had been struck with the moral beauty-I had almost said, the moral grandeur of the group :-green Youth supporting yellow Age; the strong arm of Twenty-five pressing with ardour, the flabby sides of Fifty; the rich, peach-like cheek of Mr. Proxy opposing its freshness to such a dried prune as Mrs. Levis's? As for me—either enthusiasm or the devil was in me; for, opening the door cautiously, I entered the room.

My aunt did not perceive me, till I was close upon her. But when she did- -Reader, if you have ever seen a hen, when some thoughtless urchin hath come too near her tailless brood; or a goose, when an approaching wheel hath driven her from the cool luxury of a puddle; or listened to the soft repinings of a sow, when the hard hand of the swine-herd hath rapped her over the snout for guzzling too greedily-you may imagine how my aunt looked and spoke when she rose from the sofa and faced me: but -if you have never seen a hen, when some thoughtless urchin hath come too near her tailless brood; or a goose when an approaching wheel hath driven her from the cool luxury of a puddle; or listened to the soft repinings of a sow, when the hard hand of the swine-herd hath rapped her over the snout for guzzling too greedily—you can form no conception of the rage which ruffled up my aunt's feathers, gave majesty to her waddling step, and issued grunt-like from her squeaking mouth.

"What means this insolence, sir ?"-Now my aunt acted like a fool; for had she shown her usual prudence, she would have kept her seat and temper, and thereby saved her credit-at least as far as the key-hole had not looked upon it: for I certainly had a right to enter the drawing room when I found the door unlocked-" Cannot I receive a friend without being subjected to your rudeness? You'd better go down to the kitchen, sir, and learn manners!"

"I am sorry I have intruded, aunt; but I thought you had fainted on cousin Proxy's neck. If you don't wish

to be assisted, you should lock the door when the fit comes on."

My words were sufficient to irritate, without the sneer that accompanied them; but, with the sneer that accompanied them, they filled up the measure of the lady's wrath, and dyed a deeper red the roses on the cheeks of her cousin.

"Is this the reward of my kindness, you ungrateful wretch ?"-said, or rather screamed, the former, while something like expression shone in her yellow eyes, and a dark red flush, like the light of the sun through a smoked glass, passed from the hills and valleys of her cheeks to settle in the peninsular tip of her nose—“ Is this the reward of my kindness? to have you insult me in the presence of my friends? you! a poor vagabond, turned from your father's house, and taken in through mere charity!—Leave the room, sir! Depend upon it, your uncle shall know of this-Leave the room, I say, you sneering, impudent, low-bred-leave the room! -John, John!"

"O, don't trouble yourself to call John, my dear, sweettempered aunt; I can go without his help, I assure you. Only remember, sweet aunt, the next time you faint on a gentleman's neck, I will let my uncle know it first, and help you afterwards. Good b'y'e, cousin doctor Proxy !"and looking with enough malice, I am sure, to qualify me for a teacher to Beelzebub, I left the roomclosing the door with a deliberation that would have done me honour, had the parties within been asleep.

- Well-thought I-as I skipped along the entry, with the satisfaction one always feels after doing a good ac tion, it seems there is no ditch so green, but a high wind may ruffle its quiet surface-and that is something learned.

But just as the aforesaid ditch, when the wind hath ceased to blow, recovers its serenity and hides again its modest face beneath its grass-green veil-so, ere five minutes had

elapsed, appeared, at the door of my apartment, all smiles. and condescension, Mrs. Levis-my aunt, Mrs. Jeremy Levis !

"Jerry," she said, extending her hand with what she meant for grace-and the intention is every thing-"I am distressed by the little disagreement which has occurred between persons so amicably disposed as you and myself; but you stimulated my irritability, nephew, by a waggishness of expression which I thought was seated on your laughing countenance, just as if you suspected any thing wrong—though such a thing, you know, were impossible between individuals so intimately connected as Mr. Proxy and myself. However, we must forgive and forget one another in this life, Jerry, that our heavenly father may forgive and forget us in the life to come. By the by, you told me the other day that Hotspur wanted a new saddle :-there-that will buy you a handsome one. Only you need not mention any thing about Mr. Proxy to your uncle-_"

"Certainly not, aunt!"

"For the old gentleman hates to be troubled with relations-"

"Certainly, aunt!"

"And it is our duty, Jerry, to liberate him from any inconvenience, as far as lies in our power."

"Most certainly, aunt! Besides, it is nothing to me what you do with my cousin."-And I tossed the purse from the left hand to the right, and from the right hand back again to the left.

"Mind me, Jerry, not that there is any thing underhand in the matter-bear it well in your remembrance, Jerry-but only not to trouble the old man. You understand me, nephew. And, do you hear? any time you want a few guineas or so, you know on whom to call."

"Thank you, dear aunt. I could do any thing to oblige you now, you look so handsome."—And, bowing with the respect which is ever due to the fair, I grasped

the purse tightly with one hand, and with the other opened the door.

"Jerry, Jerry!" said the flattered fair one, in a tone of gentle reproach-at the same time shaking one monitory finger, as parents do to a mischievous, clever child, while with another they beckon to their friends as if to say :"Do look at the darling little rogue! how smart it is!”"Jerry, you're a sly dog! Ah! you make a perfect fool of your doating aunt!"-and she courtesied from the room, with a smile on her visage like sunshine on a bleak hill in winter.

"O ho!" said I, when the sound of my aunt's retreating steps told me she was not detained at my keyhole by the force of example, "I see how it is-I see how it is!— relationship alone is not the charm for cousin Proxy; 'here is metal more attractive.'-Well!" I continued, as I spread the gold on my writing desk, "I admire his taste-two, four, six-certainly, he is a gentleman of fine discernment-eight, ten, twelve-of most excellent discrimination !—fourteen, sixteen, eighteen, twenty-Hum! twenty !I think Hotspur's saddle will do well enough with a little mending!"-and, as I concluded my soliloquy, I buttoned up my breeches' pocket.

As LONG as the study of medicine was a novelty, I pursued it with ardour. Besides, there was something in the character of the doctor, which, if it did not win the heart, at least commanded attention, and to me was a source of never failing interest.

Though my observations on this point are not essential to the immediate purpose of the chapter, yet, as my uncle's character is not one of every day's finding, the reader perhaps may be pleased with an opportunity of indulging my pride without any discomfort to himself. If he will follow me then, I will trace out the simple lines of a sketch, which, if it have no other merit, shall at least be new.

Timothy Levis, Doctor of Medicine, was one of those rare beings, who, with qualities that should win them the highest station, sit contented in the lowest; not from inertness; but as one, who, reclined at ease, sees others in a race before him :-they toil, and sweat, and pant, each straining his utmost to surpass the rest, while he, 'good, easy man,' looks on with smiling eyes, cheers the foremost, or laughs at those who trip, without it ever occurring to him to run himself-though conscious of powers which would soon place him beyond every competitor. His father being a physician, physic offered itself to my