Darknefs and Light. 95

The fky was fo charged and heavy, too, that they
found the houfe very dark, even by day-light ; and
Roderick, who was a little tired with his journey
the day before, began to fancy all kinds of non-
fenfe ; talked more about feeing bears than ever ;
and finally cried tremendoufly at going to bed, de-
claring he was fure there was a tiger in the coal-
pan. Now you know, my dears, this was a bit
of great nonfenfe ; for Roderick knew quite well
that there are no wild beafts in England but what
are kept in very ftrong cages ; and that the men
who take wild-beaft fhows round the country can
by no means afford to let their tigers fleep in nur-
fery coal-pans !

Poor Madeline never liked to fee any of her
children go to bed in tears. And Roderick was
fo gay and merry generally, it feemed quite unna-
tural in him ; but though at laft he left off crying,
fhe could not perfuade him to be cheerful, and
{mile ; for he declared that as foon as ever fhe
took her candle away, he could not help feeing
thofe unlucky bears. Was there ever any thing
fo filly before! She reafoned with him, but tb no
purpofe. He always faid he quite believed in God’s
prefence, and His being able to take care of him ;
but, as I faid before, his bad habit had got the
better of his good fenfe, and he finifhed off every
thing that could be faid, by feeing bears, and dread-
ing a tiger in the coal-pan.

‘© What are we to do with that child?” cried
Madeline to her hufband, as they were going to