, could not last always. Though still alive, he was, to all
intents and purposes, imperceptible. He could now only be heard; he was
reduced to a mere essence--the very echo of human existence, _vox
el praiterea nihil_. It is true the schoolmaster asserted that he
occasionally caught passing glimpses of him; but that was because he
had been himself nearly spiritualized by affliction, and his visual ray
purged in the furnace of domestic tribulation. By and by Neal's voice
lessened, got fainter and more indistinct, until at length nothing but
a doubtful murmur could be heard, which ultimately could scarcely be
distinguished from a ringing in the ears.

Such was the awful and mysterious fate of the tailor, who, as a hero,
could not of course die; he merely dissolved like an icicle, wasted into
immateriality, and finally melted away beyond the perception of mortal
sense. Mr. O'Connor is still living, and once more in the fulness of
perfect health and strength. His wife, however, we may as well hint, has
been dead more than two years.

ART MAGUIRE;

OR, THE BROKEN PLEDGE.

PREFACE.

In proposing to write a series of "Tales for the Irish People," the
author feels perfectly conscious of the many difficulties by which he
is surrounded, and by which he may be still met in his endeavors to
accomplish that important task. In order, however, to make everything as
clear and intelligible as possible, he deems it necessary, in the first
place, to state what his object is in undertaking it: that object is
simply to improve their physical and social condition--generally;
and through the medium of vivid and striking, but unobjectionable
narratives, to inculcate such principles as may enable Irishmen to think
more clearly, reason more correctly, and act more earnestly upon the
general duties, which, from their position in life, they are called upon
to perform. With regard to those who feel apprehensive that anything
calculated to injure the doctrinal convictions of the Catholic people
may be suffered to creep into these Tales, the author has only to assure
them--that such an object comes within the scope neither of his plan
or inclinations. It is not his intention to make these productions the
vehicles of Theology or Polemics; but studiously to avoid anything and
everything that even approaches the sphere of clerical duty. His
object, so far from that, is the inculcation of general, not peculiar,
principles--principles