r blessed mother found all her happiness centered in your care and
comfort. We dwelt on the lands of our forefathers; nothing disturbed the
even tenor of our simple lives; and, by proper economy, our moderate
income sufficed to support us in a manner becoming our rank and name.

"I had a younger brother, who was endowed with an excellent heart, but
generous to a fault and somewhat imprudent. He lived in town, and
married a lady of noble family who was no richer than himself. She was
showy in her tastes and habits, and, I fear, induced him to increase his
revenue by adventurous means. There can be no doubt that he speculated
largely in the public funds. But probably you do not understand what
this means, my child. It is a species of _gambling_, by which a man may
in a moment gain millions; and yet it is a game that may, with equal
rapidity, plunge him into the depths of misery and reduce him as if by
magic to the condition of a beggar.

"At first, my brother was remarkably successful, and established himself
in town in a style of living that was the envy of our wealthiest
citizens. He came to see us frequently, bringing you, who were his
godchild, a thousand beautiful presents, and lavished his affection with
testimonials of kindness which were proportioned to his fortune. I spoke
to him often about the dangerous character of his adventures, and
endeavored to convince him that it was unbecoming a gentleman to risk
his property upon the hazards of an hour; but, as continued success
emboldened him more and more, the passion for gambling made him deaf to
all my appeals, all my advice.

"At last the evil hour came! The luck which had so long favored him
became inconstant; he lost a considerable portion of his gains, and saw
his fortune diminishing with every venture. Still, courage did not fail
him; but, on the contrary, he seemed to fight madly against fate, with
the idle hope of forcing fortune to turn once more in his favor. But,
alas, it was a fatal delusion!

"One night--I tremble as I recall it--I was in my chamber and nearly
ready to retire; you were already in bed, and your mother was saying her
prayers on her knees beside your little couch. A tremendous storm raged
without: hail beat in torrents against the windows, and the wind howled
in the chimneys and swayed the trees as if it was about to blow down the
house. The violence of the tempest began to make me somewhat anxious,
when suddenly the door-bell was pulle