THE VICARAGE. 319 



himself, by submitting to privations of no ordi- 

 nary kind, he enabled himself to assist those who 

 were still poorer. Little children ran to meet him, 

 for they loved him, and the aged blessed him as 

 he passed their doors. This is no over-charged 

 description, but the exact portrait of one of the 

 most perfect of human beings. His religion was 

 the religion of peace, good-will, and benevolence, 

 derived, it is to be hoped, from that source from 

 which all our best motives should spring. 



" And when may we see him," enquired Lucy, 

 after the good Abbe had heard their little history. 



" It is impossible to say how he will be when he 

 awakes," said the Abb ; " but if he is as much 

 refreshed by his sleep as I hope he will be, I will 

 prepare him to-morrow to receive the news of 

 your arrival. But you must expect to see him 

 greatly altered. His first wound in the arm frac- 

 tured it, but did not stop him ; he soon after- 

 wards received a wound in the head, which ren- 

 dered him nearly insensible, and he long fluctuated 

 between life and death. Slow as his progress has 

 been towards amendment, it has nevertheless, I 

 am happy to say, been gradual, and his fever has 

 evidently abated." 



Could I but see him, thought Lucy, and sit by 

 him, and watch him, he would soon be well, (she 

 had forgotten that the Abbe had been doing this), 

 and then I would dress his wounds, and some- 



