done anything to benefit that poor child, I rejoice at it, and I know that God will bless me."

"Shocking blasphemy!" exclaimed the deacon. "I am astonished!" said my mother.

"Who ever heard of a boy, fifteen years old, talking in that manner before? The devil must help him," said the deacon.

"You are mistaken," I replied. "The devil never gets divided against himself."

"Hold your tongue, Henri! I will not have you talking so saucy. I am your mother, and I have a right to command you, and it is your duty to obey."

"If you wish me to hold my tongue, you should not ask me questions, and Deacon Webber should leave off making false charges."

Here my mother gave me a severe blow on the side of my head.

"Well done!" said the deacon. "He deserves harder knocks than that, to make him know his place."

"Blows upon my head, and excitement, caused very severe sickness, not long since; and the same agencies may produce the same effect again, and death may be the result, and that would be murder."

"Then obey me!" said my mother.

again without my permission."

"Do not speak

"You are my mother, I well know; but when you are leagued with a villain, for the vilest of purposes, and

through his influence abuse your own child, I feel it no

sin to disobey."

"Have I not told you to hold your tongue ?"

"You have, mother; but, though you kill me, in such a cause as this I will speak. You may attempt to cover up the most cruel wrongs with the stolen garb of piety; it will not do. I see through it all, and know what your motives are." When I had said this, I started to leave the room.

Stay," said my mother, "and hear the other charges against you. You are accused, in conjunction with Mrs. Stewart, of enticing away Helen Means, in clothing her like a boy, giving her shelter; and, when her master was about to regain her, you frightened his horse, causing it to run away, demolishing his carriage, and maiming the beast for life. Is not this all true?"

away.

"I have already told you that I did not entice Helen She needed no enticement. The most wicked abuse drove her away, and that we all know. Mrs. Stewart had no part nor lot in the matter, and did not know of it until informed by her accuser. I shall not deny boy's clothes too;

but that I gave Helen clothes, and for I wished her to escape, if possible. As to the last charge, it being of a serious nature, I shall let the deacon prove it, if he can. I am sorry for the poor beast, but I do not pity the owner."

"You have said enough," remarked my mother, "and

you ought to expect a punishment in accordance with your transgressions."

"I should like that, above all things," I replied.

"There is but one way for you to escape," she said. "If you will give the information requisite to enable the deacon to recover the child, you shall be pardoned.”

"Is that all I am required to do? I could not possibly comply; for either of you know where she is as well as I do. She may be dead, and she may not be ; but, whether living or dead, I know not where she is. And, if I did, I would have my tongue cut out of my head before I would tell you!"

"It is well for you," she said, "that you do not know; for if you did, and refused to tell us, we would tie you up and whip you until you revealed the truth."

"And you should beat me to death, and be no wiser; for I would die before I would tell you."

"You may go now," said my mother. "Your offences are of such an extraordinary nature that we require time to select suitable punishments."

I bowed very low, and left the room, well satisfied with the part I had acted, only regretting that I had confessed to furnishing Helen with boys' clothes, fearful that it might be the means of her recapture.

CHAPTER V.

SEVERE SICKNESS.- GOOD NEWS.

THE reader will say that such scenes between mother and child are deplorable. I will not deny it. But, constituted as I was, with a deadly hatred of every species of injustice, and with an impetuous disposition, how could I do otherwise than act the part I did? I do not now justify all I said to my mother; but the circumstances were peculiar, and I do not know that I should have said. less, if my life had paid the penalty of my rashness. I was surprised that I governed myself so well.

As I went into the front entry, where I had left my

сар, I saw Mrs. Stewart, who looked pale and anxious. We retired to the kitchen, where I gave her a brief history of the last hour's transactions.

"What will be the end of this?" she exclaimed, laying her hand upon my forehead. "Your head is as hot as fire. You must go and lay down, and I will bathe it with camphor."

"My head does feel strangely; but I cannot lie down I must have one more search for the lost child."

now.

ness.

The most of the day I spent in the fields and woods, but with the success of other days. When night came, I returned home, with my head burning and painful. A number of times I was obliged to stop, and think which way I must go. Sometimes I could not see, for there was a blur before my eyes. I reached home, at last, and hastened to bed, but not to rest; for I passed through scenes more distressing than those of my previous sickHow long was that night! It seemed to me, in my lucid moments, that morning would never come again. Sometimes I thought I must be with the damned, where night has no morning, pain no cessation, and the fire that was consuming me would never go out. O! how agonizing were my shrieks, which awoke me from my dream of horror! Then again I was wandering far, far away, in swamps and dark woods, in search of a lost child, whom I was doomed to seek after until found. Now I sunk into the mire, and struggled fearfully to get out; then I tore my clothes and flesh with thorns and briers, or in the deep, dark woods at night, where the wild beasts were prowling, and the dismal howl of hungry wolves made me tremble with fear and horror; and in a large tree over my head a tiger was about to spring upon me, and he showed his teeth and licked his chops, and glared at me with his great eyes, which looked like balls of fire. Just as he was ready to leap upon his prey, I sprang from the bed, in the wildest frenzy of alarm. Mrs. Stewart and