r, so that the
saint seemed to sit farther in. The gentleman took the painting; but
it again appeared to him that the saint was not in the cave. Vernet
then wiped out the figure, and gave it to the gentleman, who seemed
perfectly satisfied. Whenever he saw strangers to whom he showed the
picture, he said, "Here you see a picture by Vernet, with St. Jerome
in the cave." "But we cannot see the saint," replied the visiters.
"Excuse me, gentlemen," answered the possessor, "he is there; for I
have seen him standing at the entrance, and afterwards farther back;
and am therefore quite sure that he is in it."

* * * * *

BLACK MAN'S DREAM.

A number of years bygone, a black man, named Peter Cooper, happened to
marry a fair lady of Greenock, who did not use him with that
tenderness that he conceived himself entitled to. Having tried all
other arts to retrieve her lost affections in vain, Peter at last
resolved to work upon her fears of punishment in another world for her
conduct in this. Pretending, therefore, to awake one morning
extravagantly alarmed, his helpmate was full of anxiety to know what
was the matter; and having sufficiently, as he thought, whetted her
curiosity, by mysteriously hinting that "he could a tale unfold," at
length Peter proceeded as follows:--"H--ll of a dream last night. I
dream I go to Hebben and rap at de doa, and a gent'man came to de doa
wid black coat and powda hair. Whoa dere? Peeta Coopa.--Whoa Peeta
Coopa? Am not know you--Not knowa Peeta Coopa! Look de book, Sa.--He
take de book, and he look de book, and he could'na find Peeta
Coopa.--Den I say, Oh! lad, oh! look again, finda Peeta Coopa in a
corna.--He take de book, an he look de book, an at last he finda Peeta
Coopa in lilly, lilly (little) corna.--'Peeta Coopa, cook ob de _Royal
Charlotte_ ob Greenock.'--Walk in, Sa. Den I walk in, and dere was
every ting--all kind of vittal--collyflower too--an I eat, and I
drink, and I dance, and I ting, an I neva be done; segar too, by
Gum.--Den I say, oh! lad, oh! look for Peeta Coopa wife. He take de
book, an he look all oba de book, many, many, many a time, corna an
all; and he couldna finda Peeta Coopa wife. Den I say, Oh! lad, oh!
look de black book; he take de black book, and he look de black book,
and he finda Peeta Coopa wife fust page,--'Peeta-Coopa-wife,
buckra-woman, bad-to-her-husband.'"

* * * * *

MAGICAL CLOCK.