of the past, and the night shades of twilight deepened, stronger grew the charmed bondage that held Correliana and her mother dumb and motionless, bound by the sweet chords of melodious inspiration. But alas, as if to typify the ephemeral pleasures of sense, the spell was rudely broken by the grosser instinctive impressions of the unfortunate padre, who recalled the wandering spirit of Pettynose, by asking, “Can’t you play Yankee Doodle, Jim Crow, God Save the Queen, or something we know?” The reader has undoubtedly felt the chill of sudden obscurity when the mellow light of a declining summer sun had been intercepted by a thunder gust, and the startling effect produced by the lightning’s dazzling gleam that makes murky darkness palpable after its transient blaze. This gleam the aroused Pettynose darted on the padre, as he thundered with quavering voice: “You soulless son of a paddy! are you so dead to the divine influence of harmony that you could not feel that I was moved by an inspiration beyond the reach of the time-serving twaddle of national humbuggery and the idol worship of sectarian selfishness?” As the rumbling growl of the enraged musician ceased, the soft expression of Correliana’s face was for a moment lighted with an expression of reproach directed to the reproved and reprover. The padre, whose lack of thoughtful impression had invoked this outburst, turned with flushing winces from face to face, questioning the source of his error, but only met frowns of pitying, or disdainful reproof, which prudently inclined him to silence. Pettynose, restored to his instinctive self, examined the instrument to discover the attachment that had contributed by its aid for the production of sounds of such pure accord, in freedom from the drone of its prototype. Sliding back the key-board his vision was introduced to a novel mechanism, bearing but a slight resemblance to that of the accordion, except in formulistic fabrication. In the place of a reed-board of wood it had one of glass. Covering the openings were reeds of bamboo answering to the stops of the keys. Raising the plate he discovered on its under side longitudinal fossæ corresponding in length and form with the string attachments of the harp, which it represented in miniature; over this the peculiar strings were strung. The wind in passing from the bellow’s font through the open slots caused an æolian vibration, which was increased in volume and sweetness of sound by the vibrating accord of the reeds. The spirits of the two curators of sound were highly elated by the discovery of this rare musical waif; at the same time were surprised to learn that it had been the companion of their river voyage; but readily accounted for its concealment with the supposition that Captain Greenwood withheld it from the idea that it was to them an object of aversion. Pettynose, when leaving, would, in his heedless selfishness, have taken the instrument with him, but M.