exposed to the sun, they dug up a piece of land, and laid out several beds, sowing some of them with peas, and others with beans ; but the first came up very scantily, and soon died, while the latter scarcely appeared at all; and after a long time they found them rotted in the ground.

Gus. That was indeed no good prospect for gardening!

JULIA (aside to Gus.) They ought to have made one trial with barley.

FATHER. Once Gregory went out with Iván, to catch fish, of which there were very many; among them some peculiarly fine and well-tasted kinds. They chose the region bordering on the basin, where lay their store of wood, and their fishing was very successful. The weather was beautiful. The two friends went further than they would otherwise have probably gone, and came to a far projecting height, which in this respect was different from others, that it did not appear to arise out of the rock, but from the earth. Besides, it was overgrown with moss and scanty grass, but what struck them much, it was marshy and wet. Some shrubs of a low kind, which bore little blackberries,

attracted the notice of the two friends. They went yet farther, and finally came to a place where a part of the hill was caved in. They went down on the other side, and saw, to their great astonishment, that the inside of the whole mountain consisted of pure ice.

MAX. Of ice?

FATHER. Yes, of ice. Think of a rock, which, instead of stone, consists of clear, pure ice.

The wall of this ice, clear as crystal, rose above sixty yards perpendicular in height, and on it lay a thin crust of loamy earth, covered with moss. The place caved in lay exactly so, that the sun shone on the vast mirror, and thus produced a most beautiful sight. By the warmth the ice became melted, and ran in countless little streams of water into the basin. Filled with amazement, the two friends remained standing some minutes to enjoy this dazzling sight, this beautiful mixture of colours blending together; and while they thought further of the appearance, they at last found in it the cause of the cold, and perpetually moist soil of the island.

JULIA. I do not see any connection with it.

FATHER. The island, at least the part where they now were, consisted, where there were no rocks, of ice, which was as old as the world itself. On this ice, firmly fixed by rocks, and between them, was a thin layer of earth, which was formed from decayed plants and drifted wood, destroyed by the weather.

MAX. Was the soil everywhere so ?

FATHER. At least in the region where our friends lived. Ivan and Gregory imparted their discovery to the old pilot. They tried an experiment in the valley, which was so warm with pits, and hardly had they dug in a few yards deep, than they came to a firm crust of ice. In the trench which surrounded the hut, there were hardly a few inches of earth, the rest was solid ice. This discovery made the good pilot very anxious and sorrowful. He had counted on certainly increasing, by industry, in the cultivation of many plants for their supply, and now he saw this hope utterly disappointed. Their stores had considerably fallen off during the winter, and they must be replaced; but whence? From the productions of the land they could expect nothing but spoonwort and some other meagre plants. There remained, therefore, to our friends nothing but hunting and fishing. For the summer this was a tolerable prospect. But how would it be in the winter? when the supplies of the magazine should be consumed? Whence were they to be again filled?

How

Gus. But was it unquestionably certain that they would be obliged to continue on the island?

FATHER. I might, too, ask on the other hand, was their deliverance so certain that they ought to lay aside all provisions for the winter.

Gus. No, indeed, sir?

FATHER. Our friends would, therefore, have been very much to blame if they had yielded themselves up to a hope that was always uncertain. It was far wiser to fear the worst, to look forward to the worst as certain, and then to make all their arrangements to render it as little painful as possible. In the first place, they erected on the highest cliff of the rocks a lofty tree, as a signal for any ship that might

be passing, that men were living here who needed the help of others. As soon as a ship notices such a signal, a boat is put out, and sails to the region in order to ascertain the cause of this evident token of necessity. The tree which our friends erected, was of such a height that it could be seen in the far distance, and on the top of it they fastened some reindeer's and bear skins. Still more. Not far from the tree they gathered together a large heap of wood, which could be set in a blaze in a few minutes. Smoke and vapour can be seen at a great distance, and our friends might reasonably hope that this blazing pile would not escape the view of any ship, which, though miles distant, should sail past the island. Every hour the old pilot mounted the cliff, from whence he had an uninterrupted view of the ocean, and with each hour his longing, his hope of seeing a ship to deliver them, increased. But often as he mounted the rock, no sail showed itself to his searching look.

Gus. Then I would not have gone up again, and so spared myself the trouble

some way.

FATHER. And you would have done very wrong. One must honestly perform his duty, though he may not reap any special benefit from it.

MARIA. Besides, it might be exactly that hour of the ship's passing, when the pilot was not at his post.

FATHER. Very possibly it might be so. He would then have made himself the bitterest reproaches.

It was now the hot days of June. The sun, which had not gone down for months, now mounted continually higher and higher, and had almost reached the highest point, without any ship to deliver them having made its appearance. It was now the twenty-first day of June, the longest day in the year, and the anxious doubts of our friends had risen to the highest pitch. For, from this time, the sun would descend lower again; it approached its complete disappearance; and when it began to sink so much deeper, no ship would venture into this region. All vessels, which went whaling and these generally the only ones which came hither-after the longest day has passed, return back home, because later navigation in this region, which lies

so far north, is joined with the greatest hazards. It is only extremely rarely that a venturous ship dares to remain there longer.

The old pilot-and you know how calm and courageous he had usually been-became more anxious and sorrowful, with every fruitless visit to the cliff. The thought of his wife and children, who knew not of his fate, disquieted him. He thought keenly of the grief of those whom he had left behind, whom he could not comfort and relieve, and to whom he was as it were dead. Sorrowful and downcast, he came back once more from his post to his friends. "You see," said he, "how vain are our hopes of deliverance. The sea on the south-side is open, but soon it will be closed with ice, and then no deliverance will be possible. A miracle must save us, else we shall be forced to spend another winter, and possibly our whole lifetime between these barren cliffs. Our lot is frightful!" Ivan and Gregory, too, were deeply cast down and discouraged. They were young men, who wished to make their entrance on the theatre of the world, and who had so much to expect from the future. They had sketched for themselves the finest plans, thought of themselves as already in high places of distinction, respected and honoured in their country, acting effectively for the glory of the realm, and-now all these smiling dreams had vanished-their beautiful pictures of the future had been dissipated. They saw themselves shut up like prisoners, and nowhere was there to be seen a prospect of deliverance. Feelings of this kind might rob the most composed heart of peace.

But man raises himself again, as soon as he will be serious. Even in the most frightful situation of his life there remain means to tranquillize him. Here with our friends necessity effected it,-the unavoidable thought, "It is not and cannot be otherwise." They saw that they were driven to it, and so they formed the courageous determination to do everything which lay in their power, to render their abode on this desolate island as tolerable as possible. They pledged themselves to each other for a new, firm, and unbroken friendship, and vowed to bear truly and honestly together what God has appointed to them. "No one has any reproach to

make to himself," said the pilot. "Our business led us hither, and God forsakes no one who does his duty."

In this firm, pious belief, they felt themselves strengthened. Calmly they went to their work, wrought as joiners, as blacksmiths, and, like bees, gathered for themselves stores for the winter before them; and did not forgot also to go every hour to their watch-post.

OCCUPATIONS OF THE ROYAL CHILDREN.-The following details of the manner in which the day is filled up by the children of Queen Victoria are given by the Field, "on reliable authority;"-they rise early, breakfast at eight, and dine at two. Their various occupations are allotted out with almost military exactness. One hour finds them engaged in the study of the ancient, another of the modern authors-their acquaintanceship with languages being first founded on a thorough knowledge of their grammatical construction, and afterwards familiarized and perfected by conversation. Next they are trained in those military exercises which give dignity and bearing. Another hour is agreeably filled up with the lighter accomplishments of music and dancing. Again the little party assemble in the riding-school, where they may be seen deeply interested in the various evolutions of the manège. Thence, while drawing and the further exercise of music and the lighter accomplishments call off the attention of their sisters, the young princes proceed to busily engage themselves in a carpenter's shop, fitted up expressly for them, with tools essential to a perfect knowledge of the craft. They thus early become not only theoretically but practically acquainted with the useful arts of life; a small laboratory is occasionally brought into requisition, at the instance of their father. This done, the young carpenters and students throw down their saws and axes, unbuckle their philosophy, and shoulder their miniature percussion guns-which they handle with the dexterity of practical sportsmen-for a shooting stroll through the Royal gardens. The evening meal, the preparation for the morning's lessons, and brief religious instruction close the day.

PURSES, PAST AND PRESENT.

BY MRS. WHITE.

IN these days of knitting and crochet, when so many of our fair readers are employing their ingenuity in the fabrication and adornment of this appendage, when all the intricacies of which pursesilk and twist are capable, all the various devices into which gold and silver embroidery, and admixtures of metalline beads, can be wrought, have been wove by hook and mesh into their several surfaces,-when even the modest porte monnaie has grown into a gemmed and painted trinket; a page or two upon the general history of our subject may not prove uninteresting.

The appearance of this appendage, wherever we find it, is indicative of a certain advance in riches, commerce, and the arts; it is an appurtenance of civilization only, a consequence on the invention of coining.

The Jews of old, as all the readers of the Family Friend are aware, received and made their payments of gold and silver by weight. There is no mention of coined money throughout the whole of the Hebrew Scriptures, neither does Homer in his poems once refer to it; but the "Parian Chronicle" ascribes the invention to the Æginetans under Pheidon, king of Argos, 895 years before Christ, and the best numismatic authorities place the coins of Lydia next in antiquity to those of Ægina, and after them the early Darics of the Persian kings.

In all probability, therefore, the Greeks and Persians were the first inventors of the purse; a convenience which became requisite as soon as portable money came into circulation. From the former people, in all likelihood, the Romans borrowed the art of mintage; but as silver money was not coined at Rome till about 269 B. C., and as the size and weight of the brass medals rendered them too heavy for such a receptacle, it is a fair inference to suppose that the use of the purse in the imperial city came into vogue about the same time.

After the subjugation of Judea, by the Romans, the purse is frequently alluded to in the writings of the Evangelists.

In China, where it is prominently displayed, it was probably employed for the small shells and pieces of tortoise-shell, as well as the paper money which preceded the use of coin.

"Purses," says Sir George Staunton, "are the ribbons of the Chinese monarch, which he distributes as rewards of merit among his subjects; but the gift of his own purse is esteemed a mark of personal favour, according to the ideas of eastern nations, among whom any thing worn by the person of the sovereign is prized beyond all other gifts."

The imperial purse is of plain yellow silk, with the figure of the five-clawed dragon and some Tartar characters embroidered upon it; those worn by persons of condition are also of silk ornamented with embroidery; but the poorer classes wear thein of leather.

At the court of the Grand Seignior, the purse appears to have beer of as much, or more, importance than at that of the "Father of his people," for the gift was not simply honorary, or confined to the curious net or bag in which money is deposited, but consisted of a present of five hundred crowns; it being customary "for that monarch to keep his treasure divided into bags or purses with such sums in them," for the benefit of his courtiers, and those whom he thought it politic to reward.

In India, where the slightest weight is an inconvenience, the purse of a grandee is borne by an attendant, a state ceremony which formerly appertained to royalty in Europe.

Although Dr. Borlase and other writers on this subject, have shown that gold and silver coins were used by the Ancient Britons, soon after the invasion of the Romans, no trace of the purse is found anterior to the Saxon dynasty; but in the costumes of the Anglo-Saxons, it is seen suspended from the girdles of both sexes, under the gracious name of "Aulmonière," a receptacle for alms, not merely an invention for the preservation of money. From the ladies' dress of this period we seldom find this appendage absent, for charity appears to have been a virtue highly esteemed by our early ancestors, and regarded as an especial attribute of women; hence the origin of the phrase,

which to the present day distinguishes by courtesy females of condition amongst us. Lady literally signifying, in the Anglo-Saxon language, a giver of bread; the distributing of which, and bestowing money on the poor, were considered, with a beautiful propriety, at once the duty and privilege of our sex.

Under this phase of its existence, the purse exhibits a far less mercenary character than it has done at any subsequent period of its history, but the simplicity which in its pity; hung an open purse beneath its breast, and walked abroad to scatter its capital of benevolence in tangible coin to the poor and needy, could not but soon (with the increase of population) exhaust-if not itself-its resources, and, accordingly, the augmentation of monasteries (the hospitals of their times for the relief of the suffering and indigent), gradually rendered private charity thus dispensed, less necessary, and the "Aulmonière" in its original capacity, became the appendage of the priests; under whose auspices, however, it was used rather as a repository for the alms they collected, than for the purpose of promiscuously dispensing them.

Whatever might have been the original material of the ecclesiastical purse, priests wore them in the middle ages, and, indeed, until the time of Henry VIII., they were made of velvet, garnished with tassels of gold thread, while the framework and clasps were either of metal, gilt, or silver, and were inscribed with moral and religious

sentences.

In the mean time, the increase of luxury gave greater value to the secular purse, while its conspicuous position, (for it continued until late in the reign of Elizabeth, and even subsequently, to be worn at the side), made it as much the subject of ornament as of utility.

Those worn by ladies were especially beautified with embroidery,—for which our fair countrywomen were famous, even at the period of the Norman conquest, so much so that the altar-cloths for Italian shrines were frequently wrought in England. For this purpose threads of gold and silver, the most brilliantly-coloured silks, and even precious stones were em

* Mirabeau's Letters.

ployed; as on that of the "lovely Maid of Ascalon, " described in the versified romance of "Morte Arthur," and which was richly embroidered with gold and jewels; and, as we are told, it contained a letter, complaining of the inflexibility of the famous "Sir Launcelot du Lac," for whom she died, and whose eulogy is so beautifully given in Malory's prose compilation, and so exquisitely paraphrased in Leigh Hunt's "Story of Rimini," in Giovanni's praise of his dead brother, we have a pretty good notion of its capacity, for the epistles of those days were not written on Queen's size notepaper.

In fact these pendent purses very much resembled in size and shape the reticules so generally worn by ladies a quarter of a century since, and even later; nay, they may sometimes still be seen, giving a sort of data to the period when the wearer ceased to be driven to and fro by the fluctuating waves of fashion, sensible of having found a useful article, resolved to keep it.

Such, then, were the appendages (a little modified) which made an absolute part of a lady's dress in the sixteenth century, and together with her gilt knives and pin-case, were suspended from her girdle, which was frequently made of gold, set with pearls, and in its simplest form finished with amber or coral clasps.

Those of our readers who visited, in 1850, the works of ancient and mediaval art, at the rooms of the "Society of Arts," may remember to have seen amongst the textile fabrics some purses of the time of Henry VIII., remarkable as specimens of embroidery, and as illustrations of the fashion of our subject up to this point of its history.

In the reign of Elizabeth, however, it underwent considerable changes, and though pendent purses of leather, cloth, silk, and velvet, continued to be worn, knitted ones had come into use, and others in the simple guise of a bag appear to have been popular even at court.

The purses of red, blue, and green silk, which we meet with in Nicholl's list of New Year's Gifts to the Queen, were not knitted,

* A composition of the fifteenth century, never printed, but which exists in MS. in the Harleian Library.

but we find others of silk and gold mentioned that were.

From the evidence afforded in this list, purses were not presented empty in those days, though it is curious to read the contents of many of them, in connection with the great personage to whom they were offered; unless indeed Her Majesty received them in the spirit of the Scotch axiom, that "every mickle makes a muckle." Imagine the Countess of Pembroke contributing "fifteen new Angells to the privy-purse in "a cherry bag of crymsen satten," and Lady Butler "six pounds in a little white purse," and these are taken from a number of similar presentations merely to show the alterations in their fashion.

Nor were these pecuniary gifts confined to the ladies and nobles of the court; we find the Mayor of Kingston-on-Thames presenting a well-filled purse to Her Majesty on one occasion of her passing through it; and in her second progress through London, 1558-9, we read that “at the upper ende of Cheape, there, by appointment, the right worshipful maister Ranulph Cholmely, recorder of the citie, presented to the Queen's Majestie a purse of crymsen satten richly wrought with gold, wherein the citie gave unto the Queen's Majestie a thousand marks in gold, as maister recorder did declare briefly to the Queen." Such marks of her subjects loyalty Her Majesty seems never to have been weary of receiving.

The varieties we have mentioned, proves this period to have been one of transition in the shape and material of the purse, as it undoubtedly was in the mode of wearing it-some continuing to suspend it at the girdle, and others adopting the new fashion, and depositing it in the shape of a bag in the pocket. It was with this latter mode that the phrase "to draw your purse-strings" came into vogue, the mouth of the pendent purse being secured as we before observed, with clasps of metal.

Shakspere, who makes many allusions to our subject, affords us abundant evidence that the occupation of the cut-purse, which, according to Falstaff's showing, required only "a short knife and a throng," was rapidly conforming to the more delicate operations of the pickpocket.

In the first scene and act of the "Merry