The Rover was a weekly magazine of tales, poetry, and engravings, original and selected, published in the United States from 1843 to 1855. It was edited by Seba Smith and Lawrence Labree and aimed at a high quality standard in their selection of short stories and poetry. This particular issue, the eighth in the magazine's first volume, features five short stories and three poems. The short stories include "The White Fawn" by Catharine Maria Sedgwick, "The Mysterious Stranger" by Thomas Mayne Reid, "The Spectre Bridegroom" by Washington Irving, "The Gambler's Wife" by Mary Clavers, and "The Old Maid's Secret" by H. Hastings Weld. The poems include "To be good is to be happy" by Nicolas Rowe, "Passion - its history" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, and "The Broken Heart" by an anonymous author.