had I come one moment sooner!-it bleeds to death-his gentle heart bleeds with it— Peace to thee, generous swain!—I see thou walkest off with anguish-but thy joys shall balance it for happy is thy cottage-and happy is the sharer of it—and happy are the lambs which sport about you. A THE SUPPER. -as SHOE coming loose from the fore-foot of the thill-horse, at the beginning of the ascent of Mount Taurira, the postillion dismounted, twisted the shoc off, and put it in his pocket ;the ascent was of five or six miles, and that horse our main dependance, I made a point of having the shoe fastened on again, as well as we could; but the postillion had thrown away the nails, and the hammer in the chaise-box being of no great use without them, I submitted to go on. He had not mounted half a mile higher, when coming to a flinty piece of road, the poor devil lost lost a second shoe, and from off his other fore-foot; I then got out of the chaise in good earnest ; and seeing a house about a quarter of a mile to the lefthand, with a great deal to do, I prevailed upon the postillion to turn up to it. The look of the house, and of every thing about it, as we drew nearer, soon reconciled me to the disaster. It was a little farm-house, surrounded with about twenty acres of vineyard, about as much corn-and close to the house, on one side, was a potagerie of an acre and a half, full of every thing which could make plenty in a French peasant's house-and on the other side was a little wood which furnished wherewithal to dress it. It was about eight in the evening when I got to the house-so I left the postillion to manage his point as he could-and for mine, I walked directly into the house. The family consisted of an old grey-headed man and his wife, with five or six sons and sons-in-law, and their several wives, and a joyous genealogy out of them. They were all sitting down together to their lentil-soup; a large wheaten loaf was in the middle of the table; and a flaggon of wine at each end of it promised joy through the stages of the repast 'twas a feast of love. The The old man rose up to meet me, and with a respectful cordiality would have me sit down at the table-my heart was sat down the moment I entered the room; so I sat down at once like a son of the family; and to invest myself in the character as speedily as I could, I instantly borrowed the old man's knife, and taking up the loaf, cut myself a hearty luncheon; and as I did it, I saw a testimony in every eye, not only of an honest welcome, but of a welcome mixed with thanks that I had not seemed to doubt it. Was it this; or tell me, Nature, what else it was which made this morsel so sweet-and to what magic I owe it, that the draught I took of their flaggon was so delicious with it, that they remain upon my palate to this hour? If the supper was to my taste-the grace which followed it was much more so. THE GRACE. WHEN supper was over, the old man gave a knock upon the table with the haft of his knife-to bid them prepare for the dance: the moment moment the signal was given, the women and girls ran altogether into the back apartment to tye up their hair-and the young men to the door to wash their faces, and change their sabots; and in three minutes every soul was ready upon a little esplanade before the house to begin―The old man and his wife came out last, and placing me betwixt them, sat down upon a sofa of turf by the door. The old man had some fifty years ago been no mean performer upon the vielle-and at the age he was then of, touched it well enough for the purpose. His wife sung now and then a little to the tune then intermitted--and joined her old man again, as their children and grand-children danced before them. It was not till the middle of the second dance, when, from some pauses in the movement wherein they all seemed to look up, I fancied I could distinguish an elevation of spirit different from that which is the cause or the effect of simple jollityIn a word, I thought I beheld Religion mixing in the dance-but as I had never seen her so engaged, I should have looked upon it now as one of the illusions of an imagination which is eternally misleading me, had not the old man, as soon as the dance ended, said, that this was their constant way; way; and that all his life long he made it a rule, after supper was over, to call out his family to dance and rejoice: believing, he said, that a cheerful and contented mind was the best sort of thanks to Heaven that an illiterate peasant could pay -Or a learned prelate either, said I. THE CASE OF DELICACY. WHEN you have gained the top of Mount Taurira, you run presently down to Lyons -adieu then to all rapid movements! 'Tis a journey of caution; and it fares better with sentiments, not to be in a hurry with them; so I contracted with a voiturin to take his time with a couple of mules, and convey me in my own safe to Turin through Savoy. chaise Poor, patient, quiet, honest people! fear not :your poverty, the treasury of your simple virtues, will not be envied you by the world, nor will your vallies be invaded by it.-Nature! in the midst of thy disorders, thou art still friendly to the scantiness thou hast created-with all thy great works about |