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moon stole in, and bathed the prisoner's brow; how he blessed her dewy radiance. And so days passed-weeks--a month had gone by, and Denis cursed himself, his existence, the powers that were, most bitterly; even his friends; for some, he imagined, might have rescued, or, at least, visited him in his dilemma. All wretched stories he had ever heard rushing to his memory-of notches cut in the wall, to mark each dreary day, as it dragged slowly by; lines traced with blood, when ink was denied; playmates and friends made of spiders, rats, and loathsome unnatural things, to beguile the hours of a long captivity. His boyhood, which he had not thought of for years, came back now, strangely and vividly; he dreamt of wild races and sports; he had all the free, bounding, child-consciousness of existence, and awoke to ennui and despair. At length he was removed to a larger, more cheerful apartment, with windows looking down upon a little court. The. distant hills, the sky, and a world of green things, too, were visible. Denis could have shouted in his extasy. A young girl, perhaps the jailer's daughter, went daily into the court to feed her chickens. She was a pretty creature, with jetty hair, eyes and lashes, and a cheek which had the warm, rich coloring of the damask rose. So happy, too-her face was riant with mirth. She would come out in her charming rustic dress, and stand for an instant in the door-way, holding the corners of her little apron tightly to her, filled with grain, and in a clear, joyous tone, begin to call her feathery charge. Then, as they came flying and clucking towards her, she would take two or three steps forward, and the little hand disappeared behind the apron, aloft it went then in the air, and infinite commotion ensued among the chicks, as the food fell in a shower around. This appeared to delight her wonderfully; she never could get accustomed to their jostling impatience, and the feminine spiteful earnestness with which they pounced upon it. She danced round among them; she laughed, then down the pretty hand went into the apron again, and the low sweet laugh rang blithely on the listener's ear. Some of them flew on her shoulders, on her arms, on her head, and the blooming face would turn from this side to that, as she welcomed them with playful caressing diminutives. Beautiful as the day," murmured Diderot ; "but what a world of affection to be wasted on these dumb things." Her naive, graceful gayety delighted him beyond measure; he really longed for each morning, to see Narette and her chicks. night, just at dusk, as he stood watching the shadows, she came out into the court, and, with her head resting on her hands, leant over the little paling; her whole attitude was one of listless dejection. At length her form was convulsed with sobs, and he knew that she was weeping. What could it be? was there a lover in the case, or had the gruff old jailer merely grumbled more than usual over their evening meal? He absolutely was indignant at himself for the interest he took in the solution of the riddle. "Better than petting rats or spiders, however," said he, as he turned, for the fiftieth time, wondering, on his pillow. The next day, as he sat furiously impatient, and sick of his captivity, wishing, with all his heart, the book unwrit and the bravos unuttered-the door opened, and a man, heated, dusty, and fatigued, was ushered in. It was Rousseau, who had walked to Vincennes to see him; what oases are friends in this desert of a world. Diderot shouted, and darting forward, flung his arms around him, despite dust and dirt. "But when are they going to let me out?" he exclaimed, after everybody and everything had been discussed. "Impossible to tell, mon ami," returned Jean Jacques, with a shrug; "nobody seems to have any idea of it at present." It is not worth while to repeat the volley of execrations from the irate author, which followed this announcement.

(To be Continued.)

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* On 14th June, 1777, Congress resolved that our flag be "thirteen stripes, alternate red and white the Union, thirteen stars, white, in a blue field."

On 13th January, 1794, (two new states having been admitted into the Union,) the flag was altered to " fifteen stripes and fifteen stars.

On 4th April, 1818, the flag was again altered by Congress, viz., "Thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white: the Union, twenty stars, white, on a blue field." And it was also resolved, that on the admission of every new state into the Union, one star be added to the flag. These stars were then placed on the blue field in parallel lines, but subsequently it was resolved, that the stars should be so grouped on the Union as to represent one star. Such is our flag to-day.

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of the United Sates Senate, between whom was then formed strong tie

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