Oder. At Swinemunde I see the last of
Prussia; henceforth I must be of Russia and
Russian.

A WIFE'S PARDON.

Now that the first wild pang is past and over,
    Now I have learn'd to accept it as a truth,
That men love not as women, that the lover
    To whom the woman gives herself, her youth,
Her trust, her love, her worship,—in his heart,
    Just on the surface,—keeps a spot apart,

Deck'd with gay weeds, and painted flies and flowers,
    Bright to the eye, all scentless though they be:
Beneath whose flaunting blooms and shadeless bowers
    He can receive as flaunting company;
I can forgive thee, knowing that I hold,
    Alone of all, the key of purest gold

That locks the gate beyond, whose golden trellis
    Shuts out the common herd and shuts in me,
'Mid nightingales and fountains, where a palace
    Hymen hath built, and I alone with thee
Can dwell while both shall live, supreme to reign
    The rightful queen of this my fair domain.

So, I forgive thee, husband, yes, I pardon,
    I give thee back the love I had withdrawn;
Love—ay, but not the same love, that gay garden
    With all its florid flowers, its dance-trod lawn,
Its painted butterflies, a tomb contains
    Wherein lie buried Trust's poor cold remains.

BLACK AND BLUE.

FORTY years ago, there went out to India,
in the good ship Globe, Ensign the Honourable
Francis Gay, a younger son of the Right
Honourable the Earl of Millflower. The
ensign was in his nineteenth year, and was
proceeding to join his regiment, which was
stationed at Chinsurah.

Lord Millflower, in his heart, hoped that
his son would never return: he was so great
a disgrace to his family. There was no vice
with which this youth was unfamiliar. He
had been expelled from no fewer than seven
schools. In two instances his offence was
theft. His conduct had so preyed upon the
mind of Lady Millflower that she lost her
reason. At seventeen, he committed several
forgeries of his eldest brother's, Lord
Larkspeare's name; and he took a similar liberty
with the name of his father's steward. But
these offences were hushed up. He was also
guilty of a deed of violence, for which his
life would have been forfeited had the case
been tried, instead of compromised; for, in
those days, such a deed of violence was a
capital offence. His family were in constant
fear lest he should be transported as a felon,
or hanged at Newgate. It was, therefore,
some satisfaction to them when the Honourable
Francis consented to hold a commission
and join his regiment in India. Lord
Millflower's other sons, four in number, were all
steady, well-conducted, and rather dull
beings, while Francis was remarkably gifted,
as well as remarkably vicious. He had both
talent and genius, humour and wit; and,
much as he had neglected his education, he
was well read and well informed for his time
of life. In personal appearance, also, the
reprobate had the advantage over his
brethren. None of them were even good-
looking except Francis; who was really very
handsome; well proportioned, and tall. His
manners, also always frank, were, when
he pleased, dignified and courteous, and
his bearing peculiarly graceful. What he
wanted was feeling, to regulate his passions.
Of feeling, he was in his youth, wholly
destitute.

Lord Millflower had taken the precaution
of writing to the colonel of the regiment
his son was about to join, and of at the same
time enclosing a sum of money for the
purpose of freeing Francis from any
pecuniary difficulty. Colonel Role himself had
the misfortune to have a very bad boy, and
he, therefore, sympathised deeply with the
worthy nobleman, and resolved to do all
in his power to reform the Honourable
Francis.

After a passage of four months, the Globe
arrived at Calcutta, and the Honourable
Francis Gay proceeded to Chinsurah and
joined. For several weeks he conducted
himself with (for him) wonderful propriety. It is
true that he drank and played at billiards and
cards, and sometimes an oath would escape
his lips, but he indulged in no excesses. The
officers of the regiment, indeed, thought the
ensign a great acquisition, for he was not
only a very pleasant but an entertaining,
companion.

But, by degrees, the Honourable Francis
fell off; and, ere long, so far from having a
friend in the regiment, there was no one who
would speak to him. Even the colonel
was compelled to forbid him his house.
Many, very many acts, unbecoming the
character of an officer and a gentleman, had been
looked over by his seniors; but it was
resolved that, on the very next occasion of his
transgressing, the honourable ensign should
be brought to a court-martial and dismissed
the service. This resolve was communicated
to the ensign by the colonel, who had.
become tired of lecturing him.

"The next time you are intoxicated on the
parade ground, or the next time you use
bad language in the mess-room, or the next
time you publicly insult a brother officer,
provoking him to quarrel with you, you will
forfeit your commission." Being the son of
an earl, he was entitled—many colonels think
—to every possible chance of redemption.
Had he been the son of a commoner, he
would, most probably, have been court-
marshalled and cashiered for the very first
offence.

"Thank you, sir," replied the ensign, with