many better featured though less intellectual ones. She about the middle height and well formed; while the neatness of her dress and the natural ease and simplicity of her manners set off her figure to the best advantage. She was an object of attrac tion to all the young men in the village, and her presence at the little amusements of Glynn were not relished by any half so well when "the Beauty of the Glen" was absent. From the moment that Edmund Meara first saw her he resolved upon obtaining possession of her person if not by marriage, in a Jess honorable way. In his purposes he was much facilitated by the influence which he possessed over the minds of her friends, by whom he was looked up to as more than a match for Nora; but the jealousy of her father was a mighty obstacle in his way. Still he knew that Norah loved him, which encouraged him to watch his opportunities for communicating with her and endeavouring to induce ber to leave her father's house and go home with him. But she was possessed of feelings too strongly attached to her father and too virtuously regardful of her duty to God, to yield to his persuasions, or to trust to his assertions of a future marriage. A few evenings had elapsed after her late conversation with her father, when returning from the village whither she had gone for the purpose of sending a letter to her uncle at Rathkeale, Edmund Meara stood before her at the entrance of the glen. Apprehensive of being observed by her father, she was unwilling to delay and endeavoured to hasten past him. "Norah, dear Norah; will you not stop one minute;' said he to ber, as he stood in the narrow pass. Will you not speak one word to me "Not now, Mr. Ned; not now Sir; let me pass, if you please! sure you would n't be the cause of more blame to me than you can help. Tis enough for me to lie under what can't be stayed of an odd time, and many's the time I do bear a hard scolding on account of you, Edmund! But I'm in a hurry now, so let me pass in Heaven's' name !". Norah, I thought that you loved me as much as I love you!" "Well, Ned; and may be I don't!!-What makes you speak in that way? you know that 'tis too much of my heart you have already without reproaching me regarding what's not in my power. If my father is a little hard now, may be 'tis not long that he'll be so; and you know, Ned, 'tis better we'll thrive with a father's blessing than a father's curse! Let ne pass any how; for I'm late as it is; and I'll be blem't for staying out so long!" "Stop for one minute, Norah! Tell me what will you do if your father insists on your marrying Shane Buie? Will you marry him and me!" "I will never leave you, Ned, as long as you stick by me!^ and as to Jack Sullivan, I will die before I have any thing to say to him!"! "Well now, Norah darling; I am satisfied; and you may go, ouly give me one kiss to show you love!" "I never gave any man a kiss, Mr. Ned, barring my own re, lations that had a right to it; and I told you more than once that you always frighten me when I hear you talk of such things. It sometimes come to my mind that it is not to marry me you want at all.” Stay Norah stay one instant; may all" "Whisht you toolish man, there's one looking at us: didn't I tell you to let me go at once; good night and don't be frightening yourselt for Shane Buie:" so saying the active girl sprang past b and was soon lost m the gloom of the glen. Edinand Meara had turned almost at the same instant with Norah, and was quick enough to perceive a figure glide stealthly among the trees and disappear up the sides of the pass. A mo ment of enraged disappointment held him fixed to the spot, the next saw him in hot pursuit Rapidly but cautiously he followed the object of his chase and came up with him just as they both reached the opening of the common. At the instant he did not recognise the person of Shane Baie, and still inflamed with rage he challenged hun, "Holloa you sir, stand you scongdrel or the next step shall be into your grave; who are you that you dare act the spy on my motions!" "Then Mr. Ned is it afraid of your best friends you're grown? Well, well, and you not to know Shane Buie that would die ten deaths to save your honour from hurt!" "What made you run away, Jack? If you had stood your ground like a man I would have known you. But 'twas not too much of a brave man you ever had about you!" In troth, Mr. Ned, there isn't a man in the parish barring yourself that would say that same to me with immunity!" While Sullivan was saying this, he fixed his eyes full upon the fearless Meara who returned his look with a misgiving smile of mixed contempt and ridicule. But as Meara bad reason really to apprehend Sullivan's treachery, if he had recognised Norah, and that he would in all likelihood betray their interview, he considered it most prudent to try and mollify rather than irritate him. lu cunning and villainy the two were well matched, but Sullivan endeavoured by a low-minded and malicious policy to frustrate the object of his more fearless protector, whose rivalry in the affections. of his cousin he had so much cause to view with fear and vexa tion. Previously to the outbreak that had just terminated, Sullivan had been an unsuccessful suitor of the young beauty. He had however, gradually succeeded in establishing for himself a good foots ing with the father, and had even hopes that he would ultimately succeed in gaining his consent to their marriage. His dark and vicious disposition however, had rendered him an object of fear and detestation with her, and his indifference to her feelings while treating with her father of the subject of marriage, rendered him still more intolerable to her. Her unceasing coldness to him as well as her acknowledged partiality for his rival, induced him to seize every opportunity of reporting to the old man whatever attentious on the part of Meara, and encouragement on the part of Norah, he could magnify into acts of impropriety; of this Meara was well aware, and being really apprehensive that he would visit upon the innocent girl ang insult offered to himself, he thought it wiser to change the subject and lay aside his resentment for a mote fitting opportunity. "Well Jack! Say no more about it, you know that I have always stood your friend when you wanted one, so you need'nt be. in a burry to quarrel with me for nothing!" "Quarrel is it! Bad seran to me if ever the thought came across my head! 'tis quare talk there would be in the town beyant to hear talk that Shane Büe quarrelled with his best friend! sure and wasn't it that I was saying, that there is'nt a man in the village barring yourself that would speak to me after that sort; but vour honour savs let there be no more about it. What are you going to do about the matter of the Branagans, Captain ?" "The Branagans! What about them ?" 83 Why they say that if your honour doesn't marry little Mary (you know little Mary sir) there will be the dickens and all to pay betuxt you and them!" "I marry Mary Branagan!! Is it come to this with you Jack Sullivan to think that your captain would be forced by a pack of cowardly gommocks to marry their Faggoidth of a sister! Yes, indeed, it is well said of them!!" "Well your honor I meant no offence; no offence in life. I only made bould to tell you, in order that you mightn't be taken behind backs; but sure your honor knows best!" "I tell you what Sullivan !"-"What Sir ?" "Do you remember the night of the attack on the Curtis's at Grange " ་་ "Do I remember it, is it? sure your honor knows the bating got at it! The dickens such a bating ever soaked into the bones of any misfortunate man equal to what I got that night!" "Well! it was your own fault! why did you not fall back the moment the sod was put under the thatch according to orders? but at all events the man that gave you the beating was Charlie Branagan!" "Thunder and turf, does your honor tell me so; Begannies, and his was a heavy hand all out,-well may be the time will come, when I'll translate the lesson he taught me on his own back." "I hope so Jack, so for your own sake, as well as mine, keep your eyes about you,-How old is your Uncle ?" "He's old enough to live longer than either you or I wish, Sir, -Tis a crying sin to see the way he treats her, and she's so gentle and so fond of him she'd rather see him eat one bit than get ten herself.-1 wish Mr. Ned, that you and she were married;-1 know she's foud of you, only she has not time to tell you so, with that old villain of a father. I was in hopes 'twas herself and yourself that were talking down in the Glen Beyant a while ago." So you saw us then," said Meara, quite forgetting himself. I saw you with somebody Sir; but how could I tell 'twas berself when there was no light to see by." The tone of Sullivan's voice had enough about it of ironical sympathy to prove to Meara (known as were his feelings and intenti ons towards Norah) that he was in his rival's power; so considering it more prudent to suspend any further conversation, and making some indefinite reply to the last observation, he struck across the fields, and was soon out of sight. COCO ANUT PLANTING IN THE FENINSULA OF CALPENTYN. 1 PERHAPS it is not generally known, that there is a very extensive tract of forest land in the Peninsula of Calpentyn, called Manjady Chaly, or Moodoo Kadoo, situated 6 or 7 miles S. W. of Putlam and about three quarters of a mile from the sea; and on the east side almost bordering on the Canal which connects the inland navigation between Calpentyn and Colombo. According to a recent measurement, it contains about 17,000 acres. The whole of this land, except a few barren spots intersecting it, is well adapted for Cocoanut planting, as it has a light sandy soil, and water can be had by digging to the depth of three, or four feet. Towards the sea side there are some good springs called Toduways, which can very easily be rendered available for itrigation by means of machinery, and in the neighbourhood] of one of these springs, Cinnamon is found growing wild, mixed with other jun- ́ gle trees. The following estimate of the probable cost of planting 500 acres of this land was framed by me some time ago in compliance with the request" of a friend of mine, and as I think it will prove useful to persons desirous of engaging in such speculation, I have much pleasure in sending it for Insertion in the Ceylon Magazine. Supposing that you intend to cultivate 500 acres of this land, which in proportion of 80 trees to an acre planted at 30 feet distance from each other in all directions, will afford space for 40,000 trees, the cost will be as follows: viz. Digging holes, and planting the plants at 9d. per 100...... 15 0 0 water-pots.. .... 22 10 0 Value of 40,000 plants at 4s. 6d. per 100.. 12s. each per mensem... Do. of 4 Overseers for the same period at 15s. each per Do.. Do. of a Superintendant Do. at £3 per mensem.... Pay of 80 Labourers to water the plants for first 3 years at 1728 0 108 0 0 108 0 0 Total..£2,561 10 0 For the first three years the young trees must be watered every second day, except when it rains, and kept clear of the weeds. In the fourth year, |