she said less than any, mourned for her like Jeanne. Her grief, though deep, was not, however, of that nature which incapacitates from exertion; on the contrary, the death of the exalted woman, who had ever set so noble an example to her, inspired her with the courage of which her poverty might have otherwise deprived her. The poor had now lost their best friend; Jeanne felt, therefore, that it was time for her to act. She resolved on the execution of her long-cherished plan; and whilst the heirs of the deceased lady divided her wealth amongst them, she took the noblest legacy her mistress had left-namely, her love of the poor.

Jeanne was too truly charitable to have laid up much money; she, however, owned a small sum, and, by practising rigid economy, she hoped to make it last for some time. For her future support she relied on her industry and on Providence. Having already resolved to enter no more into service, she began looking out for needlework; and was successful in finding some, although the sum she thus earned was very trifling. It may be seen. from this that she was indeed poor, and that in the strictest sense of the word; but she was both patient and unwearied, and, moreover, had a strong will of her own, which was not to be shaken by adversity or worldly considerations. Her plan was this to take into her own house, and maintain some poor helpless creature in need not only of food and shelter, but of proper attendance. If, on trial, she found this plan successful, she meditated taking in another, and, in short, as many as she could afford to keep. This was a bold and hazardous project; but Jeanne's mind was replete with holy faith, and she was not one to allow herself to be deterred from an undertaking because it might possibly fail. And yet what had she to accomplish this? Nothing but the will. What this produced will now be seen.

Her first act was to receive beneath her humble roof a poor old blind woman, who had lately lost, with her aged sister, her only support. Her years and infirmity precluded her from work; a severe winter was drawing on; and she was entirely destitute. What was to become of the poor creature? So everybody said, but none proposed to lend her any assistance, until Jeanne appeared. She had heard of her by chance, and now, seeing her distressed state, she immediately took her home, and cheerfully began her noble task-working for the support of two, as she had hitherto done for that of one. Jeanne could not have chosen a more helpless being to succour than her guest. Not only was the poor woman incapable of the least exertion, but she required to be waited on in a manner which entailed much loss of time, and, consequently, curtailed Jeanne's slender earnings, besides trying her patience in no slight degree. But these were evils which she had anticipated, and to which, since they were unavoidable, Jeanne submitted without a murmur; and far from relaxing in her charitable endeavours, she only the more eagerly

sought out another opportunity of doing good, and worked more assiduously than ever to meet the necessary expenses.

It was not long before she heard of an old servant, whose masters had lately died, leaving her destitute. The history of this poor woman deeply moved Jeanne; and indeed it was of s nature to excite both respect and compassion. After having for many years faithfully served her masters whilst they were in affluent circumstances, she had experienced the grief of seeing them suddenly fall into great distress. She had been with then in their prosperous days, and in their misery she would not forsake them. At first she refused to receive any wages; then, as their poverty increased, she forced them to accept of those slender savings she had made in their service; and when even this last resource was exhausted, she had, notwithstanding her years and growing infirmities, worked for their support. But now they were dead, and she remained old, infirm, and alone in the world, thrown on the charity of strangers. Jeanne did not know her; but such a character was too congenial to her own for her to hesitate long about the line of conduct she had best pursue. Moved with pity and admiration, she offered her an asylum in her humble home. The proposal was gratefully accepted, and she now found herself with another guest. Jeanne earned but little, and her house was small enough; but what of that; she firmly believed that since it was on her that those two helpless beings were now dependent, the means of supporting them would not be denied her. Nor was she mistaken. She had more work than she could do; charitable persons assisted her; and although from that time forward her house became the acknowledged asylum of the poor of Saint-Servan, and the number of her guests constantly increased, yet she found room enough for all; nor did they ever, whilst beneath her roof, once lack their daily food.

In Saint-Servan Jeanne was enabled to find ample opportunities of exercising her charitable zeal. Being situated near the sea, this town is chiefly inhabited by fishermen or sailors, and the disastrous accidents so frequent in either mode of life, will but too frequently carry off the head and sole support of a family, by whose death not only a wretched wife and children are left destitute, but also those unfortunate parents who, in their old age and infirmities, had trusted to a son for the support of their declining years. To these unhappy beings Jeanne's house was ever open; indeed such was her hospitality, that it soon became too small; and on the 1st of October 1841 she was obliged to leave it for a larger one. A month afterwards, her second abode was full; twelve persons had found a shelter in it. But now the whole town began to talk of, and praise the poor servant girl, who had taken on herself so heavy a burden, and who, by means that seemed almost miraculous, succeeded in keeping in food and clothing so large a number of persons. Filled with admiration, and desirous of helping Jeanne in her noble task, the townsmen

of Saint-Servan raised a subscription, and with its proceeds purchased a larger house. It was solemnly given to Jeanne, but with the express intimation, that the donation of this house was all she had to expect, and that on her alone rested the responsibility of providing for its inmates-the number of whom she was advised not to increase too much.

On such terms Jeanne accepted of the house, and set about filling it with dependants.. To those already on her list, new objects of charity were from time to time added. Jeanne learned one day that an old seaman, seventy-two years of age, had been abandoned by his relations in a damp cellar, where he was lying on a litter of straw, with a few tattered rags for covering, and coarse brown bread for food. She hastened to visit the cellar herself, and found all in the state which had been described. A noisome vapour met her at the entrance; but not discouraged by this, she advanced, and at last perceived, in the surrounding gloom, a human form stretched on a wretched pallet. This was the seaman-a feeble, emaciated old man, broken down by a life of toil and fatigue. He seemed hardly conscious of her presence, and could but faintly thank her for the provisions which, according to her charitable custom, she had brought with her. Jeanne saw, however, that he was not seriously ill, but merely suffering from the want of fresh air and proper food and raiment. She immediately caused him to be removed from the wretched hole in which he was, and conveyed to her own house, where, with proper care, he soon recovered.

A poor lame child, not more than five years of age, suddenly lost her parents, and having no other surviving relations, was left alone on earth. Neither her helplessness, tender years, nor infirmity, could induce any of those around her to receive her, and give her a home to replace that which she had lost. Many of the neighbours were too poor themselves, and already burdened with large families; whilst those who might otherwise have been willing, were deterred by her infirmity. Jeanne alone was moved with compassion for the poor helpless orphan whom all abandoned; she took her home, and adopted her.

Two boys, about nine or ten years of age, had fled from Lower Brittany, where their parents lived in a state of great distress. They reached Saint-Servan on a cold winter night, and, faint with hunger and fatigue, knocked at the first door they saw, in the hope of finding food and shelter. They were rudely refused, and driven away as thieves and vagabonds, who sought to enter under false pretences. It was in vain that they protested their innocence, relating how misery had compelled them to leave the house of their parents: this statement only procured them everywhere a worse reception. The younger and weaker of the two at length declared that he could go no farther; and although shivering with cold, he sat down on the pavement, and began crying bitterly, whilst his brother vainly endeavoured to comfort

every person who wishes to open a school, they cannot be of so low an order as might, from her humble position, be at first supposed. Two diplomas, and often three, are necessary to open an establishment for girls, whether it be of the most fashionable class, or of the humblest description. These diplomas are granted to the candidates if they succeed in passing their examination, and in properly answering the questions which are put to them. For the first examination they are required to know and thoroughly understand reading, writing, grammar, arith metic, sacred and ecclesiastical history; for the second, French history, geography, and natural philosophy, cosmography, and the principles of music, are necessary. It is needless to dwell on the excellent results of such a system, which almost precludes the possibility of there being such a thing as an ignorant schoolmistress in France-an occurrence which must have happened but too frequently were things arranged otherwise. Whatever the natural talents of Pauline may be, it can be thought from this that her acquirements must certainly place her far above the position she now occupies. In one sense this is true: but Pauline has shown, by her example, that usefulness everywhere finds its sphere, however low or limited that may appear to be.

The children she has to instruct belong for the most part to poor parents, who consider much knowledge as a superfluous commodity, and are far more anxious to see their offspring comfortably settled in life than properly brought up. This is a great inconvenience, which Pauline's utmost tact has too often failed to obviate; nor has she had less difficulty in persuading them that education, far from obstructing the accomplishment of the duties of life, is much more likely to facilitate them; but to this objection her own example was assuredly the best reply that could be given. Not only is Pauline unwearied in her endeavours to instruct and improve those scholars whose parents remunerate her for her trouble, but she has in many instances shown the value she sets on instruction, by gratuitously educating those poor children whose relatives cannot afford the expense of sending them to school; others who, after paying for some time, were no longer able to do so, she has continued to attend to as though no change had taken place. The education she gives her pupils is, upon the whole, more practical than theoretical. In her humble school no accomplishments are taught or learned; for the knowledge she imparts is of the simplest kind, though clearly explained. But praiseworthy as are her efforts in this line, the best, the noblest lessons which Pauline Copain gives to her scholars, are those of universal benevolence-inculcated not by dry and unprofitable maxims, but by her own daily example. Nor is she satisfied with this indirect mode of teaching. She has given proofs of the contrary, by often appealing to the generosity of her pupils in favour of some poor destitute creature, who only wanted decent clothing to be able to earn her livelihood by entering

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good place. Immediately the school seemed transformed into a dressmaker's work-room, and continued so until a sufficient quantity of clothes had, by some means, been found or made. If a poor family were in distress, and in want of food, things went on in much the same manner. Each scholar would take something from the provisions she had brought with her, until a sufficient, if somewhat heterogeneous, meal was provided for the unfortunate people. Such is the education which Pauline Copain gives to the children intrusted to her care. It needs no comment: nor can we better conclude these remarks than by giving the words of an inhabitant of the village, and which convey all that can be told on this subject: "A hundred times have I witnessed those occurrences-admirable lessons of benevolence, and far more capable of forming the heart of youth than all the exhortations in the world."

Facts like these might well draw the attention of those to whom they were submitted; and in the year 1845 the Academy, after bestowing high praise on the noble character and conduct of Pauline Copain, unanimously voted her a prize of a thousand francs (£40).

were

JEAN VIGIER.

A POOR widow named Vigier, who resided in Aurillac, a small town in Normandy, had four sons, whom she with great difficulty succeeded in bringing up honestly. The three eldest apprenticed to different trades; but Jean [or John], the youngest, who was then nine years of age, being both quick and intelligent, was, owing to the protection and friendship of the parish priest, and of the prefect of the department, brought up and educated in a college of the neighbouring town.

It may easily be supposed that this favour had not been lightly extended to Jean. Indeed the goodness of his heart, his docility, and, above all, his strong attachment to his mother, had long endeared him to every one, and had contributed, perhaps more than even his intelligence, to procure for him this valuable privilege. In the college where, through the kindness of his friends, he had been placed, Jean Vigier not only ardently prosecuted his studies, but he also distinguished himself among his schoolfellows by constant good nature, yet which, even then, was marked by a firmness and decision strange in one of his years.

In the meantime, Madame Vigier, after having been in decent and comfortable, if not affluent, circumstances for many years, now began to experience sudden reverses, and soon fell into the deepest misery. The efforts of her friends to rescue her from this unhappy position were unavailing; and as her three eldest sons, although they were even then each earning his livelihood, stated that they could not assist her, it was at length resolved to place