plication of this apologue, (if we may thus speak,) we mean only to express our convictions that historical works of this class and description, brilliant though they may be, and sparklingly as they may be welcomed, will be consigned to a like subordinate station when compared with the labors of the elder and greater race of historians. We do not even mean to say it is our belief that Mr. Macaulay will meet this fate. There are many reasons to believe that he will not. His vast genius, his profound learning, his literary accomplishments, the fame with which he has filled the two hemispheres as a miscellaneous writer and reviewer, added to the fact that he is the author as well as leader of this style of

writing history, may, and most probably will, effectually preserve him from the fate of less gifted or less fortunate imitators and

successors.

But it is time these remarks should be brought to a close. We shall reserve much that we had intended to say, in this connexion, for some future continuation of a task which was undertaken less to criticise, than to endeavor to show that even the greatest writers, when moving in a sphere of authorship different from that in which we have been most accustomed and delighted to hold converse with them, are very apt sometimes to disappoint high expectations. J. B. C.

Longwood, Miss. Feb. 1850.

MANY weeks had not gone by when Somers learned from an authentic source, that a person named Joshua Evans had been met at a small town in a neighboring county, travelling at his leisure towards Redland. The lawyer was instantly on the alert, and proceeded first to Munny's store, which he had come to look upon as the centre of information. Joshua had not been there, however: yet the people told him that a family of Evans' lived some eight miles to the westward.

"Let me know the way," said Somers. "There are two roads," replied Sam Munny, deliberately.

"The shortest, then."

"That," returned the other, "goes by the Long Mill, and so on, up Starving Branch-but there are eleven chances out of a dozen that you miss it."

"Well," said Somers, "if that's the case, describe the other route."

"It leads by Mr. Newlove's house, and then along to Bartlet's, which is only a few hundred yards from the place you are going to. This road is very easy to find." "And you advise me to take it, do you?"

"Why, Mr. Somers, it is certainly about two miles the longest, but I have lived long enough to have learned that the farthest way round, is oftentimes the quickest travelled."

My experience is the same, Mr. Munny, and the longest road shall in this instance, at least, be my choice."

As the lawyer passed in front of Sylvester Newlove's residence, his good horse finding a level piece of road, broke into a gallop. The rider, in turning his head for one instant towards the enclosed field on the right, caught a glimpse of a man running towards the road, as if to intercept him. His first impulse was to stop. Then the recollection of the preciousness of time induced him to hurry on.

Bartlet's house was reached, and afterwards the Evans' settlement: but no Joshua could he there see or hear of. Digesting his disappointment as best he might, in a stomach which would have been more pleased by a substantial dinner, the indefatigable lawyer turned his horse's head eastward and homeward.

At Mr. Newlove's gate, he found Absalom Handsucker waiting for him.

"Mr. Somers!-I've got you now. But you went by in wonderful quick time this morning. I most trotted my legs off in trying to catch you."

"Well, Absalom, what's to pay ?"

"Nothing so very great," replied the manager; "I only want to know whether you saw anything of a pocket-handkerchief between Munny's and here."

"No, I did not."

"I wouldn't make so much fuss about the article if it weren't silk. I paid ten shillings for it-that is York shillings, you understand. It was as good as ever, for I only used it when I went visiting and to meeting, and so forth. I thought I felt my

coat-tail flop light all of a sudden as I was riding through that big stretch of woods. I should have stopped, but Jack was so skippery and scampery that I didn't care to get off. It was very late, too-somewhere after midnight."

"That was a fine hour, indeed," said Somers, "for a young man to be out scouring the country! I fear you are getting into bad habits down South here."

Absalom blushed and chuckled at once as he answered, "I rather guess the Shawngo Mountains, if it could tell tales, would say that I didn't have to come here to learn how to find my way by starlight. Yet I'd have got off earlier from Mr. Safety's last night, but for that man Evans' coming."

"What did you say? Evans? Is it Joshua Evans ?"

"Yes, sir, I think he gave that for his first name.

"Is he at Safety's now ?"

I suppose so," answered Absolom; "he seemed to make himself very much at home there, at any rate."

"If I had only known of this three hours ago!" ejaculated Somers. "But no matter-I must make the more haste now."

"Oh look here, Mr. Somers!" bawled Absalom after him.

The horseman turned his head. "Don't forget to pick up that handkerchief, if you see it!"

"Is Mr. Joshua Evans here," said Somers to Mrs. Safety who came to the door as he rapped upon a bar-post with the heavy end of his whip.

"He went away about an hour and a half ago," replied the dame. "Where has he gone

faring person is entitled to that much, but of course no Evans can have any further claim upon a Safety. This is all the information I can give you—will you come in, sir?”

Somers moved slowly away, convinced of the futility of putting more questions to Mrs. Safety. In front of a cabin a little distance off, he noticed a negro sitting on a drawing-bench and apparently engaged in dressing shingles. dressing shingles. "That fellow," thought the lawyer, "may prove more communicative than his mistress chooses to be."

Riding up to the man, he said— "Can you tell me which way Mr. Evans went ?"

"I can't say to a certainty, sir," answered the negro, picking up another shingle, "but as they passed along here, I heard old Master Jack speak something about Hardwater Run."

"It was Mr. Astiville that accompanied him, then?"

"Yes, sir. And Mr. Josh Evans got on his horse and rode with him through the gap yonder, and, I 'spose, forded the Run and went up the other side."

"They did not pass by Mr. Everlyn's?" "No, sir; if they had wanted to go there, they'd have fotched a course right over the hill, you know, and would'nt have had anything to cross but the Lower Branch."

Somers had good cause to fear that his errand was spoiled and the mischief done, yet he determined to follow up the trail of which he had at last caught sight. It was something to satisfy curiosity, even though no useful information could be gained. Naomi had assured him that Joshua Evans was aware of the situation of the cornerstone; Astiville had protested that he himself was ignorant of this; could it be that he

"Who was it, madam, that called ?" "I did not see the person's face, sir." Is Mr. Safety at home?" "No."

"Will Evans be back here this evening?"

"How should I know, sir?" said Mrs. Safety, with some asperity. "I cannot be expected to interest myself in the movements of such as he. I don't begrudge the man his food and lodging-every way

learn the place and to be able to make way with the stone? It was matter for thought.

Having forded the Run below the junction, Somers turned to the left and went up the bank of the stream, riding all the way, of course, on what was incontestably Mr. Astiville's land. Occasionally on passing over a sandy place, he observed the fresh tracks of two horses which had preceded him in the same direction. On he went till he had gone beyond any possible site of the disputed corner. The hoof

marks which had hitherto encouraged him no longer greeted his eager vision. It occured to his mind that the men whom he sought must somewhere have struck across to the Lower Branch, and he himself, without wasting time in a vain effort to trace them through the woods, bore off in a direct line for the other stream.

But while Somers was riding southward, Astiville and Evans were returning across the same ridge a few hundred yards below. And just about the moment when he reined his horse by the Lower Branch, they reached the edge of the Upper one. Let us leave the lawyer to ride east and west and to perplex himself at his leisure, whilst we watch their movements.

Joshua Evans, suffering his horse to stretch the bridle, and nibble such spires of grass as could be found within the compass of a few feet, turned his face towards his companion and said:

"It is most unaccountable. I thought I should recognize the corner without the least difficulty. The stone was the largest and most distintly marked of the whole six, the grave too, when I last saw it was greatly sunken. Yet neither stone nor grave is now visible on the one fork or the other." Yet," replied Astiville, "you say it is your opinion that the corner stood on this, the Upper Branch."

แ

"Yes, I feel a conviction next to certainty that it did. What can have become of the stone I cannot imagine."

"Nor can I," rejoined Astiville, "It has now been a considerable time since I first attempted to trace out this line, and I assure you, Joshua, that neither then, nor any day since, have I been able to find the corner or any signs of it. If in this uncertainty I thought it justifiable to claim all the land that the law would give, can you blame me? I did not wish to deceive Everlyn; I told him how the case stood. Assuming the risk-he has made extensive clearings, and erected a fine house at great expense. I could not but grieve to see all this taken away and he himself in advanced age reduced to poverty. You will hear, then, without wonder that I am determined, for his sake as well as my own, to relinquish no right nor shadow of claim, until it is wrested from me by a decision of the court." "I think you act fair enough," responded Evans, "you can't be expected to take

care of the rights of strangers-it's their own look out."

Astiville, who had brought his man to the point he wished, continued, "You can understand, Joshua, why it is I am unwilling that Dick Somers should get you into Court."

"Yet what if he did?" said Evans, "I am satisfied from this morning's search that I can't swear to the Corner."

Ay, Joshua, but do you not see that he will ask you on which Branch you think it stands ?"

"And that would be a hard question to get over," answered Evans. "Sworn to tell the whole truth, I should have no choice but either to say the North Branch or”"Or to perjure yourself-is not that it, Joshua ?"

"Yes," said the man; "it's a rough word and means an ugly thing. To tell you the plain sense of the matter, Mr. Astiville, I'm no ways anxious to get into any such scrape, and what's more, nothing could persuade me to it."

Astiville answered, laughing, "You are very wise in that determination, Joshua, and you may rely upon it that I myself would hesitate a very long time before rendering myself liable to the penalties of a suborner. No, no, we must avoid having occasion to think of such a thing. Is there any very important business requiring you to remain about here ?"

"None. I took a sudden notion to come in and see Redland once more. Accordingly I'm here. I have been in the county not quite forty-eight hours, and haven't yet found anything so special as to make me wish to stay longer. They say the country has been improving in the last few years, and perhaps this is true, but it had been going down hill so fast before, that a long while will be needed to fetch it back tothe state it was in when I left it. I don't mind where I make my home, so I can get good water to drink and clear air to breathe." "It is but reasonable to suppose,' " said Astiville, "that you must be put to some inconvenience by leaving so speedily, and as your departure is prompted by good-will to me, it is but fair that I should recompense you for all loss incurred. Suppose I give you fifty dollars down, and send you a hundred after you have been away six months, will that suit you?"

"Perfectly."

"Yet it is necessary," added the other, "that you should go immediately. Somers will begin a search, I have no doubt, the instant he hears of your being in the county. Indeed, it is exceedingly fortunate that he did not catch you before I did. The same negro by whom I was accidentally informed of your having come to Alonzo Safety's, told me also that Somers passed by Munny's store this morning. Keep out of his way, will you? He's a keen fellow and may have a subpoena served in a trice."

"No fear," replied Evans, "I'll be on the watch, and what's still more to the purpose, I'll be on the go. The fellow must have the scent of a blood-hound that tracks Josh Evans."

"Here then we part," said Astiville; "it is as well that we should not be seen in company more than can be helped. I wish you a safe journey and good luck at the end of it."

With this he handed three or four banknotes to Evans, who, after quietly depositing them in his pocket-book, went to pass the night at Alonzo Safety's.

Astiville crossed the stream and chose a winding course which brought him at length to the summit of the hill, near the habitation of Cain, the solitary. He dismounted, secured his horse by the bridle to a tree, and entered the cabin.

Cain was sitting in a musing attitude at the edge of the hearth, on which a few coals were glowing in readiness to receive the fresh-skinned rabbit that lay upon the table close by. He arose at the noise of footsteps, and perceiving the visitant, said, Is it you."

66 Ay, Henry, how do you do this evening ?"

"Why ask me that?" said Cain impatiently. Reserve such empty inquiries for the world. These formal civilities may be received with satisfaction by others, but they lacerate my heart. Do you ask how am I? Surely you are not ignorant that although suns may rise and set and clouds gather and disperse, sameness is my portion. You may have a headache one day, an ague the next, and be well the following;-bless Heaven for the variety! My life admits of no change, it is one unvarying void. No! Would that it were so. I am plunged to the bottom of an abyss full of hor

ror,

the waters come over me, I am tied, hand and foot, and cannot rise!"

Astiville suffered a few moments to elapse in silence, and then observed in a calm indifferent tone, "that's not a very fat rabbit you have there, Henry."

"No, it is not," replied Cain, "but you should have seen one I caught day before yesterday. It was a dainty fit for a prince. I need to have something nice since the frost killed my tomatoes. Yes, John, I haven't a single one-my favorite vegetable too."

"That is surprising," said Astiville; "the frost was not near so bad at Greywood. If you wish, I can send you some tomatoes from there." "No-I cannot take them," answered Cain; " you know, I'm determined to eat nothing but what is the fruit of my own labor. If it is a duty to sustain life, let that duty be as rugged and difficult of performance as possible. And should the Almighty deprive me of the power of making my own subsistence, the event will bring only joy. I shall hail it as the signal that I am permitted to close my eyes upon these horrid scenes."

"Henry, do not let your mind brood thus upon what is passed. Live and be contented with life for the sake of another if not for your own. Am I not entitled to

so much regard from you "Yes, John," said Cain; "you treat me far better than I deserve. Of all men you have most reason to loathe my_sight—and yet your eyes are not averted. You do not shun me as one accursed; you even come willingly into my presence, and offer consolation and the hope of pardon. I thank you; your's is true charity-it is Christian heroism; for human nature, unassisted, could not attain to such a height of fortitude. Stricken of God, and only not abominated by mankind because unknown, I have sought this wilderness, whose sole inhabitants, the beast and the bird, fly from before me. They, poor creatures, only recognize me for a man, and expect no injury greater than all men are fit to render them. You, John, know what I am, you feel the horror of my guilt as no one else can feel it still you approach me, and by the might of compassion, you control very nature and forbid your muscles to exhibit those shudders which agitate your inward breast."