man nature-to feel trepidation and apprehension when approaching some great CRISIS of one's existence. One is apt to give unfavourable possibilities an undue preponderance over probabilities; and it is easily to be accounted for, on the known tendency we find within ourselves, on ordinary occasions, to shape events according to our wishes-and in our overanxiety to guard against such"

"Very metaphysical-very true, I dare say"

"Well-to be matter-of-fact I had all your feelings-perhaps greatly aggravated at the time of my own marriage"

"Eh-indeed?-Had you really?" he enquired eagerly, laying his hand on mine-continuing with an air of anxious curiosity-"Did you ever feel a sort of conviction that some mysterious agency was awaiting your approach towards the critical point, and when just within reach of your object, would suddenly smite you down?"

"Ay, to be sure," said I, smiling, a mere flutter of feeling-which you see others have besides yourself; but that you-trained to confront danger-change-casualties of all sorts-that you-you, with your frame of Herculean build"

"Well-a truce to your banter!" he interrupted me somewhat impatiently; "I should'nt mind taking you ten to one that I don't live to be married, after all!"

"Come, this amounts to a symptom of your indisposition. You have got more fever on you than I thought and you grow lightheaded!-you must really get to bed, and in the morning all these fantasies will be gone."

"Well-I hope in God they may! But they horridly oppress me! I own that latterly I've given in a little to fatalism."

"This wont do at all," thought I, taking my pen in hand, and beginning to write a prescription.

66 Are you thirsty at all? any catching in the side when you breathe? Any cough?" &c. &c., said I, asking him the usual routine of questions. I feared from the symptoms he described, that he had caught a very severe, and possibly obstinate, cold -so I prescribed active medicines. Amongst others, I recollect order

ing him one-fourth of a grain of tartarized antimony every four hours, for the purpose of encouraging the insensible perspiration, and thereby determining the flow outwards. I then left him, promising to call about noon the next day, expressing my expectations of finding him perfectly recovered from his indisposition. I found him the following morning in bed, thoroughly under the influence of the medicines I had prescribed, and, in fact, much better in every respect. The whole surface of his bo> dy was damp and clammy to the touch, and he had exactly the proper sensation of nausea-both occasioned by the antimony. I contented myself with prescribing a repetition of the medicines.

"Well, Captain, and what has become of your glorious forebodings of last night ?" I enquired with a smile.

"Why-hem! I'm certainly not quite so desponding as I was last night; but still, the goal-the goal's not reached yet! I'm not well yetand even if I were, there's a good fortnight's space for contingencies!" ** I enjoined him to keep house for a day or two longer, and persevere with the medicines during that time, in order to his complete recovery, and he reluctantly acquiesced. He had written to inform Miss

that owing to "a slight cold," and his jeweller's disappoint ing him about the trinkets he had promised, his stay in town would be prolonged two or three days. This circumstance had fretted and "worried" him a good deal.

make

One of the few enjoyments which my professional engagements permitted me, was the opera, where I might for a while forget the plodding realities of life, and wander amid the magnificent regions of music and imagination. Few people, indeed, are so disposed to the most" of their time at the opera as medical men, to whom it is a sort of stolen pleasure; they sit on thorns, liable to be summoned out immediately-to exchange the bright scenes of fairy-land for the dreary bedside of sickness and death. I may not, perhaps, speak the feelings of my more phlegmatic brethren; but the considerations above named always make me sit listening to what is

going on in a state of painful suspense and nervousness, which is aggravated by the slightest noise at the box-door-by the mere trying of the handle. On the evening of the day in question, a friend of my wife's had kindly allowed us the use of her box; and we were both sitting in our places at a musical banquet of unusual splendour, for it was Catalani's benefit. In looking round the house, during the interval between the opera and ballet, I happened to cast my eye towards the opposite box, at the moment it was entered by two gentlemen of very fashionable appearance. Fancying that the person of one of them was familiar to me, I raised my glass, my sight being rather short. I almost let it fall out of my hand with astonishment-for one of the gentlemen was -Captain C! He whom I had that morning left ill in bed! Scarce believing that I had seen aright, I re-directed my glass to the same spot, but there was no mistaking the stately and handsome person of my patient. There he stood, with the gay and even rather flustered air of one who has but recently adjourn ed thither from the wine-table! He seemed in very high spirits-his face flushed-chatting incessantly with his companion, and smiling and nodding frequently towards persons in various parts of the house. Concern and wonder at his rashness-his madness-in venturing out under such circumstances, kept me for some time breathless. Could I really be looking at my patient Captain C? Him whom I had left in bed, under the influence of strong sudorifics? Who had faithfully promised that he would keep within doors for two or three days longer? What had induced him to transgress the order of his medical attendant-thus to put matters in a fair train for verifying his own gloomy apprehensions expressed but the evening before?Thoughts like these made me so uneasy, that, after failing to attract his eye, I resolved to go round to his box and remonstrate with him. After tapping at the door several times without being heard, on account of the loud tones in which they were laughing and talking, the door was opened.

"Good God! Doctor!" ex

claimed Captain C, in amazement, rising and giving me his hand. 'Why, what on earth is the matter? What has brought you here? Is any thing wrong? Heavens! Have you heard any thing about Miss he continued, all in a breath, turning pale.

"Not a breath-not a word-but what has brought you here, Captain? Are you stark staring mad?" I replied, as I continued grasping his hand, which was even then damp and clammy.

"Why-why-nothing particular," he stammered, startled by my agitated manner. "What is there so very wonderful in my coming to the opera? Have I done wrong, eh?" after a pause.

"You have acted like a madman, Captain C, in venturing even out of your bedroom, while under the influence of the medicines you were taking!"

“Oh, nonsense, my dear doctornonsense! What harm can there be? I felt infinitely better after you left me this morning;" and he proceeded to explain that his companion, to whom he introduced me, was Lieutenant —, the brother of his intended bride; that he had that morning arrived in town from Portsmouth, had called on the Captain, and, after drinking a glass or two of champaigne, and forcing the Captain to join him, had prevailed on him to accompany him to dinner at his hotel. Lieutenant overcame all his scruples-laughed at the idea of his "slight cold," and said it would be" unkind to refuse the brother of Ellen !”—So after dinner, they both adjourned to the opera. I nodded towards the door, and we both left the box for a moment or two. "Why, Doctor -, you don't mean to say that I'm running any real risk?" he enquired, with some trepidation. "What could I do, you know, when the Lieutenant there-only just returned from his cruise-Ellen's brother, you know”.

"Excuse me, Captain - Did you take the medicines I ordered regularly, up to the time of your going out ?" I enquired anxiously.

"To be sure I did-punctual as clockwork; and, egad! now, I think of it," he added eagerly, "I took a double dose of the powders, just be

ment with the Captain-and promising him that I should return during the next day. I was detained in the country for two days, during which I scarcely left Lady's bedroom an instant; and before I left for town she expired, under heart-rending circumstances.-On returning to town, I found several urgent cases requiring my instant attention, and first and foremost that of poor Captain C. Dr Dwas out, so I hurried to my patient's bedside at once. It cannot injure any one at this distance of time, to state plainly, that the poor Captain's case had been most deplorably mismanaged during my absence. It was owing to no fault of my friend Dr D, who had done his utmost, and had his own large practice to attend to. He was therefore under the necessity of committing the case to the more immediate superintendence of a young and inexperienced member of the profession, who, in his ignorance and timidity, threw aside the only chances for Captain C's life-repeated blood-letting. Only once did Mr bleed him; and then took away about four ounces! Under the judicious management of Dr D, the inroads of the inflammation had been sensibly checked; but it rallied again, and made head against the languid resistance continued by the young apothecary; so that I arrived but in time to witness the closing

scene.

He was absolutely withering under the fever; the difficulty with which he drew his breath amounted almost to suffocation. He had a dry hacking cough-the oppression of his chest was greater than ever; and what he expectorated was of a black colour! He was delirious, and did not know me. He fancied himself on the river, rowing-then endeavouring to protect Miss from the inclemency of the weather; and the expressions of moving tenderness which he coupled with her name, were heart-breaking. Then again he thought himself in shire, superintending the alterations of his house, which was getting ready for their reception on their marriage. He mentioned my name, and said, "What a gloomy man that Dr—is, Ellen! he keeps one stewing in

bed for a week, if one has but a common cold!"

Letters were dispatched into shire, to acquaint his family, and that of Miss with the melan

choly tidings of his dangerous illSeveral of his relations soon made their appearance; but as Miss

ness.

-'s party did not go direct home, but staid a day or two on the way, I presume the letters reached House long before their arrival, and were not seen by the family before poor Captain C had expired!

I called again on him in the evening. The first glance at his countenance sufficed to shew me that he could not survive the night. I found that the cough and spitting had ceased suddenly; he felt no pain; his feeble, varying pulse, indicated that the powers of nature were rapidly sinking. His lips had assumed a fearfully livid hue, and were occasionally retracted so as to shew all his teeth; and his whole countenance was fallen. He was quite sensible, and aware that he was dying. He bore the intelligence with noble fortitude, saying, it was but the fruit of his own imprudence and folly. He several times ejaculated, "Oh, Ellen-Ellen-Ellen!" and shook his head feebly, with a woeful, despairing look upwards, but without shedding a tear. He was past all display of active emotion!

"Shouldn't you call me a suicide, Doctor -?" said he, mournfully, on seeing me sitting beside him.

"Oh, assuredly not! Dismiss such thoughts, dear Captain, I beg! We are all in the hands of the Almighty, Captain. It is He who orders our ends," said I, gently grasping his hand, which lay passive on the counterpane. "Well, I suppose it is so! His will be done!" he exclaimed, looking reverently upwards, and closing his eyes. I rose, and walked to the table on which stood his medicine, to see how much of it he had taken. There lay an unopened letter from Miss! It had arrived by that morning's post, and bore the post-mark of the town at which they were making their halt by the way. Captain's friends considered it better not to agitate him, by informing him of its arrival; for as Miss

could not be apprized of his

illness, it might be of a tenor to agitate and tantalize him. My heart ached to see it. I returned presently to my seat beside him.

"Doctor," he whispered," will you be good enough to look for my white waistcoat-it is hanging in the dressing-room, and feel in the pocket for a little paper parcel?" I rose, did as he directed, and brought him what he asked for.

"Open it, and you'll see poor Ellen's wedding-ring and guard, which I purchased only a day or two ago. I wish to see them," said he, in a low but firm tone of voice. I removed the wool, and gazed at the glistening trinkets in silence, as did Captain C

"They will do to wed me to the worm!" said he, extending towards me the little finger of his left hand. The tears nearly blinding me-I did as he wished, but could not get them past the first joint.

Ah, Ellen has a little finger” said he. A tear fell from my eye upon his hand. He looked at me for an instant with apparent surprise. "Never mind, Doctor-that will do I see they won't go farther, Now, let me die with them on; and when I am no more, let them be given to Ellen. I have wedded her in my heart she is my wife!" He continued gazing fixedly at the finger on which the rings were.

"Of course, she cannot know of my illness?" looking at me. I shook my head.

"Good. Twill break her little heart, I'm afraid!" Those were the last words I ever heard him utter; for finding that my feelings were grow ing too excited, and that the Captain seemed disposed to sleep, I rose and left the room, followed by Lieutenant who had been sitting at his friend's bedside all day long, and looked dreadfully pale and exhausted. 66 Doctor," said he, in a broken voice, as we stood together in the hall," I have murdered my friend, and he thinks I have. He won't speak to me, nor look at me! He hasn't opened his lips to me once, though I've been at his bedside night and day. Yes," he continued, almost choking, "I've murdered him; and what is to become of my sister?" I made him no reply, for my heart was full. In the morning I found Captain

Claid out; for he had died about midnight.

Few scenes are fraught with more solemnity and awe, none more chilling to the heart, than the chamber of the recent dead. It is like the cold porch of eternity! The sepulchral silence, the dim light, the fearful order and repose of all around-a sick-room, as it were, suddenly changed into a charnel-house-the central object in the gloomy picture, the bed-the yellow effigy of him that was, looking coldly out from the white unruffled sheets-the lips that must speak no more-the eyes that are shut for ever!

The features of Captain C were calm and composed; but to see that fine countenance surrounded with the close crimped cap, injuring its outline and proportions!-Here, reader, lay the victim of A SLIGHT COLD!

RICH AND poor.

A REMARKABLE and affecting juxtaposition of the two poles, so to speak, of human condition-affluence and poverty-rank and degradation-came under my notice during the early part of the year 181-. The dispensations of Providence are fearful levellers of the factitious distinctions among men! Little boots it to our common foe, whether he pluck his prey from the downy satincurtained couch, or the wretched pallet of a prison or a workhouse! The oppressive splendour of rank and riches, indeed!-what has it of solace or mitigation to him bidden to "turn his pale face to the wall" to look his last on life, its toys and tinselries ?

The Earl of's old tormentor, the gout, had laid close siege to him during the early part of the winter of 181-, and inflicted on him agonies of unusual intensity and duration. It left him in a very low and poor state of health-his spirits utterly broken-and his temper soured and irritable, to an extent that was intolerable to those around him. The discussion of a political question, in the issue of which his interests were deeply involved, seduced him into