own loved Irish home; the other all expectation of what he was to see and to hear and to enjoy in the land for which he is led to pray as constantly as the morning breaks upon his English abode. I think the habit of statedly, and by name, praying for Ireland in the family worship, tends more than any thing else to keep alive the flame of Christian love, which, I bless God, does not waver or fail in my bosom towards her. We had been advised to take our passage on board the Nora Creina, Waterford steamer; but while waiting her arrival from Bristol, we were attracted by the handsome, spacious appearance of a rival vessel, the St. Patrick, lying just below us. We strolled on board, and finding every thing within answerable to the exterior, with the prospect of a rapid passage, and the unconscionably low fare of half-a-guinea each, instead of the £1. 17s. that was demanded before a lively competition reduced it, we shipped our luggage, secured our berths, and became the staunch partizans of St. Patrick against all the world. It is marvellous how the selfish principle operates in these matters; and I think peculiarly so in naval concerns. Whatever vessel you may make choice of for a trip, where choice is allowed, becomes immediately the safest, the fleetest, the best navigated in the service. Nay, should the kind and within our recollection, the privilege of being too delicate to stay at home was reserved for those whose abundant wealth and superabundant leisure enabled them to encounter a cost of money and time, far beyond the means of their neighbours. Now it is astonishing what an indispensable necessity has fallen upon the bulk of our countrymen, and still more of our countrywomen, to migrate. How our grandsires and grandames contrived to attain the robust old age that we have admired to see, without an annual flitting to other climes, is a problem indeed. I can shrewdly guess at some of the attractions which irresistibly impelled you towards the far north: but I will not excite your tender sympathy by recapitulating the ailments that rendered my journey almost a matter of life and death. I believe they might, however, be summed up in the Swiss disorder, Malade-du-pays. Ireland, to be sure, is not my native country; but if all her children loved her as I do, the migratory propensity would here be little known. The rich would stay at home, and the poor would be fed. My route hither was from London, via Bristol and Waterford: my travelling companions two blithesome boys, in all the exuberance of joyous freedom from school restraints. One delighted to conduct a guest to his paternal dwelling-his own loved Irish home; the other all expectation of what he was to see and to hear and to enjoy in the land for which he is led to pray as constantly as the morning breaks upon his English abode. I think the habit of statedly, and by name, praying for Ireland in the family worship, tends more than any thing else to keep alive the flame of Christian love, which, I bless God, does not waver or fail in my bosom towards her. We had been advised to take our passage on board the Nora Creina, Waterford steamer; but while waiting her arrival from Bristol, we were attracted by the handsome, spacious appearance of a rival vessel, the St. Patrick, lying just below us. We strolled on board, and finding every thing within answerable to the exterior, with the prospect of a rapid passage, and the unconscionably low fare of half-a-guinea each, instead of the £1. 17s. that was demanded before a lively competition reduced it, we shipped our luggage, secured our berths, and became the staunch partizans of St. Patrick against all the world. It is marvellous how the selfish principle operates in these matters; and I think peculiarly so in naval concerns. Whatever vessel you may make choice of for a trip, where choice is allowed, becomes immediately the safest, the fleetest, the best navigated in the service. Nay, should the kind ness of a friend bring you into close acquaintance with a man-of-war, allowing you to walk the decks, to number the guns, to inspect the wonderful machinery of that mighty home upon the deep,' you become identified with it; you are personally glorified in all the victories achieved by the gallant ship; and you are ready to maintain that for the skill and bravery of her officers, and seamanship of her crew, she has no competitor in the royal navy. What marvel then that we, being fairly established on board the St. Patrick, laughed to scorn the idea of the Nora Creina or any other boat bound for Waterford coming within the influence of the mighty swell that we should leave in our track? It really was an exceedingly fine vessel; and as I sat upon deck, luxuriating in the consciousness that I was fairly embarked for Ireland, I know not with whom I would have exchanged situations. An amusing scene passed before us: the agent was receiving passage-money and distributing tickets; and when the steerage passengers advanced in their turn, it was quite a foretaste of Ireland. The lounging gait, the easy unembarrassed air, the arch expression of countenance, and rich nationality of phrase and accent, all gave such a zest to the humorous remark and quick retort, bandied between the parties engaged, that my English youth was quite amazed at the free dom of the poor people, and playfulness of their superiors; while the naturally high spirits of his Irish friend were wound to a pitch of enjoyment that enhanced my own. At length all was settled, and we cleared away in capital style from the land, holding our majestic course towards the mouth of the Avon, not forgetting to bestow a few farewell jokes on the Nora Creina, whose bright red chimney top was peeping from the other side of the lock, and of whom we had got the start so completely as to leave her no reasonable chance of enjoying more than a distant sight of us during the voyage. In our But alas for all sublunary glory! anxiety to anticipate Nora, we had also a little anticipated the tide; and though no boat could be better worked, yet as we were obliged to leave sea room for the numerous vessels passing inwards to the basin, we brought our gallant steamer too near shore for the present depth of water; and with one bold plunge the mighty St. Patrick stuck so fast in the mud that all the machinery on board would not affect his extrication. Nothing could be more interesting, more animated, more picturesque, or more provoking, than our situation. Not a shadow of danger, to rouse any deeper feeling; and only for one circumstance it would have been delightful. Here rose perpendicularly |