generosity to her conduct, or at least to yield gracefully to necessity, told her friend, that if she was willing to marry Honorius, she would cheerfully give up the thousand pounds not as a forfeit, but a bridal present, or, as a testimony of her gratitude, for the satisfaction she received in the company of her dear barrister. This proposition removed all scruples, and conciliated all hearts. The next day was celebrated this double mar riage, and Belinda was so satisfied with her husband, that she would not have regretted the forfeit, had it been to be paid again. E APPLE STEALERS. ong existed a competition, or rivalship, Rankin" and me, on the score of pre», cranberries, blackberries, wild strawerries, sloes, nuts, crabs, with now and ed handful of "razels and grosets," nto Peggy's lap, from the overcharged ur bounty. Happy he who could anticiish, in reference to any thing which enters ; for then, cost what it might, at all risks, I obstructions, it was immediately attained Somehow or other, Rob had hit upon a d apple, which grew, as I afterwards "whiteside linn," and with this he, at t did me, and I was consequently thrown shifts and inventions, to discover some overing my lost ground in the maiden's I had often, on my way, of a fine summer a school, seen and admired, and even lintemplate over the hedge, the fine redempting apples which grew in the orchard Castle." I had even proceeded so far as to r two which the wind had tossed over the fence, and I believe, if my recollection be accurate, I had even appropriated a few with a cleeky stick, constructed for the purpose of bringing the branches bearing the fruit within my grasp. Having tampered with the sinful thing, I had familiarized my mind to the evil; and al though I had so far resisted the suggestions of my own appetite, as never to meditate, heretofore, an absolute and systematic inroad or breach upon an enclosed orchard; yet now, that I saw no other way of combating the bastard fruit which "Rob Rankin" had brought so inop portunely to tell against me, I began to meditate, in a kind of indistinct and hesitating manner at first, but afterwards more definitely, a descent upon the factor's apples. To inform "Rob Rankin," however, of this scheme, would be only undoing with the one hand what I was accomplishing by means of the other; so I had recourse to a spirit fully as adventurous as Rob, "Auchincairn herd," namely, the redoubted and mischiefmaking "Will Hiddlestane." Our plan was soon discussed, being simply to advance through the Castle wood upon the orchard, which was but insufficiently enclosed, about twelve o'clock at night, and, by the help of a loose bag, or sack, fairly to bear away as many apples as we could carry on our backs. In revising my life and conduct, I am not a little startled at the extent to which my folly had now run, nor can I easily, sitting as I now do in the quiet and discriminating chair of reflection, conceive how I contrived to forget so soon -- s instructions and that excellent moral was set before my ears and eyes, by 1. Yet forget it all I certainly did, ted the fair garment of piety and remask for my knavery an apology man, for my impiety and downright to unusual thing for Rob Rankin and to spend our sabbaths, (when permitted, on of Mr. Glauber, or Surgeon Sennaat home), in boiling carrots, making oasting potatoes in the hearth-ashes; having jaded and worn out our spirits ner of active and bustling folly, to beour chapters and psalms, and even to a by the dyke or edge-side, as a full and a ge of all debt contracted with the Deity Yet all this, though bad enough in all in my eye far less sinful, and infinitely han the act which I was, along with my , Will. Hiddlestane, about to engage. stealing, in any shape, was fearful, as mind, charged and loaded with prisons, ropes, and executions. One afternoon, in the school, the boarders being all at eed, already appropriated a fine bunch or viting fly hooks; but had not advanced ty home with my prize, when my cone so severely, that I was glad to make great speed back to the school-house, and to return the stolen goods to the "Grammatical Exercises," from betwixt the leaves of which I had extracted them. I had frequently stolen gooseberries and currants from a corner bush, in the master's garden; but this was scarcely deemed "stealth," as the berries were extracted over the hedge, from the outside. Nothing, I believe, short of the motive which now actuated and impelled me, as it were, blindfold and headlong, could have made me resolve upon the hazardous measure contemplated. And what has not the same motive affected? what mischief and woe, and worse than folly, have not the fair Helens, and Eloises, and Marys, and Bettys, and Nannys, and Peggys of this wise world, occasioned! But it is full time to drop moralising, and proceed with my history. Well, away we marched, of a dark September night, without fear or dread of spiritual and diabolical interference, along the turnings and windings of the lonely Castle-wood footpath. We reached at last the notorious beech-tree, upon the bark of which the initials of several generations of school-boys are engraved; and at the foot, and under the impervious shade of which, we had resolved to deposit our spoil, as we collected it, and to rendezvous at last. Long did we sit, watching the lights in the castle windows, and listening to the ceaseless bay of "Ponto," the housedog. At last we could see a candle blaze through a stair-case, and ultimately take possession of the eastern |