this is too bad! Oh, I declare your way of going on is positively no longer to be endured! My poor boy, I really feel for you. It is indeed a shame that you cannot be allowed to have your own little room in quiet and comfortbut it is all your father's fault, who I believe cares little for the comfort of any of us."

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My fault!" said my father, "my heart, how is it my fault?"

"Weren't you told ages and ages ago," continued my mother, to get that chimney cleaned?" And you never would and now it's full of birds' nests and all sorts of things. But it is just the old way" (sighing deeply) "nothing ever done in right time."

"Aye indeed," said Aunt Sally, "perpetually procrastinating."

My unfortunate father humbly represented, that on two occasions, he had been on the point of sending for Sammy M Flue the chimney sweep, and had as often been desired by my mother or Aunt Sally, to let it alone, as it would do just as well at any time, and no fire was ever wanted in that chimney.

for you too-do you want anything else?"

Deeply concerned at this interrup tion to my studies, I resolved to spend the day in the wholesome exercise of riding, and, having mounted the poney was talking to one of the labourers, when my father, on the old colt, rode by the hall door, on his way to Inishogh. My mother, who with Aunt Sally was strolling round the lawn, no sooner spied him, than she called out -"John, John, come here, make haste!" When he came up to them, she said," John, Sally and I are agreeing that it is a great Shame neverto have returned Lady Flamantia Mœnia Mundy's visit; and you must drive us there in the jaunting car-so get it ready this moment-at once-for you know we have seven miles of very hilly road to go."

Oh mighty fine about logic;" said Aunt Sally, hope a premium may come of it. Deeds not words for me!" Well," said my father, "I suppose the short and long of it is, that we are all going to visit Lady Flamantia.”

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Why to be sure we are," said my mother, "and there you sit as if I hadn't said a word! I protest I believe the man has no ears! We may as well not go at all, if the whole morning is to be dawdled away at this rate."

In the end we all went on this visit: my mother, sisters, and aunts, being packed in the car, my father driving, and I riding on the poney. So there was an end of study for that day. The next day I determined to buckle fierce

3.

ly to my reading; and accordingly planned an allotment of my time for each peculiar study.

Next day being Sunday, was of course a dies non.

Monday.-Put my division of time into practice, but found unfortunately that I had mistaken in planning to read logic early in the day; and therefore laid out a new plan of study for my self.

Tuesday. Was in a poetical mood, and therefore put aside my books, and added a few lines to my epic. In the afternoon took a solitary walk.

Wednesday.-Set in to study with enthusiastic ardour. Did ten lines of Homer, and looked over the first chapter of logic. Good for a beginning Rome was not built in a day.

Thursday.-Did something more in the way of reading. Was rather sleepy all day.

Friday. Was evidently unwell. Disinclination to study, and a kind of stupid feeling all over me.

Saturday. Read a little, and composed some poetry. Still far from

well.

At length the day came, when I must leave home, and enter on the field of academic glory a second time. I pass over several interesting particulars, such as my enduing a new suit of clothes with Aunt Sally's special approbation, and my attendance for a week at Mr. Molony's dancing academy, in order to practice bowing, coming into a room, sitting on a chair, keeping my hands out of my side pockets, and other genteel accomplishments, which were considered necessary for me to learn before my introduction to the society of some relations of ours who live in Dublin. I shall also leave untold the exhortations of my mother and aunts, about my getting the premium; the rather that they were but a repetition of those used by them on a former memorable occasion; with this addition indeed, that each attributed my failure then, to my not having observed their respective admonitions. Fortified by the excellent advice of these experienced persons, as well as by the zealous prosecution of my studies, which I have already in part detailed, I arrived in Dublin, late on a miserable January evening, with a sincere desire of carrying off both premiums; which as my reading had been equally severe in

both classics and science, I considered myself pretty certain of doing. The reader will probably concur with me, that I was as likely to get both as one. The day before I went into the hall, I received two invitations for the morrow; one to dinner at Mr. Sharpeye's house in Merrion-square; the other to tea at Sergeant Clinkum's, in Stephen's green. They are both nearly related to our family, and as they are eminent lawyers, and keep splendid establishments, I gladly answered in the affirmative, trusting to derive immense pleasure, both from the learned conversation, and the fashionable society which I had so often longed to enjoy.

The great, the important day, big with my fate, arose on Dublin with a dark and portentous aspect. On opening the shutters, the streets presented a most dismal appearance. A heavy, yellow fog almost hid the opposite houses, and a dirty drizzle of rain was falling, though not heavy enough to prevent numerous passengers from walking along, apparently unmoved by any consideration of my approaching, interesting crisis. I attempted to follow Aunt Sally's sapient advice, of "just looking over my books in the morning," but the distant, deep-voiced toll of the great bell of the College, which just then began to utter its awful summons, took from me all power of perusing them. Huddling on my new coat in breathless anxiety, and twisting my cravat about my neck, I hurried down stairs, and endeavoured to make my way through the fog, to Duncan's in College-street, for my cap and gown.

At last, having lost my way twice, I succeeded, and clad in my learned vestments, I entered the college gate, too glad at having found it at last, to think of either my cap and gown, or my premium. The hall was so dark on this dismal morning, that I could hardly distinguish a feature of any of the students assembled there, whose black forms hovering about, looked like a convocation of ghosts; an idea which was effectually contradicted, however, by the din of voices and laughter which proceeded from these youthful dwellers in the bowers of Academus. As the light gradually increased, I was enabled to distinguish an amusing variety of faces and characters. Here might be seen a knot of jolly harumscarum fellows, laughing over some

wild adventure of last night. Here a great ourang-outang of a country lad, stalking about, and occasionally hailing an acquaintance with a vast roar of delight, and a gigantic shake of the hand, expressive of his gratification at the sight of anything that could bear his imagination back to the hills "where once his careless childhood strayed," in happy ignorance of logic. Here lounged a young dandy sprig, with his cap stuck on one side of his head, and trailing his gown on the ground as if ashamed of it; and there again were sober thoughtful young men, neither elate nor depressed, and who looked as if conscious of having read their best, and of having secured respectability if not honour. At times a sus picion tried to intrude itself on my mind, that perhaps I had not done my best; but I steadily rejected so unworthy an idea-nonsense! Had not I read for the last fortnight with very great diligence? what more could I do? stuff! leave fear to the idle and ignorant, such as the loggerhead who got the place above me. And before me he stood-like my evil genius!

"How d'ye do, Sir? I hope you're well! you've been reading hard for the premium I suppose?”

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Very hard indeed,” said I, “and I suppose you too have been stewing away at your books."

"Who I?" said he ; "I havn't read a single word, except just the last fortnight, which will hardly save me from a caution, I'm thinking.

I could only faintly repeat the words -the last fortnight!!!'

Presently the names began to be called over, and the divisions to be arranged by the fellows who were to be our examiners. A voice called out from the other end of the hall, "Skimthings Octavus!"-and ere I could elbow a passage through the crowd, my name was again called in an angry

and the examination shortly afterwards commenced.

We had Mr. Polyglott in classics, and Dr. Cautionem in science. I shall be sorry if either of these learned gentlemen feel aggrieved at this public mention of their names, but historical truth I consider to be superior to all private motives, or points of ceremony. No doubt I might have gotten over the difficulty, by giving them fictitious names; but that would have been to mingle fiction with this true narrative, and thereby diminish its beautiful air of simple veracity. The doctor began at the end of the division, about five or six from where I sat, as follows:

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The falsehood of the universal does not infer the falsehood of the particular ?"

He tried one after another with this deep point of learning, but no one answered, and at last his spectral form stood opposite me. Looking as if into my very soul, with a frown calculated to strike terror into the heart of a Gib, he repeated in a sharp angry voice—

"Skimthings Octavus! The falsehood of the universal does not infer the falsehood of the particular: Why?" And like Brutus, he paused for a reply. But alas-the reply was that furnished by the Roman multitude-None, Brutus, none !

The doctor, finding he could get no good out of me, moved on, saying, Gentlemen, some of you have not read your logic." I was asked two more questions this morning, to each of which I answered, as if toasting the memory of some departed worthy, with solemn silence; and the dreadful Mr. Polyglott, with a formidable looking Homer, was not many below me, when the joyful bell rung for breakfast, the doors were flung open, and such of the Gibs as had no particular fancy for staying further question, that is to say, every mother's son of them, rushed out of the hall in tumultuous throng. Unwilling to affect a useless singularity, I complied with the general custom, and scouring across the courts to Dr. Golumpus's chambers, soon forgot my sufferings in the charms of a most admirable sallylunn.

By-the-bye, I hope that the excellent and respected Provost, among the reformations which he intends to effect in College, will not attempt suppressing this delightful bell. Let him abolish quarter

ly examinations, and dispense with lectures; but, if he has any sympathy with Gibs-any remembrance of his own hopes and feelings when an undergraduate-let him not dispense with the morning breakfast bell! Who that has passed through College does not recollect the eagerness with which its voice was expected-the watches that were consulted-the caps that were gathered up—and the long-drawn, slow expiration of the last three minutesand when at last it tinkled, and gave forth its music, redolent of liberty and sallylunn-was not that moment alone worth encountering the horrors of an examination to enjoy ?

In the afternooon my turn came on. Mr. Polyglott approached, sat down beside me, laid his cap, with his watch in it, on the table, put the book into my hands, and desired me to go on. It is easy to say, "go on." I was not in the least frightened, but in a state of cool contented despair, and quiet abandonment to my fate. I first read the Greek through; but does not Tony Lumpkin say, "I can read the outside of the letter, where my own name is, well enough, but when I come to the inside, it is all buzz." Even so, the meaning of the passage was to me, what "the cream of the correspondence" was to Tony, as he most feelingly and correctly expresses it, all buzz!

Gentle reader, I was cautioned. I did not feel much concern about it. The idea of Aunt Sally sometimes flashed on me, but I always got rid of it. On leaving the hall, I returned to Macken's quite in a pleasant humour, and began the operation of dressing for dinner, having first kicked Homer and Virgil to the farthest corner of the

room.

I performed the duties of my toilette

with much more care than I am wont at home. I put on a clean cravat-my shirt was fresh in the morning-picked the mud off my trowsers, and gave them a good shaking-gave my shoes to be cleaned and smoothed my hair straight down my forehead. All these preparations took up a good deal of time; but I thought it necessary, on my first introduction to fashionable society, to signalize myself by the peculiar elegance of my exterior. When completely attired, I practised making bows till it was time to set out. A heavy mist was falling, and the streets were

so muddy that I was a good deal splashed before I reached Merrionsquare; and the rain incommoded me, as I had no umbrella; but, by dint of wrapping my cloak about me, I contrived to keep myself tolerably dry. On arriving at Mr. Sharpeye's, the footman ushered me with every demonstration of respect into the drawing-room, where Mr. and Mrs. Sharpeye shook hands heartily with me, and introduced me to my young cousins, one of whom handed me a chair, in which I tried to settle myself as gracefully as I could. To be sure my hands were perpetually going into my breeches pockets, and my legs seemed to have taken a peculiar fancy for hiding themselves under my chair, but I remembered Mr. Molony's instructions, and steadily resisted these evil propensities. A large company of ladies and gentlemen assembled by degrees, but we did not go to dinner for three quarters of an hour after the time which had been mentioned. I could not have conceived any thing so splendid as the way in which the ladies were dressed. One of them had a pair of sleeves at least six feet in circumference, and another a satin hat and feathers, three feet in diameter.

Nothing could be more frivolous than the conversation during dinner. The weather; the improvements in Dublin; the state of the markets; steam coaches and railways; an exhibition of pictures; besides a number of petty anecdotes about people that I never heard of before. These were the subjects that engrossed the minds of the guests, as well as of the learned host himself, who said nothing worthy of his noted talents, but joined in the talk on these common-place matters, or perhaps let a pun, or told a story. So that his guests appeared happy, he seemed to care very little whether they conversed about trifles, or improved themselves with deep and important discussions. Oh! how different from Aunt Sally! As I was aware of his great talents, I was lamentably disappointed at the scene of childish enjoyment around me, and made an attempt to draw forth Mr. Sharpeye's stores of erudition. Just as an animated discussion, on the Zoological Gardens, or some such nonsense, was at its height, I took advantage of a momentary pause in the conversation.

"Pray, Sir-hem, Sir-don't you