he king heard of the sufferings of the poor in
Paris from cold; and the king ordered a large quantity of wood to be
purchased with his money, and given away. The queen commanded the
toy-man to bring the new toys, as usual, on New Year's eve, and spread
them out in one of her apartments. She then led the children in, showed
them the playthings, and said these were what she meant to have given
them; but that she had heard that so many poor families were perishing
with cold, that she hoped they would be willing to do without new toys,
and let the money go for fuel for the poor. The children agreed, and
the toy-man was sent away, with a present of money, to console him for
the disappointment of having sold nothing. It is probable that Louis
also, when old enough to understand, was told of the sufferings of the
poor: but it is difficult to give an idea of what want really is to
children who have half-a-dozen ladies and footmen always at their
orders, and who are surrounded with luxuries which seem to them to come
as naturally as the light of day, and to belong to them as completely as
their own limbs and senses. We have all heard of the little French
princess who, when told by her governess how many of the poor were dying
of starvation, in a hard season, said, she thought that was very
foolish; and that, rather than starve, she would eat bread and cheese.
She had no idea that multitudes never tasted anything better than the
coarsest black dry bread; and that it was for want of this that many
were perishing. How should she know? She had never seen the inside of
a poor man's hut, or tasted any but the most delicate food.

Louis wished to know what he ought to do, now that the people were so
angry with his father. The queen told him that he must behave civilly
and kindly to the magistrates, when they came; to the officers of the
people's army,--the National Guard,--and to everybody that belonged to
Paris. Louis took great pains to do this: and when he had an
opportunity of speaking kindly to the mayor, or any other visitor, he
used to run up to his mother, and whisper in her ear, "Was that
right?"--He once said a thing which pleased the mayor of Paris very
much. The mayor showed him the shield of Scipio, which was in the royal
library, and asked him which he liked best, Scipio or Hannibal. The boy
answered that he liked best him who had defended his own country.

At this time he read, not only of Scipio and Hannibal,