and owed my safety to the ever-ready plea, generous devotion, has so far piloted me in devised and supplied by her whom I must safety on my homeward route, and who has ever account my guardian angel, that I had risked, nay, is still risking, all to preserve tended the hurts of Spaniards wounded in my life?" mortal combat, that I still had them medically in charge, and that therefore I must perforce be regarded and dealt with as a friend and not as a foe. "Sometimes the plea barely proved available. In my own estimation, I was a dead man more than once. However, after all our risks and all our sufferings, here we are. Not long before we reached this place, I fell in with a distressed countryman of yours, the soldier I brought with me. Of him also I took charge, mounting him on my own mule, and walking by his side. Do not thank me for this; I deserve no thanks; for, from the more friendly feeling with which the natives view the English, it all told in my favor. We discovered that there was a British officer in this village. I am thankful that we succeeded in reaching it, and shall never forget your kindness, both on our arrival and subsequently. "And now, M. le Capitaine, you have heard my tale. But, O! what can I say of that young, that tender, that lovely partner of my perils, who, with heroic and unflinching endurance, with admirable tact, with I could only answer, "Generous indeed!" To say the truth, I was so deeply affected, not only with the narrative itself, but with the perfectly simple, manly, straightforward, but, at the same time, feeling and earnest style of the narrator, that Generous indeed!" were the only words I could trust myself to utter, without risking a greater display of emotion than Englishmen usually consider in good taste. Suddenly failing back into his ordinary mode of speech, There is but one return that I can make," he added, "there is but one acknowledgment. That will be a tribute indeed! That will be a sublime sacrifice, worthy at once of her merit and of my gratitude! That will eternally and adequately record my debt, and its discharge! That will set her on the pedestal which her merit claims! That will secure to her an eternal niche in the temple of renown! Ah! that which thousands of women have vainly wished me to do, will I do for her! I will confer on her that elevation to which she is entitled by her virtues! I will make heryes, I will make her - Madame le Tisanier.” NEVER SAW IT.- - Sir Walter Scott's often MARTIN LUTHER notices thus the new discovquoted description of Melrose Abbey by moon-eries of his day: light is well known. It appears, however, by one of his letters to Bernard Barton, contained in a recently published collection, that the poet was drawing entirely on his imagination for the picture, as he had himself never seen the old ruins by the light of the moon. When requested by a friend to copy for her the lines alluded to by way of autograph, Sir Walter good-naturedly granted the petition; but instead of the usual ending "Then go-but go alone the while - The poet had penned this amusing variation - "I am now advertised that a new astrologer is risen who presumeth to prove that the earth moveth and goeth about not the firmament; the sun and moon, not the stars like as when one sitteth in a coach, or in a ship that is moved, thinketh he sitteth still and resteth; but the earth and trees do move and run themselves. Thus it goeth, we give up ourselves to our own foolish fancies and conceits. This fool (Copernicus) will turn the whole art of astronomy upside down, but the Scripture showeth and teacheth another lesson, when Joshua commanded the sun to stand still, and not the earth." MESSRS. WOLFF & Co., the tailors of Bond street, have registered a waistcoat, which combines the twofold convenience of being a waistcoat and a pair of braces at the same time. It is a very happy thought, and very well rendered into a comfortable, gentlemanly, and most convenient garment. From Chambers' Journal. THE MADONNA DEL LAGHETTO. "WHAT do you call that white town on the shore?" I asked of my vetturino. "Mentone," said he, after some little effort to recover his breath. The vetturino I had hired at Oneglia to take me on to Nice was a considerate elderly man, who never failed, when we were descending a hill, as we were at that moment, to put himself at the head of his horse an animal rather weak in the fore-legs- take it by the bridle, and trot along by its side. This was the honorable cause of my vetturino's effort for breath. in this lovely place," said I to the vetturino. "What's your opinion?" "I shan't mind an hour or two, if you wish it," replied the good-natured fellow. "We can make it up by being later in reaching Nice; but as I told you beforehand, sir, I must be at Nice this night at latest." "And what's your great hurry?" "Because, at ten o'clock to-morrow morning, I am to take a Nizzard family, old customers of mine, to the Madonna del Laghetto." "And pray, what is this Madonna del La The poor man stood transfixed. Had I told him I was a cannibal, that declaration would have shocked him less than my ignorance of his madonna. "Bless my heart! to know nothing of Nostra Signora del Laghetto! a Madonna Mentone is a bright, gay town, lazily coiled on the sea-shore, backed by picturesque hills, covered with orange and lemon trees, and dotted about with showy colored villas. The more I looked, the more I felt a propensity to pitch my tent there for awhile- - a propen- who has worked miracles by thousands, and sity I combated, however, and of which I ought has a shrine so famous all over the world, that to have been ashamed, considering I had the showing of passports to and from France already stopped twice on the road. The fact has to be suspended during the week her fête must be confessed, I had left Genoa in a dili- lasts, to allow of the free passage of pilgrims gence which was to take me to Nice in twenty-to it!" This was all said in a high sharp four hours; and yet, eight days after, here tone of distressed reproach. I was, having scarcely performed two-thirds. of my journey. While thus debating the point with myself, my dusty conveyance was rattling merrily on the gravel of the beach, amid a double row of oleanders in full bloom, which seemed to grow as naturally there as weeds and brambles do elsewhere. The lovely country I was passing through reminded me, I am sorry to say, of a scene in an opera; and to make the illusion complete, there emerged at this point, from a bypath on the left, a procession of country-girls on donkeys, carrying baskets of oranges, and singing in chorus. Such an exibition of black hair, black eyes, pretty feet, lovely characteristic features, together with easy, elegant attitudes, but rarely falls to the lot of the rambler in search of the picturesque; nothing more graceful than those women's broad round straw-hats, worn a little on one side of the head. The oleanders had nearly won my heart; the girls on the donkeys achieved the whole conquest. How could I with any propriety go on without sketching at least half a dozen of those beautiful figures - I, who had come to Italy on purpose to sketch! These particulars, quite new to me, and which I might no doubt have found in Murray, had I not made a point of never having a hand-book about me, would have proved a new temptation at another moment. As it was, I was too much taken up with gay Mentone, the oleanders, and the attractive peasantwomen, to care much about the Madonna del Laghetto. So I returned to the charge, and lowered my pretensions to asking only a halt of twenty-four hours. But the vetturino was immovable, steadfast as a rock: he had engaged to be at Nice by evening; and there, accordingly, he was resolved to be. "And let me tell you," he wound up, "that if you find it an easy matter to stop at Mentone, you won't find it so easy to leave it for many days to come. As for a place in the mail or diligence (here came a long low whistle, very expressive it was), "there 's such crowds, I tell you, flock to the shrine of the Madonna, that's not to be expected; and for any chance of a private conveyance, you might as well try to hire a balloon." This kind of reasoning had exactly the contrary effect to that which it was meant to pro"I have a great mind to stop a little while duce. The prospect of these difficulties tickled my imagination. Why should I not make humble, was to be had; and as to the my way on foot to Nice? My trunk was already there; and as for my little portmanteau, with only a change of linen and a few other necessaries, I could easily carry that. Of all things, I like the unexpected. I know of no better sport than trudging along a road in blissful ignorance whither it may lead, courting Dame Nature as I go, in my own way, stopping when and wherever I please - by the side of a rivulet, or on a sea-commanding cliff, uncertain whether I shall get a lift when tired, or have to put up with bread and cheese in a roadside guinguette, spend the night at a first-rate inn, with first-rate fare, or have to wander on, hungry, and without any fare at all. Just what I write passed through my mind as I pondered on the intractable good faith of my vetturino. There is an inborn averseness in all human beings to yield to one another; consequently, I paid my good-natured, obstinate conductor, who took leave of me with a sly look of triumph; and ten minutes afterwards, I was enjoying my own way in a capital room of the Hôtel de Turin, face to face with the beautiful Mediterranean, that sparkled and heaved and dimpled a most coquettish welcome. I hope I shall never forget the two days I passed in fortunate Mentone, for they are among the happiest of my life. Except at the hours of meals-most excellent these were -I spent all my time out of doors, admiring, enjoying, and sketching. O, what a feast for eyes and soul was there! He who has not rambled among the hills and groves of that privileged land, beheld the splendors of that unrivalled sea and sky-he who has not rowed on those lovely waters on a calm starry night, when the soft breeze envelops everything in an atmosphere of delicious fragrance, when fireflies glitter in the air, and the boatman's song, softened by the distance, comes like a mysterious call from another world he who knows not this, knows not what voluptuousness there is in the very sense of existence. coaches, one had passed, filled to suffocation; and for the one expected, enough passengers were booked to fill it and another, even if they arrived empty. Ah! indeed, the vetturino's prophecy was fulfilled to the very letter. There was nothing for it but philosophy, so I girded up my loins for a transit on foot. As I was issuing from my room, portmanteau on shoulder, my landlord ran against me, so hot in haste was he to bring me the news, that he had heard of a cart getting ready to carry some devotees to the Madonna del Laghetto; it might save me some miles' walk, but it was a very poor conveyance, apologized mine host; "and such company, most of them mere peasants! such as an English gentleman perhaps could not sit with; however," ". . . Some way or other, we have contrived to establish such a character on the Continent for squeamishness and fastidiousness, such a horror of every one below us, that it might be supposed we were wont only to consort with dukes and princes of the blood. I surprised the landlord most agreeably by catching at his offer, and we sallied forth at once to secure a place in this godsend of a vehicle, which, to be sure, was neither elegant nor comfortable, being literally a cart, with planks nailed on either side to serve as seats, with, however, the blessing of an awning. My travelling-companions, eleven in number, were all peasant-men and women, in their best attire, with the exception of an old priest, a young capuchin, and a jolly stout fellow in blue velveteen, the usual garb of well-to-do farmers, holding on his knees a very handsome little girl of about five or six years old. The conversation was kept up briskly, save when some more than usually terrible jerk put a forcible stop to it, by throwing all the occupants of one side in a heap over their vis à vis, which was the case at least once every ten minutes. The Madonna, of course, and her miracles, were the exclusive theme At the end of the second day, my sketch- of the incessant talk. Every one had a book was full to the brim, and I began to story to relate more wonderful than the last; think of tearing myself away from my Capua. every one happened to have a son, brother, My landlord shook his head ominously at this cousin, friend, or at least an acquaintance, announcement. Scouts were sent in all direc- who had had some narrow escape. A boy tions, but they one and all returned with the had fallen from a high tree without breaking same answer, that no conveyance, however a limb; a young peasant, given up by the doctor, had miraculously recovered on the ap- expression of his intelligent countenance, plication of the image of the Madonna on lighted up as it was by fatherly tenderness, his chest; or a shipwrecked sailor, on the as, gently parting the curls on the forehead point of drowning, through a prayer to our of his darling, he made every effort to amuse Lady del Laghetto, had been gently lifted by her by his pantomime. And I thought with the waves, and desposited safe and sound on dismay on the amount of erroneous ideas the shore. Here is the substance of one of which must have been forced on this creature the stories related by our fellow-traveller the of God, so far to pervert his moral sense as old priest: to make him put all his hopes for his child's cure in a kind of hand-to-hand struggle with the powers above. The heroine was a rich, pious, childless lady, who for fifteen years running had never omitted making the annual pilgrimage to the shrine Del Laghetto, for the purpose of asking the Madonna to vouchsafe her a son and heir; and the son was vouchsafed at last, when the applicant had reached the age of forty-eight. A beautiful boy he was, who died of the measles, it is true; but what of that? Neither the Madonna del Laghetto, nor any other Madonna, could reasonably he expected to work two miracles for the same person within so short a time. "This is why I would impress on you, my brethren," concluded the old padre, by way of a moral to his tale, "to have faith; never to grudge a sou or two for souls in purgatory; never to weary of asking, my brethren, and leave the rest to the Madonna. For what does the holy text say: 'Petite et accipietis, pulsate et aperietur vobis.'” 66 Spoken like a book!" exclaimed the stout jolly fellow on my right, clapping his hands in applause: "that's just my mind. Here's my little love, born deaf and dumb; and the father kissed his little love passionately. "Did I or do I send for doctors and all sorts of quacks to cure her? Not I. I know better. The Madonna is to be her physican. As soon as we found out her misfortune, I brought her to the shrine. Did I despair? Not a bit. I took Marina to the shrine the very next year, and the next, and the next still; and I shall take her there till the Madonna grants me the blessing. I'll knock and knock, ay, and wrench the door open, if necessary. I have made up my mind; and we shall see whose head's the hardest, the Madonna's or mine." This sort of challenge to the object of his warmest adoration was offered in the simplest and most natural way possible, and was not without a touch of pathos. I looked up at the speaker in surprise: there were no traces of stupidity or brutality about him; on the contrary, there was something refined in the A little past the height of Turbia, on the right, there opens a road which, by gently sloping zigzags, leads down the valley to the sanctuary. It is wide enough for carriages, and kept in good order at the expense of the Father Franciscans, I believe-of whose convent the shrine is a dependence, being, in fact, neither more nor less than the little church of the convent. The fathers deserve some credit for the sound economical notions they display in the great care they take to smooth the road for the pilgrims. We left our springless cart and the three poor exhausted animals, which, to my great wonder, had dragged us so far on the main road, and joined the double living stream that was pouring down towards the sanctuary. The convent looks more like a fortress than the dwelling of peaceful monks. It stands on an isolated plateau, surrounded on all sides by a moat, formed by the bed of a mountaintorrent dry, or nearly so, in summer, but a rushing river in winter. Across this is thrown a short massive stone-bridge, the only access to the convent. Temporary wooden huts and gaily decorated booths, for the accommodation of visitors, filled every inch of ground on this side of the moat, and swarmed with hundreds of motley people. Had it not been for the peaceful nature of the occupations of the crowd - so loud was the din, so martial the look of the men with the red caps and red belts — it might have been taken for a beleaguering force which has pitched its tents, and is watching an opportunity to assault the fort above. Venders of wines and eatables, sellers of holy images, reliques, and rosaries, tellers of religious legends, mountebanks and empirics, were all shouting at the top of their voices, playing on the credulity, exciting the passions, or satisfying the substantial wants of a host of screaming customers. I sat down in one of the booths, and after theless, overpowered by the rich bass of two partaking of some refreshment, which I really sceptical blind men, begging for alms on needed, I turned from the bustle around me either side of the door. Their faith must to gaze on the glories of the departing sun: have been languid, indeed, since they preeach fold of the mountain on mountain clos-ferred carrying on their supplications outside, ing in the prospect to the north was glowing at the risk of being flattened against the wall, red, while the valleys at the foot were lost to trying their chances with the Madonna inalready in a soft blue mist. The calm and side. The cortège took to the right of the solemn grandeur of the landscape at that chapel, and advanced till its front row stood hour, which always brings with it a mingled opposite the main altar; then it came to a feeling of regret and hope, made the flurry full stop, and the presentation of the sick and excitement going on at my elbow seem began. An old man, with snow-white hair still more puerile and aimless. While watch- and a face like parchment, was hoisted up ing the twinkling into view of one star after towards the image; but for the shivering of another, I heard a bell toll, and saw, to my his palsied limbs, the poor creature might great surprise, every one, pilgrims and pur- have been taken for a corpse, so unconscious veyors, all rise with one accord, as if they had did he look. "O, Madonna, fategli la received an electric shock-cards, relics, eat-grazia!" (Grant him the blessing!) screamed ables, and wine-bottles thrown on one side, several voices-"Fategli la grazia!" reand a general rush made for the stone bridge. sponded the whole church in chorus. "What's the matter?" asked I of a neigh- "It's the Madonna going to cure you bor. rouse yourself: have faith; lift up your "The presentation of the sick - the Ma-arms to her," cried an old shrivelled peasantdonna fa le grazie," was the quick answer, woman to the wretched cripple. as he ran off also. This was the particular hour, it seems, selected by the Madonna for performing her miracles. He did try and managed to raise his arms a little, but only to let them drop again, while his head sunk on his shoulder with a groan. "O, Madonna, it is too cruel," sobbed the old woman in a state of distraction, Alas! it was past the power of the sufferer, already covered with cold sweats, to do anything but tremble and shake; and he and his disconsolate friends must make room for another party. To see a miracle was worth a little squeezing; I, therefore, resolved on improving the occasion, and joined in the race. I crossed" after I have said so many prayers to you, the bridge, ran through a little square, up and given so many alms on your account. some steps, and so into a spacious cloister You know you can do it, if you like. O me! which goes round the church. Here, innu- O me! you know you can. merable silver ex votos glittered on the walls, "Make another effort," cries a young man amid rude representations of miracles. Some to the old one. "Only say a Salve Regina, of these last would have been worth copying an Ave-anything you can remember." -naïveté and want of perspective making them chefs-d'œuvre in their way. The throng here formed in procession, four or five abreast, the sick, with their small or large group of kindred and friends, in the front rows. Moving slowly round, they all wended their way to the church-door, through the open portals of which the miraculous statue was seen. The blaze of jewels on all parts of the image, together with the quantities of lighted waxtorches surrounding her, produced a certain effect even on me. I was positively dazzled. An explosion of admiring ejaculations, of broken appeals, of sighs and sobs, mostly from the female part of the congregation, broke forth at the gorgeous sight-a concert shrill enough to pierce even the stone ears of Nostra Signora del Laghetto; but, never My jolly friend, the father of the deaf and dumb child, with some of his relations whom he had met, came forward. Poor Marina was duly lifted up, and held towards the Virgin, with the customary invocations. It was a sad and touching sight, indeed, to behold the intelligent little creature join her hands, and evidently pray-0, so earnestly! her eyes distended with eagerness, and, in answer to her father's expressive pantomime, try to speak. Nothing came of it, of course, but some uncouth inarticulate sounds, which apparently deceived a portion of the |
