2. His wife, in vain, showed all the sweetness and moderation with which nature had endowed her.

3. Young Edmund, her son, more struck by these terrible bursts of passion than by the affection that his father evinced for him at other times, was always constrained and trembling in his presence.

4. One person only dared sometimes endeavour to bring him to reason; this was Mâurice, an old servant, who had lived with the father of his present master, and had for sixty years been attached to the family.

5. Mr. Leonard, without feeling for the old servant all the regard that his fidelity merited, preserved, however, a certain reserve towards this venerable man.

6. Disagreeing with all his neighbours, who endeavoured to avoid him as soon as his impetuous humour began to manifest itself, Mr. Leonard chose rather to complain of their conduct than to confess himself to blame.

7. In his usual manner, he sought to quarrel with one of them respecting the limits of a wood lot. His neighbour, an honourable man, and incapable of yielding any thing that he knew justly belonged to him, asserted his pretensions with firmness.

8. A lawsuit was about to commence, when Maurice, who had known for so many years all the boundaries of Mr. Leonard's estate, informed his master that he was in an errour respecting this

affair. Mr. Leonard haughtily replied, that he had a title to it.

9. The lawsuit commenced; Mr. Leonard thinking he was right, because he wished it; not that a small portion of land tempted his avarice, but because his self-love was interested.

10. The title, however, upon which he grounded his claim had nothing valid in it; and, when it was necessary to bring forward witnesses in support of it, he desired Maurice to depose in

his favour.

11. "Do not hope it," replied the old servant; "I never knew how to tell a falsehood, and I will not burthen myself with this sin at the age of seventy-eight.

12. "I have done my duty, in previously informing you that your pretensions were unjust; you have not believed me; and I will not betray my conscience to satisfy you."

13. Mr. Leonard, in a transport of rage, called him an ungrateful villain, and commanded him to deliver his bill, for what was due to him in wages.

14. "It is time," he added, "that I disburthen myself of a servant unworthy of my kindness, and who carries his audacity so far as to forget that I ain his master and he is my valet."

15. To these hard words, which rent his heart, Mâurice made no answer, but retired to his chamber, and began to weep bitterly. Mr. Leonard would not allow himself time to be

softened, but immediately sought another do

mestic.

16. On the arrival of this stranger, Madam Leonard and her son, with a tender solicitude, went to poor Maurice; Edmund embraced him in tears, and Madam Leonard thus addressed him.

17. "What! good old man, is it possible you can think of leaving us?-Whatever may be the violence of my husband, he loves you; and you only have any influence over his mind."

18. Maurice raised his head with surprise.

19. "You strive in vain to conceal it from us," cried Edmund, sighing; "we have seen the man who is to replace you.

20. "You have seen him!" exclaimed Maurice, quickly; "is it possible that my master will be unfeeling enough to discharge me?"

21. He then related, in a tremulous voice, what had passed. Madam Leonard, affected by the grief of the old man, assured him that her husband would not fail to repent, and that he must excuse an action excited by passion.

22. "No, no,” replied Maurice, with resolution," he no longer loves me, and I ought to quit him forever. I know that he is violent; but, having already made choice of another servant, there is no doubt of his intention.

23. "It is to no purpose that I have closed the eyes of his worthy father; that I have carried him in my arms; and that I have, with fatherly care, watched the infant years of his own son;

he has discharged me in my old age, and has forgotten my long services, and the attachment I have ever shown for him."

24. Maurice wept bitterly in uttering these words; but his resolution was taken, and sorrow took possession of his heart.

25. Edmund bathed his hands with tears; and Madam Leonard also showed him every mark of esteem and regret.

26. Maurice left the house on the same day, without demanding any thing of his master, and taking nothing with him but the produce of his savings and a small parcel of clothes which was carried by a young servant by the order of Madam Leonard.

27. It was not without some emotion that Mr. Leonard learned the departure of this good old man he wished to have held out to him an opportunity of being again received into favour.

28. Offended at his conduct, he suppressed the secret sentiment that had pleaded in his favour, and sent Maurice the money he had not deigned to claim.

LESSON XLIII.

THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED.

HAVING retired to an humble lodging at the extremity of the town, Maurice lived, if not hap

py, at least in peace, until he was seized with an attack of the gout, during which he was robbed of all his money.

2. Edmund frequently visited him, without the knowledge of his father, and carried him nourishing food, and the dessert of which he deprived himself.

3. The society of this child, whom he had always loved, was a great consolation to the good old man, who shed tears of joy whenever he saw him seated near his pillow.

4. Madam Leonard, without appearing to sanction it, entirely approved of her son's conduct, and always doubled his portion at table.

5. These attentions were very desirable to poor Mâurice, who had nearly lost his appetite; but it did not save him from the cruel situation in which he was placed in consequence of having been robbed.

6. Edmund was still ignorant of this misfortune, until one day he was witness to the menaces of Maurice's landlord, who threatened to turn him out of doors.

7. Edmund, seized with pity at the sufferings of the poor old man, begged the inhuman landlord to retire, and promised to satisfy him before the day had passed.

8. He immediately repaired to his mother, and falling on his knees before her, entreated that she would hasten to the assistance of Maurice.

9. Madam Leonard, who was not in posses