filial affection. Edward thought her paler and thinner than before, and he missed some articles of furniture, which seemed to confirm his fears that times had grown worse with her. Strengthened, therefore, in his plan, he applied himself sedulously to complete a set of drawings, for which he hoped. to find a purchaser before the re-commencement of the school: nor was he altogether disappointed, though, the lady on whom he had chiefly relied as a patroness of the art being from home, he was able to dispose of some of his lesser pieces only. These were bought by a gentleman of good taste, but whose desire of encouraging the young artist, and yet more of furthering those kind intentions of which he had gained some intimation, was restrained by contracted means. The power of doing good, however, is not confined to the purse; and Mr. Hunter eagerly undertook to seek out for purchasers among the more wealthy of his acquaintance. In this number was included Mr. Rivers, at whose table the benevolent old gentleman was a frequent guest, and to whom the drawings were shown by one fully competent to point out their beauties. Mr. Rivers was delighted: "Look here, Lionel," said he, "and confess how greatly these views put to shame your own paltry daubs. I dare say you have not a boy in your school that can execute any thing like them!” Lionel looked, and looked again: he could not be mistaken in the hand of his friend; and, however displeased with that friend, he was too right-minded to withhold his testimony when his merits were at stake. "I am much deceived, Sir," said he, "if they are not the work of one of our boys,—aye, and of that very boy whose company I so much desired here." “Poh, Lionel, you dream!" returned his father; "you cannot mean that young Loraine, who so ungraciously refused an invitation which he might have been proud to accept, could produce any thing so excellent." "Yet Lionel is right," observed Mr. Hunter; "and could you learn young Loraine's motive for declining your invitation, ungracious as the refusal might seem, you would honour rather than condemn him. It was to produce these beautiful landscapes that he denied himself the pleasure of dividing his vacation between you and a fond mother, whom he hoped to relieve, by the sale of these very drawings, from a burthen which weighs somewhat too heavily on a poor widow's pension." "He is a noble fellow," exclaimed Mr. Rivers, hastily; "I have done him much wrong; I will endeavour to repair it. Let these drawings be mine at such a price as shall gratify his utmost wishes for the present occasion: his future advancement I will take upon myself. I cannot do too much to secure so inestimable a friend for my son!" "It was my fault," cried Lionel, eagerly; "I ought to have known him better than to suspect him of caprice; yet well I know, that eager as I was to condemn, Edward will be yet more eager to forgive. Shall I not go to him, Sir? every moment that we are now apart will seem an age." "We will all go,” replied Mr. Rivers; "but it shall be your office to make your peace with your friend, and to offer such atonement as may, I trust, reconcile him to our past injustice." Edward was sitting disconsolate in his little chamber for the day-dream of hope was beginning to fade, in the very limited success of his efforts to relieve his mother from difficulties which seemed to be darkening around her; and his thoughts, gloomy as they were, became yet more gloomy as he reflected on the anger with which his own chosen friend had parted from him, when that friend burst into the room. "Edward! my own Edward!" he cried, flinging his arms round him, and melting into tears. “What has happened, my dear Lionel ?" exclaimed Edward, eagerlyfor his friend, in the excess of his emotion, was at first unable to proceed-"your worthy father, -is he well?” “Oh, then, you have forgiven us!" cried Lionel, sobbing. "Forgiven! Lionel; alas! I had nothing to forgive! That you were offended with me I perceived with sorrow; but could you have known my motives-and you shall know them." "They are known and appreciated," interrupted Lionel: "those beautiful drawings are now my father's; but he would fain ask something more valuable than even those-your friendship through life for one, who hopes never again to wrong by unworthy suspicion him whose friendship is beyond all price." "Your affection rates it far too highly," returned Edward, much affected; "but whatever be its worth, it is yours." "Permit me to ratify that treaty," said Mr. Rivers, advancing, "by taking your future fortunes on myself: your good mother's difficulties shall be cared for. You know not, perhaps, that I am the relative, who, deceived by false representations, have hitherto so inadequately discharged the duties which past obligation no less than the ties of blood imposed upon me. For the future this shall be amended." Mr. Rivers amply and honourably kept his word. Edward became the college companion of Lionel, and at the request of his patron entered in due time into holy orders. Mr. Rivers has been dead some years his son is now the proprietor of Rivers Park, and Edward the incumbent of the adjacent rectory; nor does the clerical profession boast a more worthy member than he, who, without neglecting his higher duties, still steals an occasional hour for the indulgence of that favourite art to which his mother ever fondly attributes his prosperous fortunes. We are assured, also, that every succeeding year only tends to cement more strongly the friendship of the Lord of the Manor and the WIDOW'S SON. THE DOVE SET FREE. BY T. W. KELLY, AUTHOR OF MYRTLE LEAVES." AH! mother, mother! tell me why My pretty turtle-dove So pensive sits, and turns her eye Oh! tell me what sad thought o'erwhelms |