ment she wished for, which was to consist of a group of figures-Fame was to appear, sounding the reputation of the late Mr. Gingham, as an eminent linen-draper; Hibernia, with a piece of Irish cloth under her arm, was to lean on her stringless harp; while Britannia was to be represented embracing Mr. G., as he was seated in his armed chair, with an opened remnant of cambric muslin in his lap, while Liberty, standing behind him, displayed her bonnet-rouge on a pole immediately over his head. Above these again were to be two or three plump little boys, naked, with wings, flying about as wild as swallows; and in the fore-ground were to be disposed several bales of goods, an anchor, a pile of cannon-balls, the rudder of a ship, and other suitable objects calculated to convey a just idea of the extent of his business; while at his feet were to be seen kneeling his mourning widow and three children. On the right hand the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral was to be just visible, with palm-trees, pyramids, crocodiles, and cypresses in the distance. Startled by the

elaborate description furnished by the exemplary lady, the sculptor hinted that the execution of such a work would cost at least seven or eight thousand pounds.

"A mere trifle to one who loved as I have loved," said Mrs. G. "Make the design.”

The sculptor did make the design, and at the end of three months the lady called again: :she saw the beautiful sketch; and then said, she thought perhaps any memorial on so extensive a scale might appear somewhat ostentatious -that everybody knew how extensive her poor dear G.'s trade had been, and that perhaps under all the circumstances the single figure sitting alone would be better. The fore-ground might be embellished and relieved with certain emblems, &c.; but upon consideration she wished the sculptor would reduce the design to the cost of about two thousand pounds.

The artist again did as she desired, and her late husband was represented G. by himself, G. in the same armed chair as before-Hibernia had left her stringless harp and piece of Irish linen in

one corner

-Britannia had posed her shield in the other-Fame had deposited her trumpet on one side of his seat, and Liberty had placed the pole, with her cap upon it, behind it—in fact, the emblems remained, but the figures had taken their departure.

Three months more elapsed, and the widow came again. Again she admired the design— But still thought it rather too extensive or perhaps expensive.

"Sir," said she to Sir Phidias, "would it not be better to adopt a little sketch which my particular friend Mr. Hobkirk has kindly made— merely a tablet—and an inscription-quite plain and simple ?"

Hereabouts, Sir Phidias lost all patience; and doing a violence to his naturally kind feelings, entreated the lady to transfer her favours to the first stone-mason she might meet with, who would no doubt be too happy to receive fifty pounds for embodying her young friend's ideas.

It may, perhaps, be superfluous to add that

Mrs. Gingham became Mrs. Hobkirk long before the tablet was begun, and that the lamented linen-draper measures his length in the parish church to this day, unhonoured and unrecorded.

As human nature is human nature, I calculated that poor Cuthbert's seven thousand pounds' worth of sorrow, at the present moment, would gradually decrease to a reasonable amount, and accordingly put the beautiful inscription into my coat-pocket to "bide its time;" not, I admit, in the slightest degree disposed just at that period to offer a word of opinion as to its literary merits.

"Well," said I to Jane, after having read this curious communication, addressed to a person who had so unexpectedly been "made up" into an intimate friend, "and what does Kate's letter say?"

"Oh," said Jane, "she won't tell me all she says is, that she wishes to see Mr. Sniggs directly; and wishes to know whether you think she might not go to his house in the pony

phaeton-with the head up—with me, and take our maid with us, and then we might see poor Tom; and besides, she wants to buy some crape and some love——”

"Some what?" said I.

"Some mourning-stuff," said Jane; "and as aunt is not well enough to trouble herself, Kitty thinks we might go."

“I think not,” said I-" nothing could be more indelicate.”

"Very well, Uncle," said Jane, who is really well-dispositioned, and whom I knew, had only been put forward by her elder sister; "then I'll go and tell Kate so. Only she has got a great deal about it all in her letter."

Away went Jane. Nubley had heard what passed. He turned his eyes upwards and moaned, and looked out of the window, and played the Devil's tatoo upon the glass. I liked the symptoms. I had not breathed a syllable of my intention of making him a mediator between Cuthbert and myself; therefore every aggravating circumstance that could occur illustrative of