Foachim the Mimic. 77

Poor Joachim, who loved his mother dearly,
obeyed.

“© Joachim! your Aunt, and your Coufins, and
your fchoolfellows have all called you clever. In
what does your clevernefs confift? I will tell
you. Inthe Reproduction of Deformity, Defects,
Failings, and Misfortunes of every fort, that fall
under your obfervation. A worthy employment
truly! A noble ambition! But I will now tell
you the truth about yourfelf. You never heard it
before, and I feel fure you will benefit now. A
good or an evil Genie, I know not which, has
beftowed upon you a great power ; and you have
mifufed it. Do you know what that power is?”

Joachim fhook his head, though he trembled
all over, for he felt as if awaking from a long dream,
to the recollection of the Genie.

“¢ It is the power of Imitation, Joachim; I call
it a great power, for it is eflential to many great
and ufeful things. It is effential to the orator, the
linguift, the artift, and the mufician. Nature her-
felf teaches us the charm of imitation, when in the
{mooth and clear lake you fee the lovely land{cape
around mirrored and repeated.* What a leffon
may we not read in this fight! “The commoneft
pond even that reflects the foliage of the tree that
hangs over it, is calling out to us to reproduce for
the folace and ornament of life, the beautiful works
of God. But oh, my fon, my dear fon, you have

 

* Schiller.—** Der Kiinftler.”