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"What! all the world turned holiday-seekers? Alas! poor misguided mortals groping in darkness—"

His pathetic exordium was here unfortunately curtailed by the shrill voice of an old woman in a flaming red cloak, who, in that musical (?) patois, impossible to be conveyed upon paper, peculiar to the rustic denizens of fenny Lincolnshire, exclaimed,

"Thee maunna gang there, mon; yow'll be clean left to shift for yoursen."

"And why, my good woman?" "Good woman, forsooth! none o' your gammins here. Take my word and ride off from that ere badluckit 'ouse;" and the "good woman," having delivered this mysterious injunction, drew her scarlet robe more closely around her, to screen her person, we presume, from the scorching rays of the sun, and slowly hobbled away.

“What's all this about?” cried our pious friend, waxing more wrathful than became his saintly character; "call the master; our horses are tired out. What's the matter with the house?"

"Why, sir," answered a boy in a smock who stood at the horse's head; "why, sir, there be a dead mon in th 'ouse, and," he added in a whisper, "our Mag says as how there was summut wrong."

"Fools!" said the traveller, turning to his young companion, whom we will call Philip Rivers; "let us alight, and solve the mystery for ourselves;" and suiting the action to the word, he sprang from his saddle, and quietly led his horse beneath the old-fashioned portal of the inn. Philip followed. Boniface soon appeared, but with none of that smiling visage or honeyed speech which usually distinguishes mine host. No bills of fare were in his hand, no praise of forthcoming dainties on his lips; all he brought into the presence of our travellers was a countenance as woe-begone as generally greets a hand-cuff or a sheriff's officer.

"How now, my friend," said the senior equestrian, "does death so rarely visit your fellow-villagers that his sudden appearance causes such great sensation?"

“”Tis an awful business, sir,” said the publican, who seemed superior to his station; “but walk in, gentlemen, walk in, and if you would hear the history and give a word of advice, why there's none would be so grateful as Sam Winter-that is myself."

"Let us accept his proffered confidence," whispered the Mormon priest; "inscrutable are the ways of God; who can say—but let us enter."

For the benefit of our readers we will condense the loquacious Sam Winter's narrative into a few words. A stranger had arrived there yesterday evening, had retired to rest, and that morning been found lifeless in his bed.

"It wasn't only his dying," continued the disconsolate innkeeper, "though that was bad enough, for never a body would sleep in the room again if they heerd on't; but I have inimies in the place, and Bessie Walters and Bill Jowler," (and a host of other rusticated cognomens,) “had spread it about there must be something wrong in so sudden a death. What can I do?"

"Is there no clergyman," inquired Philip, "that could have advised you in the matter?"

"Clergyman!" echoed Sam Winter, "sorrow a bit of a parson do we see here, 'cept on the Sunday; he lives at t'other village."

"Are there no medical men within reach ?" pursued Philip.

"Lor bless your honor !" cried Sam, "and who'd pay for a dead man's doctor's stuff? and I've been so flurried like, and my missus" (anglicè, wife,) " is away, but I'll send Joe at once that I will," and he hastened to the door.

"Stay!" exclaimed the Mormon, "stay, and witness the power of the prophet of the Lord, the dead restored to life. But first I would see the corpse-lead on."

His voice was commanding, his manner impressive; in a few moments he was ushered into the chamber of the dead. The body of the unfortunate man was stretched upon the couch; a few straggling beams that forced a way through the closed shutters fell upon his countenance, from which all color had fled; the lips and face were fearful from the very intensity of their pallor, the eyelids were firmly closed, and the night-dress in which the body was still arrayed, seemed like the shroud ready to inclose those rigid and lifeless limbs.

"Nothing is impossible to a priest of Jerusalem," said the soi-disant prophet; to his prayer every thing is conceded; heaven and earth before it bend. Go, assemble your friends, your neighbors; let all behold the miracle, let all rejoice and believe."

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It took some time before Sam Winter Philip Rivers were alone left with the excould fully comprehend what was required corpse. Jim, laughing heartily, approached of him, but the gapers outside were speedy the resuscitated man, and seizing him, exin obeying the summons to come and see claimed,the strange gintleman bring the dead man to life." The apartment, which was tolerably large, was soon crowded with spectators. We will spare you, gentle readers, the prophet's oration; it was, like his ordinary conversation, more replete with finesounding verbiage than common sense, but it told upon his simple and illiterate hearers, as was soon manifest by the awe-stricken countenances of all his auditors. All, did we say No! there was one sturdy-looking fellow, Jim the butcher, a perfect personification of John Bull, who, with arms akimbo, stood eyeing the preacher with a look of irreverent unfriendliness.

"Now," said he, when our friend the prophet had concluded, "I be no scholard; I be a plain-spoken mon, but I'd loike to ask you a question or so. You say as how you can make that ere dead body alive agin ?" "Yes!" exclaimed the Mormon, resuming his oratorial voice and gestures; "yes! at my command those eyes shall open to the light, those pallid lips shall smile and speak, the blood shall once more warmly flow through those motionless limbs, the spirit of life again shall animate the clay."

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Now, measter, we'll put a bit polish on yer face," and lo! a few energetic rubs transferred the chalk from that worthy's face to Jim's blue apron. But where is the prophet? Has he not remained to witness this wonderful resurrection No; the sagacious Mormon, finding that instead of a bevy of dupes he had caught a Tartar, hastily decamped in the general confusion, and his confederate, thus left in the lurch, confessed the whole conspiracy. It is almost unnecessary to add, that after this occurrence no Mormon ever again ventured even the shadow of his nose in R, and Philip Rivers, for whose edification this little episode had principally been concocted, returned to his home a wiser and a happier man. The last we heard of him was his marriage with his fair Marion, and doubtless he finds matrimonial bliss the best safeguard against the seducements of religious fanatics, and we would counsel all whose heads are a little inclined to be led by the last newfangled doctrine, to follow his example.

From Dickens' "Household Words."

THE SPADE IN IRELAND.

In the "famine year," of 1846, an application was made to the benevolent public for food and seed by the Irish Presbyterian Home Mission, on behalf of the peasantry

"Assuredly," was again the laconic reply; of the West of Ireland, and particularly of "but we waste time-let us pray."

"Stop a wee bit," pursued the butcher; "if I choppit off his heede, would he come to life then, eh!"

those in a remote district in the county of Mayo. The usual practical shrewdness of Scotchmen suggested to some gentlemen of Edinburgh the uselessness of aggravating Certainly, my friend; all is possible to the future destitution of the Irish people, by the prophet of Jerusalem." merely squandering money in doling out

"Then I'll do it," cried Jim, in a thunder-rations; which, when exhausted, would ing voice, pushing his way to the head of the couch, and raising his cleaver in the air; " here goes."

"Hollo! hollo!" shrieked the dead man, jumping up; "I'd rather not have my head chopped off this bout, any how."

The spectators, men, women, and children, screamed wildly, and threw one another down in their haste to depart. In an incredibly short time, mine host, the butcher, and

leave the recipients more destitute, and with weaker habits of self-reliance than before the period of relief. They had learnt from history the success with which Cromwell had planted Ulster, by the introduction of Saxons and Saxon habits among the population. They were struck with the wisdom and practical views which Sir Robert Peel had developed in his proposals for a renewal and extension of the experiment. Surprised

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by water power, is constructed. At the end of the first complete year (1849) sixty-five acres of oats, potatoes, barley, vetches, carrots, parsnips, and turnips, of considerable yield and excellent quality, were gathered, and employment afforded for forty men at sixpence per day, and as many women and children at from three pence to fourpence; thereby securing subsistence to upwards of two hundred individuals.

Scotchmen can do nothing without schools, and the first building which the subscribers erected was a school-house. They had great difficulty in procuring a teacher, being generally told by those to whom they applied, that they declined being shot by wild Irishmen. They, at last, secured the services of an able and enthusiastic Scotch schoolmaster, who understands and can direct all country work, and who finds not only his pupils apt and docile, but his full-grown neighbors peaceable and friendly.

that it received no countenance from Parli- | erected, and a thrashing mill, to be driven ament and no encouragement from the authority of other statesmen, they resolved to try, on a small scale, the experiment which might worthily have been expanded in imperial dimensions. An experienced agriculturist from the South of Scotland was dispatched to the proposed scene of operations. From his representation it appeared that the people inhabiting this district, being found to be of a peaceable and industrious character, and little acquainted with the common practice of systematic husbandry, it was afterwards thought, that in place of continuing the temporary assistance which was still required, the money to be so expended might be thrown into a channel of a more permanent character, by renting a few hundred acres, for the double purpose of introducing an improved system of cultivation, and of affording profitable employment to the destitute. Taking a more enlarged view of the matter, it was considered not unreasonable to expect that if the example were set, and followed out with success, private individuals from England and Scotland, looking out for farms, might be induced to follow such example, and enter upon the cultivation of the thousands of acres which are lying untenanted on all sides. A lease of Castle and Parkmore farms and the Townland of Ballinglew for twentyone years, and three lives, has been taken. The land is two miles from the sea-coast, nine from the sea-port of Killala, and sixteen from the market-town of Ballina. It has good roads, abundance of lime and freestone, peat for fuel, and sea-weed for manure. It is three hundred and seventy-four statute acres in extent, the rent is only sixty-four pounds, and that rent (only three shillings and sixpence per acre) is higher than that of the surrounding holdings. Although the tenants were greatly in arrear, the lessees wisely procured a remission of the landlord's claims, and paid the holders a handsome premium in consideration for the tenant right, to maintain the policy of conciliating, and giving confidence to the "natives." Useless fences and roads were removed, unnecessary hedges and ditches rooted out and filled up, fields put into convenient shape and dimensions, an immense quantity of surface stones removed from the soil, buildings repaired, proper housings and cattle sheds

The chief burden of the success of the experiment has devolved upon a hard-headed Caledonian farm overseer, one James Carlaw, who has not only the faculty of farming skilfully, and making every one about him work efficiently, but whose natural tact and knowledge of human nature have made him universally acceptable to his laborers, and placed him on the highest terms with his Catholic neighbors, including the priest. Nor has this been effected by any compromise of his stiff Presbyterian prejudices. He was "awfully scandalized" by the "heathen disregard of the Sabbath-day;" and remonstrated with all and sundry on the subject. With the caution of his race, he left his family behind him, until by personal residence among the "wild Irish," he had assured himself that they were not so wild as they were called. After due probation, he imported his wife and five children to Ballinglew, the whole hands on the farms having travelled to their sea-port of debarkation to receive them, as a mark of respect; and now Mrs. Carlaw manages the dairy, and her children attend the school with the infantry of the district.

"I conversed," says a policeman in his report to the head officer in Dublin, “with all the people on the farm, with Mr. Brannigan, the overseer, with laborers, apart, and then with people wholly unconnected with

the farm. The former think the concern and it is expected that the whole will go will pay a large amount of interest, while for three thousand five hundred, or four the latter class say it will take five years thousand pounds! In England the rental before it can pay the sum already expended. would warrant a price of ten thousand They speak approvingly of the farm, its pounds, and the acreage eighteen thousand manager, and management. On the whole, pounds. Amid the cry of Protection and decided advantages have arisen to the neigh- | Agricultural Distress, here is an ample field borhood from the settlement of these people for the enterprise of English and Scotch in it. Work has been given, instruction in farmers. No agriculturists in Europe have agriculture to the laborers has been impart the advantages of such cheap land and labor ed, children have been taught in the school, as are offered to our bucolic Britons in Iremeat and money in a time of need have been land. Able-bodied laborers at sixpence ; distributed." and useful weeders and hoers at threepence per day; with land, bearing fine crops of oats, barley, turnips, and potatoes, at four shillings and eightpence per acre; and to be had, prospectively, at less than three shillings, with a profit to the landlord of five per cent. on a price of four thousand pounds.

The report of the clever Irish P. C., further states, that "the people are perfectly satisfied," and "like the farm work; that Mr. Carlaw gives satisfaction, decidedly. Many of the country people, of a different religious persuasion, speak well of him. He minds his own business-the farm-and nothing else." A glowing description is given of the "old castle, beautifully situaated at the bottom of the valley;" of "a lovely cottage, flanked and backed by trees;" and of the "little river, which winds its way through this charming valley." The oats "are the best I have ever seen" "barley and potatoes excellent; far more than an average crop. The country is perfectly peaceable, and safe for strangers to live in." The whole country turned out to see the wonders of Scotch broad-cast sowing; grass seed rolling in; turnip drilling; boys and girls became expert at the hoe, " and this implement was utterly unknown here before." At school "the average daily attendance was from eighty to one hundred."

Such is the deserved interest which this experiment has excited, that ladies of rank and quality, not contented with subscribing to it, have travelled alone and in mid-winter to the spot, to verify, with their own eyes, the reports of the overseer. Model farm account-books are kept by sturdy James Carlaw, and the sheet of the week's entries regularly transmitted to the Treasurer, at Edinburgh, for examination by the Committee.

The entire Townland of Ballinglew, on which the farm is situated, is to be exposed for sale under that invaluable measure the Encumbered Estates Act. The rental, at present, is three hundred and ten pounds; it consists of nearly one thousand five hundred acres; it is tithe and land-tax free;

We feel convinced that an interview with James Carlaw would soon reassure an English farmer that he may devote his energies to the cultivation of Ireland without any fear of being “shot from behind a hedge.” The vast tide of emigration which is flowing from that country to this island, of the laboring poor-and to the Colonies and United States, of the small farmers-indicates a voluntary relinquishment of the soil by the native occupiers, which may satisfy the reflective that a clear stage is left in the Sister Kingdom for British agricultural enterprise, which could not fail to be crowned with success. Sir Robert Peel suggested the plantation of Ireland, which means its settlement, not by isolated emigrants, but in such numbers as to constitute a neighborhood; an aggregation of English and Scotch in a district, such as would keep each other in countenance, and cheer their hearts by co-operation. Ireland is yet destined to be our right arm, in place of being our wooden leg; she may be regenerated by green hearts and cheerful hopes, throwing off her leprosy, and recovering her elasticity, so that her flesh shall become as the flesh of a little child." She has been bled and blistered, sweated and drugged, to no effect, but to reduce her strength, and aggravate her symptoms. It is time rulers should be asked-as the proprietor of the sorry nag was, under similar circumstances-" Have you ever tried him with oats?" The first trial of the experiment has succeeded at Ballinglew. We hope it will not be the last.

From Dickens' "Household Words."

LONDON POLICE.

burglars from the counties of Surrey, Sussex, and Lancashire, are also to fraternize in London, and to "rifle, rob, and plunder," as uninterruptedly as if every man's house were a mere Castle of Andalusia. Pickpockets-not in single spies but in whole battalions-are to arrive from Paris and Vienna, and are to fall into compact organization (through the medium of interpreters) with the united swell-mobs of London, Liverpool, and Manchester!

In short, it would appear that no words can express our fearful condition so well, as Mr. Croaker's in "The Good-Natured Man." "I am so frightened," says he, "that I scarce know whether I sit, stand, or go. Perhaps at this moment I am treading on lighted matches, blazing brimstone, and barrels of gunpowder. They are preparing to blow me up into the clouds. Murder! We shall be all burnt in our beds !"

Now, to the end that the prophets and their disciples may rest quietly in their beds, we have benevolently abandoned our own bed for some three nights or so, in order to report the results of personal inquiry into the condition and system of the Protective Police of the Metropolis:-the Detective Police has been already described in the first volume of "Household Words." If after our details of the patience, promptitude, order, vigilance, zeal, and judgment, which watch over the peace of the huge Babylon when she sleeps, the fears of the most apprehensive be not dispelled, we shall have quitted our pillow, and plied our pen in vain! But we have no such distrust.

NERVOUS old ladies, dyspeptic half-pay officers, suspicious quidnuncs, plot-dreading diplomatists, and grudging rate-payers, all having the fear of the forthcoming Industrial Invasion before their eyes, are becoming very anxious respecting the adequate efficiency of the London Police. Horrible rumors are finding their way into most of the clubs: reports are permeating into the teaparties of suburban dowagers which darkly shadow forth dire mischief and confusion, the most insignificant result whereof is to be (of course) the overthrow of the British Constitution. Conspiracies of a comprehensive character are being hatched in certain back parlors, in certain back streets behind Mr. Cantelo's Chicken Establishment in Leicester Square. A complicated web of machination is being spun-we have it on the authority of a noble peer-against the integrity of the Austrian Empire, at a small coffee-shop in Soho! Prussia is being menaced by twenty-four determined Poles and Honveds in the attics of a cheap restaurateur in the Haymarket. Lots are being cast for the assassination of Louis Napoleon, in the inner parlors of various cigar shops. America, as we learn from that mighty lever of the civilized world, the New York Weekly Herald"-at whose nod, it is well known, kings tremble on their thrones, and the earth shakes!—is of opinion that the time bids fair for a descent of Red-Republicans on Manchester. The English policemen have been tampered with, and are suborned. The great Although the Metropolitan Police Force Mr. Justice Maule can't find one anywhere. consists of nineteen superintendents, one In short, the peace of the entire continent hundred and twenty-four inspectors, five of Europe may be considered as already hundred and eighty-five sergeants, and four gone. When the various conspiracies now thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven on foot are ripe, the armies of the disaffect- constables, doing duty at twenty-five staed of all nations which are to land at the tions; yet, so uniform is the order of provarious British ports under pretence of as-ceeding in all, and so fairly can the descripsisting" at the Great Glass show, are to be privately and confidentially drilled in secret Champs de Mars, and armed with weapons, stealthily abstracted from the Tower of London; while the Metropolitan Police and the Guards, both horse and foot, will fraternize, and (to a man) pretend to be fast asleep. Neither have our prudent prophets omit-ceed down a long passage into an outer room, ted to foretell minor disasters. Gangs of where there is a barrack bedstead, on which

VOL II-14

tion of what is done at one station be taken as a specimen of what is done at the others, that, without further preface, we shall take the reader into custody, and convey him at once to the Police Station, in Bow Street, Covent Garden.

A policeman keeping watch and ward at the wicket gives us admission, and we pro

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