aring his throat in
such an affected manner that the King jokingly asked him whether he had
not slept in the public garden, with the gate open, the night before.

5. The second page had a good share of self-conceit, however, and so was
not greatly confused by the King's jest. He determined that he would avoid
the mistake which his comrade had made. So he commenced reading the
petition slowly and with great formality, emphasizing every word, and
prolonging the articulation of every syllable. But his manner was so
tedious that the King cried out, "Stop! are you reciting a lesson in the
elementary sounds? Out of the room! But no: stay! Send me that little girl
who is sitting there by the fountain."

6. The girl thus pointed out by the King was a daughter of one of the
laborers employed by the royal gardener; and she had come to help her
father weed the flower beds. It chanced that, like many of the poor people
in Prussia, she had received a good education. She was somewhat alarmed
when she found herself in the King's presence, but took courage when the
King told her that he only wanted her to read for him, as his eyes were
weak.

7. Now, Ernestine (for this was the name of the little girl) was fond of
reading aloud, and often many of the neighbors would assemble at her
father's house to hear her; those who could not read themselves would come
to her, also, with their letters from distant friends or children, and she
thus formed the habit of reading various sorts of handwriting promptly and
well.

8. The King gave her the petition, and she rapidly glanced through the
opening lines to get some idea of what it was about. As she read, her eyes
began to glisten, and her breast to heave. "What is the matter?" asked the
King; "don't you know how to read?" "Oh, yes! sire," she replied,
addressing him with the title usually applied to him: "I will now read it,
if you please."

9. The two pages wore about to leave the room. "Remain," said the King.
The little girl began to read the petition. It was from a poor widow,
whose only son had been drafted to serve in the army, although his health
was delicate and his pursuits had been such as to unfit him for military
life. His father had been killed in battle, and the son had a strong
desire to become a portrait painter.

10. The writer told her story in a simple, concise manner, that carried to
the heart a belief of its truth; and Ernestine read it with so much
feeling, and with a