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that face were gone. The boy now looked, indeed, older by many years. The smiles on his thin lips seemed to struggle vainly with languor and heaviness; his eyelids were half closed, his cheeks and lips colorless, his whole form wasted away. My wife came to me, and embraced me; but Maurice noticed me not for many minutes. He looked up at me then, and, rising from the ground, walked towards me. I dreaded lest my mournful appearance should affright him; and I stood breathless with my fears. He surveyed me from head to foot, and came close to me, and looked up with pleased curiosity in my face, and then whistled as he walked back to his toys-whistled so loudly, that the shrill sound seemed to pierce through my brain!

Sunday, August 30th.

I have just returned from divine service in the chapel attached to my house. While the chaplain was reading the Psalms, Maurice walked softly down the aisle, and entered my pew. He stood before me with his eyes fixed on my face. Whenever I raised my eyes, I met that fixed but vacant gaze. My heart melted within me, and I felt tears rush into my eyes-his sweet, but vacant look must often be present with me-it seemed to appeal to me; it seemed to ask for my prayers. Sinner as I am, I dared to think so. It must be, to all, an affecting sight to see an idiot in the house of God. It must be a rebuke to hardened hearts, to hearts too cold and careless to worship there; it must be a rebuke to know that one heart is not unwilling, but unable to pray. Bitterly I felt this as I looked upon my child. He stood before me a rebuke to all the coldness and carelessness which had ever mingled with my prayers. His vacant features seemed to say, 66 You have a mind whose powers are not confused; you have a heart to feel, to pray, to praise, and to bless God. The means of grace are daily given to you; the hopes of glory are daily visible to you." O! God, my child stood before me as a more

awful rebuke-as a rebuke sent from thee. Did not his vacant look say also, "Look upon the wreck which your dreadful passions have made? Think upon what I was? Think upon what I am?" With a broken heart, I listened to the words of life; for, while I listened, my poor idiot child leaned upon me, and seemed to listen too. When I bowed my head at the name of Jesus, the poor boy bowed his. They all knelt down; but, just then, I was lost in the thoughtfulness of my despair: my son clasped my hand; and, when I looked round, I perceived that we alone were standing in the midst of the congregation. He looked me earnestly in the face; and, kneeling down, he tried to pull me to kneel beside him. He seemed to invite me to pray for him. I did fall on my knees to pray for him and for myself; and I rose up, hoping that, for my Saviour's sake,, my prayers were heard, and trusting that our heavenly. Father feedeth my helpless child with spiritual food that we know not of.

LONDON MAGAZINE

A SCENE ON THE PONT NEUF.

Ir the French do not follow, in all respects, the precepts of the gospel, at least it must be confessed that they pay due regard to the apostle's injunction, "Weep with those that weep, and rejoice with those that rejoice." I have seen a thousand instances of this disposition; but F do not know that I ever witnessed one with more pleasure than that which I am about to relate.

I was crossing the Pont Neuf at the moment when a porter, belonging to the Bank of France, tired of the weight he carried (it was a bag containing nine thousand francs in silver), stopped to rest himself by leaning against

the parapet wall of the bridge; but, at the moment that he did so, his valuable load, either from awkwardness or carelessness, slipped out of his hands, and fell into the Seine, which is very deep just in that spot.

He made a

Never shall I forget his look of despair. movement to jump over, and, I believe, would have effected his purpose, but for the presence of mind of a girl, a little delicate-looking thing, about sixteen, a violet seller, who, clasping her arms around him, cried for help, which in an instant was afforded. Myself and some others seized him he struggled with us desperately. "Let me go!" cried he; "I am ruined forever! My wife, my children, what will become of you?" A multitude of voices were raised at once, some to console, others to inquire; but above the rest were heard the clear and silver tones of the little violet girl-" My friend, have patience, you have lost nothing."

"Nothing! Oh, heavens!"

"No, no; I tell you, no. Let some one run for the divers there is no doubt that they will succeed in bringing it up."

"She is right," resounded from a number of voices, and from mine among the rest; and in an instant half a dozen people ran to fetch the divers. Those who remained exerted themselves, each in his way, for the solace of the poor porter. One brought him a small glass of liqueur ; another a little brandy, and a third some eau de Cologne. The little violet girl had been before all the rest in administering a cordial,-and perhaps hers was the most efficacious, a glass of pure water, which she held to his trembling lips, and made him swallow. "Drink," cried she, “drink it up; it will do you good." water, or the kind and sympathetic manner with which it was offered, that relieved him, I know not; but certainly one of the two had its effect, for his looks grew less wild, and he became composed enough to make his acknowl

Whether it was the

edgments to the humane spectators, who had shown such interest in his misfortune.

The divers soon came; and one of them descended without loss of time. Never did I witness such an intense anxiety as the search excited: if the fate of every one present had hung on the success, they could not have testified greater interest in it. Soon he reappeared, bringing up, not the bag of silver, but a small iron box. It was instantly broken open, and found to be full of twenty-franc pieces in gold: they were soon counted, and found to amount to nearly twelve thousand francs (about four hundred and fifty pounds sterling).

There were three divers, who, overjoyed at their good fortune, speedily divided the prize among themselves; and, directly afterwards, another descended in search of the porter's bag. This time he returned with it in triumph. The poor fellow could scarcely speak when they put it into his hands. On coming to himself, he cried with vehemence, "God reward you: you know not the good you have done. I am the father of five children. I was formerly in good circumstances; but a series of misfortunes reduced me to the greatest distress. All that I had left was an irreproachable character, and that procured me my present situation. I have had it but a week. To-day I should, without your help, have lost it. My wife, my children would have been exposed to all the horrors of want: they would have been deprived of a husband and a father; for never, no, never, could I have survived the ruin I had brought upon them! It is you who have saved us all. God will reward you-he alone can. While he thus spoke, he rummaged in his pocket, and drew out some francs. "This is all I have; 'tis very little; but tell me where you live, and to-morrow-" "Not a farthing," interrupted they with one voice; and one of them added, "Stop a bit; let me talk to my comrades." They stepped aside for a moment; I followed them with my eyes, and saw, by their

gestures, that they listened to their companion with emotion. "We are all of a mind," said he, returning with them. "Yes, my friend, if we have been serviceable to you, you also have been the cause of our good fortune: it seems to me, then, that we ought to share with you what God has sent to us through your means. My companions think so too; and we are going to divide it into four equal parts."

"Gen

The porter would have remonstrated, but his voice was drowned by the acclamations of the spectators. "Much good may it do you!

erous fellows!"

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"The

same luck to you many more times!" resounded from every mouth. There was not one present but seemed as happy as if he or she were about to participate in the contents of the box.

The money was divided, and, in spite of his excuses, the porter was forced to take his share. The generous divers went their way; the crowd began to disperse; but the porter still lingered, and I had the curiosity to remain in order to watch his motions. He approached the little violet girl. “Ah! my dear," cried he, “what do I not owe you! But for you, it had been all lost with me. wife, my little ones must thank you."

*

My

Ma foi! it is not worth mentioning. Would you have me stand by and see you drown yourself?"

"But your courage, your strength! could one have expected it from so young a girl?"

"Ah! there is no want of strength wherever there is good will."

"And nobody ever had more of that. Give me six of your bouquets, my dear; my children are so fond of violets and never have they prized any as well as they will these."

She twisted a bit of thread round six of her fairy nose

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