times of other children, and under this regime he suffered. At
fourteen he had bad health, and a bilious color overspread his face,
which never left it. Seeing that his health was suffering, the master
sent him, under the care of his brother, into Normandy. This brother was
a kind old soul, and gave the boy pleasant words, and a healthy, homely
fare. In the country Emile enjoyed himself heartily. He wandered among
the fields, played among the animals, and slept at night upon a litter
of straw, and grew well again. In his ramblings he was oftenest alone,
and pondered over his wretched fortunes. At eighteen he left the country
for Paris. His first care was to visit his old nurse, and try to
discover the condition of his parents. She could only give him a clew,
but there had been such great changes since he left Paris, that she had
no idea where his father dwelt, if he was alive. Emile then went to see
the old man who first had care of him--his guardian--and plied him with
questions. But he was impenetrable, and would reveal nothing. More than
this--he read the law respecting illegitimate children, to Emile. It was
a heavy blow upon his hopes. His guardian showed him proof of his birth,
and a paper which gave to him, at twenty-one, the command of a small sum
of money, the interest of which had heretofore supported him. In his
anger he tore up the proof of his birth. Perhaps naturally, he at once
took up against the laws of marriage, and became a bitter reformer. He
frequented a reading-room, where he met several literary men who were in
the habit of speaking of their books with pride. Emile was excited to
try his own capabilities, and soon presented to his friends the
manuscript of _Emile_, a story, the principal parts of which were true
records of his own life. The literary friends were at variance in their
criticisms upon the manuscript. Some declared it worthless, and advised
him to get a style, while others praised the effort. Finding no
publisher, our hero learned from a court directory the secret he had
struggled after so long--the address of his father--and sent to him his
story, written in a manner calculated to move the paternal heart. He
received no direct reply, but eight days after, he was presented with an
excellent situation with the secretary of Louis XVIII. Undoubtedly he
was indebted to his father's recommendation for the place. So his
story--afterward published--though it did not appear as he had intended
w