e head of the monk by a turn of his elbow, to
the great joy of the beggars, who saw themselves revenged in a
most opportune manner. 'Well, father, what do you think of it?'
asked Gretry, after the operation; 'I am sure you do not now
suffer at all!'--The monk shook with rage; the other monks
attracted by his cries, soon arrived, but it was too late."

The following is among the most touching of narratives. It is
exquisitely delivered:

GRETRY'S THREE DAUGHTERS

"Gretry was therefore happy. Happy in his wife and children, in
his old mother, who had come to sanctify his house, with her
sweet and venerable face. Happy in fortune, happy in
reputation. The years passed quickly away! He was one day very
much astonished to learn that his daughter Jenny was fifteen.
Alas! a year afterward the poor child was no longer in the
family, neither was happiness. But for this sad history we must
return to the past. Gretry, during his sojourn at Rome, in the
spring-time of his life, was fond of seeking religious
inspiration in the garden of an almost deserted convent. He
observed one day, in the summer-house, an old monk of venerable
form, who was separating seeds with a meditative air, and at
the same time observing them with a microscope. The
absent-minded musician approached him in silence. 'Do you like
flowers?' the monk asked him. 'Very much,' 'At your age,
however, we only cultivate the flowers of life; the culture of
the flowers of earth is pleasing only to the man who has
fulfilled his task. It is then almost like cultivating his
recollection. The flowers recall the birth, the natal land, the
garden of the family, and what more? You know better than I who
have thrown to forgetfulness all worldly enjoyments!' 'I do not
see, father,' replied Gretry, 'why you separate these seeds
which seem to me to be all alike. 'Look through this
microscope, and see this black speck on those which I place
aside; but I wish to carry the horticultural lesson still
further.' He took a flower-pot, made six holes in the earth,
and planted three of the good seeds, and three of the spotted
ones. 'Recollect that the bad ones are on the side of the
crack, and when you come and take a walk, do not forget to
watch the stalks as they grow.'

"Gretry found a melancholy cha