Hannah.

He was a km * i a ] ld c ] icci . fu ; 0 hl man , who farmed a little , rode a littl 0 , and idled a littlo , and was fond of his rubber of vy ] , ^ ' , ; pipe ; alld ] uS glass of port wino . And thus , with . an am ; ab ] 0 family and small means , ho had solaced hmisolf mnid thc frcaks 0 f fortune in a position of worldly woaiti ,, humbler far than thoso ot many of tll 0 malo and t \ 0 Cholscys whoso still

portraits adorned thc pannelled walls of tho unpretending manor fal . m 3 Iuch of tbc old cho ] sey iaud had been pm- , mscd by tho j IorcSj though Chelsey Court itself ha ] ong gince disai ) pcared from tho face ot tho earth ! l ] lfl frQm thc momoly 0 f raan . Quo never knows } , crCj nud ono ] 10 V 01 . shall kn 0 W ) wIiat ; the secret ot p . gonal synipathy or individual interest , tho d

reason '<\ tro „ of thosc luldvhlg Hnks 0 f attachment winch bi „ s closely to olle . motbov bci-e . Why was it , for inst nnc 0 j that Hannah , with all her charms and prospects , shon ] d „ take , > . so distinctly and decidedly with . Cliarlcs chelsey , a lieutenant in a marching regi 1 Vlent ? It goomed odd that when many a good match -, t ( J bc f ( mnd b tbat fair but wayward maiden , she sh ,,..,., ,, *_ ,. „ .. „ . : I „„ .: vJlliei 11111 tier ieeeL

„ ' - 'qillVOCany avow pie- - lor a young m wllo ]| ad nothing but his good looks ancl his good s Qlls 0 to recommcnd ,, ; m . However , so - ^ wag ) and ^ tcll tuis story > *; many more , co only admit tl , > though naunah was always kind ai i picasaut to us all , sho was still moro pleasant , unci stm nl 0 v < J kind whcu t ] iat gay « »

was smging dit | or playing croquet , or even riding au okl hunter ot l , is fntllcl ' ; sjd 0 j witH a pluck aud a courage wh , ' on wcro tho theme of much honest admiration . 1 * cm . jons ] y enough , in thoso days , « n ? , ^ ^' ' ° a 11 ri ™ > * vc - ' ° n 11 f' - ieu , - ' ' W bother it wr , Uannnli ' s simple grace or loyal truth

i " ° ' 1 \ '' ; aycd us all alike I know not , but oven the admitted iavoi . itism of th . self ^ villccl young woman tor that good-looking young representative of the British army M . ftS lookod upon by us aU , if a fact , simply as a fa ) aud aftcl . ull on , tu 0 .. i ? ort „ uo do la Guerre .

What Hannr , ii ' liareuta rCally thought of hor choice I never heard , at a ] ly mto tbcy ] lcTOl . interfered , and Lieutenant Cholsey came and wont , and went and came , always Welcome , ever smiling , tho gayest of tho gay , the l'appj ost oE tbo happy . ] jnt sunshiuo and bluo skies do llot a ) wnys lagt fm , cvcr jlcr 0 ) as w 0 an of us woll know , nild tbo p , acid soaj still as a " millpond , " may , ore long , bo Iasl ) od by «* ] f a gai 0 » into stormy billows .

All of a _ siii \ , i | as , ,. omember , the Crimean war broke out in Is ; . - . , am i Lieutenant , Cholsoy ' s regiment , ono of the fi lu > st regiments of our lino army , went away for \ ni . i > 001 . xiaimah ! I remember well that change , s < mnrkcdj tbat at once came over that sweet face a nd that happy grace . Hannah became oven more ton ,,, ) , j and interesting than before in hor stillnessher

, SiU *„ ) ) lor anxiety . For sho did not affect to coiie 0 ( l ) 1 | 0 „ . muc )| s ) y 0 fe ) t tbo 80 j , nrntioa , how much she fotij . f ( J 1 . , vbnt might be . Well , Anna M . ns won > and Lieutenant Chelsey was Captain '' J bl ' ovet , and good news came by each mail , null Hannah s * j , „ faCG aftcr ono Gf thoso long nnd loving letters Wag a t ) n '„„ to seo to realise , mid to remember 1

. )> cnmo inj-p ,.,,,,,,, . „») Balaclava , and sorties aitcl ski ,., ' g ) l 0 B i mil * sti )) a p was well , happily for poor lluny ,. ^ j sba ) , novol . f 01 . gCt when tho nows arrived of tin , nttnck on tho J { c ( la „ , and tho failure , and tho long list e , f kil , c ( , an ( , woum ) ed . Quo of tho first names that I S ( uv wng t ]) a ( . rj ] lptain Chelsey . Who told Hannah the dreadful news , or how sho became

acquainted wi t ] l t ) l ( . fact i x „ cvcr ) , „) . Indeed , wo were all afrr , ; , ) t () C ! l ) , siionlo > - Grange for somo time , knowiiijj , | j () l . (] 10 r ( , . c BOmo hoart-wouiids which time it Solf can novcr , ai Jl 0 | . , AlI (] then , all of a sudden , w < s ll 0 a ,. d Hmt tlu . Moros bal i „ tho South of Frnlu . ) j bcuce to Italy ancl Algiers ami Malaga and tho Isle e-, e yyi ght . And after a long , long timo two old peo ]) l cnI | 10 b , ick n j onc jn deepest mourning , to ( o

Shenloy G ,.,,, ^ dl 0 on 0 a jtcl . another , and to ho buried in the 0 j ( l Moro , IlanK 0 iCM , m ) but sho thoy loved so much , and ) 10 wns so ) K ) itnd uji with thoir iniicrcst life , is _ lv » ig , ,, ot iu her own land amid tho resting place ot her f nt ) lc ,. g ) but , - „ pcnc ( , f „ l gravo which she chose for hei . liolf . t ) l 0 east wd of a Utt \ o country church , so t ? u , C ( 11 ., Icnms 0 f tlio golden sun light up tho ^ gras sy lnoiind which covers her ! Captain Chelsey s sohi . . gravo can still bc seen in thc " Vale of Gloom . °

Thus are w ) | . cilttered in life and in death , and , as Mrs Homani , Ran go wo „ 0 , > in ) l 01 . « Graves of a Household , " g () me , irc , 1 C 1 . 0 at uom 0 | B () mo are far away in lori-, ign ] andS | somo , buried in the tleep ocean beds , s m . e lvin „ vl ) 0 ,, ) l ) 0 ( ly batt ) e ,, !„;„ , and never s ] i t , lpy af ; )|| C ( Jt fac 0 to { nco ] mt ; i wo all , nt last , , , , < T 1 0 Gn .. AVhito Throne . "

And this is vv ) jy j dl 01 . ; , ) ,,, ( , te , „| ci . ,, ortrait of the olden past ; tl , j 8 ia w ] lv i te )| this humble story in the kindly pages „ , ll ) 3 clll . istlnas / , ,.,.,., „< , „„„ . Surely , in these unquiot n „ d dissatisfied days , when all society seems ' out of j „ j „ . - » whcn , as sonic ono has perversely said , " all li ) V j s nierccnary , " and " married life itself a burden and a Knm . » ; t is 0 t « l for us nil to realise

g and ponder v , Vo | . t ]| is 0 , () > 0 , ([ Klol . y () f , „ ., „ . „ ) umest love and Wt > mim i , lnb () 1 ) g | lt eonsiaiicy , nnd so feci deeply how , dt . itc the glare and glamour of thc world , its tinsel : mi | jt ) . trapoings , ils fripperies and its follies , all that constitntes the best happiness of human lifo is to bo found

iu t ] i ! it fo 7 ld nnd f . jitbf ,, ! airection of us , pow- mortals ., s W ( j arC ] w , li ( , b ) ,. ( sling tlll . 011 gIl Iffo and ending alone a 0 : itli , outlives the separations of earth and the dark „ ess of i ])( j ^^ mi ) l s , lal , y ( , b , 00 ] u , wd bare precious , fruit m nlloli , er and a deathless sceno . Have 1 wr ' , ; t ] l a too gol . ' ous pou ? if s 0 , kind

Hannah.

readers , forgive the writer , remembering thc words of tho Foot" Life is real , life is earnest Anil the grave ifi not its goal ; Dust thou art , to ilust returnest , Was not spoken of the soul . "

I venture to hope that some of thc mauy readers , of Brother Kenning ' s number of tho Christinas Freemason may still be touched and edifice ! by thc story of Hannah More . I may add that Shenloy Grange has passed into thc

hands of the widow and thc boy . But a deep melancholy seems to have settled " on tho spot ; " at least , I thought so when I wandered , a short timo back , amid scones and rooms once so familiar , ami could all bufc repeople the olel manor house with tho bright faces autl tho lovod voices of a sadly vanished part .

The Kiss Of Death.

The Kiss of Death .

BY EMRA HOLMES . * t ^ pjTK-HE grcafe-earl stootl in his place of power , jtj-ljj'l And toltl tho tale—how a Princess died ; ESSSe ' -a Whilst many a silont tear was shod , v- ^ I '*? And many a haughty * noble sighed . Tir For sho was dear to the English heart * Who tended her father's dying hours-Always ready to take her parfc ,

Autl always welcome as fragrant flowers . As the gcntlo nurse , wo know hor well Who sat by the bed of England ' s heir , In all those gravo and terrible days ,

When ho was saved hy her loving caro . When England ' s prayer of might went up To tho King of Heaven to save our Prince , And the throb of sorrow from every heart Did our lovo to tho Throne and him evince

And tho prayer was answered , and ho was saved To show tho power of tho mighty God ; And the Princess Alice wo loved so well Is tlcad anil buried beneath tho sod . Wo hoard tho pitiful tale ho told

To the peers assembled to hear him speak : How tho weary mother , who nursed her child , In her warm embrace had kissed his cheok . In that dreadful passage of fell disease , " Kiss mo , mother ! " the child had cried ; Though she had been warned of tho danger thoro , Sho kissed hor boy , nnd sickened and died .

Sho could not resist the pleading voice—The eloquent glance in tho mournful eyes ; So she had given tho kiss of death , Anel followed her bright one to tho skies . Was over a story so sad ns this , Of ono who coultl not her lovo suppress ? Tho mother wns killed by the young luel ' s kiss ,

And died through giving hor soft caress . Tho mothers of England all mourn hor loss , Ancl Englishmen ever will sing hor praiso , For sho was gracious and good and sweet ; Wo loved hor all for her winsome ways . Oh ! widowed mother ! Oh ! gracious Queen

Who rulest over this empire vast , Remember in all thy sorrow now , As in thy joys that aro gono and past—Thy children ever will share with thee , In joy or sorrow , como weal or woo ; For thou hasi won thy people ' s hearts , And reverent love to fhco wo show .

Old Furamids' Christmas Euq In The Desert.

Old Furamids' Christmas Euq in the Desert .

fCT " T 3 lII ' " moon and stars were shining with that ifiltM brilliancy which can only be observed in an ff ^ J ^ Easlcru sky .. Not a breath of wind stirred K \ ff t ' branches of the tall palm trees under which ivl wo ' > ad halted for the night , our shelter being a * deserted mud hut in ( lie midst of a knot of palms . My friend Foster , our engineer , and myself , with two Arab dragomen , comprised our party within ,

whilst five Arab donkey hoys wero without . lt was Christmas Eve ; and no wonder , after a very frugal meal , as we sat around tho wood fire smoking our " toliahouks " and sipping very indifferent coffee , that our thoughts and conversations should revert to our homes and friends in Old England—anecdotes and talcs of past times und pleasures spent at this festive

season in years gono by . A glass of toddy was browed nnd quaffed to the health of tbo absent ones across the sea ; and , at the timo when all at homo wero in the height of their Christmas enjoyments , wo wearied travellers wero about to court sleep ou tho door of our temporary abode .

A long donkey ride across the hot sand ) ' desert had been sullicient to cause a curtailment of our impromptu festivities . Hassan and Ibrahim had already stretched themselves across the doorway , and preparations woro soon made for our sleeping accommodation , which consisted of a single rug for each , whereon to wrap our tired limbs .

Old Furamids' Christmas Euq In The Desert.

It was tlecided to keep watch in turns , and to my lot fell tho first part of that duty . Thc wood fire had burnt low , and as wo had no other luminant , thc dying embors afc intervals threw out ghastly shadows upon a small black travelling-case , in which was deposited a large sum iu gold , the proceeds of the sale of several engines anel pumps which wo had beeu fixing on the

banks of tho " Silo , somo instance up thc country . Our revolvers lay ready for immediate use ( such precautions being necessary ) , for , although wo were some distanco from an Arab village , we were in close proximity to Bedouin encampments , sonic of which wc had passed on our way . Tho stillness of thc night was at times broken by tho screeching of the stork and thc barking of wild

dogs , while now and again largo ( lights of wild ducks cast a dark shadow upon the sanely plain . Hy companions slept soundly , and rho dreariness of tho situation caused my thoughts to run into some rather unpleasant channels . Momentarily , I conjured up all kinds of horrible scenes . I called to mind having seen ono of our donkey boys in conversation with some

licilonins , ami recollected hearing one ol tho hittor say " sekeen" ( knife ) , anel tho boy impressively used the words " kotocr felors" ( much money ) . I pictured to myself nn agreement matlo between tho boys , who were bivotiacing a little distance from tho hat , anel the wild Arabs , to attack us with a strong hand autl murder us for tho sake of plunder . Tho ease with which this

could bc accomplished in thafc lonely spot , without tho least chance of being traced , and the improbability of tho perpetrators being brought to justice , was so apparent that its occurrence seemetl in my imagination to become a certainty . I stepped over tho prostrate forms of the two natives into the open plain , disturbing a pack of hungry tlogs

who had been sniffing around us , and whoso howling formed a kind of accompaniment to tho wash of the water rolling down tho elistant Nile . I visited the lads , who woro sleeping soundly beside their wearied donkeys . The cool night air tempted me to stroll a short distance from the hut , and , in doing so , I put to flight

a number of birds of the quail species , startling mo with the " whirr" of their wings . Almost immediately afterwards the tall figure of a Bedouin , carrying his gun across his shoulders , appeared striding with measured sfeps towards me , evidently in search of snch game as I bad just disturbed . Fearing that I had unintentionally deprived him of his chance of securing

his game , thereby havo aroused his anger , I took good caro to get within earshot of the sleepers before ho approachetl too near . As soon as ho hail arrived within speaking distance , I accosted him in Arabic , " Missa-el-Kher" ( good night ) , and , to my agreeable surprise , he answered courteously , " Lolitkum Sideh " ( good night to you all ) .

When , however , ho had disappeared I coulel not help associating his presence with some such arrangement as I had before fancied . Why should ho wish good night to all ' { Did ho know that 1 was not alone ' i Perhaps he was ono of a gang in possession of somo knowledge of our treasure , and had been sent on to reconnoitre . I hail by this timo worked myself up into au

excitable state , when , suddenly , the "tinkle , tinkle , tinkle " of donkey bells smote upon my ear . Surely , thought I , this must bo the main body of robbers . Although by no means a coward , I did not caro to defend our mud castle single-handed ; 1 therefore felt justified in arousing my companions . Gently shaking Foster ' s arm , he , in a moment , assumed a sitting posture , and grasped his

revolver . The iibu-ni was silently passed to the others , and our dragomen wero put on the alert , in order , if possible , to distinguish tho class of enemy wc should have to contend with . Wo listened n few moments , when voices woro audible , although we could not ascertain whether they wero natives or Europeans ; then there was silence for a few

moments . Presently thc small aperature in the mud wall , which served as ii window , was darkened by a passing figure . In a moment onr firearms were directed to that spot , and we were quite ready to receive tho next intruder with a volley , when , fortunately , before wo had tho opportunity afforded us for so doing , wo heard , iu a

somewhat familiar voice , " 1 in sure this must bo thc place ; " and another , even more familiar , replied , " I liopo they ' re not gone on further , as I should liko tho olel boy to spend Christmas with us . " It took but a short time to proclaim our presence ami to drag the suspected robbers inside our shelter . Fresh wood wns piled , and a bright fire revealed to us tho

welcome faces of threo of my best friends , who had ridden over from a village iu which thoy were stationed on learning of our whereabouts from a donkey-boy whom we did not further require , and who was returning homewards through the village instead of the routo wc hael traversed . After a short rest , and just ns day was breaking , onr

donkey-mounted calvacndo started for the hospitable-( though wooden ) dwelling of our friends . As we passed through somo Arab villages , wo bailee ! the dwellers with " Christian ' s Awake , " though not , ono of them could appreciate tho glad song , or oven understand its meaning . It might have been ( he feeling that wo were so near the laud that gavo rise to tho

subject of our song which gavo so much earnestness and heartiness to our caroling . We wore minus tho holly and mistletoe , nor had wo tho contents of tho proverbial Christmas hamper , but our friends matlo ample provision for our enjoyment , and , with the aid of various concomitants , wc wero enabled to drink tho old toast , "A merry Christmas and a happy "Sew Year " to all friends at homo .