he castle.
There the Marquis enjoyed the fresh air and the beautiful prospect, and
he said that all the pleasures of Paris were not to be compared to his
happiness on such occasions.

"At the end of the fourth year of the Marquis's confinement the
small-pox broke out in the village, and the infection was brought to
the castle. The Marquis and Henri were both seized by the dreadful
disease, and both died in consequence. After their deaths, the poor
Marchioness, hearing that the Waldenses had been driven from their
happy valleys by the King, removed into a small house in the village
near, where the Governor supported and protected her till her dying
day."

A Story of Besetting Sins

[Illustration: "Do you remember anything of the sermon?"]

One Sunday, soon after the death of poor Miss Augusta Noble, Mrs.
Fairchild, having a bad cold, could not go to church with the rest of
the family. When the children were come home from church, Mrs.
Fairchild asked Lucy what the sermon was about.

"Mamma," said Lucy, taking her Bible out of her little basket, "I will
show you the text; it is in Heb. xii. 1: 'Let us lay aside every
weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us.'"

When Mrs. Fairchild had looked at the text, she said:

"And do you remember anything more of the sermon, Lucy?"

"Indeed, mamma," said Lucy, "I did not understand the sermon; it was
all about besetting sins. What are they, mamma?"

"I will explain," said Mrs. Fairchild. "Though our hearts are all
naturally sinful, yet every man is not inclined alike to every kind of
sin. One man, perhaps, is inclined to covetousness, another to swear
and use bad words, another to lie and deceive, another to be angry and
cruel; and that sin which a man feels himself most inclined to is
called his besetting sin."

"Oh! now I know what besetting sins mean," answered Lucy. "Has
everybody a besetting sin, mamma?"

"Yes, my dear," answered Mrs. Fairchild; "we all have, although we do
not all know what they are."

"Have I a besetting sin, mamma?" said Lucy.

"Yes, my dear," said Mrs. Fairchild.

"What is it, mamma?" asked Lucy.

"Can you not tell what fault you fall into oftener than any other?"
said Mrs. Fairchild.

Lucy considered a little, and then answered she did not know.

"I think, my dear," said Mrs. Fairchild, "although it is hard to judge
any other person's heart, that your besetting sin is envy. I think I
have often observed this fault in