pose which they have occasionally received
from the Horticultural Society. The resort to the garden has far
surpassed the most sanguine expectations of the Council; 112,226 persons
have visited it during the last year."

* * * * *

THE NOVELIST

* * * * *

THE SIEGE OF ABYDOS.

_A Romantic Tale._

(_For the Mirror._)

The infidel Turks, ever at variance with the Christians, were, in the
reign of king Orchanes, extremely ambitious to possess the famous Castle
of Abydos; and accordingly vast preparations were made for a close
siege. Previous to the arrival of the Turkish army before the castle,
the angelic Sophronia, daughter of the governor of Abydos, was visited
by a dream. She thought, that while walking out on a beautiful evening,
breathing the fragrant air, and gazing on the brilliant stars, she fell
into a loathsome ditch, in which she remained an hour, terrified, and
unable to move. At length, a handsome youth passed, and she implored him
to rescue her. She did not implore in vain; the young man assisted her
out, cleaned her clothes, and comforted her with pleasant words. They
then proceeded to a delightful bower, put on costly attire, and the
youth regaled the rescued lady with delicious fruits, and sang sonnets
on her personal beauty. Sophronia awoke, sad and disappointed, to find
that her late bliss was only a dream. In a day or two afterwards, the
Turkish army appeared, and a vigorous siege commenced; nevertheless, the
Christians stoutly defended the place, and would, ultimately, have
obliged the enemy to retire, had no intervention taken place. It
happened, unfortunately for the garrison, that a gallant Turkish
captain, in the prime of youth, called Abdurachman approached so near to
the castle gates, as to be plainly observed by the fair Sophronia, from
a small turret window, out of which she had viewed the besiegers. The
lady imagined this captain to be the person to whom she was so much
obliged in her dream, and rejoiced at the supposed discovery; she hoped
that the assailants would be successful in taking her father's castle
that she might have an opportunity of falling into the hands of the
gallant captain she so greatly admired. The siege still raged with much
fury, but was continually repulsed by the brave Christians, insomuch
that the Turkish general became disconcerted, and in the evening of the
third day after the commenc