Although already burdened with a family, and no longer young, he did not repine at the prospect, but cheerfully set about considering by what means he could best accomplish the task which had devolved upon him. Martin earned only thirty sous a day (Is. 3d.); but he received some help from his wife and eldest daughter, who made between them about twenty-four sous a day (Is.): two shillings and threepence a day was therefore the sum by which Martin was to support himself, his wife, and the six children. The carpenter's utmost ingenuity, energy, and perseverance failed to accomplish this mighty feat. It was in vain that he worked from morning till night with unwearied industry, submitting to the severest privations: he was, before long, compelled to borrow several sums of money from a few kind friends. For some time he endeavoured to go on thus; but this resource soon failing him, he found himself under the necessity of parting with the little furniture he possessed, piece by piece, until he at last became reduced to the greatest distress. But in the midst of his poverty the deep devotedness of that worthy man remained unchanged. When he and his family were obliged to eat coarse brown bread, he still found the means of giving white bread to the children of the Count de l'Aubespine; and, with a rare feeling of delicacy and refinement, he would never allow them to take their meals at the same table with himself and his family, but waited on them with the same deep respect he would have shewn had they still been in the enjoyment of all the privileges of rank and fortune in their ancestral castle of Villebon. Several years thus passed away, and Martin never once wearied in the accomplishment of the task he had undertaken; but whilst he thus provided, though not without difficulty, for the physical wants of the three children, he often grieved to think that he could do nothing towards giving them the education required by their name and rank in society. The curate of Champrond had kindly begun to instruct the young Louis; but this was of course wholly insufficient; and the worthy carpenter was no little perplexed as to how he ought to act, when aid came from the most unexpected quarter.

A conduct so noble and so touching in its disinterestedness as his could not for ever remain concealed. The report that the last three descendants of the great Sully, who had long inhabited that district, where his memory was still held in deep veneration, were now dependent on the charity of a poor carpenter, gradually spread throughout the whole country, and it was not long before Martin received from the nuns of the order of Saint-Paul, in the neighbouring town of Chartres, the offer of taking the three children under their care, and properly educating them. Though most reluctant to part from them, Martin consented, influenced by the evident advantages which would result to them from this exchange. They were immediately transferred to the convent, where the kindness and attention with which they were treated amply proved to Martin that

that it was in vain to hope to support both her and himself by the little he earned, and which had proved barely sufficient for his own maintenance before he met her. One resource in this extremity alone remained, and this was to solicit alms in the streets. Bécard hesitated long; his very soul revolted from the idea; but the sight of the unhappy lady gave him the courage which might otherwise have failed him-he became a beggar.

But with all his zeal, he found that he could not bear the humiliation for more than a short time. He was obliged to give up the attempt; and as his trade of a hawker had not proved sufficiently profitable, he resolved to try the world under a new aspect. By straining every nerve, he succeeded in setting up as a buyer and seller of old clothes; but although he walked about the streets for this purpose during the whole day, he made but little by this new trade, and that little was expended on Madame de Chavilhac. Yet Bécard, if not satisfied, was resigned to his fate. His hapless friend was not in absolute want; and though he had to endure the severest privations in order to live, he contrived to do so without having again recourse to mendicity.

Several years passed thus, during which Madame de Chavilhac had continued to be in the same precarious state of health, when, in the month of December 1822, she suddenly became much worse, and indeed was so ill, that even Bécard entertained slight hopes of her recovery. Before long, he was obliged to watch by her bedside during the whole of the night, and, notwithstanding his fatigue and want of repose, to go out early in the morning in order to attend to his business; but, unwilling that the sick woman should remain alone during his absence, he prevailed on a female neighbour to attend to her wants in the daytime. Bécard himself would often call in during the course of the day, either to know how the patient was getting on, or to bring in some small sum of money wherewith to purchase the necessary medicines. And yet at this time he was an infirm and asthmatic old man, himself in need of repose, and suffering under privations of every kind in order to relieve the hapless lady. His whole sustenance throughout the day was thin porridge. Yet, although he thus sacrificed everything for Madame de Chavilhac's comfort, he never uttered a murmur of complaint. When he spoke to her, it was always with the deep respect of a servant addressing his mistress. Her least commands he scrupulously obeyed; and notwithstanding that her temper had been considerably soured by her misfortunes and infirmities, he bore her unjust reproofs and caprices with a patience which could only spring from true Christian charity.

Ten days before her death, he found her so much worse, that, notwithstanding his own pressing wants, he resolved to remain entirely with her, and give up the little business by which he had hitherto supported himself. With the most heroic patience and

devotedness he thus staid with the unfortunate lady, soothing her last moments with the consolations of friendship and religion, until the acute sufferings she endured were terminated by death in the month of May 1823.

He who alone had watched by her in her agony, was also the only one who followed Madame de Chavilhac to the grave; and, faithful even to the dead, he fashioned with his own hands a wooden cross, such as marks every grave in Catholic countries, inscribing on it the name of her who, in the days of her riches and splendour, little deemed that the poor and obscure Bécard should be her last and only friend.

The very same year, Bécard, who was pursuing his trade of seller of old clothes, was surprised by the announcement that the French Academy, having learned his conduct towards Madame de Chavilhac, had voted him one of the medals distributed that year. The sum he thus received was of the greatest use to him, enabling him to begin a small but more lucrative business than that he had hitherto followed, and in which he proved entirely successful.

EUSTACHE.

EUSTACHE, a poor negro slave, was born in the year 1773, on a plantation situated in the northern part of the island of San Domingo, and belonging to a rich proprietor named Monsieur Belin de Villeneuve. This gentleman, who was of a kind and humane disposition, soon noticed the industry and zeal for the accomplishment of his duties by which, even when a child, Eustache was strikingly characterised; and no less to indulge in the natural benevolence of his heart, than to reward the good qualities of his young slave, he treated him with even more than the usual kindness which marked his deportment towards his companions.

This conduct made a deep impression upon Eustache. He became most ardently attached to his master, and persevered in his good behaviour-this being then the only means in his power of shewing his gratitude. As he grew up to manhood, Eustache was intrusted with an important post on his master's plantations of sugar-cane. In this office he not only displayed his usual zeal, but also a considerable degree of acuteness and intelligence. Like other slaves, Eustache was devoid of even the ordinary principles of an elementary education; he knew neither how to read nor write. It does not appear that he endeavoured to supply this deficiency in his instruction; his daily pursuits, doubtless, left him little time to spare; it may also be that knowledge appeared to him in a merely secondary light, and not as the most important basis of all human happiness, and even of virtue. Monsieur Belin seems to have viewed the matter under the same aspect, since, notwithstanding his kindness to Eustache, he did no more for him in this respect

than for his companions. Little did he then think of what importance, even to him, it might one day be that Eustache the slave should know how to read.

But although Monsieur Belin so far owned the deeply rooted prejudices of caste as to allow Eustache to remain in this state of ignorance, it is but justice to add, that he ever endeavoured to instil into his mind the maxims of virtue, and of a cheerful and simple, but sincere piety. Eustache faithfully adhered to these instructions; and the integrity, as well as the touching earnestness and simplicity of his character, secured to him the merited esteem of all. disposition, though mild, was thoughtful, and led him carefully to avoid the society of such among his fellow-slaves as were of vicious or intemperate habits, whilst it made him eagerly seek that of white men, in the hope of gathering from their conversation some useful knowledge.

His

Eustache was not yet twenty, when the insurrection of the blacks broke out in San Domingo.

The great cruelties exercised by the planters on their slaves occasioned the most fearful retaliation, from which the innocent as well as the guilty were to suffer. Notwithstanding his well-known goodness and benevolence of heart, Monsieur Belin would not have escaped from the general massacre but for the heroic exertions of his slave Eustache. He spared neither prayers nor remonstrances with the insurrectionary chiefs until he had attained his object; and such were the influence and esteem which his blameless and upright character had secured him, even with lawless and exasperated men, that, besides the safety of his master, he also succeeded in obtaining that of a large number of proprietors, who but for him must have certainly perished. But although this much had been won, the danger to which Monsieur Belin and his friends were exposed had not vanished; far from this being the case, it became evidently greater every day. Flight, though a hazardous experiment, was at length resolved upon. Eustache, owing to his knowledge of the country, and his influence with the insurgents, was named the guide of the fugitives-no enviable post, if we consider that he had now to lead a band of four hundred men, scarcely armed, and dispirited by fatigue and privations to which they were not inured, through the rocky valleys, narrow defiles, and thick woods of the island, at the imminent risk of meeting on the way a party of blacks, and of being instantly massacred. After almost unexampled toil and suffering, borne with heroic courage, Eustache safely arrived with his companions at Limbè, where they embarked on board an American ship, by which they hoped to reach America, and there find a safe retreat.

But woe seemed to follow the exiles. They had not been long at sea, when the American vessel was attacked by an English corsair of superior strength, and notwithstanding the heroic resistance of all

on board, among whom Eustache distinguished himself by indomitable bravery, it was captured. But far from despairing, Eustache resolved that one great effort should at least be made for freedom. The conquerors, suspecting no attempt on the part of their captives, had left them comparatively free. Eustache now went amongst them, bearing to every one words of comfort and encouragement, and urging them not to yield to grief, but to do some deed by which they might be freed. His words produced the desired effect, and a plan for overpowering their enemies was agreed upon. The corsairs had gathered together, and were now feasting and rejoicing over their prize, which was very valuable, as many of the captives had carried off with them some of their most precious goods. Eustache, being a negro and a slave, found no difficulty in introducing himself amongst them, under the pretence of amusing them by those feats of agility in which the blacks are acknowledged to be very expert. So successful was he in thus engaging their attention, that they never perceived or heard the approach of his comrades, who gradually surrounded the spot where they were assembled. Seeing that the time for action was now come, Eustache gave the preconcerted signal, and rushed the first of all on the corsairs; his companions followed before they had time to recover from the surprise and confusion occasioned by this unexpected attack. In a few minutes they were all firmly bound, and made prisoners in their turn. Their former captives passed from the deepest despair to the height of joy. They were now free, and yet it was a slave who had won their freedom.

The vessel in which they were safely arrived at Baltimore. Eustache and his master, over whom he had watched throughout with the tenderest care, were once more in safety. But though the chief object of his concern, Monsieur Belin was not the only one. Many of the refugees were devoid of even the ordinary means of subsistence, and found themselves in a foreign land thrown on the charity of strangers. In his exertions towards the support of these unfortunate people, in soliciting others for their sake, and depriving himself of every slight comfort to administer to their wants, the noble and heroic Eustache was unwearied. He was a slave, and therefore owned nothing in this world beyond perseverance and charity; but with these he achieved wonders, and reaped his reward-the blessings of those whom in their misery he had relieved.

In the meantime, the island of San Domingo was regaining comparative tranquillity. The blacks no longer massacred the white residents; and Monsieur Belin, encouraged by this, and, moreover, entertaining hopes of recovering part of his lost property, determined to return to his native country, accompanied by his faithful Eustache and a large number of the exiles. But no sooner had they landed, after a prosperous voyage, than they were attacked by a party of twenty thousand blacks, who massacred a large number of them. In