The Khan looked round in a leisurely way,
As one who is puzzled to choose;
When cocking his ear,

He chanced to hear

The creak of feminine shoes.

The Tartar smiled a villainous smile,
When, like a lily in bloom,

A lady fair,

With golden hair,

Came gliding into the room.

The robber stared with amorous eyes;
Was ever so winning a face?

And long he gazed

As one amazed

To see such beauty and grace.

A moment more, and the lawless man
Had seized his struggling prey,

Without remorse,

And taking horse

He bore the lady away.

"Now heaven be praised!" the nobleman cried,
"For many a mercy to me!

I bow me still

Unto his will,—

God pity the Tartar!" said he.

-John G. Saxe.

CCII. THE OFFICE-SEEKER'S PLATFORM.

No man can be truly great without money, and the easiest way to get money is to take it on every occasion, no matter whose it may be. I mean to be truly great. It is safe to say, the way society is now constituted, that an honest man is a fool; and if a knave is not the noblest work of God, then what is he? I think that is very well put, what is he? Look at him as he moves in the highest circles of

society, swaggers along the sidewalk, talks of stocks, bonds, and mortgages, and boasts his untold wealth, and say what

is he?

As for me, I mean to move in the highest circles of society. I am going to Congress to make money. I shall refuse no bribe, and shut my eyes to corruption. I care nothing for my constituents; let them look out for themselves. That is their business; my business is to get money and be truly great, and move in the highest circles of society. Honesty is the best policy for every body but me. I'll none of it. Not I.

I do not propose to steal from any private individual, and make myself answerable to the laws; but if any man wants a job put through, by which the people can be robbed, and a large share of the plunder find its way into my pocket, you may count on me. I am not a common ruffian; I am a high-toned Congressman. I do not knock a man down with a bludgeon, and go through his pockets; but I offer my congressional services, and then it is nothing to me who knocks him down after that. I can only say that I fear he would be poor picking after I get through with him.

I am a man of enterprise. I go in for railroads and canals, not so much because these things are public benefits, as because they open a channel for wealth to flow into my coffers from the pockets of the unsuspecting public. There is nothing better than money. My religion is money. My patriotism is money. I am perfectly willing to be a patriot if I am paid for it. I am for sale. Whoever pays my price can have me. I am not the only public-spirited patriot of this kind in the United States. You can find hundreds of them in every place of public trust, from a petty postmaster up to the most dignified Senator. They all love their country-for money.

Grab and grasp is the watch-word of the day. Steal while you can, for when you are dead, politically or physically, you can not. A few addlepates talk about putting

honest men in office; but it can't be done. We have the power, for we have the money; and the more money we get the more power we shall have. We have struck a mine, and we don't mean to let go our grip. Honest men can't cope with us, because they are not up to all of the tricks of the professional politician. Oh, no! I tell you honesty is at a fearful discount. The people don't want it. They prefer being bled by knaves and rogues; and I, for one, am perfectly willing to let them have their way. Let them bleed if they like it. Fellow-citizens, these are not my sentiments. They are not the outspoken words of any officeseeker. Oh, no; but actions speak louder than words.

CCIII.-A FRAGMENT.

It was a fearful night. The pale lightning quivered at intervals through the clouds, and the wind rushed through the neighboring wood, uttering strange, discordant sounds, which were followed by a mysterious stillness, augmenting the terrors of the hour. I found myself in a dark, gloomy dungeon. A dim light given by a lamp that hung far above me was the only thing visible. I knew not how I came there; enough that I was there. In the center of this scene of desolation, methought I saw a lady of most exquisite beauty, whose luxurious hair hung in natural ringlets over a graceful and well-molded shoulder. Her form, too, was

such as an artist might have chosen for a model. In her hand was a wand, with which she beckoned me. I had advanced but a few steps, when an icy coldness seized me, and, by the livid effulgence of the lamp, I beheld skulls scattered over the floor, and heads, severed from their bodies, laughing with grim insensibility. Loud claps of thunder now shook the castle; but my own beating heart soon overpowered every other sound. A thrill of

horror seized me, all the frightful recollections of my youth flashed across my brain, and I fell senseless to the ground!

When my senses returned the morn had burst forth in all its splendor of fullness, and the rays of the sun penetrated through a small aperture into this dismal abyss. The same loathsome objects were around me; looking more hideous than before. In the place of the lovely and beauteous creature was an old withered hag, whose hollow cheeks and blood-shot eyes presented an appearance truly horrible. She held a dagger, which she brandished with a ghastly smile. Her black brows were knitted together, and anger darted from her eyes as she rushed toward me. By a supernatural effort I sprang to my feet, and seized a skull as a weapon of defense; but her bony hand had already encircled my throat, I felt a choking thirst come over me, I was paralyzed with fear, a preternatural giddiness took possession of my head, large drops of perspiration rolled down my forehead, my knees shook, when she, in a shrill and piercing voice, cried, "Young man, breakfast is ready."

CCIV. WONDERFUL MOSQUITOES.

A PARSON, who had a colporteur been,
And hardships and privations oft had seen,
While wandering far on lone and desert strands,
A weary traveler in benighted lands,
Would often picture to his little flock
The terrors of the gibbet and the block;

How martyrs suffered in the ancient times,
And what men suffer now in other climes;
And though his words were eloquent and deep,
His hearers oft indulged themselves in sleep.
He marked with sorrow each unconscious nod
Within the portals of the house of God.

And once this new expedient thought he'd take,
In his discourse, to keep the rogues awake;
Said he, "While traveling in a distant State,

I witnessed scenes which I will here relate;
'Twas in a lone, uncultivated wild,

Where noontide glory scarcely ever smiled;

"Where wolves in hours of midnight darkness howled,
Where bears frequented, and where panthers prowled;
And, on my word, mosquitoes there were found,
Many of which, I think, would weigh a pound;
More fierce and ravenous than the hungry shark,
They oft were known to climb the trees and bark."

The audience seemed taken by surprise,
All started up and rubbed their wondering eyes;
At such a tale they all were much amazed.
Each drooping lid was in an instant raised;
And, we must say, for keeping heads erect,
It had its destined and desired effect.

But tales like these credulity appalled;
Next day the deacons on their pastor called,
And begged to know how he could ever tell
The foolish falsehoods from his lips that fell.
"Why, sir," said one, "think what a monstrous weight,
Were they as large as you were pleased to state!

"You said they'd weigh a pound. It can't be true
We'll not believe it though 't is told by you."
"Ah, but it is," the parson quick replied;
"In what I stated you may well confide;
Many, I said, sir; and the story's good.
Indeed, I think that many of them would.”

The deacon saw at once that he was caught,
Yet deemed himself relieved on second thought:
"But, then, the barking; think of that, good man,
Such monstrous thing, explain it if you can."
"Why, that, my friend, can be explained with ease;
They climbed the bark, sir, when they climbed the trees."