publications of the story in the columns of several widely circulated journals failed to recall him, he was generally supposed to be dead. At the outbreak of the present civil war his eldest son, now a young man, was induced by a friend, a captain in a western regiment, to enlist in his company. He carried himself well through campaigns in Missouri and Tennessee, and after the capture of Fort Donelson was rewarded with a first lieutenant's commission. At the battle of Murfreesboro' he was wounded in the left arm, but so slightly that he was still able to take charge of a squad of wounded prisoners. While performing this duty he became aware that one of them, a middle-aged man, with a full, heavy beard, was looking at him with fixed attention. The day after the fight, as the officer was passing, the soldier gave the military salute, and said,— "A word with you, if you please, sir. You remind me of an old friend. Are you New England?" "I am." "From Massachusetts ? " "Yes." "And your name?" from The young lieutenant told his and turning away he was silent. Although his curiosity was much excited by the soldier's manner, the officer forbore to question him, and withdrew. But in the afternoon he took occasion to renew the conversation, and expressed the interest awakened in him by the incident of the morning. "I knew your father," said the prisoner. "Is he well?" "We have not seen him for years. We think he is dead.” Then followed such an explanation of the circumstances of his disappearance as the young man could give. He had never known the precise nature of the charges against his father, but was able to make it quite clear that his innocence had been established. "I knew your mother also," continued the soldier. "I was in love with her when she married your father.” "I have a letter from her dated ten days ago. My brother is a nine months' man at New Orleans." After a little desultory conversation, the soldier took from under his coat a leathern wallet, and disclosed a daguerreotype The hasp was gone, and the corners were rounded by case. wear. "Will you oblige me," said he, by looking at this alone in your tent?" Agitated almost name, and why he came to serve" in a western regiment. I thought so," said the other, beyond control, the young officer took the case and hurried away. He had seen the picture before. It represented a man and a woman sitting side by side, with a boy at the knee of each. The romantic story moved the commander of the division to grant the youth a furlough, and both father and son reached home together. Poetry. A copy of the following lines was forwarded to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, in reply to which the following was sent to the author. Sandringham, April 2nd, 1863. Lieut.-General Knollys is commanded by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to thank Mr. Watson for bis verses, and for the kind feeling which prompted them." VERSES COMPOSED FOR THE OCCASION OF THE PRINCE OF WALES' MARRIAGE. TUNE "GOD SAVE THE QUEEN." GREAT God, our Sovereign Lord, By earth and heaven adored The King of Kings, With reverential fear To Thee we now draw near, Great King of Kings. We pray that Thou wouldst bless, With health and happiness, The Prince of Wales; O, look in mercy down- God bless the Royal Bride, Doncaster. Supported by Thy care, May she Thy goodness share; God bless our widowed Queen- O, hear our voice to-day, Look down, great God of love, Thy chastening hand. THOMAS WATSON. Youths' Department. NEWARK CASTLE. THIS castle though now in ruins, still presents an august appearance. It was built during the reign of King Stephen, by Alexander de Blois, Bishop of Lincoln. : Military erections were, however, at that time deemed improper for an ecclesiastic to engage in and to satisfy the King and his own troubled conscience, the bishop after finishing the castle, founded two monasteries; but Stephen was not to be thus appeased, for he seized both the bishop and his uncle; and he kept them in durance until they surrendered to him all their fortresses. In the reign of John, and in the baronial wars, Newark several times changed hands, and in this castle King John died, but whether by poison, or otherwise, has not been clearly ascertained. Henry III. restored the castle to the Bishop of Lincoln. In 1530, Cardinal Wolsey lodged in it with a great retinue, on his way to Southwell, where he was accustomed to spend part of his summer. At present the north front overlooking the river is the most perfect, having a large square tower at the north east angle, and another in the centre. The general outline of the building is square, and its dimensions are very great. The number of stories appears to have been five; but within the exterior walls very little now remains. In the year 1845, public baths were established herein by eighty shareholders of £5 each, and a part of the castle yard has been made into a cattle market. The vestiges of the great hall shew evidently that it was built in later times; indeed, its handsome projecting window must have been inserted after all the ancient modes of defence had gone out of use. Under this hall is a most curious arched vault, or crypt, supported by a row of pillars in the middle, and having loopholes and embrasures towards the river, in which were planted cannon during the civil wars. At one end are some remains of the entrance to a subterranean passage, said to have gone a great way under ground. The other parts of the ruins exhibit a curious specimen of the odd-mixture of old Norman architecture, and of that which Bishop Gundulph first introduced at Rochester castle. The castle and its liberty (1,138 acres) are in the parish of East Stoke, which is four miles distant from Newark, but their inhabitants vote at elections for members of Parliament, as belonging to the borough, though they have no voice in the choice of churchwardens or other parochial officers. The castle precincts are included in the borough of Newark, and still belong to the Crown. It is a source of pleasure to the mind to reflect that such massive places for defence are now no longer needed in happy England. They were the results of ancient tyranny, jealousy, and superstition. A brighter day has dawned upon us, and our national and social safety are largely owing to the Gospel. "The Lord of hosts is our defence, P. DAYKIN. DANIEL DEALING WITH BELSHAZZAR. IN reading Bible history we often meet with the fact that the wonders of Almighty power, justice, or grace have frequently soon been lost sight of by those whom God warned of impending judgments, or blessed with undeserved mercies. What a solemn visitation of divine justice on Nebuchadnezzar is narrated in the fourth chapter of Daniel, in the thirty-third verse. He was driven from among men, he ate grass as an ox, his body was wet with the dew of heaven, his hair grew like eagles' feathers, his nails were like birds' claws. What a spectacle for his subjects did this proud man present, how humiliating the sight for his family, his courtiers, his friends; but the just and adorable God who had thus humbled the arrogant boaster was graciously pleased to lift him from his degradation. In verse thirty-six, the restored monarch gratefully acknowledges the great mercy which had been shown him by the "King of heaven, whose works are truth, whose ways are judgment, and who is able to abase those who walk in pride." Surely what Jehovah has done in thus degrading to a level with the beasts the proud king of Babylon, will have a salutary influence not only on him in his restored condition, but also that influence will be felt by his immediate descendants! Surely, in his private and public acts his son will reverence and honour Jehovah! Ah, no! "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" Man unregenerate desires not the knowledge of God. You may say the son of one who had experienced such a merciful restoration to reason and to his kingdom will |