other by the schoolmaster, they acknowledge the honour with a fond salute; both then receive a glass of punch, and pledge their worthy master. They next drink long life and happy days to their loyal subjects, and are afterwards enthroned on an elevated seat. After the enthronement, the master gives each scholar a glass of punch and a biscuit; and they all drink long life and a prosperous and happy reign to their most gracious sovereigns, at the same time making obeisance with their best bows. As long as the whiskey holds out, these testimonials of loyalty and attachment are repeated. The young ones get full of mirth and glee; and after receiving their master's thanks, are finally dismissed with merry hearts, and go home cheering all the way.›

The next February festival is Shrovetide, or, as it is commonly called, Pancake-day-a day which I hope will be kept as long as wheat continues to grow; for there is nothing so nice as a pancake nicely copt, as the Suffolk people have it, who are reported to be so dexterous, in the neighbourhood of Woodbridge, as to throw a pancake up the chimney, then go to the street door, and catch it without smutting it. To eat pancakes and fritters on Shrove Tuesday has been a custom from time immemorial; and the great bell which used to be rung on Tuesday, to call people together for the purpose of confessing their sins, was called pancake-bell---now likely to be revived.

At Eton School it was the custom on Shrove Tuesday for the scholars to write verses either in praise or dispraise of Father Bacchus (no relation to Father Mathew, of course). He was, therefore, sung in all kinds of metres; and the verses of the boys of the seventh, and sixth, and of some of the fifth, forms, were affixed to the inner doors of the college. Verses are still written and put up

on that day, but the young poets are no longer confined to the god of wine; and one of the last poems was on the college pump.

The next great festival of this month is Saint Valentine; which, since the new fashion of receiving no letters but such as are post paid, seems rapidly falling into decline.

It was a

St. Valentine, so celebrated among young persons, was a bishop of Rome, and suffered martyrdom about the year 270. custom with the ancient Roman youth to draw the names of girls, in honour of their goddess, Februata Juno, on the 15th of February; in exchange for which, certain Roman Catholic pastors substituted the names of saints, in billets, given the day before, namely, on the 14th of February.

I cannot, of course, give little boys and girls lessons how to make love to each other; but I can assure them that all little children should love one another.

Little children love each other;

'Tis the blessed Saviour's rule.

Every one is sister, brother,

To his playfellows at school.

TALES ABOUT THE INDIANS.

CHAPTER II.'

WHILE gazing upon the scenery around him, Robert beheld a heavily laden barge, slowly approaching the hotel, full of a heterogenous mixture of furniture, implements of husbandry, live stock, grain, and poultry. It was steered by a tall, lank, woe-begone-looking personage, dressed in a blue woollen surtout, or frock, a red nightcap, with breeches of scarlet plush, over which were drawn, to above the knee, enormous grey ribbed woollen hose. Thick leathern shoes, and a lighted pipe, completed the costume of this singular character.

As the barge neared the shore, a child's black and matted head popped up from the cabin, which, with a wild stare, popped down again. In a few seconds three other little heads were to be seen just above the tarpaulin; then came an older face, with lank hair, combed straight behind, and tied with a piece of rope-yarn; it was that of a youth. Presently a female, in a large mob cap, appeared with an infant in her arms; and lastly, a middle-aged woman, in a

blue striped bed-gown, and a handkerchief twined round her head à la Francaise, showed her face from the cabin.

The grotesque stranger was an English naval officer; and the other mentioned personages his wife, children, and female servant. They were all on an expedition to the back woods, to take possession of an "estate" of some hundreds or thousands of acres of uncleared land. The barge contained all their stock in trade, and property of all kinds, which it was their intention to get as far as possible up the Ottawa River; at the extremity of which the settlement was situated.

After a short time the barge was moored, and the lieutenant came on shore. It was not long before he reached the public room at which our hero was sitting. "Heavy working up against the stream," he observed to Robert. "Well, I have been going against the stream all my life," he continued, "and so I do not mind it."

"If people can't go with the stream they must go against it," said the youth; "for my part, I do not know whether I go against the stream or not, but I intend to go a-head.

"Go a-head! Give me your fore-paw, my hearty, you speak like a Briton." So saying, he seized Robert by the hand with a grasp sufficient to have strangled a wolf. "I have only one thing to grieve me just now," he continued, “and that is the loss of poor Tom Skillet; and how I shall supply his loss I know not; for these Canadian rascals are not worth a bunch of radishes. I shall never be able to get à help like poor Tom; and when we get into the wood we shall miss him awfully." Tom was boatswain on board the Curlew, and could turn his hand to anything a true boy for a forest life; make anything-from pies to pincushions.

"I wish you would take me in his place," said Robert.

The settler started back a few paces; and surveying Robert from his shoe-tie to the very crown of his head with a contemptuous smile, which gradually rose into a loud ha! ha! replied, "Why you would be of no more use than a silver toothpick. A pretty fellow to saw logs, drive piles, and clear the forest. Didst ever handle a hatchet?"

"Aye," said Robert, " and a sledge-hammer too; and a cooper's axe; and will undertake to build you a house, or a craft, a boat, or a coffin, any day."

The settler looked quite confounded; and hoisting up his waistband, was, for a few moments, lost in reflection as profound as one of his loose habits could undertake. After a long and anxious pause, he said, "Do you really mean that you will go into the back woods with me.

"I do," said Robert; "and if you will try me, it shall go hard if I do not be as good a help as you require, provided you use me fairly; if you do not, I will trust to my rifle, and become a wild man of the woods; and, perhaps, may some day be captured for a London exhibition.

"It's a bargain," said the skipper; "it's a bargain; come on board, and we will soon arrange matters, I promise you."

So Robert went on board the craft, and having found his way into the small cabin crammed with every description of merchandize, from a coffee-mill to a grindstone, and smelling odiously of a mixture of cheese, bacon, dried fish, grain, and spiceries, he set down to settle; and, over a glass of toddy, the pair soon negociated the matter to mutual satisfaction, Robert was provided with a