Foachim the Mimic. SI

not be expected they fhould all underftand the
ftory, but the big boy did, and became Joachim’s
greateft friend and advifer.

That evening our little friend, exhaufted with
the efforts and excitement of his almoft firft day
of repentance, ftrolled out in a fomewhat penfive
mood to his favourite haunt, the fea fhore. A
ftormy funfet greeted his arrival on the beach, but
the tide was ebbing, and he wandered on till he
reached fome caverns among the cliffs. And there,
as had often been his wont, he fat down to gaze
out upon the wafte of waters fafe and protected
from harm. It is very probable that he fell afleep
—but the point could never be clearly known, for
he always faid it was no fleep and no dream he
had then, but that, whilft fitting in the inmoft re-
ceffes of the cave, he faw once more his old friend
the Genie, who after. reproaching him with the
bad ufe he had made of his precious gift, gave him
a world of good advice and inftruétion.

There is no doubt that after that time, Joachim
was feen daily ftruggling againft his bad habits;
and that by degrees he became able to exercife his
mind in following after the good and beautiful in-
ftead of after the bad and ugly. It was a hard
tafk to him for many a long day to fix his flighty
thoughts down to the bufinefs in hand, and to dif-
mifs from before his eyes the ridiculous images
that often prefented themfelves. But his Mother’s
wifhes, or the Genie’s advice, or fomething better

ftill, prevailed. And you cannot think, of what
G