tion to its charms, would be nearly as fatal to high thought as a gridiron or a hard board to sit on. The mind must not be made conscious of the presence of the body, by either pleasurable or painful sensations.

essential to the realization of man's | pletely at peace as never to intrude its grandest gains in science or philosophy presence-when it is hid away in the is perpetually interrupted by sleep, and silence of content; the poet, the philosoas perpetually interrupts it. In short, pher, or the scientific inquirer (depend from the earliest times mind and body upon it) will get on fastest and have his have been at issue, and the mind has felt faculties clearest, not when he is torthat the body was not only an indispen-mented by a hair shirt, but when he is sable servant, but a conflicting claimant. sitting in a well-arranged arm-chair; Its claims were felt to be inconvenient, when he has been refreshed and strengthand to be pressed in a fashion that must ened by ample sleep and wholesome air be peremptorily dealt with, if mind was and invigorating pleasures- not while to maintain its rightful supremacy or to he is struggling to keep awake, like some realize its noblest aspirations. Now, studious unphysiological donkeys whom there are two modes of dealing with we read of, with a wet bandage round his claims which, however interfering, cannot head and a cup of strong coffee at his be ignored, which are at once too strong elbow. But an arm-chair, which is so to be altogether resisted, and too right-luxurious and elaborate as to call atteneous to be deliberately denied. You may either bully the claimants and put them on short commons, or you may satisfy all their just demands. The ascetics took the first course, which I maintain to have been altogether an erroneous one. For what is the object in view? Is it not Nor, I believe, need we fear that, if simply to silence the senses, to prevent the just claims of the body are conceded, them interfering inconveniently and un- unjust and excessive demands will therewarrantably with the operations of the fore be put forward. In the first place, intellect? Now, when were claimants righteous and timely concessions give (who had a fair foundation for their the mind an unassailable vantage-ground claims) ever effectually silenced by rough for very prompt and imperious dealing usage and unjust refusals? They may with unwarrantable clamours; and, in be temporarily put down, but they can the second place, those unwarrantable never be silenced, and their groans and demands arise in too many cases (as all remonstrances are just as disturbing as who have dived into the unsavoury histheir open-voiced demands. tory of ascetic sects can tell us), from morbid action of the senses, arising out Servi siam: si— ma servi ognor frementi. of unnatural treatment of them. You Nay, the plan is even more unphilo- will think, perhaps, that I have broken sophical than at first appears, for these my promise, when I said I was not going starved and oppressed claimants are your to preach ; but now I have only one word indispensable agents, and your oppres- more to say, and it is worth listening to, sion impairs their power as well as their for it is not my own: — "In this case, as will to serve you. They become, instead in all similar ones, let us seek conciliation of cheerful and vigorous employés, grum-of conflicting claims, not by compromise, bling and half-paralyzed ones. The but by justice; by giving to every one, senses and the bodily organs need food, not the half of what he asks, but the exercise, repose aye, and recreation whole of what he ought to have.”

too, and all in liberal measure - - if they are to do the bidding of the intellect in a first-rate style; and the surest consequence, therefore, of the ascetic system is just to interfere with the progress of the work, to damage or imperil its quality, and to shorten its period of duration.

Asceticism, therefore, as a philosophical contrivance is a signal blunder, which never really attain its end. The

can

From Blackwood's Magazine. ALICE LORRAINE.

A TALE OF THE SOUTH DOWNS.

CHAPTER LVII.

(concluded.)

brain has a right to rest, and will not LADY VALERIA LORRAINE, though work well without rest, and ought to have harassed and weakened by rheumatism as much sleep as it requires. The mind and pain of the nerves (which she sternly will work best when the body is so com-attributed to the will of God and the

weather), still sat as firmly erect as ever,senting yourself as the only one for me and still exacted, by a glance alone, all to follow." those little attentions which she looked "You are quite right," said the ancient so worthy to receive. The further she lady, failing to observe the turn of became removed from the rising genera- thought, as Alice was certain that she tion, the greater was the height of con- would do, else scarcely would she have tempt from which she deigned to look ventured it; "but, you do not make the down upon it. So that Alice used to say most of even that advantage. You can to her father sometimes, "I wonder read and write, perhaps better than you whether I have any right to exist. Grand-ought, or better than used to be thought mamma seems to think it so impertinent at all needful; but you cannot come into of me." "One thing is certain," Sira room, or make a tolerable curtsey; and Roland answered, with a quiet smile at you spend all your time with dogs, and his favourite; "and that is, that you poets, and barrows of manure, and little cannot exist without impertinence, my birds!" dear."

This fine old lady was dressed with her usual taste and elaboration; no clumsy chits would she have to help her, during the three hours occupied by what she termed, not inaptly, her "devotions." She wore a maroon-coloured velvet gown of the softest and richest fabric, trimmed, not too profusely, with exquisite pointlace; while her cap, of the same lace with dove-coloured ribbon, at the same time set off and was surpassed by the beauty of her snow-white hair. Among many other small crotchets, she held that brilliants did not suit a very old lady; and she wore no jewels, except a hoop of magnificent pearls with a turquoise setting, to preserve her ancient weddingring. And now, as her grandchild entered quietly, she was a little displeased at delay, and feigned to hear no entrance.

"Here I am, grandmamma, if you please," said Alice, after three most graceful curtseys, which she was always commanded to make, and made with much private amusement; "will you please to look round, grandmamma, and tell me what you want of me?"

"Now really, madam, you are too hard upon me. I may have had a barrow-load of poets; but more than a month ago, you gave orders that I was not to have one bit more of manure."

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Certainly I did, and high time it was. A young gentlewoman to dabble in worms, and stable-stuff, and filthiness! However, I did not send for you to speak about such little matters. What I have to say is for your own good; and I will trouble you not to be playing with your hands, but just to listen to me."

"I beg your pardon," said Alice, gently; "I did not know I was moving my hands. I will listen, without doing that any more."

"Now, my dear child," began Lady Valeria, being softened by the dutiful manner and sweet submission of the girl; "whatever we do is for your own good. You are not yet old enough to judge what things may profit, and what may hurt you. Even I, who had been brought up in a wholly superior manner, could not at your age have thought of anything. I was ready to be led by wiser people; although I had seen a good deal of the world. And you, who have seen nothing, must be only too glad to do the same. You know quite well, what has long been settled, between your dear father and myself, about what is to be done with you."

"To be done with me!" exclaimed poor Alice, despite her resolve to hold her tongue. "To be done with me! As if I were just a bundle of rags, to be got rid of !”

"I could scarcely have dreamed," answered Lady Valeria, slowly turning towards her grandchild, and smiling with superior dignity; "that any member of our family would use the very words of the clown in the ring. But, perhaps, as I always try to think, you are more to be pitied than condemned. Partly through your own fault, and partly through peculiar circumstances, you have lost those advantages which a young lady of our house is entitled to. You have never been at court; you have seen no society; you have never even been in London !" "Alas! it is all too true, grandmamma. But how often have you told me that I have become bundles of rags, by indulnever must hope, in this degenerate age, ging just such a temper as yours is. You to find any good models to imitate! And will now have the goodness to listen to you have always discouraged me, by pre-me, without any vulgar excitement.

"Prouder and handsomer girls than you," answered Lady Valeria, quietly for she loved to provoke her grandchild, partly because it was so hard to do

Your marriage with Captain Chapman "I know that it means harm, of course. has for a very long time been agreed But I really could not help its coming. upon. It is high time now to appoint the And it has not done any harm yet." day. Sir Remnant Chapman has done "No, Alice, it waits its due time, of me the honour of a visit upon that sub- course. Three months is its time, I ject. He is certainly a man of the true believe, for running, before it destroys old kind; though his birth is compara- the family. Your marriage affords the tively recent. I was pleased with him; only chance of retrieving the fortunes of and I have pledged myself to the mar- this house, so as to defy disasters. Three riage, within three months from this day." months, therefore, is the longest time to "It cannot be ! it shall not be! You which we can possibly defer it. How may bury me, but not marry me. Who many times have we weakly allowed you gave you the right to sell me? And who to slip out of any certain day! But now made me to be sold? You selfish, cold- we have settled that you must be Mrs. hearted no, I beg your pardon. I Chapman by the 15th of January at the know not what I am saying." latest."

---

"Oh, grandmamma, to think that I ever should live to be called Mrs. Chapman!"

"You may well fall away, child, and cower like that; when you have dared to use such dreadful words. No, you may come to yourself, as you please. I am "The name is a very good one, Alice, not going to give you any volatile salts, though it may not sound very romantic. or ring, and make a scene of it. That is But poor Sir Remnant, I fear, is unlikejust what you would like; and to be pet- ly to last for a great time longer. He ted afterwards. I hope you have not hurt seemed so bent, and his sight so bad, yourself, so much as you have hurt me and requiring so much refreshment! perhaps, by your violent want of self- And then, of course, you would be Lady control. I am not an old woman as Chapman, if you care about such trifles." you were going to call me but an elderly lady. And I have lived indeed to be too old, when any one descended from me has so little good blood in her, as to call her grandmother an old woman!"

"I am very, very sorry," said Alice, with catches of breath, as she spoke, and afraid to trust herself yet to rise from the chair, into which she had fallen; "I used no such words, that I can remember. But I spoke very rudely, I must confess. I scarcely know what I am to do, when I hear such dreadful things, unless I bite my tongue off."

6

"It is a piteous prospect, madam. And I think Captain Chapman must be older than his father. You know the old picture, The Downhill of Life;' the excellent and affectionate couple descending so nicely hand-in-hand. Well, I should illustrate that at once. I should have to lead my-no, I won't call him husband but my tottering partner down the hill, whenever we came to see you and papa. Oh, that would be so interesting!"

"You silly child, you might do much worse than that. Lady de Lampnor has promised most kindly to see to your outfit in London. But I cannot talk of that at present. There, now you may go. I have told you all."

"I quite agree with you. And I believe it is the very best thing all young people can do. But I strive to make every allowance for you, because you have been so very badly brought up. Now come to "Thank you, grandmamma. But, if this window, child, and look out. Tut, you please, I have not told you all, nor tut tears indeed! What are young half. It need not, however, take very girls made of now? White sugar in along. It is just this. No power on earth wet tea-cup. Now if the result of your shall ever compel me to marry Stephen violence allows you to see anything at Chapman; unless, indeed, it were so to all, perhaps you will tell me what that happen black line is among the rough ground at the bottom of the hill. To me it is perfectly clear, although I am such a very old woman."

"You disobedient and defiant creature unless what should happen?"

"Unless the existence, and even the honour, of the Lorraines required it. But of that I see no possibility at all. At present it seems to be nothing more than a small and ignominious scheme. More and more I despise and dislike that heroic officer. I will not be sacrificed for

nothing; and I have not the smallest intention of being the purchase-money for old acres."

"After that, I shall leave you to your father," answered Lady Valeria, growing tired. "It may amuse you to talk so largely, and perhaps for the moment relieves you. But your small self-will, and your childish fancies, cannot be always gratified. However, I will ask you one thing. If the honour, and even the life of Lorraine, can be shown to you to require it, will you sacrifice your noble self?"

"I will," answered Alice, with brave eyes flashing, and looking tall and noble. "If the honour of the Lorraines depends upon me, I will give myself and my life for it."

CHAPTER LVIII.

burial-fees. He wants no murderous doctor's stuff; he wants a good breakfast-that's what he wants."

But, my dear, you forget," answered good Mrs. Hales, who kept a small wardrobe of bottles and pills, gallipots, powders, and little square scales; you are quite overlooking the state of his tongue. He has not eaten the size of my little finger. Why? Why, because of the fur on his tongue!"

"Bless the boy's tongue, and yours too!" cried the rector. "I should not care twopence about his tongue, if he only used his teeth properly."

"Ah, Struan, Struan! those who have never known what ache or pain is, cannot hope to understand the system. I know exactly how to treat him a course of gentle drastics first, and then three days of my electuary, and then cardamomum, exhibited with liquor potassy. Doctoring has always been in my dear mother's family; and when your time comes to be ill and weak, how often you will thank Providence!"

"I thank the Lord for all things," said the parson, who was often of a religious turn; "but I must be brought very low indeed, ere I thank Him for your electuary."

HILARY was so weak and weary, and so seriously ill, when at last he reached the rectory, that his uncle and aunt would not hear of his coming down-stairs for a couple of days at least. They saw that his best chance of escaping some long and perhaps fatal malady was to be found in rest and quietude, nursing, and kindly feeding. And the worst of it was that, whatever they did, they could not bring him to feed a quarter so kindly as "Put on your new hunting-coat, my he ought to do. The rector said, "Con- dear. There it hangs, and I know that found the fellow!" And Mrs. Hales you are dying to exhibit it. The vanity of shook her head, and cried "Poor dear! "men surpasses even the love of women. as dish after dish, and dainty little plate came out of his room untasted.

There, there! You never will learn how to put a coat on. Just come to the hallchair for me to pull it up. You are so unreasonably tall, that you never can get your coat up at the neck. Now, will you have it done, or will you go as you are, and look a regular figure in the saddle? You call it a bottle-green'! I call it a green, without the bottle."

And now on the morning of that same day on which Alice thus had pledged herself (being the third from her brother's arrival, of which she was wholly ignorant), the rector of West Lorraine arose, and girded himself, and ate his breakfast with no small excitement. He had received a new clerical vestment of the "Caroline, sometimes you are most loftiest symbolism, and he hoped to ex-provoking. It is not your nature; but hibit it at the head of a very long pro- you try to do it. The cloth is of quite an invisible green, as the man in London told me― manufactured on purpose for ecclesiastics; though hundreds of parsons, God knows, go after the hounds in the good old scarlet. If you say any more, I will order a scarlet, and keep West Grinstead in countenance. They always do it in the west of England. In invisible green, I am a hypocrite."

cession.

"About poor Hilary? What am I to do?" asked Mrs. Hales, coming into the lobby, to see her good husband array himself. "All sorts of things may happen while you are away."

"Now, Caroline, how can you ask such a question? Feed, feed, feed; that's the line of treatment. And above all things, lock up your medicine-chest. He wants "Now, don't excite yourself, Struan, no squills, or scammony, or even your or you won't enjoy your opening day at patent electuary of all things the most all. And I am sure that the green is as abominable; though I am most ungrate- bright as can be ; and you look very well ful to call it so- for I owe to it half my - very well indeed. Though I don't quite

see how you can button it. Perhaps it is ters; and then universal good wishes, meant for a button-hook, or a leather applauses, and kissings of hand, set him thong over your stomach, dear." forth on his way, with a bright smile "It is meant to fit me, Mrs. Hales; spread upon his healthy face. and it fits me to a nicety. It could not "Now mind we are left in charge," fit better; and it will be too easy said Madge. "You are his doctor, of when we have had a few hard runs. course, mamma; but we are to be his Where are my daughters? They know constables. I hope to goodness that he a good fit; and they know how to put a will eat by-and-by. It makes me miserthing on my shoulders. Carry, Madge, able to see him. And the trouble we and Cecil, come to the rescue of your have had to keep the servants from knowfather. Your father is baited, worse than ing who he is, mamma!" any badger. Come all of you; don't stop a minute, or get perverted by your mother. Now, in simple truth, what do you say to this, my dears? Each speak her own opinion."

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"It suits you most beautifully, papa.” Papa, I think that I never saw you look a quarter so well before."

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'My dear, your father has ordered it so. For my part, I cannot see why there should be so much mystery about it. But he always knows better than we do, of course."

Surely, mamma," suggested Cecil, "it would be a dreadful shock to the family to receive poor Hilary in such a con"My dear father, if there are any la-dition, just after the appearance of that dies, mamma will have reason to be jealous. But I fear that I see the back-seam starting."

"You clever little Cecil, I am afraid that it is. I feel a relief in front - ahem! - I mean an uncomfortable looseness in the chest. I told the fellow forty-eight inches at least. He has scamped the cloth, the London rascal! However, we can spare it from round the waist, as soon as our poor Cobble can see to it. But for to-dayah yes, well thought of! My darling, go and get some of your green purse-silk. You are so handy. You can herring-bone it, so as to last for the day at least. Your mother will show you how to do it. Madge, tell Bonny to run and tell Robert not to bring the mare yet for a quarter of an hour. Now, ladies, I am at your mercy."

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Now, papa dear," asked Cecil, as she stitched away at the seam of her father's burly back, "if poor cousin Hilary should get up and want to go out, what are we to do?"

horrid water. They would put the two things together, and believe it the beginning of great calamities."

"Now, my dear child," answered Mrs. Hales, who loved to speak a word in season, "let not us, who are Christians, hearken to such superstitious vanities. Trust in the Lord, and all will be well. He holdeth in the hollow of His hands the earth and all that therein is; yea, and the waters that be under the earth. Now run up, and see whether your poor cousin has eaten that morsel of anchovy toast. And tell him that I am going to prepare his draught, but he must not take the pills until half-past eleven."

“Oh, mamma dear, you'll drive him out of the house. Poor fellow, how I do pity him!"

Now Hilary certainly deserved this pity-not for his bodily ailments only, and the cruel fate which had placed him at the mercy of the medicine-chest, but more especially for the low and feverish condition of his heart and mind. Brooding perpetually on his disgrace, and attributing to himself more blame than his folly and failure demanded, he lost the refreshment of dreamless sleep, which his jaded body called out for. No rest could he find in the comforting words of his uncle and aunt and cousins: he knew that they were meant for comfort, and such knowledge vexes; or at least it irritates a man, until the broader time of life, when things are taken as they are meant, and any good word is welcome. He was not, however, so very far gone With his bottle-green coat, now war-as to swallow his dear aunt's boluses. He ranted to last (unless he over-buttoned it), allowed his pillow to take his pills; and the rector kissed his dear wife and daugh- 'his good-natured cousins let him swallow

"How can you even put such a question? Even for our opening day, I would not dream of leaving the house, if I thought that you could be so stupid as to let that poor boy out. I would not have him seen in the parish, and I would not have his own people see him, even for the brush of the Fox-coombe fox, who is older than the hills, they say, and no hound dare go near him. One of you must be always handy; and if he gets restless, turn the key on him. Nothing can be simpler."