PAUL AND VIRGINIA. 57 



dudions which were the fruit of them, bags of 

 rice, (heaves of corn, and rows of bananas. De- 

 licacy was there ever blended with abundance. 

 Virginia, aflifted by the inftrudions; of Margareîy 

 and her mother, amufed herfelf with preparing 

 fherbets, and cordials, with the juice of the fugar* 

 cane, of citrons, and of cédrats. 



When night arrived, they fupped by the glim- 

 mering light of a laQip ; after which Madame de 

 la 'Tour, or Mtzr^^r^/, related, the hiftories of tra- 

 vellers, who had loft their way by night, in the fo» 

 refts of Europe, infefted by robbers ; or of the 

 Ihipwreck of fome veflel, driven by the tempeft on 

 the rocks of a defert iiland. On hearing melan- 

 choly details of this kind, the hearts of thefe fen- 

 fible young folks caught fire. They implored of 

 Heaven, the grace, to put in praftice, one day, 

 the duties of hofpitality to unhappy perfons in fuch 

 circumftances. Meanwhile the two families fe- 

 parated, to enjoy the gift of ileep, but in the ar- 

 dor of impatience to meet again next morning. 

 Sometimes they were lulled to reft, by the noife of 

 the rain ruftiing down in torrents on the roof of 

 their cottages ; or by the roaring of the winds, 

 which conveyed to their ears, the diftant murmur- 

 ing of the billows which broke upon the fhore* 

 They united, in giving thanks to God for their 



perfonal 



