plenty of time to go down for my basket first," he entered the well, which was sixty-two feet in depth.

2. When about half-way down, he heard some large stones falling; but he nevertheless continued his descent, and reached the bottom in safety. After placing two pieces of plank in his basket, he was preparing to reäscend, when he suddenly heard a crashing sound above his head, and, looking up, he saw five of tne side supports of the well breaking at once.

3. Greatly alarmed, he shouted for assistance as loudly as he was able; but the next moment a large mass of the sandy soil fell upon him, precluding the possibility of his escape. By a singu lar good fortune, the broken supports fell together in such a manner, that they formed a species of arch over his head, and prevented the sand from pouring down, which must have smoth ered him at once.

4. To all appearance, however, he was separated from the rest of the world, and doomed to perish by suffocation or famine. He had a wife and child, and the recollection of them made him feel still more bitterly his imprudent obstinacy in descending into the well, after being warned of the danger to which he was exposing himself.

5. But although he regretted the past, and feared for the future, he did not give way to despair. Calm and self-possessed, he raised his heart in prayer to God, and adopted every precaution in his power to prolong his life. His basket was fastened to the cord by which he had descended; and when his comradesEL above began to pull the rope, in the hope of drawing him up to the surface, he observed that, in their vain efforts, they were causing his basket to strike against the broken planks above him in such a manner as to bring down stones and other things.

6. He therefore cut the rope with his knife, which he had no sooner done than it was drawn up by those at the top of the well; and, when his friends saw the rope so cut, they knew that he must be alive, and they determined to make every exertion to save him.

7. The hole made by the passage of this rope through the sand that had fallen in was of the greatest use to Dufavel;

through it he received a supply of fresh air, and after a while his friends contrived to convey food to him, and even to speak to him. Of course he was in utter darkness; but he was enabled, in a curious manner, to keep a reckoning of time.

8. A large fly was shut up with him, and kept him company all the time that he remained there. When he heard it buzzing about, he knew that it was day; and when the fly was silent, he knew that it was night. The fly boarded as well as lodged with him; he was as careful as he could be not to interrupt it while taking its share of his meal; when he touched it, it would fly away, buzzing, as if offended, but soon return again. He often said, afterwards, that the company of this fly had been a great consolation to him.

9. More skilful persons than the poor laborers of the village were soon engaged in the attempt to liberate the unfortunate workman. The municipal authorities of Lyons procured the assistance of a band of military miners, who, under the direction of experienced officers, began to form a subterranean passage for the purpose of relieving him. Prayers for his safety were daily offered up in the churches of Lyons, and the most intense interest prevailed.

10. It was found necessary to erect a bărricade, and station a guard of soldiers round the scene of the accident, to keep off the flocking crowd from the neighborhood, all eager to obtain news. and see what was being done.

CXIII. DUFAVEL'S ADVENTURE IN THE WELL.

PART TWO.

1. THE cavity at the bottom of the well, over which the wooden rafters had so providentially formed a sort of roof, was at first about seven feet in height; but, owing to the sand constantly running through, and pressing down the roof from above, by the third day the space became so small, that the poor man could no longer stand, or even sit upright, but was crushed upon the ground in a peculiarly painful manner, his legs doubled

1

under him, and his head pressed on one side against his left shoulder.

2. His arms, however, were free, and he used his knife to cut away such parts of the wood-work as particularly incommoded him, and to widen the hole which the passage of the rope had made. Through this hole, by means of a small bottle, soup and wine were let down to him; and, after a few days, a narrow bag to receive and bring to the surface the constantly accumulating sand.

3. Of course, any pressure from above would have forced in the temporary roof: consequently, nothing could be attempted in the way of removing the mass of sand that had fallen in. They dared not to touch the surface above; but they contrived, by means of a tube, to converse with him. He inquired after his wife and child, and sent word to them to be of good cheer and hope for the best; at this time he had been a week in the well.

4. The miners worked night and day, but such was the treacherous nature of the soil that neither pickaxe nor shovel could be used. The foremost miner worked upon his knees, inserting cautiously a flat piece of wood into the ground, and afterwards gathering up with his hands, and passing to those behind him, the sand which he thus disturbed.

5. On the twelfth day they calculated that they were only twelve inches from the imprisoned man; and yet it took them two days longer to reach him. Every minute the ground was giving way; and it sometimes took many hours to repair the damage that a single moment had produced. They had to use the utmost caution, lest, when an opening was made, the sand should fall and suffocate him.

6. At length, about two o'clock in the morning, they made a small opening into the well, just above his shoulders. The poor man shouted for joy, and was able with his knife to assist in extricating himself. He was carefully conveyed along the hori zontal gallery, and wrapped in blankets before he was drawn into the open air. Several medical men were in attendance, one of whom had him conveyed to his house and put to bed.

7. We will not attempt to describc Dufavel's happy meeting

with his wife and child. In the evening he was so well that the doctor consented to his being conveyed to his own home; and he was accordingly transported thither in a litter, attended by a great concourse of happy and thankful spectators.

CXIV.

-

From the French.

ON OBJECTIONS TO REFORM.

1. I DEFY the most determined enemy of popular influence, either now or a little time from now, to prevent a reform in Parliament.EI Proud lips must swallow bitter potions. They tell you, gentlemen, that you have grown rich and powerful with these rotten boroughs, and that it would be madness to part with them, or to alter a constitution which had produced such happy effects.

EI

2. There happens, gentlemen, to live near my parsonage a laboring man, of very superior character and understanding to his fellow-laborers, and who has made such good use of that superiority, that he has saved what is, for his station in life, a very considerable sum of money; and if his existence is extended to the common period, he will die rich.

3. It happens, however, that he is, and long has been, troubled with violent stomach'ic pains, for which he has hitherto obtained no relief, and which really are the bane and torment of his life. Now, if my excellent labores were to send for a physician, and to consult him respecting this malady, would it not be very singular language if our doctor were to say to him,

rash as to

Have you

4. "My good friend, you surely will not be so attempt to get rid of these pains in your stomach? not grown rich with these pains in your stomach? Have you not risen under them from poverty to prosperity? Has not your situation, since you were first attacked, been improving every year? You surely will not be so foolish and so indiscreet as to part with the pains in your stomach ?"

5. Way, what would be the answer of the rustic to this nonsensical monition? "Monster of rhubarb," he would say, "I am not rich in consequence1 of the pains in my stomach, but in spite of the pains in my stomach; and I should have been ten

times richer, and fifty times happier, if I had never had any pains in my stomach at all."

6. Gentlemen, these rotten boroughs are your pains in the stomach; and you would have been a much richer and greater people, if you had never had them at all. Your wealth and your power have been owing, not to the debased and corrupted parts of the House of Commons, but to the many independent and honorable members whom it has always contained within its walls. REV. SYDNEY SMITH

1. Two wanderers journeyed together through a certain coun try. As they were resting one day at an inn, they suddenly heard the tolling of bells and a cry of "Fire!" in the village. One of the two men rose hastily, threw down his staff and bundle, and was going to offer his assistance. But the other detained him, saying: "Why should we tarry here? Are there not hands enough to help? What have we to do with strangers?"

2. The other took no notice of him, but ran to the burning house; then his companion followed slowly, looking on at a distance. In front of the house that was on fire stood a woman stupefied with terror, and crying, "My children! my children!

3. When the stranger heard this, he rushed into the burning house, with the beams and rafters crashing, and the flames hissing around him. The people exclaimed: "He is lost! What madness in him to venture into such a fiery furnace!"

4. But when they waited a little while, behold, he came forth his hair and clothes singed, carrying two children in his armis, and he took them to their mother. She clasped the children to her bosom, and fell at the stranger's feet. He raised her, and comforted her; in the mean time the house fell.

5. When the stranger and his companion returned to the inn, the latter said, "Who băde thee undertake such a daring enter prise?" The other answered and said, "He who bids me put the grain of seed into the earth, that it may die and bring forth new fruit."