34

At length I spy a light afar,

An old monk's flickering taper ;
I hail it as my guiding-star,

And knock my head against a bar
While towards it swift I caper.

35

Bound by his strict vow not to talk,
The monk makes sundry signs
In which direction I should walk,
So off accordingly I stalk

To where a dim light shines.

36

Once more I hear the solemn strain
Of voices chaunting prayer ;

I stumble on a door, and strain
My back in striving to obtain

An entrance then and there.

37

At last, to end my story queer,

A man came to my aid,

And took me where I well might hear,

But could see nothing very clear,

Nor tell a monk from maid.

38

For a whole hour the dismal tones

Monotonously solemn,

Like the wind's solitary moans,
Or river rolling over stones,

I heard behind a column.

39

Then, growing desperate, once more
I sought my own small cell;
And tried the darkness to explore,

Losing my bearings o'er and o'er ;

But "all's well that ends well."

40

My bed I gained. The monks' dull drawl Acted like soporific ;

Soundly I slept till the bell's call

To chapel once more summoned all,
With clanging quite terrific.

41

I dressed, and bought a good supply
Of" Chartreuse" famous tipple;
The dame soon at it cocked her eye,
As though she longed at once to try

Its pleasant inward ripple.

42

In the nuns' house 'twas the hard law

No husband there might rest, Nor touch provisions with his paw, Still less upon them use his jaw To cause them to digest!

43

Nevertheless, this rule to break,

My dame used coaxing wile;
So I got leave some food to take
Quite on the sly, for pure love's sake,

By means of harmless guile.

44

'Twas managed thus: while none could spy

I quietly was smuggled

Into a sweet nun's cell close by,

[She was not there, unluckily !]

And so the monks were juggled.

45

Thither the nuns some coffee bore

My inward man to nourish,

While one kept watch outside the door;

The

generous creatures I adore!

Long may they live and flourish!

46

And now at last my tale is told,

For homeward we then turned,
Leaving behind a little gold

For BRUNO's sake and convent old,
Which had our good-will earned.

47

For though sweet woman they abuse,
This world is much their debtor,
Were it but for their good "Chartreuse,"
And the warm glow it doth diffuse,

Whereby men are made better.

48

Then let us drink to Bruno's health

In a mellifluous bumper

Of his own brew! his convent's wealth, Whose godly monks do`good by stealth; So give the board a thumper!

The Magic Mushroom.

(A Fairy Tale founded on fact.)

I

I WILL a wondrous story tell

To all who wish to know,

Of something that myself befell

While wintering at Pau.

2

Now Pau's a town in Southern France,

Close to the Pyrenees,

Where English people go to dance
And do what else they please.

3

But let me caution each male friend,

Young, middle-aged, and old, Who thither may propose to wend,

'Gainst perils manifold.