But man, with reason gifted, Cannot the hour foreknow When Hope’s bright curtain lifted Reveals a waste of wo; When clouds send lightning flashes Our idols to consume, And dreams, resolved to ashes, Are scattered on his tomb. * * * * * THE DAWN OF THE HUNDRED DAYS. BY R. J. DE CORDOVA. THE evening of a cold and stormy day in February had just set in, when a traveling carriage of rather a better order than usual arrived at the gates of the large and populous town of L——, in the south of France. The horses were covered with foam, and hung their heads with that jaded appearance of fatigue which tells of the labors of a long and hasty journey. The postillion presented the anomalous appearance of a dispirited Frenchman. Drenched to the skin, and bespattered with mud, he descended from his seat on the near horse, and ejaculating with considerable fervor that pithy monosyllable “_peste!_” which Sterne has rendered famous, he opened the door of the vehicle for the travelers to alight. The interior of the carriage was occupied by two men, of whom this elder might be five-and-thirty years of age, and the younger nineteen. The one was a handsome, bold-looking, tall man, with rather large black moustaches, and eyes of the same color; the younger had soft and delicate features, much more effeminate than manly, but prepossessing and attractive, with blue eyes, delicate brown moustaches and whiskers, and dark brown hair. The younger of the travelers awoke as the carriage stopped, and called to the other in a delicate and musical voice, which quite accorded with his juvenile appearance, “Rouse up, Pierre; we are already at L.” The sleeper awoke at the summons, and motioning his companion to be silent, bade the postillion call the sergeant of the guard, and request him to attend at the door of the carriage, in order to _viser_ the passports, as the travelers were invalids whom it would be dangerous to remove. The boy did as he was desired, and in a few moments returned with the officer of the guard, who bore a huge sword in one hand and a lantern in the other. “Bon soir, Monsieur l’officier,” said the elder traveler. “Bon soir, Monsieur le voyageur,” returned the other drily. “Do you know the reason, M. l’officier, why I have come to L.?” asked M. Pierre. “_Dame!_” replied the officer, “how should I know why you have come to L.? My business is to see that your passports are correct, if you please, and I will trouble you to show them to me as early as you can make it convenient to do so, for standing in the rain does not benefit the constitution.”