7 4. Foachim the Mimic.

“ Becaufe he walks fo very well!”

“ Oh,”—faid Joachim’s Mother.

There was another paufe.

“ Come, Joachim,” continued the Widow, ‘I
am very anxious to admire you as much as your
Aunt does. You are not tired; let us have fome
more exhibitions. You gave us a fong juft now
horribly out of tune, and with the fcreeching voice
of a bagpipe.”’

“‘ ] was finging like Tom Smith,” interrupted
Joachim.

“Is he your beft finger??? enquired the Mo-
ther. Another laugh followed.

“¢ Nay, Mother, no one fings fo badly.”

“‘ Indeed ! How does the Singing Matter fing,
Joachim ?”

“Oh, Mother,” cried Joachim, “ fo beauti-
fully, it would make the tears come into your eyes
with pleafure, to liften to him.”

“ Well, but as I cannot liften to him, let me,
at all events, have the pleafure of hearing my
clever fon imitate him,”’ was the reply.

Joachim was mute. He had a voice, though
not a remarkable one, but he had fhirked the la-
bour of trying to improve it by practice. He
made one effort to fing like the Mafter, but over-
powered by a fenfe of incapacity, his voice failed,
and he felt difpofed to cry.

“© Why, Joachim, I thought you were fuch a
clever creature you could imitate any thing,”
cried the Mother.