a new coat came home he used sometimes to tell one of his servants to put it on, that he might see whether it was smart enough. He married twenty-four years before he came to the throne. He had never seen his wife until she came to England to be married to him. He took a dislike to her at first sight, and she did not fancy him. However, the wedding took place, but after one year the prince and princess were separated, for they could by no means agree. As is the case in most quarrels, there were faults on both sides. George and his wife had only one child, the Princess Charlotte, a very clever, high-spirited girl. When she grew up, one prince after another wanted to marry her, in order to be the husband of the future Queen of England. But the princess was hard to please. She objected to one prince who had red hair and wore a green feather in his hat, because she said he was "like & carrot, red, with a green top." I suppose that she had really some good reason for refusing him; most likely because she had seen, from the sad case of her parents, the misery of a marriage without affection. However, at last, she liked a very excellent German prince well enough to marry him, and they were very happy. But at the end of a year the poor princess died, to the great grief of the English nation. Her mother lived until the year 1821. George IV. having reigned ten years, died at Windsor Castle, after a very long and painful illness.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

WILLIAM IV., 1830-1837.

Married Adelaide of Saxe Meinengen.
Had two children, who died in infancy.

WILLIAM IV. was brother to the last king. He was a popular, free-spoken man, who, having been a sailor in his youth, kept all through his life a sailor's open ways. Not much of importance happened during the seven years of his reign, excepting the passing of a bill called the Reform Bill (you can hardly understand what this was about, excepting that many alterations were made respecting the places which were entitled to send members to Parliament), and a law being made forbidding slaves in the British dominions. Perhaps the following piece of poetry will make you understand better than any explanation what is meant by this.

In this reign cholera first appeared in England. It has always been difficult to find out exactly what produces this dreadful disease, but bad water seems the most general cause. Therefore, in hot weather, it is a good plan to boil all water before you drink it, which makes it quite safe. King William had an excellent wife, who did a great deal of good, and lived until the year 1849. William died in 1837, and was succeeded by our present queen, the Princess Victoria, daughter of the Duke of Kent. You will read of one dreadful war that took place in Queen Victoria's reign in the next chapter.

THE LITTLE BLACKAMOOR.

Ан, the poor little Blackamoor !—see, there he goes,
Without any shoes on his half-frozen toes!

His legs are so thin, you can almost see his bones,
As he goes, shiver, shiver, all along on the stones.

He was once a merry boy, and a happy boy was he,
Playing all outlandish games by the tall palm-tree;
Or bathing in the river, like a brisk water-rat,
And at night sleeping sound on a little bit of mat.

There came wicked people who stole him far away—
Then good-bye to palm-tree tall, and his merry play;
They took him from his home and everybody dear,
And now, poor little boy! he's come a-begging here.

But fie upon the cruel folks that did this wicked thing, I wish some mighty nobleman would go and tell the king.

To steal him from his happy home must be a crying sin, Though he be a little negro boy, and has a sooty skin.

I've heard a pretty story, I'll tell it you, my dear,

'Tis true as well as beautiful, and does one good to hear, About the little negro boy, and many many more, But not about the cruel things I told you of before.

For thousands upon thousands of good people in the land

Did write some pretty letters that the king might under

stand,

And sent them up to Parliament to beg that they would do As Jesus Christ had told them-" as they would be done unto."

They prayed them just to make a law, that no such thing might be,

But everybody, black or white, should after that be free; For God had made us all alike, and all to Him belong, And stealing men and women, we are certain must be wrong.

So on the First of August, eighteen hundred thirty-four, We told the poor black people we would serve them so no more;

We did as we'd be done unto "-which is so very clear, And that's the pleasant story which it does one good to hear.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

THE CRIMEAN WAR.

Look at the map, and you will see that Russia is by far the largest country in Europe. In Asia you will find an enormous piece of land called Siberia, which also belongs to Russia. Now it often happens that when people have got a great deal they wish for more. And this was the case with the Russian Emperor Nicholas, in the year 1853. Besides Siberia and Russia, he had got part of Poland, a country lying to the west of Russia, and he set his heart upon having Turkey also. Being a despotic monarch, he could do just as he liked without consulting his people.

Now it would never do for one country to get much more powerful than all the other kingdoms of Europe. So England and France agreed that if Russia took possession of Turkey, something must be done to keep what is called the balance of power. The balance of power means keeping the principal powers or kingdoms of Europe pretty equal. The English and French felt exactly what you ought to feel if you see a big lad ill-treating a little one. What you should do in such a case would be first to ask the big boy to leave off, and if he refused to do so, why then you should make him. And you should do this for two reasons. First, from good nature; and, secondly, to keep the big lad from turning upon you after he has done with the little one. This is exactly what the English and French did about the Russians. Well, the Emperor of Russia would not leave the Turks alone, and so England and France went to war with him. Now look at the map again. To the south of Russia lies a little peninsula called the Crimea. Very few people knew much about that peninsula in the year 1853. In the year 1855 all Europe was talking of the Crimea. In that peninsula is a little stream of reddish water called the River Alma. Hardly any English children in the year 1853 could have found the Alma on the map. In the year 1855 English and French children had heard as much about the Alma as about the Thames or the Seine. There is a broad plain in the Crimea called Inkermann. In the year 1853 it was not more famous than any green common in England. That plain became famous in the same year, and for much the same reasons, as the River Alma.