boat, then at the head of the river, had been honoured with three ringing cheers, given not more cordially by its college, than by its gallant opponents; and "Big Ben" had received the tribute with which Oxonians are wont to reward the public or private merits, or, perchance, demerits of its dignitaries; but, as yet, no Henry had appeared! His brother had maintained a mysterious and rather provoking reserve on the subject during the morning; and now, from their mutual position, Rosalie would have been unable to ask any questions, even had she been disposed to do so. The prize poem in English was about to be recited, when Rosalie started with an emotion which seemed to vibrate painfully through the frame of her eldest cousin, and the colour forsook her cheeks as the ViceChancellor introduced to the assembly the successful poet, Henry Hayes! But how worn and wasted were his features! than which, his spotless tie was hardly whiter, as he slowly ascended the rostrum, and bowed to the Chancellor and the audience. His first glance towards the party from Beechfield, who sat on his right, and near the centre of the building, was followed by the commencement of his poem; at first, in tones tremulous with weakness and emotion, and almost inaudible, then gradually gaining in strength and force of delivery, as he gathered confidence from the expressions of encouragement which the undergraduates never fail to bestow on such occasions; and, warming with his subject, he at first riveted the attention of his hearers, and then held them breathless to the very close of his theme; when, after a burst of poetry which found an echo in every chord of each generous heart, he closed his papers, and, bowing once more, had almost quitted the rostrum, before a subdued sob of pent-up feelings at last broke through their long restraint, and found vent in such loudly prolonged applause as shook the very walls of the theatre to their centre. Rosalie heard it not, nor recovered complete consciousness until once more in her apartment at the Angel. As soon as Arthur and his father had been assured of her being sufficiently recovered to render their presence in the house no longer necessary, they hastened to Christ Church, wondering at the continued, inexplicable absence of the successful author of the prize poem. Severe study, followed by the excitement of the day, had at length proved too much for his strength; he had hardly finished the recital, when an attack of coughing was followed by the rupture of a blood-vessel, and his life was already in considerable danger. It would be needless for us to describe how, for many days and nights, the couch of the invalid was always tended by Arthur, who hardly for a moment left his side; how, at length, when the physicians gave permission, he was taken

by easy stages to his home; and again, how, with the first fine weather of spring, he was carried to Pau. Thither let us follow him, as he sat gazing, with those delicious sensations of returning strength which those alone can tell who have experienced them, over that beautiful plain, with its meandering river and lofty mountains far away beyond. And yet greater happiness than this was his; for he now knew that Rosalie loved him; him, for whom the possibility of such bliss had, until the hours of sickness, scarcely dawned upon his hopes; and, beautiful as was the view without, how little was it heeded, when, in reply to the question that trembled upon his lips, Rosalie could but bow down her head, and hide those maiden blushes on his shoulder. Many minutes of such rapturous joy had already passed, and seemed but as a moment, when Henry started up with the exclamation:

"But is this a kind return to my brother for all his unwearying care for me? Am I not injuring him to the very centre of his being ?"

Rising from her position by the chair of the convalescent, Rosalie unlocked a desk which lay on a table in the room, and took from it a letter, sealed and directed to "Henry Hayes, Esq." which she delivered to its owner.

Receiving it with some surprise, he at once recognized the handwriting, and, hastily opening the seal, read thus:

"My dear Brother,

"When this shall have been given to you, you will have at length ascertained the reality of your happiness, which I learned, accidentally, on the day of the Commemoration. I once thought that such might have been my lot; but, instead, I must seek forgetfulness of the dream in the realities of a soldier's life. Take her, and value her as she indeed deserves; and believe in the very sincere affection of your brother,

ARTHUR HAYES.

My noble-hearted brother!" were the only words that Henry could utter. And was it the effect of past weakness that caused the tears to flow in unison with those of Rosalie ?

A second summer has passed, and should the fair reader again chance to pass through the quiet village of Beechfield, where autumnal roses hang blushing on the modest walls of the white-washed cottages, that seem to retire coyly from the gaze of the passer by, and to hide themselves amidst the foliage of the trees, she may

meet, on such an evening as that on which this tale first opened, the young clergyman and his bride, but lately returned from a wedding tour; and in the latter will be recognized the features of Rosalie Hayes, sparkling with the same merry look as before, yet softened by an expression of maturer happiness. Her companion leans slightly on a dark cane, whose help almost entirely conceals the defect in the walk of "my lame cousin."

And each cottage, as they pass, pours forth its joyous children, with their offerings of sweetest flowers, whilst the smiling matron, with the babe in arms, drops a respectful curtsey, and assures them, in rustic but heart-spoken language, of their wishes that Master Henry and his dear young wife may be blessed with health and happiness; and then, blushing deeply, she apologizes for the freedom of her speech, forwhich she urges her simple plea, "You know, my lady, we learned to love you as Miss Rosalie, and it is hard to think of his Reverence there as other than Master Henry." To which they both reply, that they trust their union may only serve to draw yet more closely those ties of kindly feeling which should bind the hearts of the people to their pastor. And then the white-haired village sire rises from the settle, under the woodbine covered porch, and, with uplifted hand and solemn voice, invokes Heaven's choicest gifts on that youthful pair; and surely the benediction shall not fall unanswered from the patriarch's lips; and Henry, as he raises his hat in reverence for one so near the confines of the unseen world, and Rosalie, as she stoops to kiss the forehead of the little one who offered her that sprig of myrtle, breathe each a prayer that they may be aided with help from on high in their endeavours to promote the welfare of the people committed to their charge. We beg our reader to unite with us in the aspiration for our "Lame Cousin," and his fair young Bride.

Ere we dismiss the remaining characters of our sketch, we are happy to announce that Colonel Arthur Hayes is soon to bring home one who has shown that she can truly appreciate his worth.

The Dowager Lady Harriette has at length succeeded in forgiving her daughter for so cruelly damaging her little matrimonial scheme, and now divides her time pretty equally between the Hall, the Rectory, and Town.

486

A VISIT TO NORWAY.*

QUITTING Our comfortable quarters at Utne, we proceeded to Bergen by way of Graven and Vossevangen. The first sight of Bergen from the water is picturesque and uncommon. The red and white houses of the town extend in the form of a half-moon round the shores of the bay, and are backed up by an amphitheatre of rich dark purple mountains. There is a sort of old-world look about it, which reminds you more of an antique picture than anything real; and this, together with its name, antiquity, and historical interest, and its strangely secluded position on the north-western margin of Europe, attaches to it an idea of dreamy remoteness in the categories of space and time which it would not be easy to analyse. Nor can we view it without admiring the enterprising spirit which planted a town among these bare rocks, and which made and has continued to maintain it a busy and prosperous place down to the present day.

Six hundred years ago, Bergen exchanged commodities with mediæval England. This trading intercourse between two nations at that time more warlike than commercial, lasted but two centuries; when the English were superseded by the more thrifty and industrious Dutch, or rather by the Hanseatic League, who kept the trade exclusively in their own hands for three hundred years. The old warehouses formerly belonging to this famous League, now a thing of the past, are still to be seen in Bergen. They stand on the quay, along the north side of the harbour, and occupy considerable space, are much crowded together, abound in dark, narrow alleys and galleries, and run a long distance back. They are entirely built of wood, and the dust and dirt of years have gathered undisturbed on their dark old timbers. They are occupied by different merchants, and contain many thousand pounds worth of dried fish and oil. No fire or light is ever allowed in or about them. A conflagration here would be dreadful, as these warehouses are so close and old, and contain such a mass of inflammable materials, that, if they once caught fire, nothing could stop it.

The harbour was full of different sorts of vessels, among which the most curious were the Loffoden jægts.† These vessels bring

* Continued from No. VI, p. 367.

+ Pronounced yechts.

the fish and oil from the Loffoden islands, where the principal fishery is; and arrive in fleets of a hundred or more at a time, I believe, twice in the season. We went on board one of them, and examined it carefully. Like all its sister vessels, it was of great tonnage; probably 150 to 180 tons; clinker-built, very broad and bluff, with a flat floor, and no deck. It had one immense mast, nearly in the middle of the vessel, made of a single tree, without topmast, steadied by five shrouds on each side, and carrying one enormous square-sail. There was no jib or bowsprit; but the stem rose seven or eight feet above the bow, and had a great thick forestay attached to it. The bulwarks rose to the bow, but fell away very low on each side. A rude windlass, entirely of wood, with a wooden catch, and fitted for handspikes, was in the bow; and both here and in the stern were some very dirty cabins for the crew, with pans, barrels, boxes, &c. lying about. The whole centre of the vessel was covered with loose boards, instead of deck. This part was appropriated to a cargo of dried fish and oil. When loaded with fish, they pile it up as high as the middle of the mast, and close it in with boards. There was no windlass near the mast; so that the great, heavy square-sail must be raised and lowered by hand. A boat was slung across the stern. Others of these vessels carry a jib, bent to rings running on the fore-stay. Their size and tonnage vary very much; but they all have the same rig and construction, which has probably remained unchanged for many hundred years. The idea of a vessel with one central mast and a single square-sail is very ancient. Ships of war are so represented in the sculptures on the north wall of the temple of Medinet-Abou at Thebes, which is 3000 years old; differing from the Loffoden jægts chiefly in having the square-sail wider and not so deep, a yard at the bottom as well as at the top of the sail, and the point of the prow terminating in the carved head of some animal, instead of rising like a post in the air. I have been thus particular in describing the Loffoden jægts, because they preserve to us, in a remarkable degree, one of the fashions of very ancient naval architecture, probably not very remote from the sort of vessel employed by the Vikings, in their expeditions; and yet they have not hitherto been described with any real accuracy in this country.

Most of the houses in Bergen are of wood, and are constructed with several gables and projections, which give them a picturesque appearance. Each has a cask of water, painted black and white, before the door. The Strand-gade is the principal street; it is about an English mile long, and contains many good shops. Here we saw the bridal crowns and ornaments used at the weddings of

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