much at my aunt's fortitude and self-possession, she
afterwards told me that she lifted her heart to God in earnest prayer,
and there came to her the comforting remembrance of these words.
"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake; for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Alas! what a scene presented itself out of doors. The people were
running up and down in despair; a woman rushed wildly out of her house,
and seized me by the arm, crying, "They are batooning my husband!"
Another shrieked from a window, 'Help, help, they are killing my
father!' Children ran about the streets, crying, "Oh, my father!--oh,
my mother!" It seemed a heartless task to be going from one to another
begging something to eat under such piteous circumstances; and yet how
knew I that as bad or worse a tragedy might be acted at my uncle's if
I failed to supply what was wanted?

At length I returned, staggering under the weight of a huge cheese and a
bag of chestnuts. And though I was reviled for not bringing them better
cheer, yet I pacified them by smiling like my aunt, and echoing her
"Attendez, messieurs, s'il vous plait;" and started forth again on my
foraging expedition, though very doubtful of having anything to bring
back.

How long were these horrible men going to stay? How could we go on
supplying their wants at this rate? If their orders were to eat my uncle
out of house and home, and drive him and my aunt to distraction, would
it not be just as well to let them do so at once, and have done with it?

One and another to whom I applied were so full of their own griefs that
I had to listen to what they had to say before they would or could hear
a word from me in return. One had been hung up by his feet over a
chimney; another had a knife held to his throat; one had seen her little
infant nearly strangled; another had been dragged along the ground by
her hair. I could not help pitying them sincerely, but not so much as
I should have done, but for the sad plight of my uncle. When I, with a
kind of wrench, forced the talk into the subject of what was going on at
his house, they, through their great love for him, forgot for a moment
their own trials in thinking of his; and those who had anything to
contribute brought it out, and those who had nothing to spare made up
for it in pity. All this consumed so much time that when I got back it
was nearly dark, and the house was all in a blaze with lights, for the
dragoons had lig