425 



peace. If her dear boy's comfort was to be the 

 price, nothing was adequate — nothing could 

 compenfate ! The little diftrefled rogue hung 

 about my knee — ran to his mother — held up an 

 imploring hand — and uttered fad cries of afflic- 

 tion. !, for a time, refifted the impulfe of 

 my feelings — difplayed to the woman my 

 handkerchief, and my pocket-book — offered 

 her money — tried to foothe her fon, and 

 feigned every means of perfuafion : but all in 

 vain! She remained inflexible ! Her child was 

 unhappy, and with his comfort there could 

 be no compromife. It was enough ! The ex- 

 periment was made ; and I was delighted to 

 find that ir\ the wild woods the facred laws of 

 nature were not fubordinate to all-fubduing 

 intereft. 



I had no defire further to tantalize the 

 little weeping urchin, or his affe&ionate mo- 

 ther, therefore gave him the bow and arrow, 



and made him happy compenfating the 



afflidiion I had caufed him by the pocket 

 handkerchief which I had offered as the pur* 

 chafe of his arms. His grief inftantly vanifli- 

 ed : but he flew to his mother, and, clinging 

 to her, did not again venture from her fide, 



