100 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



quickened my pace, and got np in time enough 

 to fee that they were two little girls in red jackets 

 and wooden flioes, who, with much difficulty, 

 were fcrambling through the ditch which bounded 

 the road. The talleft, who might be about fix or 

 feven years old, was crying bitterly. " Child," 

 faid I to her, *' what makes you cry, and whither 

 ** are you going at fo early an hour ?" *' Sir," 

 replied fhe, " my poor mother is very ill. There 

 *' is not a mefs of broth to be had in all our pa- 

 ** rifli. We are going to that church in the bot- 

 *' torn, to try if the Curé of this parilh can find us 

 *' forae. I am crying becaufe my little filler is 

 ** not able to walk any firther." As flie fpake, 

 llie wiped her eyes with a bit of canvas, which 

 ferved her for'a petticoat. On her raifing up the 

 rag to her face, I could perceive that fiie had not 

 the femblance of a fhift. The abjeâ: mifery of 

 thefe children, fo poor, in the midft of plains fo 

 fruitful, wrung my heart. The relief which I 

 could adminifter to them was fmall indeed. I 

 myfelf was then on my way to fee mifery in other 

 forms. 



The number of wretches is fo great, in the bed 

 cantons of this province, that they amount to a 

 fourth, nay, to a third of the inhabitants in every 

 parilli. The evil is continually on the increafe. 

 Thefe obfervations are founded on my perfonal 



experience. 



