"Yes, Mike ;—you know Luke Hanway's-Mr. Euston is waiting for his horse. I have often told you of Trumpeter-there he is, tied to the gate;— be quick, there's a good fellow. Now, mother, you may take off the bandage, and just judge for yourself."

Larry knelt down at the feet of his mother, who seated herself, and with a gentle hand removed the bandage from the head of her son. The blood was still flowing plentifully, and Mrs. Moore began to sponge the wound, Ella holding the basin, and turning aside her head; for, being unused to the sight of blood, she could not look upon it without a sensation of sickness, which she was unable, though she strove, to overcome. So I said to her, "Go in, and let me hold the basin, if you please."

"Oh! no, sir; it is my business to do this;when my poor brother is hurt, my place ought surely to be beside him ;—but I am very silly, I know.-Gracious heavens! what is Larry about?"

The boy had suddenly started up from his kneeling posture, and broken away from his mother, who had scarcely time to utter a word before he was to be seen running towards the wicketgate, crying out, "Michael! Michael!" the blood streaming from his face as he went, but he taking no heed of it." Michael! Michael! for God's sake, stop!-dear brother Michael, stop!"

Lawrence Moore passed the gate, and I ran

after him with all the rapidity that I could summon to my assistance. Dashing at full speed across the brook, he ran up the steep lane after his brother, still crying out, " Michael! Michael! for God's sake, stop!"

At length he made himself heard, and Michael obeyed his brother. He halted, and in less than a minute we both of us stood beside him.

"Michael!"

"Lawrence!"

"Are you

"Are

mad?"

you?"

"No, Michael; -I saw you mount-I saw you put your foot in the stirrup, and ride off on Trumpeter's back. Now, pray, pray, my brother, dismount-you know that you are nothing of a horseman ; what could have induced you to mount?—there, there, my dear Michael, get down, and lead Trumpeter to Hanway's.'

Michael looked at his brother, as though he scarcely comprehended the meaning of this address. "Are you afraid that I shall throw him down," said he, "and damage the poor animal?"

"Oh! no, not that," replied Lawrence; “I was not thinking of the animal-I was only thinking of you. For the value of ten thousand Trumpeters, I would not have you mount him again. Mr. Euston might get another horse, but where could I get another brother? Mr. Euston has

plenty of money, but all the money in the world could not buy me another brother Michael. You are no horseman-you are little accustomed to riding now, I am; and look at my head. There is Mr. Doveton, he can tell you that, but for him, I should now be a dead body at the foot of 'Lambert's-fall.' There, Michael, you are a good fellow;-how glad I am to see you on your legs. --And you will promise me not to mount again?— You will? then I shall go back contented."

I said to myself, "There is exceeding strength in the brotherly love of this boy. Not half an hour ago, and he looked upon himself as nothing in comparison with the horse, and now he sets the animal at nought; for Michael's safety, not his own, is concerned; and Lawrence Moore loves his brother more dearly than he loves himself."

Nor was Michael's affection for Lawrence less intense. He had mounted Trumpeter, and set him into a gallop, because Lawrence had said to him, "Be quick;" and because he was all eagerness to return as soon as possible to his wounded brother. It had never occurred to him that there was any danger in mounting a strange horse. He had not heard the account of Larry's accident; and if he had, the same impulse would have driven him to leap into the saddle as now, albeit he was little used to bestride an animal of any

kind. When he heard Larry's voice, calling after him, he was astonished, as well he might have been; and when he saw his brother exerting every energy to overtake him, the face of the wounded boy all besmeared with his own blood, Michael's heart stood still with anxiety, for he thought no less frightful a visitation than insanity had come upon his brother. But when the truth was made manifest to him, fear gave place to a milder emotion; and a full sense of the magnitude of Larry's self-sacrificing affection absorbed every other feeling, and his eyes glistened with tears-tears of gratitude and love. It was some time before he could articulate, and when he did speak, he addressed himself to me." Mr. Doveton," said Michael Moore, "do persuade my kind-hearted brother to think a little more of himself."

"Oh!" cried Larry, "I'm quite safe; 'Naught's never in danger,' says the proverb. It's not worth Fortune's while to spite me."

"Oh! yes, it is, Larry," replied Michael."Now, pray, pray, return directly," and he wiped the blood from his brother's face, as he spoke."Do take care of yourself, and suffer our mother to bandage your poor head. Look, here she comes after you, with Ella;-now, go back, and meet her on the way, whilst I go on with the horse, lest you get into a scrape with Mr. Euston."

Larry and I returned towards the cottage, whilst

Michael led the horse up the hill. Mrs. Moore and Ella soon met us-the former pale as a ghost, her eyes full of tears, and her lips quivering convulsively the latter trembling all over with anxiety, and looking as though she would have fallen to the earth, but for the sustaining hand of her mother.

My son! my beloved!" cried the widow Moore," your heedlessness will break my heart. -What sudden madness has seized upon you?— You rush to your own undoing-you will bleed to death;-you are faint already-I see it-with loss of blood;—lean on me. Now tell me, my boy, do you not feel faint?”

"Why, to tell you the truth, mother, I do feel rather sick," replied Lawrence; "but only think of Michael's rashness, in mounting that horse, Trumpeter!”

66

My son," interrupted the widow Moore, "my son, I am thinking of you!"

In a few minutes, we had taken up our old position in the garden. Lawrence Moore knelt down at his mother's feet, and his wound was soon dressed and bandaged, with a dexterity that would not have disgraced a professional disciple of Æsculapius. When the operation had been fully performed, Larry seated himself on the low stool, which had lately been occupied by Michael."Thank you, mother," said the grateful boy;