sighed
for happiness, and I ever lost it, when I thought it approaching my
grasp. I was admired, made an idol, _but never beloved_. I do not accuse
my parents for having made this mistake, but I have not repeated it in
my Albertine" (her daughter.) "She shall not

'Seek for love, and fill her arms with bays.'

I bring her up in the best society, yet in the shade."

[B] Miss Porter never told me she was an Irishwoman, but once she
questioned me concerning my own parentage and place of birth; and upon
my explaining that my mother was an English woman, my father Irish, and
that I was born in Ireland, which I quitted early in life, she observed
_her own circumstances were very similar to mine_. For my own part, I
have no doubt that she was Irish by birth and by descent on the father's
side, but it will be no difficult matter to obtain direct evidence of
the facts; and we hope that some Irish patriotic friend will make due
inquiries on the subject. During her life, I had no idea of her
connection with Ireland, or I should certainly have ascertained if my
own country had a claim of which it may be justly proud.

[C] In his early days the President of the Royal Academy painted a very
striking portrait of Jane Porter, as "Miranda," and Harlowe painted her
in the canoness dress of the order of St. Joachim.

[From the Gallery of Nature.]

SHOOTING STARS AND METEORIC SHOWERS.

[Illustration]

From every region of the globe and in all ages of time within the range
of history, exhibitions of apparent instability in the heavens have been
observed, when the curtains of the evening have been drawn. Suddenly, a
line of light arrests the eye, darting like an arrow through a varying
extent of space, and in a moment the firmament is as sombre as before.
The appearance is exactly that of a star falling from its sphere, and
hence the popular title of shooting star applied to it. The apparent
magnitudes of these meteorites are widely different, and also their
brilliancy. Occasionally, they are far more resplendent than the
brightest of the planets, and throw a very perceptible illumination upon
the path of the observer. A second or two commonly suffices for the
individual display, but in some instances it has lasted several minutes.
In every climate it is witnessed, and at all times of the year, but most
frequently in the autumnal months. As far back as records go, we meet
with allusions to these swift and evanescent lum