‘Foachim the Mimic. 63

in that fhort time. Among others who benefited
was our little boy’s Mother, a widow who had
been much injured and oppreffed. He redreffed
her grievances, and in addition to this, beftowed
valuable and ufeful prefents upon her. ‘ Look
what an example the young King fets,”’ was the
cry on every fide! “ Oh, my fon, imitate him !”
exclaimed our poor Widow, as in a tranfport of
joy and emotion, fhe threw her arms around her
boy’s neck. “ I with I could imitate him and be
like him !”” murmured little Joachim : (fuch was the
child’s name). ‘My boy,” cried the Widow,
“* imitate every thing that is good, and noble, and
virtuous, and you will be like him!” Joachim
looked earneftly in her face, but was filent. He
underftood a good deal that his Mother meant; he
knew he was to try to do every thing that was good,
and fo be like the young King ; but, as he was but
a little boy, I am not quite fure that he had not got
a fort of vague notion of the gold chariot and the
twelve jet black horfes, mixed up with his idea of
imitating all that was good and noble and virtuous,
and being like the young King. I may be wrong;
but, at feven years old, you will excufe him if his
head did get a little confufed, and if he could not |
quite feparate his ideas of exceffive virtue and good-
nefs from all the {plendour in which the pattern
he was to imitate appeared before his eyes.
However that may be, his Mother’s words made
a profound impreffion upon him. He thought of
nothing elfe, and if he had been in the filly habit