ies of Biographical Stories for several evenings. In
the interval, Edward practised various methods of employing and amusing
his mind.

Sometimes he meditated upon beautiful objects which he had formerly seen,
until the intensity of his recollection seemed to restore him the gift of
sight, and place every thing anew before his eyes. Sometimes he repeated
verses of poetry, which he did not know to be in his memory, until he
found them there, just at the time of need. Sometimes he attempted to
solve arithmetical questions, which had perplexed him while at school.

Then, with his mother's assistance, he learned the letters of the
string-alphabet, which is used in some of the Institutions for the Blind,
in Europe. When one of his friends gave him a leaf of Saint Mark's Gospel,
printed in embossed characters, he endeavored to read it by passing his
fingers over the letters, as blind children do.

His brother George was now very kind, and spent so much time in the
darkened chamber, that Edward often insisted upon his going out to play.
George told him all about the affairs at school, and related many amusing
incidents that happened among his comrades, and informed him what sports
were now in fashion, and whose kite soared the highest, and whose little
ship sailed fleetest on the Frog Pond. As for Emily, she repeated stories
which she had learned from a new book, called THE FLOWER PEOPLE, in which
the snow-drops, the violets, the columbines, the roses, and all that
lovely tribe, are represented as telling their secrets to a little girl.
The flowers talked sweetly, as flowers should; and Edward almost fancied
that he could behold their bloom and smell their fragrant breath.

Thus, in one way or another, the dark days of Edward's confinement passed
not unhappily. In due time, his father returned; and the next evening,
when the family were assembled, he began a story.

"I must first observe, children," said he, "that some writers deny the
truth of the incident which I am about to relate to you. There certainly
is but little evidence in favor of it. Other respectable writers, however,
tell it for a fact; and, at all events, it is an interesting story, and
has an excellent moral."

So Mr. Temple proceeded to talk about the early days of

OLIVER CROMWELL

BORN 1599. DIED 1658.

Not long after King James the First took the place of Queen Elizabeth on
the throne of England, there lived an English knight at a place calle