks that use to go
Apparently too over-fast or slow..

The truest characters of ignorance

Are vanity, and pride, and arrogance;

As blind men use to bear their noses higher.JA Than those that have their eyes and sight entire.

'Tis not the art of schools to understand, But make things hard, instead of b'ing explain'd; And therefore those are commonly the learned'st That only study between jest and earnest: For, when the end of learning's to pursue And trace the subtle steps of false and true, They ne'er consider how they're to apply, But only listen to the noise and cry, And are so much delighted with the chase, They never mind the taking of their preys.

More proselytes and converts use t' accrue To false persuasions than the right and true;