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sion of any money, and unwilling to ask her husband, secretly sold a pair of ear-rings.

10. The money produced by this sale appeased the landlord for the present; but, as it could not last long, the old man, not wishing to abuse the generosity of Edmund and his mother, requested to be conveyed to a hospital.

11. Edmund in tears supplicated him not to make himself so miserable; he vowed a thousand times never to abandon him. Mâurice, deeply affected by the tenderness of the child, strove to soften this idea; Edmund would not listen to any thing.

12. The same day, fearing to importune his mother, he decided upon selling a beautiful edition of the Iliad, which he had received as a prize in his class.

13. Scarcely had he entered the shop of the bookseller, with whom he hoped to arrange the sale, than he perceived his father seated near the counter. Edmund was so frightened at this meeting, that he let his books fall.

14. "What do you want here, my child ?” cried Mr. Leonard, surprised; "and why all these books?”

15. Edmund blushed and stammered; dreading the anger of his father, he could only press his hand and weep.

16. Mr. Leonard, painfully affected at the trouble in which he saw his son, took him aside, and with gentleness requested him to confess the

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truth, previously assuring him that he was ready
to forgive him if he was in fault.

17. Emboldened by this unexpected moderaDuld tion, Edmund replied, with downcast eyes, that he came to sell his books, to prevent Mâurice from going into a hospital.

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18. These few words acted like a flash of lightning on Mr. Leonard; a mixture of repentance and tenderness seized him, so that his eyes filled with tears. "Conduct me to Maurice," said he to his son, embracing him.

19. Edmund, overwhelmed with joy, did not wait to have the order repeated. On approaching the lodgings, they met a hand-barrow, upon which an old man, enveloped in blankets, lay extended; it was Maurice, whom they were conveying to the hospital.

20. Mr. Leonard held Edmund, who would have thrown himself into his arms, and directed the porters to carry the patient to his own house. Maurice, whose sufferings were great, did not observe this meeting.

21. They put him into the bed which he had so long occupied; the old man cast his eyes upon all that he could observe; he dared not believe them, but imagined he was in a delirious fever.

22. At length he perceived Edmund; tears bathed his venerable cheeks, he extended his feeble arms towards him :- "My son! my dear son," cried he," you have then followed me !—

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embrace me, that I may be sure I am not deceived by a sweet dream, for my eyes certainly deceive me--I do not know where I am!”

23. "What!" cried Edmund, pressing him in his arms, "do not you recollect your old bed chamber ?"

24. "It appears to me that this is the house of Mr. Leonard," continued Maurice.

25. "It is also thy future residence, good old man," interrupted Mr. Leonard, embracing him; forget my injustice, and never leave us.”

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26. Maurice wept with joy when he heard these words. Madam Leonard came, in her turn, to express the pleasure she felt on seeing him again in the midst of them.

27. The satisfaction he experienced, together with the care and attention which he received, accelerated his cure and prolonged his days, and he ever considered Edmund as his little benefactor.

28. Mr. Leonard, struck with the cruelty of which he had been guilty by abandoning himself to the impulse of passion, determined, in consequence, entirely to overcome this fault.

29. This violence of temper, which makes a good heart so far forget itself, is seldom of long duration; but self-love often prolongs its effects: the shame of confessing a fault prevents the reparation of it, and the heart secretly disavows it a long time before the conduct can conform itself to the measure of repentance.

LESSON XLIV.

THE BIRTHDAY.

Матта.

1 EMMA, come, and let me know,
What my dearest girl has dóne
With the purse and money too,
Which her good behaviour wón.

2. Eight years have fled, and now, I trust, My Emmà has begun another,

To add new credit to the rest,

And cheer the bosom of her mother.

3. Come, where's the money? Emmà, say,
I see the purse all void within ;
And gone so early in the day-
Say, what has Emmà spent it in?

Emma.

4. Ah dear mammà, forgive me, pray,
The purse I never will resign;

But, after what I saw to-day,
I felt the money was not mine.

5. Poor Janet and her orphan boy

Sat lone and shivering in the wood; Could I my mother's gift enjoy,

While they were wanting common food?

6. Could I in trifles spend that sum ?— The thought from Emma's heart be far; I could not-so I gave it them,

And felt I acted like mamma.

7. And when I heard their grateful prayer,
And when I saw their breakfast spread,
I would not change a world, to share
The tears of happiness I shed.

Mamma.

8. Come to my arms, my dearest child;
With joy I'll fill thy purse again;
The words have every doubt beguil❜d,
And proved my precepts not in vain.

9. For true it is the wealth we share
Is by a bounteous God bestow'd,
That we may make the poor our care,
And feel the bliss of doing good.

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