What struggling creature hast thou brought so carefully to me? Thou leap'st for very joy, my girl; come, open, let She us see.' opes And shows her eager sire the plough, the peasant, and his team; And when she'd placed before his sight the newfound pretty toy, She clapped her hands, and scream'd aloud, and cried for very joy. But her father looked quite seriously, and shaking slow his head, 'What hast thou brought me home, my child?—this is no toy,' he said. 'Go take it quickly back again, and put it down below; The peasant is no plaything, girl-how couldst thou think him so? So go without a sigh or sob, and do my will,' he said; For know, without the peasant, girl, we none of us had bread; 'Tis from the peasant's hardy stock the race of giants are; The peasant is no plaything, child-no, God forbid he were!' G. F. RICHARDSON (German Ballads). ad-van'-tage, profit, gain gross (n.), twelve dozen shag-reen', the skin of a kind of fish bar-gain, a thing bought for less mur'-rain, a plague than it is worth purchase, to buy hig'-gle, to beat down the price of a thing toi'-let, a dressing table; the act of dressing gos'-ling, the catkin on nut-trees and pines im-po'-sed upon, cheated cau-tion (v.), to tell one to be 6 As the fair happened on the following day, I had intentions of going myself; but my wife persuaded me that I had got a cold, and nothing could prevail upon her to permit me from home. No, my dear,' said she, our boy Moses is a discreet boy, and can buy and sell to very good advantage; you know all our great bargains are of his purchasing. He always stands out and higgles, and actually tires them till he gets a bargain.' As I had some opinion of my son's prudence, I was willing enough to send him to sell the colt and buy a horse; and the next morning I perceived his sisters mighty busy in fitting out Moses for the fair; trimming his hair, brushing his buckles, and cocking his hat with pins. The business of the toilet being over, we had at last the satisfaction of seeing him mounted upon the colt, with a deal box before him to bring home groceries in. He had on a coat made of that cloth called thunder-and-lightning, which, though grown too short, was too good to be thrown away. His waistcoat was of gosling green, and his sisters had tied his hair with a broad black ribbon. We all followed him several paces from the door, bawling after him, 'Good luck, good luck!' till we could see him no longer. * * * Never mind our son,' cried my wife, as I was wondering what could keep him so late at the fair, 'depend upon it he knows what he is about. I'll warrant we'll never see him sell his hen of a rainy day. I have seen him buy such bargains as would amaze one. I'll tell you a good story about that, that will make you split your sides with laughing. But, as I live, yonder comes Moses, without a horse, and the box at his back.' As she spoke, Moses came slowly on foot, and sweating under the deal box, which he had strapped round his shoulders like a pedlar. Welcome, welcome, Moses! Well, my boy, what have you brought us from the fair?' I have brought you myself,' cried Moses, with a sly look, and resting the box on the dresser. Ay, Moses,' cried my wife, that we know; but where is the horse?' I have sold him,' cried Moses, for three pounds. five shillings and twopence.' 'Well done, my good boy,' returned she; I knew you would touch them off. Between ourselves, three pounds five shillings and twopence is no bad day's work. Come, let us have it, then.' 'I have brought back no money,' cried Moses again; I have laid it all out in a bargain, and here it is,' pulling out a bundle from his breast. Here they are a gross of green spectacles, with silver rims and shagreen cases.' A gross of green spectacles!' repeated my wife, in a faint voice. And you have parted with the colt, and brought us back nothing but a gross of green paltry spectacles!' 'Dear mother,' cried the boy, why won't you listen to reason? I had them a dead bargain, or else I should not have bought them. The silver rims alone will sell for double the money.' 'A fig for the silver rims!' cried my wife in a passion. I dare say they won't sell for above half the money at the rate of broken silver, five shillings an ounce.' "You need be under no uneasiness, cried I, about selling the rims, for they are not worth sixpence; for I perceive they are only copper, varnished over.' "What!' cried my wife, not silver! the rims not silver!' 'No,' cried I, 6 no more silver than your saucepan.' And so,' returned she, we have parted with the colt, and have only got a gross of green spectacles, with copper rims and shagreen cases! A murrain take such trumpery! The blockhead has been imposed upon, and should have known his company better! There, my dear,' cried I, 'you are wrong. He should not have known them at all.' Marry! hang the idiot!' returned she, 'to bring me such stuff; if I had them I would throw them on the fire.' There again you are wrong, my dear,' cried I, for though they be copper, we will keep them by us; as copper spectacles, you know, are better than nothing.' 6 6 By this time the unfortunate Moses was undeceived. He now saw that he had been imposed upon by a prowling sharper, who, observing his figure, had marked him for an easy prey. I therefore asked him the circumstances of his deception. He sold the horse, it seems, and walked the fair in search of another. A reverend-looking man brought him to a tent under a pretence of having one to sell. 'Here,' continued Moses, we met another man, very well dressed, who desired to borrow twenty pounds upon these, saying that he wanted money, and would dispose of them for a third of their value. The first gentleman, who pretended to be my friend, whispered me to buy them, and cautioned me not to let so good an opportunity pass. I sent for Mr. Flamborough, and they talked him up as finely as they did me; and so at last we were persuaded to buy the two gross between us.' GOLDSMITH (Vicar of Wakefield.) |