mournful certainty that nothing less than a strong necessity for remaining with his afflicted father would have kept his mother from returning to him.

When Ludovico began to think on his mother, and retrace not only the many excellent precepts with which she had ever stored his mind, and that of the dear child who was still his silent companion, he was led to consider her conduct also. "My mother does not sit down and cry over misfortunes only; no, she does all she can to get out of them, and I must do my best too. Suppose I write a letter to beg this person will set my poor father at liberty; or had I not better take my best clothes back to him? it will be something towards the debt: and then next week I shall have done the pictures, and if I have a crown for four, how much shall I get for a dozen ?"

As Ludovico had only learned a very little of accounts from his mother, this sum, though small, was a lesson to him; in settling that, he was led to propose other questions of the same kind, which amused his mind, and in the midst of his calculations he fell asleep (having had very little the preceding night), nor awoke till the rays of the sun fell warm upon his face, when he arose, and recollecting his resolutions, prepared all his little powers for a successful attack upon the feelings of his father's creditor; and finding the people of the house were up, he requested their attention to the room he left, and with his own and poor Raphael's clothes bundled up, was proceeding to the tailor's house with his offering, when that person himself entered the door, and by his sudden appearance disconcerted every word of the pathetic appeal poor Ludovico had intended to have made.

"Where's your mother, child ?"

"My mother took the babe in her arms, about ten o'clock last night, and went to the prison to my father." "Bless my soul! is that a coffin ?"

"Yes, sir; my poor brother died the day before yesterday, and we must bury him to-day."

"Sad work this, child. What are you going to do with that bundle? Pawn it, I suppose, hey, child ?"

"It is my best clothes, and poor Raphael's; I was bringing them to you; I hope, sir,-I beg, sir, you will sell them, and let the money help to take my father out of prison."

"And who told you to do this?"

"Nobody told me ; but I know my mother will not be angry, for she is always unhappy about debts; and now she is quite, quite wretched, because father is in the jail."

"Ay, ay, I see what you want, but I shan't let him out; because for why? I know it'll do him good to stay in a bit; it'll teach him to know what's what: but don't you go for to think I'm hard-hearted, for now I'll tell you what I'll do I'll find your mother money to bury this poor boy, and you shall have your clothes to go to the funeral in; and when that's over, come to me, and I shall say something to you."

With these words, the tailor brushed away a tear from his eyes, threw some money on the table, and departed, leaving Ludovico uncertain whether he was most grateful for present relief, or vexed at the detention of his father, for whom he felt so much affection, and whose situation appeared to him so dreadful, that he could not help still considering it as cruel and unmerited.

CHAPTER IV.

Charity never faileth.

ST. PAUL.

WHEN poor Mrs Lewis, accompanied by her son, returned from little Raphael's funeral, she found the person with whom she had lodged standing on the outside of her chamber-door, with the babe she had been obliged to consign to her care, ready to deliver it along with her clothes, but resolute in denying her admittance to her lodgings, which she said were already disposed of to those who could pay for them.

Mrs Lewis was. utterly unable to contend the point; she pressed her little girl to her aching heart, and bent her steps towards her husband's abode, followed by Ludovico, who having in the course of the day visited his father, and conveyed to him his materials for painting, now took up the bundle which contained their united wardrobe, and prepared to follow; at the same time mentioning his engagement with Mr Bradley, the tailor, with whom he proposed to leave the clothes he now

wore.

His mother, approving his design, accompanied him to the tailor's, who said he was an honest child, and added, "tho' but a little one, I can teach him to cover buttons soon; and if so be as he will promise to be good, I will take him into the house; he shall sleep with my 'prentice, and I will teach him to work for his living, and feed him as if he were my own."

"

Agnes cast a melancholy look at her child; she dreaded taking him to the place whither she was going; yet she

hesitated at sending him to the tailor.

However, thanking the honest man for the offer, she turned to Ludovico, who, shrinking from the proposal, was now closely pressing to her side.

"What do you say, my dear, to Mr Bradley's offer?" "I am much, very much obliged, but I had rather go with you, mother."

"What! to idleness and starvation ?" said the tailor. "No, sir, I shall work very hard: I earned seven shillings yesterday with my own hands; mother knows I did."

Mrs Lewis explained this to the astonished hearer, adding, that, "Notwithstanding his temporary success, she had rather leave him in good hands, fearful of the injury his mind might receive from the associates of the jail."

"Look ye," said the tailor, "I'm not such a fool as not to see, that a boy with his sort of larning, and a better trade than mine at his fingers' ends, should not go for to spend his days at my work-board, neither can I afford to keep him without working; but I'll tell you what I'll do, he shall lodge here, and so long as he can keep himself by his little thingumby pictures, he shall; and when that's done, which I take it'll be very soon, if he'll take to my trade, well and good."

This plan relieved the mother's heart, while it awoke with new force the honest ambition of her son, who pursued his avocation with unremitting diligence, constantly spending the principal part of every day with his parents, and preparing his little pictures for sale, in which he soon became so expert, that the man who had employed him, and who was a hawker of petty wares, round the neighbourhood, declared he was overstocked with the

first pattern, and expressed a wish for some other; so that Ludovico, from painting his mother and sister, turned his thoughts to domestic animals, and after various efforts, at length produced dogs and cats with equal success and rapidity: which the vender observing, abated his price;-a circumstance which at length incited Ludovico's determination to conquer the diffidence he had felt, and offer them for sale on the following market-day himself.

This scheme fully answered his purpose, for as he offered his first production in silence, a report prevailed that he was a 66 little foreigner, which was magnified into his being a Papist, selling pictures of the Virgin and child; " and as every thing marvellous obtains celebrity, poor Ludovico's productions were not only speedily sold, but many countrywomen gave him an apple out of their baskets, or a piece of cake from their pockets, as a mark of sympathy for his supposed misfortunes in losing his country and friends. Ludovico had hitherto carried all his gains immediately to his mother; but he was so elated by the success of this day, in which he had taken fifteen shillings, that he conceived the heroic design of rescuing his father from captivity, and, on retiring to his lodgings, he ventured to ask Mr Bradley how much money would get his father out of prison.

"Seventeen pounds is your father's debt to me, my little fellow."

With a look of great importance, Ludovico laid all his earnings on the table.

"Well done, my noble boy! your money doesn't go in gingerbread, that's a plain case. I cannot, however, think of taking it; but this I will say, that when your father pays me one half of his debt, I will let him out: