despaired of, it was in a voice which, though
sorrowful, was perfectly calm. What was
the meaning of this sudden panic— this
strange, silent terror?

The priest observed that his brother was
looking at him earnestly. " Come! " he
said in a faint whisper " come to her
bedside; we have no time to lose. Get your
hat, and leave it to me to put out the
lamp."

He hurriedly extinguished the light while
he spoke. They went down the studio side by
side towards the door. The moonlight streamed
through the window full on the place where
the priest had been standing alone with the
lamp in his hand. As they passed it, Luca
felt his brother tremble, and saw him turn
away his head.

           *            *            *           *

Two hours later, Fabio d'Ascoli and his
wife were separated in this world for ever;
and the servants of the palace were
anticipating in whispers the order of their
mistress's funeral-procession to the burial-ground
of the Campo Santo.

CHIP.

PENSIONERS.

THERE is no picture more successful in
appealing to general sympathy than that of
a disabled soldier or sailor. He presents, at
once, ideas of dangers encountered, hardships
endured, bravery, obedience, patriotism, and
suffering. He has perhaps served abroad
long enough to sever ties which, when he
left home, connected him with it. Those
relatives and friends who remain to him, he
is too often obliged to address as a suppliant
for help and compassion. His pension is too
small for subsistence, and his health or his
habits unfit him for many occupations which
other men find no difficulty in obtaining.

A society is in course of formation for the
Employment of Naval and Military
Pensioners. It has received the approval and
encouragement of many distinguished men
who are well entitled to a hearing; among
others, of Mr. GLEIO, the chaplain-general to
the Forces, who is thoroughly acquainted
with the English soldier in all his aspects.
Its objects, as stated in a prospectus, are:

To call upon the Nobility, Gentry, Railway and
other Companies, Bankers, Ship-owners, Merchants,
Agriculturists, Manufacturers, and Employers generally,
through the medium of Circulars and Advertisements,
to intimate to the Officers of the Society when they
have a vacancy in their relative establishments, with
a description of the sort of person they wish to employ,
whether as Grooms, Helpers, Gardeners, Porters,
Messengers, Game-keepers, Watchmen, Door or
Office-keepers, &c., &c., the duties of which conditions may
be adequately performed by men who, though unfit for
active Military or Naval Service, are perfectly, and, in
certain cases, peculiarly qualified for many of the
ordinary avocations of labour.

To keep on the books of the Association the names
of the men discharged, with good characters from her
Majesty's Service, specifying their condition as to
wounds, &c., the kind of employment for which they
may be considered physically capable, their age, their
late position in the Army or Navy, and their occupation
before entering her Majesty's Service, with a copy
of Testimonials of conduct, sobriety, and general
character whilst bearing arms.

On the receipt of intimations from Employers of any
vacancy, the Society will search their Register and
complete their inquiries, with a view of recommending
such a man as they think in every way eligible to fill
the situation in a satisfactory manner.

The Society will, in cases where they may deem it
advisable, advance small sums of money to the men in
order to enable them to reach places at a distance, or to
meet any other urgent necessities.

It frequently happens that employers have
far to seek for persons, of whom the requisite
qualities of steadiness and honesty can be
readily certified. In such cases the Society offers
an immediate resource; and will therefore
doubtless succeed in its object. It must not
however be forgotten, that there is no line of
life which does not cast, upon the benevolence
or the poor-laws of this country, its disabled
and unpensioned candidates for such situations
as the Society seeks for its protégés.
How far these will fall into competition and
rivalry with them, cannot be easily
determined.

ALEXANDER THE FIRST.

I HAVE recently met with a strictly Russian
account of the death of the Emperor
Alexander. It was written evidently by one of
his attendants, and disseminated through
Germany, for the purpose of contradicting
the opinion then generally entertained that
he had been poisoned. The German
publication in which it occurs is very guarded in
the expression of its sentiments on this still
mysterious subject, and I think there are
some circumstances, even in this quasi-official
document, which are not quite clearly
reconcileable with the theory it intends to support.
The immediate interest of this question has
now passed away, but the diary (which is the
form this writing sometimes assumes) is so
full of the names of places about which our
curiosity is now daily excited; and the
contrast between the past and present condition
of the lands in which Alexander made his last
expedition, and ended his days, is so strange;
that I have thought a translation of the
whole description of his journey and death
would not be without its value at a time
when our eyes are so anxiously turned to the
Crimea and the Sea of Azoff.

EINIGES ÃœBER DIE LETZTEN LEBENSTAGE DES
KAISER'S ALEXANDER.

General Diebitsch has remarked, that when
the emperor was leaving St. Petersburg, he
looked at the quays, which he generally