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    of killing his amiable wife , and throwing his innocent child out of the window . In one of the charges of cavalry , the battery posted upon the footstool was , unfortunately , left uncovered , and a strong body of rats , turning the right wing , fell upon it , carried it , and eat up all the artillery men . This was a sad stroke for Nutcracker , who was obliged to order a

    retrograde movement . The rats followed up their advantage by debouching upon a large arm-chair , and throwing forward masses of cavalry , who fell with dreadful squeaks upon the left wing of Nutcracker . There they met with a check , for the troops composing it formed a square , and received the onset with the greatest coolness and courage . But all efforts were useless , for the rest of the army was in full retreat . The unfortunate Nutcracker , carried away by the flying crowd , towards the cabinet , called out in vain , ' Let the reserve advance—Punch

    !—Scaramouch !—drummer !—where the devil are you ? ' Alas ! most of them were lifeless on the field of honour . The four chimney-sweepers fell at the head of the black guards , after performing unheard-of prodigies of valour . Nutcracker wished to ensconce himself in the cabinet , but his legs were too short , and there was nobody to help him up . Clara and

    Gertrude had swooned away . The hussars and dragoons passed him at full gallop , and threw themselves into the fortress . Then did he exclaim in his terrible despair , All is lost , except honour ! ' At this very moment two of the enemy ' s sharp-shooters seized him by the wooden jacket , and the king of the rats hastened towards him , horrible cries issuing out of his seven mouths . 4 5

    Oh , my dear , poor Nutcracker ! said Mary , weeping ; and without hardly knowing what she did , she took hold of her left shoe , and whirled it at the rat-king . In a moment all vanished . Mary felt a violent pain again in her arm , and fainted .

    Chapter V . —The Illness . When Mary awoke from her swoon she found herself in her own little bed , and the sun was shining in at the window through the icicles which hung outside the casement . Near her stood a stranger , whom she soon recollected to be Mr . Widesight , the surgeon . He said , in a ) ow tone of voice , * See , she wakes / Her mother ran to her . * Dear mamma , '

    murmured Mary , ' are all the rats gone , and is poor Nutcracker saved ?' 'Don't talk such foolishness , Mary , my love , ' answered her mother ; 4 what do you mean by talking about rats and nutcrackers ? Naughty girl , you have made us very unhappy . Why did you not do what 1 bid

    you , and go to bed , instead of wanting to sit up all night to play with your dolls ? Heavens be praised , I woke about midnight , and not finding you in your little bed , went into the other room , and there you were , lying by the cabinet , surrounded by the leaden soldiers of Frederick , and your dolls , with the nutcracker resting upon your bleeding arm , and your left shoe at a little distance from you . '

    * Oh ! mamma , mamma , ' said Mary , « you saw traces of the battle which was fought there between the rats and the dolls . When I saw the rats taking poor Nutcracker prisoner , I threw my shoe into the midst of them , and I ana sure I don ' t know how it all happened . ' The surgeon made a sign to her mother , and said to Mary , * Well ,

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    1 $ The Nutcracker .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1835, page 16, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2641/page/16/