Masonic Reminiscences.

and can enable us to allow even a mother ' s tears to fall lightly , in the sunny visions , and rainbow hues in which our young fancy clothes the glorious world upon which we are about to enter . He was consigned in due form to the protection of a College tutor b y his uncle , who promised to call after the examinations , and encouragingly told him if he made a creditable entrance that he should have a first rate hunter for the next season .

On examination day , Phil breakfasted , as is usual on such occasions , at his tutor ' s rooms , where he met a number of others , of the most varied size , age , and colour , who with merry faces and throbbing hearts were prepared for the same trial as himself . They thence proceeded to the great hall , and having taken their places , the great inquisition commenced . Dp to this , our hero maintained a degree of dreamy self-possession , but

the sight of the books brought a sudden change o ' er the spirit of his dream , the pictures of the illustrious litterateurs along the walls became at once rather indistinctly visible , they appeared to assume very hideous forms , and to look upon him with the most malignant scowls , cold perspiration bedewed him all over , and when the book was passed into his hands , it might as well have been Sanscrit for all poor Phil knew , he gazed at it with a strange and vacant look , " vox faiicibus hesit , " he stuck fast , and could

not utter a word ; it passed on to the next without the smallest recognition from Phil , nor the acknowledgment of the most distant acquaintanceship , each successive book passed away in the same manner , and Phil never felt a "joy so sweet" as when the doors were thrown open , and he found himself borne along with the noisy crowd into the open square . It would be an interesting speculation to watch the expression of those

young faces as they emerged from that old hall , to mark the different phases of grief and gladness , of joy , and hope , and disappointment which lighted up , or clouded the countenance of each , as he rushed towards some friend , or father to announce the glad tidings of his success , or passing moodily away , and wishing for the moment to be like one " the world forgetting , and by the world forgot ; " poor Phil in the bitterness of shame and despair wended his way slowly and sadly to the rooms of a distant relative whose acquaintance he had made through a note from his uncle .

This cousin ( known as Jolly Jack ) was rather a fast young gentleman , now in his senior freshman ' s year , and pretty well up to every thing ; he laughed at our poor hero ' s grief , and told him he ought to rejoice at another year ' s freedom from the trammels of College rules , "but" he added archl y , " as you seem to take it to heart so dolefully , and if you think you won ' t stick to-morrow again , you can get over the misfortunes of to-day by

shaming sudden illness . " "But I wasn't ill , only dreadfully confused" said Phil . " Oh ! I know , a sort of book fever , but it must have a name , so if you ' re determined , to go in , you can tell Dr . —when you go to breakfast in the morning , that on such occasions you frequently become 'flummoxed in the guzman' and he'll set it all right . " Phil never heard of such a disease , "No I dare say not , you'll hear and see many things here you never dreamed of before , I would ' nt swear myself that there is such a disease , but having heard that Pat Scmers ' s mare died