A London Adventure:

laughed , and said she'd been gone ' alf an hour ; so I see I 'ad been sold , and Avent straight back to my ' otel . " Luckily , " he continued , " I got a note changed Avhen I paid for the wine , or I should ' ave given her a five-pouu' note , and so lost it all . " The tone and manner in ivhich tin ' s

narrative was delivered were irresistibly mirth-provokiug , and we laughed immoderately at the poor fellow ' s greenness . " Here , " said I to myself , " is a specimen of my unsophisticated Englishman of the very first water . He is as fresh as a newblown rose and never ought to let go the

apron-string of his sister Mary . " My German said something about the danger of going about London Avith much money in one ' s pocket . " I ' m not afraid , " said the verdant " and I always carry my money right here too "

, taking out from the breast pocket of his coat a loose package of Bank of England notes . " 'Ow am I going to lose that with my coat buttoned so V But my friend assured him he might easily lose it ; that he had better have

left it ivith his lawyer or his banker ; that he himself neA'er carried but a few pounds about him , and no prudent traveller eA'er did—and , on appealing to mp , I added my testimony to the same effect , declaring that I seldom left my hotel with as much as a five pound-note in my pocket .

"But I 'ave enough more , " said the complacent idiot , "if I lose this . A ou see , me ancl my sister Mary haA'e just come into a little property , —about £ 17 , 000 , — that is what brought me up to London ; it ' s an unpleasant subjecta family

, quarrel , but right is ri g ht , and ivhat the law gives one , that he may call his own , mayn ' t he ? Well , the law has just given me and me sister Mary , me father ' s estate , ivhich me elder brother George had held since me father ' s ancl mother ' s death .

This is ' oiv it appened . The old family nurse , Avhen she came to die , let it out that me brother George ivas born out of ivedlock , —that is before" me father and mother were married , ancl so was not the legal heir of the property . The old doctor was referred to , his dates were looked up ancl compared Avith the parish records , and the nurse ' s story ivas confirmed . So ive went to law about it , and the case has

just been decided m our favour m the Court of Queen ' s Bench . It makes bad blood , but I shall not treat me brother George as he has treated me and sister Mary . After he has had time to cool off and think it over , I shall go to 'im and ' 'Ere Georgeyou are me brotherI

say , , , cannot forget that , , —' ere take this sum and set yourself up in business . ' " We both applauded this good resolution ancl urged him by all means to carry it into effect .

" But George did not do just right ivith the property , " he went on ; " you see , part of it came from uncle William , and uncle AVilliam in his will provided that £ 500 of it should be disbursed among the poor , not the Hinglish poor only , but the poor of different nations . This brother

George did not do . But this I shall do without delay , and to get this £ 500 well off my ' ands , according to my huncle's will is now my chief concern , Hof course , I cannot go around looking np tho poor , —the needy eases , —ancl must mostly

depend upon others to do it for me . I shall spend . £ 100 of it among the poor of my own toivn and neighbourhood , and shall 'ope to meet trustworthy gentlemen now and then , whom I can rely upon to distribute a portion of it among the poor of their countries . I gave , £ 50 of it yesterday to a gentleman of my ' otel , from Glasgoiv , to spend among his poor . "

" A strauger to you ? " said I , with reproof and astonishment in my look . " Oh , yes ; but then he showed me that he had money of his own and did not need mine ; that Avas all I required him to do . " The German and I exchanged glances

as we finished our second ale , Avhen the former said , speaking my own thought : " Well , you'll have little trouble in finding people to take your money on such terms . I , myself , would very gladly be charitable at some one else ' s expense , and

the late Avar has made many poor people in my country . " " Yery well , " said the confiding stranger , " show me that you have £ 100 of your own , and I will give you another hundred to disburse among your poor and take your receipt for it , requiring you only to insert an advertisement in The Times giving the names and dates , etc . All I want is