To mind a slender man like me,
He of the mighty limb!

4. "These to the printer," I exclaimed,
And in my humorous way,

I added (as a trifling jest),
"There'll be the deuce to pay."

5. He took the paper, and I watched,
And saw him peep within ;
At the first line he read, his face
Was all upon the grin.

6. He read the next; the grin grew broad,
And shot from ear to ear;

He read the third; a chuckling noise
I now began to hear.

7. The fourth, he broke into a roar;
The fifth, his waistband split;

The sixth, he burst five buttons off,
And tumbled in a fit.

8. Ten days and nights, with sleepless eye,
I watched that wretched man,

And since, I never dare to write
As funny as I can.

HOLL

105. COUNTRY EXCURSION.

[An amusing extract, describing the efforts of Mr. Pickwick and his three friends to ride and drive.]

MR. PICKWICK found that his three companions had risen,

and were waiting his arrival to commence breakfast, which was ready laid in tempting display. They sat down to

the meal; and broiled ham, eggs, tea, coffee, and sundries, began to disappear with a rapidity which at once bore testimony to the excellence of the fare, and the appetites of its

consumers.

"How

2. "Now about Manor Farm," said Mr. Pickwick. shall we go?" "We had better consult the waiter, perhaps," said Mr. Tupman; and the waiter was summoned accordingly. "Dingley Dell, gentlemen?-Fifteen miles, gentlemen-cross road.-Post-chaise, sir?" "Post-chaise won't hold more than two," said Mr. Pickwick. "True, sir-beg your

pardon, sir. Very nice four-wheel chaise, sir-seat for two behind-one in front for the gentleman that drives-oh! beg your pardon, sir-that'll only hold three."

3. "What's to be done?" said Mr. Snodgrass. "Perhaps one of the gentlemen like to ride, sir?" suggested the waiter, looking towards Mr. Winkle; "very good saddle-horses, sirany of Mr. Wardle's men coming to Rochester, bring 'em back, sir." "The very thing," said Mr. Pickwick. "Winkle, will you go on horseback?"

4. Now Mr. Winkle did entertain considerable misgivings, in the very lowest recesses of his own heart, relative to his equestrian skill; but, as he would not have them even suspected on any account, he at once replied with great hardihood, "Certainly. I should enjoy it of all things." Mr. Winkle had rushed upon his fate; there was no resource. "Let them be at the door by eleven," said Mr. Pickwick. "Very well, sir," replied the waiter.

5. The waiter retired; the breakfast concluded; and t travellers ascended to their respective bedrooms, to prepare change of clothing, to take with them on their approachir expedition. Mr. Pickwick had made his preliminary arrangements, and was looking over the coffee-room blinds at the passengers in the street, when the waiter entered, and announced that the chaise was ready-an announcement which the vehicle itself confirmed, by forthwith appearing before the coffee-room blinds aforesaid.

6. It was a curious little green box on four wheels, with a low place like a wine-bin for two behind and an elevated perch for one in front, drawn by an immense brown horse, displaying great symmetry of bone. An hostler stood near it, holding by the bridle another immense horse-apparently a near relative of the animal in the chaise-ready saddled for Mr. Winkle.

"Oh! you,

7. "Bless my soul !" said Mr. Pickwick, as they stood upon the pavement while the coats were being put in. "Bless my soul! who's to drive? I never thought of that." of course," said Mr. Tupman. "Of course," said Mr. Snodgrass. "I" exclaimed Mr. Pickwick. "Not the slightest fear, sir," interposed the hostler. "Warrant him quiet, sir; a hinfant in arms might drive him." "He don't shy, does he?" inquired Mr. Pickwick. Shy, sir?-he wouldn't shy if he was to meet a vagin-load of monkeys, with their tails burnt off."

8. The last recommendation was indisputable. Mr. Tupman and Mr. Snodgrass got into the bin; Mr. Pickwick ascended to his perch, and deposited his feet on a floor-clothed shelf "erected beneath it, for that purpose." "Now, shiny Villiam," said the hostler to the deputy-hostler, "give the gen'lm'n the ribbins." "Shiny Villiam"-so called, probably, from his sleek hair and oily countenance-placed the reins in Mr. Pickwick's left hand; and the upper hostler thrust a whip into his right.

9. "Woo!" cried Mr. Pickwick, as the tall quadruped evinced a decided inclination to back into the coffee-room window. "Wo-o !" echoed Mr. Tupman and Mr. Snodgrass, from the bin. "Only his playfulness, gen'lm'n," said the head-hostler, encouragingly; "jist kitch hold on him, Villiam." The deputy restrained the animal's impetuosity, and the prin cipal ran to assist Mr. Winkle in mounting. "Tother side, sir, if you please." "Blowed if the gen'lm'n worn't a gettin' up on the wrong side," whispered a grinning post-boy to the in expressibly gratified waiter.

10. Mr. Winkle, thus instructed, climbed into his saddle with about as much difficulty as he would have experienced in getting up the side of a first-rate man-of-war. "All right?" inquired Mr. Pickwick, with an inward presentiment that it was all wrong. "All right," replied Mr. Winkle, faintly. "Let 'em go," cried the hostler. "Hold him in, sir;" and away went the chaise and the saddle-horse, with Mr. Pickwick on the box of the one, and Mr. Winkle on the back of the other, to the delight and gratification of the whole innyard.

WHAT

106. COUNTRY EXCURSION—(CONTINUED).

WHAT makes him go sideways?" said Mr. Snodgrass in the bin to Mr. Winkle in the saddle. "I can't imag ine," replied Mr. Winkle. His horse was going up the street in the most mysterious manner-side first, with his head towards one side of the way, and his tail to the other.

2. Mr. Pickwick had no leisure to observe either this, of any other particular, the whole of his faculties being concen trated in the management of the animal attached to the chaise, who displayed various peculiarities, highly interesting to a by-stander, but by no means equally amusing to any one seated behind him. Besides constantly jerking his head up in a very unpleasant and uncomfortable manner, and tugging at the reins to an extent which rendered it a matter of great difficulty for Mr. Pickwick to hold them, he had a singular propensity for darting suddenly every now and then to the side of the road, then stopping short, and then rushing for. ward for some minutes at a speed which it was wholly im possible to control.

3. "What can he mean by this?" said Mr. Snodgrass, when the horse had executed this manœuvre for the twentieth time. "I don't know," replied Mr. Tupman; "it looks very like shy ing, don't it?" Mr. Snodgrass was about to reply, when he was interrupted by a shout from Mr. Pickwick.

4. "Woo!" said that gentleman, "I have dropped my whip." "Winkle," cried Mr. Snodgrass, as the equestrian came trotting up on the tall horse, with his hat over his ears, and shaking all over, as if he would shake to pieces, with the violence of the exercise. "Pick up the whip, there's a good fellow." Mr. Winkle pulled at the bridle of the tall horse till he was black in the face; and having at length succeeded in stopping him, dismounted, handed the whip to Mr. Pickwick, and, grasping the reins, prepared to remount.

5. Now whether the tall horse, in the natural playfulness of his disposition, was desirous of having a little innocent recreation with Mr. Winkle, or whether it occurred to him that he could perform the journey as much to his own satisfaction without a rider as with one, are points upon which, of course, we can arrive at no definitive and distinct conclusion. By whatever motives the animal was actuated, certain it is that Mr. Winkle had no sooner touched the reins, than he slipped them over his head, and darted backwards to their full length.

6. "Poor fellow," said Mr. Winkle, soothingly,-"poor fel. low-good old horse." The "poor fellow" was proof against flattery: the more Mr. Winkle tried to get near him, the more he sidled away; and, notwithstanding all kinds of coaxing and wheedling, there were Mr. Winkle and the horse going round and round each other for ten minutes, at the end of which time each was at precisely the same distance from the other as when they first commenced-an unsatisfactory sort of thing under any circumstances, but particularly so in a lonely road, where no assistance can be procured.

7. "What am I to do?" shouted Mr. Winkle, after the dodging had been prolonged for a considerable time. "What am I to do? I can't get on him!" "You had better lead him till we come to a turnpike," replied Mr. Pickwick from the chaise. "But he won't come," roared Mr. Winkle. "Do come and hold him."

8. Mr. Pickwick was the very personation of kindness and