when, on being examined with respect to his attainments, it
was discovered that he understood Irish? How did you learn it? they
would ask him; how did you become acquainted with the language of Papists
and rebels? The boy would be sent away in disgrace."

"Be under no apprehension; I have no doubt that he has long since
forgotten it."

"I am glad to hear it," said my father; "for, between ourselves, I love
the poor child; ay, quite as well as my first-born. I trust they will do
well, and that God will be their shield and guide; I have no doubt He
will, for I have read something in the Bible to that effect. What is
that text about the young ravens being fed?"

"I know a better than that," said my mother; "one of David's own words,
'I have been young and now am grown old, yet never have I seen the
righteous man forsaken, or his seed begging their bread.'"

I have heard talk of the pleasures of idleness, yet it is my own firm
belief that no one ever yet took pleasure in it. Mere idleness is the
most disagreeable state of existence, and both mind and body are
continually making efforts to escape from it. It has been said that
idleness is the parent of mischief, which is very true; but mischief
itself is merely an attempt to escape from the dreary vacuum of idleness.
There are many tasks and occupations which a man is unwilling to perform,
but let no one think that he is therefore in love with idleness; he turns
to something which is more agreeable to his inclination, and doubtless
more suited to his nature; but he is not in love with idleness. A boy
may play the truant from school because he dislikes books and study; but,
depend upon it, he intends doing something the while--to go fishing, or
perhaps to take a walk; and who knows but that from such excursions both
his mind and body may derive more benefit than from books and school?
Many people go to sleep to escape from idleness; the Spaniards do; and,
according to the French account, John Bull, the squire, hangs himself in
the month of November; but the French, who are a very sensible people,
attribute the action, "_a une grande envie de se desennuyer_;" he wishes
to be doing something, say they, and having nothing better to do, he has
recourse to the cord.

It was for want of something better to do that, shortly after my return
home, {140} I applied myself to the study of languages. By the
acquisition of Irish, with the first elements of which I had become
a