RURAL REPOSITORY.

Semi-monthly Journal, Embellished with Engravings.

W. B. STODDARD, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
HUDSON, N. Y. SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 1851.

SIR JOHN FRANKLIN.

He was unmistakably mad upon this subject, and he carried his insane theory into practice. He drew his own leases, examined the titles of some houseproperty he purchased, and set his hand and seal to the final deeds, guided only by his own commonsense spectacles.

which Mr. Stanley, as the organ of the ministry, had introduced a few evenings previous, and was rewarded by a perfect deluge of loquacious indigna

heiress. A common-sense, business-like letter in
every respect, and extremely satisfactory; and as
scou as he pleases, after Catherine Arnold comes of
age, and into actual possession of her fortune, Tomtion andinvective; during a pause in which hurly-
may have her, with my blessing over the bargain."

burly of angry words I contrived to effect my escape. "Crowther & Jenkins!" exclaimed Mr. Flint, one morning, looking up from the "Times" news. paper he held in his hand. "Crowther & Jenkins!what is it we know about Crowther & Jenkins ?” The question was addressed to me, and I, like my partner, could not at the moment precisely recall why those names sounded upon our ears with a certain degree of interest as well as familiarity.

"Pass the decanter," he exclaimed the instant" Crowther & Jenkins!" I echoed." True: the door had closed on Tom and his fiancee. "Pass the decanter, Sharp; I have news for you, my boy, now they are gone

"I dined at Laurel Villa, Fulham, about two
Once he bid, at the Auction Mart, as high as months after this conversation. and Linden and I
fifty-three thousand pounds, for the Holmford found ourselves alone over the dessert-the young
estate, Herefordshire, and had he not been outbid- people having gone out for a stroll, attracted doubt-
den by young Palliser, son of the then recently-less by the gay aspect of the Thames, which flows
deccased eminent distiller, who was eager to obtain past the miniature grounds attached to the villa.
the property, with a view to a seat in parliament Never had I seen Mr. Linden in so gay, so mirth
which its possession was said to almost insure-ful a mood.
he would, I had not at the time the slightest doubt,
have completed the purchase, without for a moment
dreaming of submitting the vender's title to the
scrutiny of a professional adviser. Mr. Linden,
I should mention, had been for some time desirous
of resigning his business in Mincing Lane to his
son Thomas Linden, the only child born to him by
his long-since deceased wife, and of retiring, an es-
tated squirearch, to the otium cum, or sine dignitate,
as the case might be, of a country life; and this dis-
position had of late been much quickened by daily
increasing apprehensions of negro emancipation and
revolutionary interference with differential duties-
changes which, in conjunction with others of sim-
ilar character, would infallibly bring about that
utter commercial ruin which Mr. Linden, like
every other rich and about-to-retire merchant or
tradesman whom I have ever known, constantly
prophesied to be near at hand and inevitable.

"Indeed; and what may the news be?"
"Fill a bumper for yourself, and I'll give you
a toast. Here's to the health and prosperity of
the proprietor of the Holmford estate; and may he
live a thousand years, and one over !—Hip—hip— {

hurra!"

what do we know about Crowther & Jenkins? Oh, I have it !-they are executors of a will under which young Linden's pretty bride, that is to be, inherits her fortune."

"Ah?" exclaimed Mr. Flint, as he put down the paper, and looked me gravely in the face—“ I remember now; their names are in the list of bankrupts. A failure in the gambling corn-trade too. I hope they have not been speculating with the

He swallowed his glass of wine, and then, in young woman's money." his intensity of glee, langled himself purple.

"I told you," he began "some time ago about Crowther & Jenkins being the persons in whose names Catherine Arnold's money stood in the funds?"

66

Yes," replied Flint; " and I see by the Gazette they are bankrupts, and, by your face, that they have speculated with your intended daughterin-law's mouey, and lost it!"

"Positively so!" rejoineg Mr. Linden with great beat. "Drew it out many months ago! But they have exceedingly wealthy connections-at least Crowther has-who will, I suppose, arrange Miss Arnold's claim rather than their relative should be arraigned for felony."

The words were scarcely out of his mouth when "You needn't stare so," he said, as soon as he Mr. Linden was announced, and presently in walkhad partially recovered breath; I am the pro-ed that gentleman in a state of considerable exciteprietor of the Holmford property, bought it for fifty-ment. six thousand pounds of that young scape-grace and spendthrift, Palliser, fifteen thousand pounds less than what it cost him, with the outlay he has made upon it. Signed, sealed, delivered, paid for yes. With such a gentleman the firm Flint & Sharp terday. Ha ha! ho! Leave John Linden alone had only professional interviews, when procrastina. for a bargain! It's worth seventy thousand pounds ting or doubtful debtors required that he should put { if it's worth a shilling. I say," contiuued he after on the screw--a process which I have no doubt he a renewed spasm of exuberant mirth, " not a would himself have confidently performed, but for word about it to anybody-mind! I promised Palthe waste of valuable time which doing so would liser, who is quietly packing up to be off to Italy, necessarily involve. Both Flint and myself were, or Constantinople, or the devil-all of them, perhowever, privately intimate with him-Flint more haps, in succession--not to mention a word about especially, who had known him from boyhood-it till he was well off-you understand? Ha! ha! and we frequently dined with him on Sunday at-ho! ho!" against burst out Mr. Linden. "I his little box at Fulham. Latterly, we had on pity the poor creditors though! Bless you! 1 these occasions met there a Mrs. Arnold and her shouldn't have had it at anything like the price, daughter Catherine-an apparently amiable, and only for his knowing that I was not likely to be certainly very pretty and interesting young running about exposing the affair by asking law. person, to whom, Mr. Linden confidently informedyers whether an estate in a family's possession, as us, his son Tom had been for some time engaged. "I don't know much about her family," observed Mr. Linden one day, in the course of a gossip at the office," but she moves in very respectable society. Tom met her at the Slades; but I do know she has something like thirty-five thousand pounds in the funds. The instant I was informed how matters stood with the young folks, I, as a matter of common sense and business, asked the mother, Mrs. Arnold, for a reference to her banker or solicitor-there being no doubt that a woman and a minor would be in lawyers' leading-strings-and she referred me to Messrs. Dobson of Chancery Lane. You know the Dobsons?"

this was in Dursley's for three hundred years, had
a good title or not. So be careful and not drop a
word, even to Tom, for my honor's sake. A deli-
cious bargain, and no mistake! Worth, if a penny,
seventy thousand pounds. Ha! ha-ho! ho!"
"Then you have really parted with that enor-
mous sum of money without having had the title
to the estate professionally examined ?”

Title! Fiddlestick! I looked over the deeds
myself. Besides, haven't I told you the ancestors
of Dursley, from whose executors Palliser purchased
the estate, were in possesion of it for centuries.
What better title than prescription can there be?"
"That may be true enough; but still—”

"I ought, you think, to have risked losing the bargain by delay, and have squandered time and money upon fellows in horse-hair wigs, in order to ascertain what I sufficiently well knew already? Pooh! I am not in my second childhood yet!"

It was useless to argue with him; besides the mischief, if mischief there was, had been done, and the not long delayed entrance of the young couple necessitating a change of topic, Finnocently inquired what he thought of the Negro Emancipation Bill

"Felony you are mistaken, my good sir. There is no felony-no legal felony, I mean-in the matter. Miss Arnold can only prove against the estate like any other creditor."

"The devil she can't! Tom, then, must look out for another wife, for I am credibly informed there won't be a shilling in the pound."

And so it turned out. The great corn firm had hecn insolvent for years; and after speculating desperately, and to a frightful extent, with a view to recover themselves, had failed to an enormous amount-their assets, comparatively speaking, proving to be nil.

The ruin spread around, chiefly on account of the vast accommodation paper they had afloat, was terrible; but upon no one did the blow fall with greater severity than on young Linden and his promised wife. His father ordered him to instantly break off all acquaintance with Miss Arnold; and on the son, who was deeply attached to her, peremptorily refusing to do so, Linden senior threatened to turn him out of doors, and untimately disinherit him. Angry, indignant, and in love, Thomas Linden did a very rash foolish thing; be persuaded Catherine Arnold to consent to a private marriage, arguing that if the indissoluble knot was once fairly tied, his father would as a matter of course -he being an only child become reconciled to what he could no longer hope to prevent or remedy.

The imprudent young man deceived both him. were published with those of the other passengers self and her who trasted in his pleasing plausibili.who had embarked, and we had of course conclud. ties. Ten minutes after he had disclosed the marriage to his father, he was turned, almost penniless, out of doors; and the exasperated and inexorable old man refused to listen to any representation in his favor, by whomsoever proffered, and finally, even to permit the mention of his name in his hearing.

"It is of no use," said Mr. Flint, on returning for the last time from a mission undertaken to extort, if possible, some provision against absolute starvation for the newly-wedded couple. "He is as cold and hard as adamant, and I think, if possible, even more of a tiger than before. He will be here presently to give instructions for his will." "His will! Surely he will draw that up himself after his own common-sense, business fashion ?" "He would unquestionably have done so a short time since; but some events that have lately occured have considerably shaken his estimate of his own infallibility, and he is moreover, determined, he says, that there shall be no mistake as to effectually disinheriting his son. He has made two or three heavy losses, and his mind is altogether in very cankered, distempered state." Mr. Linden called, as he had promised to do, and gave us the written heads of a will which he desired to have at once formally drawn up. By this instrument he devised the Holmford estate real and personal, of which he might die possessed, to certain charitable institutions, in varying proportions, payable as soon after his death as the pro. perty could be turned into money. "The statue of mortmain does not give me much uneasiness," remarked the vindictive old man with a bitter smile. "I shall last some time yet. I would have left it all to you, Flint," he added, " only that I knew you would defeat my purpose by giving it back to that disobedient, ungrateful, worthless boy."

"Do leave it to me," rejoined Mr. Flint with grave emphasis," and I promise you faithfully this -that the wish respecting it whatever it may be, which trembles on your lip as you are about to leave this world for another, and when it may be too late to formally revoke the testament you now propose, shall be strictly carried out. That time cannot be a very distant one, John Linden, for a man whose hair is white as yours."

ed that they had perished, when a letter reached
us from Belfast, stating that through some delay
on the part of Mrs. Arnold, they had happily lost
their passage in the Erin, and embarked in the
next steamer for Belfast, where they arrived in per-
fect safety. We forwarded this intelligence to
Holmford, but it elicited no reply.

time directed by the will for the property; and having persuaded the niece to give a written authorisation for the immediate sale, the executors, chiefly, Sawbridge supposed, prompted by their own necessites, sold the estate accordingly. But the niece not being of age when she signed the authority to sell, her consent was of no legal value; and she having since died intestate, Edwin Majoribanks, her cousin and undoubted heir-at-law--for We heard nothing of Mr. Linden for about two the property could not have passed from her, even months, except by occasional notices, in the" Her- by marriage-now claimed the estate. Charles eford Times," which he regularly forwarded to the Dursley, the brother, was dead!" and," contin. office, relative to the improvements on the Holm-aed Mr. Sawbridge, "the worst of it is, Linden ford estate, either actually begun or contemplated will never get a farthing of his purchased money by its new proprietor. He very suddenly reappear. from the venders, for they are bankrupt, nor from ed. I was cooling my heels in the waiting room Palliser, who has made permanent arrangements of the chambers of the Barons of the Exchequer, for continuing abroad, out of harm's reach. It is Chancery Lane, awaiting my turn of admission, just as I tell you," he added, as we shook hands when one of our clerks came in half.breathless with at parting; "but you will of course see the will, haste. "You are wanted, sir, immediately; Mr. and satisfy yourself. Good-by." Flint is out, and Mr. Linden is at the office raving like a madman. I instantly transferred the busi. ness I was in attendance at chambers upon to the clerk, and with the help of a cab soon reached home.

Here was a precious result of amateur common. sense lawyership; Linden could only have examined the abstract of title furnished him by Palliser's attorney, and not the right of Dursley's executors to sell; or had not been aware that the niece could not, during her minority, subscribe an effective legal consent.

I found Mr. Flint at the office and quickly imparted the astounding news. He was as much taken aback as myself.

Mr. Linden was not raving when I arrived.— The violence of the paroxysm of rage and terror by which he was possessed had passed away, and he looked, as I entered, the image of pale, rigid, iron, dumb despair. He held a letter and a strip of parchment in his hand these he presented and "The obstinate, pig-headed old ass !" he exwith white, stammering lips, bade me read. The claimed ;- it almost serves him right, if only for letter was from an attorney of the name of Saw.his Tom-fool nonsense of " Every man his own bridge, giving notice of an action of ejectment, to lawyer." What did you say was the niece's oust him from the possession of the Holmford estate, the property, according to Mr. Sawbridge, of "Well, I don't remember, that Sawbridge told one Edwin Majoribanks; and the strip of parchme; he was in such a hurry; but suppose you go ment was the writ by which the letter had been at once and look over the will?" quickly followed. I was astounded; and my scared look questioned Mr. Linden for further information.

name?"

"True; I will do so ;" and away he went. "This is a very singular affair, Sharp," said Mr. Flint on his return from Doctors' Commons, at the "I do not quite understand it," he said in a same time composedly seating himself, hooking hoarse, palpitating voice. "No possession or title his thumbs into the arm-holes of his waistcoat, in the venders; a niece not of age--executors no crossing his legs, and tilting his chair back on its power to sell-Palliser discovered it, robbed me, hind legs. "A very singular affair. Whom, in absconded, and I, ob God! am a miserable beg-the name of the god of thieves-Mercury, wasn't gar!" he called?-do you suppose the bankrupt executors to be? No other," continued Mr. Flint, with a sudden burst," than Crowther & Jenkins!"

The last words were uttered with a convulsive scream, and after a few frightful struggles he fell It was preaching to the winds. He was deaf, down in a fit. I had him conveyed to bed, and as blind, mute, to every attempt at changing his re- soon as he was somewhat recovered, I hastened solve. The will was drawn in accordance with off to ascertain from Sawbridge, whom I knew his peremptorily-iterated instructions, and duly very intimately, the nature of the claim intended signed, sealed, and attested. Not very long after.to be set up for the plaintiff, Edwin Majoribanks. wards, Mr. Linden disposed of his business in I met Sawbridge just as he was leaving his Mincing Lane, and retired to Holmford, but with office, and as he was in too great a hurry to turn nothing like the money-fortune he had once calcu-back, I walked along with him, and he rapidly delated upon, the losses alluded to by Mr. Fiint, and followed by others, having considerably diminished his wealth.

tailed the chief facts about to be embodied in the plaintiff's declaration. Archibald Dursley, once a London merchant, and, who died a bachelor, had We ultimately obtained a respectable and re-bequeathed his estate, real and personal, to his munerative situation for Thomas Linden in a mer- brother Charles, and a niece, his sister's child-twocantile house at Belfast with which we were pro-thirds to the niece, and one-third to the brother. fessionally acquainted, and after securing berths in The Holmford property, the will directed, should be the Erin steamer, he, with his wife and mother-in-sold by public auction when the niece came of age, law, came, with a kind of hopeful sadness in their looks and voices, to bid us farewell-for a very long time they and we also feared.

For an eternity, it seemed, on reading the account of the loss of the Erin, a few days after wards, with every soul on board! Their names

unless she, by marriage or otherwise, was enabled,
within six months after attaining her majority, to
pay over to Charles Dursley his third in money,
according to a valuation made for the purpose by
competent assessors. The brother, Charles Durs.
ley, had urged upon the executors to anticipate the

"The devil!-and the niece then is-" "Catharine Arnold-Tom Linden's wife-sup. posed to have been drowned in the Erin! That's check-mate, I rather fancy-not only to Mr. Edwin Majoribanks, but some one else we know of.— The old fellow up stairs wont refuse to acknowledge his daughter in-law now I fancy!"

This was indeed a happy change in the fortunes oi the House of Linden; and we discussed, with much alacrity, the best mode of turning disclosures so moinentous and surprising to the best ac count. As a first step, a letter, with an enclosure, was depatched to Belfast requiring the return of Thomas Linden and family immediately; and the next was to plead in form to the action.— This done we awaited Catharine Linden's arrival in London, and Mr. Liuden senior's convalescence -for his mental agitation had resulted in a sharp fit of illness-to effect a satisfactory and just arrangement.

Mr. and Mrs. Arnold arrived by the earliest steamer that left Belfast after the receipt of our

Letter; and much astonished were they by the in-
telligence that awaited them. Catharine Linden
was for confirming the validity of the sale of the
Holmford estate by her now authoritative consent
at once, as a mere act of common justice and good
faith; but this looking at the total loss of fortune
she had sustained by the knavery of the executors,
and the obstinate, mulish temper of the father-in-
law, from whom she had already received such
harsh treatment, could not for a moment be per-
mitted; and it was finally resolved to take advan.
tage of the legal position in which she stood, to
enforce a due present provision for herself and hus-
band, and their ultimate succession to the estate.
John Linden gradually recovered; and as soon
as it was deemed prudent to do so, we informed
him that the niece was not dead, as the plaintiff
in the action of ejectment had supposed, and that of

course, if she could now be persuaded to ratify the
imperative consent she had formerely subscribed,
he might retain Holmford. At first he received
the intelligence as a gleam of light and hope, but
he soon relapsed into doubt and gloom.
"What
chance was there," he hopelessly argued, "that
holding the legal power, she would not exercise
it? It was not," he said, " in human nature to do
otherwise;" and he commissioned us to make lib.
eral offers for a compromise; half-he would be
content to lose half his purchase-money; even a
greater sacrifice than he wonld agree to anything.
indeed, that would not be utter ruin-that did not
involve utter beggary and destitution in old
age.
Three days after this conversation, I announced
to him that the lady and her husband were below,
and desirous of seeing him.

"What do they say?" he eagerly demanded, "Will they accept of half-two-thirds? What do they say?"

"I cannot precisely tell you. They wish to see you alone, and you can urge your own views and offers."

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATION 8.

For the Rural Repository.
SYLVAN PENCILINGS.

BY PETER SYLVAN.

Number Two.

HAT is Nature? what are the waving trees

(which envelopes the very soul in its slimy darkness of horrors, and permits not one ray of hope to illume our bewildered consciousness.

On the strength of the sufferer's mind depends the result. If finely attuned to the more ethereal joys of life and unused to its cares and dissapointments, the cord of life is snapped the broken in. strument is before us, no more to lull us by its

W of the hill-side? what are the flowers which casing melody or charm us by its soul-endearing

adorn the sweet residences of the city? what are
the birds whose notes of symphony echo through
the "long drawn aisles" of the neighboring woods?
What are all these but a portion of the creation of
that Being whose beneficent hand continually
supports, protects, and blesses man-man, "the
noblest work of God!"

Then, may we not stand beneath the branching
trees and meditate? May we not look upon the

flowers and admire? May we not listen to strains
of forest minstrelsy, and feel a newer joy pervade
the soul, vibrating its most tender chords?

We may. But Readers! need we wander far
from our home thresholds, to be made happy by
communion with Nature? We may " look through
Nature up to Nature's GOD," by contemplating the
beautiful and sublime scenery, which may be viewed
from our own Prospect Hill. The city below with
its" heaven directed spires" glittering in the sun.
beatns; and the verdant mountains towering
River, all suggest thou hts of an ideal description.
cloud-ward in the distance, beyond the glorious
Instantly, on beholding, the mind is filled with
conceptions relative to the unrivalled glory of Eden,
that celestial Paradise, along the dells of which
the Poet shall walk, and within whose bowers the
Artist sit, with the glad consciousness that neither
not blighting wildew may destroy the blessed
objects of their solicitude!

frost

"O Nature' whose Elysian scenes disclose
His right perfections, at whose word they rose;
Next to that Power, who formed thee and sustains,
Be thou the great inspirer of my stratus.-COWPER
Hudson, June, 1851.

WH

THE AIM OF EXISTENCE.
HEN we look at the desultory wanderings of
the restless being, around us, we opine the
cause of their apparent disunity and diversity of
opinion in corresponding situations, to be the want
of aim in their objects and desires.

All pretend to have some declared aim either

He trembled violently, and shrank nervously back as I placed my hand on the door-handle of the private office. He presently recovered in some degree his self-possession, passed in, and I with drew from the humiliating; but salutary spect. cle, of obdurate tyrant power compelled to humble itself before those whom it had scorned and trampled upon The legal arrangements which Flint and I had suggested were effected, and Linden senior, accom.beyond the world or in it, but do their actions testipanied by his son, daughter-in-law, and Mrs. Ar. nold, set off in restored amity for Holmford House. Edwin Majoribanks abandoned his action, and Palliser, finding that matters were satisfactorily arranged, returned to England. We afterwards knew that he had discovered the defect of title, on applying to a well-known conveyancer, to raise a considerable sum by way of mortgage, and that his first step was to threaten legal proceedings against Crowther & Jenkins for the recovery of his money; but a hint he obtained of the futility of proceedings against them, determined him to offer the estate at a low figure to Linden, relying upon that gentleman's ostentatious contempt of lawyers that the blot in the title, subjected only to his own common-sense spectacles, would not be perceived.

XENOPHON tells us of an Egyptian, who being gent by his wife to purchase perfumes, brought her a jar of fresh water.

strains.

But such is not the state with all. Used to the

rougher storms of life and to the buffeting of despair, they may still weather the gale and through crippled in their unequeal contest may still regain the shore and be enabled again to try the tempest's force and dare to explore the tortuous paths of existence.

Although the first have the most intense strug

gle with the phantom, still it is but short, they prolong the contest through the remainder of life

are soon overcome while the last have often to

with the wounds of their first encounter still unhealed.

tence the most effectual and certain remedy is to
When thus deprived of one of the aims of exis-
supply its place by some of other of less dangerous
tendency and of easier attainment Not relapse into
indifference or neglect, that is the surest way to
lure the phantom back, but occupy the thinking
powers in some more harmless pursuit.

this deadly encounter.
There are also means by which we can avoid
It is in the proper choice
of our aims. let us always choose those which
will if obtained, best advance our true interests
and then even a defeat will not so far weaken us.
Not that we should be disheartened and be un-

ambitiously content with low airns easy of at-
tainment, but if we dare aspire to darling hopes
and nobier aims we must be well prepared got ouly
for the struggle but also for the defeat, for it is then
only we shall be true conquerors.
J. D. C.

T

BIOGRAPHY.

MADAME DE MAIN PENON.

HIS most extraordinary lady, who, from a humble situation, and a variety of misfortunes, rose, at last, to be the wife of Louis XIV. was descended from the ancient family of D'Aubigny, Her grandfather was a man of considerable rank, and highly renowned as a champion for the protestants, aud as he perceived, at last, that there was no safety for him in his own country, he fled to Geneva, where he died in the year 1630.

fy to the sincerity of their assertions? The only ra-
tional proof for us is in pratice rather than profession.
Happiness, or that state of the mind which keeps
its predominating qualities in a state of pleasur
able excitement, seems to be the predisposing of his first wife, was, in December, 1626, married
The son of this D'Aubigny, soon after the death
cause to all human actions. But there are times a second tine, to a lady of a respectable family,
and periods when the mind, from the failure of with whom be lived only a few weeks, when he
some long anticipated hope falls back on inanity-
when the chain of mental pleasures and joys snaps
was cast into prison in Paris, in consequence of
from its shell-bound tension and throws
some heinous accusation against him. Madame
into a state of hopeless dejection and despair.- his enlargement; but to no purpose. As, how-
us back D'Aubigny exerted her utmost influence to procure
There are none but have felt this, for there are
none but have indulged in budding hopes and proportion as he became more miserable, she obtain-
ever, her attachment to her husband increased in
pleasurable anticipations built on baseless founda-ed liberty to shut herself up in prison along with
tions, and which like aerial castles, have vanished him, where she had two sons. She, at length, got
ere their completion.
permission from court to have her husband removed
When such a time comes, the worst effects
to the prison of Niort, that she might be nearer the
are to be feared, it is the most deplorable situation assistance, which they derived from their relations.
in which the human mind can be placed. Be-
hind is a tortuous and difficult path which we can-
In this prison, Madame de Maintenon was born,
November, 27th, 1635, from which miserable situ.
not retrace while before us is mist and gloomation, however, she was taken a few days after by

wwwa

to

Madame Villette, her aunt by the father's side.- which prevented her from solicting benefits
Soon after this, she obtained her husband's release,, for her friends, made her also incapable of do-
upon condition, however, that he should embrace ing injuries. When the minister Louvois
the catholic religion; but no sooner was D'Aubig-threw himself at the feet of Louis XIV.
ny at liberty, than fearing some fresh troubles, he hinder his marriage with the widow Scarron,
resolved to decamp and seek his fortune abroad.—she not only forgave him, but frequently pacified
Accordingly, in 1639, he embarked for the West the king, whom the rough temper of this minister
Indies, with his wife and settled at Martinico, as frequently incensed,
where he acquired considerable plantations.-
Madame D'Aubigny, some years after, returned
to France, with a view to recover some debts, in
which, however, she did not succeed, and soon
went back to the West Iudies, where she had the
mortification to find her husband completely ruin-
ed, by gaming. In 1656 D'Aubigny died, when
his lady, with her small family, were left in the
greatest distress. She returned to France, and
her daughter soon after was taken into the family
of Madame Villette, who received her with great
marks of affection, informing her that she should
be heartily welcome to reside in her house as long
as she thought proper, where, at least, she should
never be a loss for a subsistence. The niece ac-
cepted the offer with gratitude, and in a short time
became firmly attached to the protestant religion;
but Madame de Nevillant, a relation by the mother's
side, having solicited an order, which was granted,
from the court, to take her out of the hands of her
aunt, and to have her instructed in the Romish
religion, took her to herself, and made her a con-
vert, which, however, was not effected, without
many threats, and hardships inflicted on her.

With a view to rescue herself from the state of dependence to which she found herself subjected, she was obliged to marry that famous old buffoon, the abbe Scarron, who subsisted only on a pension allowed him by the court, for his wit and parts; but when he died, she found herself as indigent as she was before her marriage. Her friends, indeed, endeavored to get her pension continued, and presented so many petitions to the king, about it, all begining with "The widow Scarron, most humbly prays your majesty, &c." that he was quite weary of them, and has been frequently heard to exclaim," Must I always be pestered with the widow Scarron?"

At last, however, through the recommendation of Madame de Montespan, the king settled a much larger pension on her, with a genteel apology for making her wait so long, and afterwards made choice of her to take care of the young duke of Maine. The letters she wrote on this occasion charmed the king, and were the origin of her advancement; her own personal merit effected all

the rest.

About the later end of the year 1685, Louis XIV. married her, being then in his forty-eighth, she {in her fiftieth year; and that piety with which she inspired the king to make her a wife, became by degrees a settled disposition of mind. She prevailed on Louis to found a religious community at St. Cyr, for the education of three hundred young ladies of quality; and here she frequently retired from that melancholy, of which she complains so pathetically in one of her letters, and which few ladies will suppose she should be liable to in so elevated a situation. But, as Voltaire says, if any thing could show the vanity of ambition, it would certainly he this letter. Madame de Maintenon could have no other uneasiness than the uniformity of her living with a great king; and this made her once say to the count D'Aubigny her brother, "I can hold it no longer, I wish I was dead."Louis, however, died before her in 1715; when she retired wholly to St. Cyr, and speut the rest of her days in acts of devotion; and, what is most surprising, is that her husband left no certain provisions for her, but only recommended her to the duke of Orleans. She would accept no more than a pension of about thirteen thousand dollars per annum, which was punctually paid her till her death, which happened, April 15th, 1719. A collection of her letters has been published, and translated into English.

MISCELLANY.

BU

PAYING THE DOCTOR.

BY UNCLE SOLOMON

"Hoxie, is it you?" Turning to his wife, "That nervous old character has got into one of her hysteric fits and sent the poor inan all this way, this rainy night, for me"-" Hoxie, what's the matter with your wife ?"

"Oh, distressed all over."

The Doctor fumbles over his drawers.-"Here's some powders, sir, that will do just as well as if I see her. They are to be taken every half hour until relieved."

"But, Doctor, they wont do. She says she must see you and I should not dare to return, without you." The husband pleaded, and the physican yielded,—ordered Sam to " harness took in Hoxie, and the old bay mare Boon leaped over the ground, and the Doctor was by the bed. side of his patient.

He took his seat,-pulse regnlar-tongue clear {-voice strong, but such groans.

"Doctor, says the woman, "I will pay you any price if you will cure me.”

That can be done," replied he in a firm voice. "But you don't understand my disease. "To be sure I do." He accordingly sorted out some dozen powders to be taken every half hour after an emetic had operated. The patient was treated as if bilious, for, when a person sends for a physician, who is not sick, the best remedy is to make them so. The jalap was administered, and such a retching and throwing, such a gagging aud groaning, was seldom heard. There were no hysterics now, all was real; and the physician meant to make it so. The powders were severally taken, and by ten o'clock the next morning, Mrs. Hoxie was really a sick woman. The physician called and again prescribed. He determined to make an apothecary's shop of his patient's stomach, for he had been called for nothing long enough.

The second and third day found Mrs. Hoxie confined to her bed. A sore mouth began ; calomel was working in her system: a regular course of salivation followed, which was all intended to cure the return of the hysterics. Mrs. Hoxie was confind to her bed a fortnight, to her chamber a month, and to the house six months; and when she went out she looked like bleached cotton. At the close of the year, the Doctor "The night is dark, it rains tremendously, and presonted his bill for "attendance," which amountI fear the Doctor will not like to venture out.- ed to twenty-five dollars! Supposing I go and get a prescription for you?"

UT do you not think you can endure the distress till morning?" inqured Hoxie of his wife, who was groaning bitterly of a pain here, and a shivering sensation there, and a nervous agitation every where.

"Just as if I can tell all the pains and aches I feel to you. No, Mr. Hoxie, that is not the way I treat you when you are ill.-Don't I get flanHe bought her the lands of Maintenon,nels and heat them, and apply decoctions and ten the only estate she ever had; and, finding her thousand remedies. I always thought if I should pleased with the acquisition, called her publicly be sick, it would be just like this.” "Madame de Maintenon," which was of great serMr Hoxie sighed. vice to her in her good fortune, by releasing her from the name of Scarron.

In the mean time, her elevation was to her only a retreat; the king came to her apartment every day after dinner, before and after supper, and continued there till midnight; here he did business with his ministers, while Madame de Maintenon, employed in reading, or needlework, never showed any desire to talk of state affairs, and carefully avoided all appearances of cabal and intrigue, nor did she ever make use of her power, to procure dignities or employments for her own relations. But the same natural dispositions,

"If you are afraid of the pay, mercy knows I have done enough for you to earn it, but more than that; I have money of my own. I will pay the Doctor, myself for coming."

Mr. Hoxie took a lantern and wended his way across a long field into the public road, and after walking some two miles in a violent rain storm, he reached the physician's residence. It was midnight, but he gave the bell a severe twitch which aroused the Doctor at once,

Towards spring, Mrs. Hoxie's spirits began to revive, and with them a desire to fix up a little.Her parlor wanted a new paper, a new carpet, and new couch. She had just twenty-five dollars dividend of her own money, and she owed it for her sickness. The gratitude she felt to her physician at the time of her recovery knew no bounds. "Doctor," said she, "if you charge me a hundred dollars, you shall have it." But a womanly pride now predominatod ;-she must have the furniture -she would not pay the Doctor. He was a rich man, got his money easy, and if she had had a homopathist, all her neighbors said she never would have been sick.-She never meant to have him again, and so she did not care if he were ever paid! She bought the furniture, and destroyed the Doctor's bill.

When Charley Hoxie was sick with the measles, his fond mother sent for a homopathist.But the treatment did not seem to agree with the "A friend, who wants you to attend a sick wo-child, he grew sicker, and his mother now longed man." for her old aliopathic physician. But there was

"Hallo! who's there?"