in all Germany; but having in one week lost two of them by the small-pox, and the youngest falling ill of the same distemper, he was afraid of being bereft of them all; and made a vow, if Heaven would not take him from him also, he would go in gratitude to St. Iago in Spain.

When the mourner got thus far in his story, he stopped to pay nature her tribute, and wept bitterly.

He said Heaven had accepted the conditions; and that he had set out from his cottage with this poor creature, who had been a patient partner of his journeythat it had eat the same bread with him all the way, and was unto him as a friend.

Every body who stood about, heard the poor fellow with concern-La Fleur offered him money. The mourner said he did not want it-it was not the value of the ass, but the loss of him. The ass,

he said, he was assured, loved him-and upon this, told them a long story of a mischance upon their passage over the Pyrennean mountains, which had separated them from each other three days: during which time the ass had sought him as much as he had sought the ass, and that they had neither scarce eat or drank till they met.

Thou hast one comfort, friend, said I, at least in the loss of thy poor beast; I am sure thou hast been a merciful master to him. Alas! said the mourner, I thought so, when he was alive, but now he is dead, I think otherwise-I fear the weight of myself and my afflictions toge ther have been too much for him-they have shortened the poor creature's days, and I fear I have them to answer for. Shame on the world! said I to myselfdid we love each other, as this poor but loved his ass, 'twould be something.

soul

NAMPONT.

1

THE POSTILLION.

THE HE concern, which the poor fellow's story threw me into, required some attention: the postillion paid not the least to it, but set off upon the pavé in a full gallop.

The thirstiest soul in the most sandy desert of Arabia could not have wished more for a cup of cold water than mine did for grave and quiet movements; and I should have had an high opinion of the postillion had he but stolen off with me in something like a pensive pacethe contrary, as the mourner finished his lamentation, the fellow gave an unfeeling lash to each of his beasts, and set off clattering like a thousand devils.

-on

I called to him as loud as I could, for Heaven's sake to go slower-and the louder I called, the more unmercifully he galloped. The deuce take him and his galloping too, said I, he'll go on tearing my nerves to pieces till he has worked me into a foolish passion, and then he'll go slow, that I may enjoy the sweets of it.

The postillion managed the point to a miracle; by the time he had got to the foot of a steep hill about half a league from Nampont, he had put me out of temper with him-and then with myself for being so,

My case then required a different treatment; and a good rattling gallop would have been of real service to me.

Then, pr'ythee get on-get on, my good lad, said I.

The postillion pointed to the hillI then tried to return back to the story of the poor German and his ass-but I

had broke the clue, and could no more get into it again than the postillion could into a trot.

The deuce go, said I, with it all! Here am I sitting, as candidly disposed to make the best of the worst, as ever wight was, and all runs counter.

There is one sweet lenitive at least for evils, which nature holds out to us; so I took it kindly at her hands, and fell asleep; and the first word which roused me was, Amiens.

-Bless me! said I, rubbing my eyes -this is the very town where my poor lady is to come.