﻿NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. 133 



weak and trembling, he laid down to die ; his eyes became dim 

 and his heart beat faintly in his bosom: but the thought of his 

 mother and the peaceful fold, the sweet flowers, and all things he 

 had loved in the first happy moments of his little life, were present 

 to his eye : and the poor lamb closed his eyes in sorrow. 



But as his heart grew more faint, he was startled by the tinkling 

 of a distant bell ; and slowly raising his head, he beheld his own 

 little flock in their own happy fold ; and new life awoke in his heart, 

 and new light shone from his eye, and new strength came to his 

 feet, and in a moment more the lost lamb was by his mother's side, 

 telling how he had been called back to life by the tinkling of that 

 sweet sheep-bell. 



Napoleon Bonaparte. 



MY little readers know that Napoleon was, not many years ago, 

 the emperor of France. Their parents remember when he was a 

 great conqueror, and the terror of the world. Like us all, he was 

 once a child. He was a poor boy. His remarkable genius and en- 

 ergy raised him to the highest eminence ; but his ambition finally 

 overthrew him. He died in the strength of manhood, upon a deso- 

 late island, almost alone, and a prisoner. I have a few anecdotes to 

 tell you of him when a youth. In them you may discover a por- 

 trait of delicacy, energy and perseverance, which you may emulate. 

 But that violent temper was bad ; be unlike him in that respect. I 

 give you these facts about him as related by Madame Junot, one of 

 his particular friends. Signora Lretitia was the mother of Napo- 

 leon; Saveria was his nurse. Now for the stories : 



He was one day accused by one of his sisters of having eaten a 

 basket full of grapes, figs, and citrons, which had come from the 

 garden of his uncle the canon. None but those who were acquainted 

 with the Bonaparte family can form any idea of the enormity of this 

 offence. To eat fruit belonging to the uncle the canon was infinitely 

 more criminal than to eat grapes and figs which might be claimed 

 by anybody else. An inquiry took place. Napoleon denied the 

 fact, and was whipped. He was told that if he would beg pardon 

 he should be forgiven. He protested that he was innocent, but he 



