table; perry was placed before them; the place, which the spectre had formerly occupied, to the terrour of Berthold remained vacant again, as if they were every evening still expecting the mysterious visitor. All continued silent, and wore an air of doubt or suspicion, so that two things of their former entertainment were wanting, and those, it must be confessed, were better than all the rest, familiar talk and heart-inspiring music.

The good collier then opened his mouth, and spoke thus: "My guest, what variance you had with our housespirit some years ago, we know not. But we ourselves have suffered from him difficulty and trouble, terrour and anxiety enough. I trust you will pass the night with us again, and I therefore wish from my heart, that you may fill your mind with holy thoughts, so as to disturb neither us nor the house-spirit. So far as he is concerned, indeed, I think you cannot now so easily offend him again, even supposing you have nothing in your head and heart but money and merchandise. But let all be hushed to silence now, our season of prayer is come."

All folded their hands, the father of the family took off his cap, and began to sing again that beautiful hymn,

"Now all the woods are sleeping."

Berthold reverently sang with them, expecting every moment to see the apparition of the house-spirit, though in the meek form and humble garb of his first appearance. But no finger tapped at the door, and no door opened. Only a soft light was diffused through the room, and a breathing melody arose, as when with moistened finger we touch the finely attuned musical glasses.

Hardly had the hour of prayer passed, when Berthold accosted the master of the house, and asked him: "What was the meaning of that music and that light?" "That was the house-spirit," answered the collier; "and this is the only way, in which he now makes his presence known to us. We have subdued his violence, as you saw, by prayer and true watchfulness over the purity of our mind."

There was something in the heart of the merchant, which whispered to him, that, notwithstanding some im

provement of character, he was still too unworthy to pass the night there. He called for his horse, but in a far more friendly tone than before; and in a far more friendly manner the eldest son brought him to the door. They all then bade Berthold farewell, perceiving that no evil feeling drove him from them, and gave him direction in regard to the way he must take, when the traveller rode on with impulses of heart and purposes of life entirely changed. He met with nothing to annoy him as he went on his way. But a beautiful radiance, at times, hovered and flowed on before him, illuminating the bushes and foliage of the mountain forest it was a lustre strange and lovely, such as the soul may conceive, but no words are able to express. He felt its power in the very depths of his being.

TABLE-TALK NOTICES OF PHANTASMION,'

INCLUDING THE

FORTUNES OF FAIRYLORE.

THIS modest volume, published without name, motto, note, or comment, is said to be the composition of Mrs. Henry Nelson Coleridge, only daughter of the late S. T. Coleridge. I have been so much gratified with this lady's fine spiriting in fairyland, that I cannot deny myself the pleasure of reviving some of the impressions her adventures there have produced; and as preliminary to a familiar, table-talk notice, the reader may welcome the following trifle translated from the German of W. Hauff. It forms a lively introduction to his series of tales for youth, and, though entitled "MÄHRCHEN ALS ALMANACH," in the original, may be called FORTUNES OF FAIRYLORE, in English.

In a beautiful kingdom of a region far away, concerning which a rumour is rife that the sun never goes down upon its gardens of eternal green, Queen Fancy has reigned from the earliest period to the present day. Many hundred years ago, in the olden time, she distributed rich blessings to her people with full hands, and was loved and revered by all who knew her. But the heart of the queen was too large to confine her favours to her own country; she even, in the regal splendour of her eternal youth and beauty, descended upon the earth in person;

for she had heard that men dwelt there, who wore away a sad existence amid anxiety and toil. The fair queen brought them the choicest gifts of her kingdom; and while she wandered through the fields of the world, all were blithe at their labour and contented with the severity of their lot.

Still more to make them happy, she sent forth her children, who were not less fair and lovely than their royal mother. FAIRYLORE, the eldest daughter of the queen, was the first that returned from the earth. The mother remarked one day, that Fairylore seemed to be quite depressed, nay that, every now and then, her eyes looked as red as if she had been weeping.

"What is it ails you, dear Fairylore?" said the queen with heartfelt concern. "Ever since you came home from your journey, how melancholy and low-spirited you have been! What can be the matter with you! Will you not confide to me, your mother, every event or evil that troubles you?"

"Alas, dear mother!" answered Fairylore, "I should not have continued so long silent, be assured, had I not known that my sorrow concerned you as much as myself.'

"Nay, speak out, my daughter; never fear being openhearted," said the beautiful queen in a persuasive tone; "sorrow is a stone, that crushes a single bearer to the ground, while two are able to carry it with ease."

"Since such is your will," replied Fairylore, "pray listen while I relate a word or two of my fortunes. You know how delighted I am to have intercourse with the human race; you know with what joy I take my seat with the very humblest before their cottage doors, and chat with them a little while after their labours: formerly, when they saw me come to make them a call, they sprang to give me the hand and kiss of cordial welcome; and when I went away, they looked after me smiling and grateful; but in these days all is very different, all quite the reverse of such warmth of heart."

"Why, poor Fairylore!" said the queen, stroking her cheek, that was moistened with a tear; “but are you not too sensitive? May not this change of treatment exist only in your own fancy?"

"Believe me, I feel but too keenly," returned Fairylore," that they love me no longer. Everywhere, wherever I go, I meet none but cold or half averted looks; I am nowhere greeted with heart, and hand, and lip, as I used to be; the very children, who were ever wont to love me dearly, now laugh at me, and, much too knowing for an age so tender, turn their back upon me."

Hearing this, the queen rested her brow upon her palm, and mused a moment in silence.

"And pray how does it happen, Fairylore," inquired the queen, awaking from her reverie, "how does it happen that people are so changed below there on the earth?"

"I can tell you, Queen Fancy, this is the cause: men have appointed a band of shrewd and sharpsighted watchmen, who stop, search, and scrutinize all that come out of your kingdom. Whenever a new-comer arrives, whose garments are not cut according to the fashion they approve, they raise a huge outcry; then they either give him his death-blow at once, or spread abroad so bad a character of him, that the world receive their slander for truth, and not a soul will any more show him a spark of love or confidence. Ah, how happy are those brothers of mine, Dreams! What a dainty life, what a brave freedom, is theirs! Full of frolic, they leap lightly down to the earth, care not a whit for those wiseacre watchmen, visit all in their slumber, and weave such brilliant webs, and paint such glorious pictures for them, as charm their eye and rejoice their heart.

"In truth your brothers are light-footed," said the queen, "but you, my darling, have no reason to envy them. Besides, I am well acquainted with those critical gentlemen of the border-land; we must not blame the commonwealth of letters too severely for stationing them there as sentinels; it had become quite an indispensable precaution, there were so many empty headed fellows kept rushing into the country, pretending to have come directly from my kingdom, while the truth was, they had caught, at most, only some faint glimpses of it from a mountain below."

"But why do they make me, your own daughter, a victim on account of those brainless interlopers ?" cried Fairylore, weeping; "alas! if you knew what shameful