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fools will learn in no other,' as poor Richard says, and scarce in that; for it is true, 'we may give advice, but we cannot give conduct.' However, remember this, "They that will not be counseled, cannot be helped:' and further, that, 'If you will not hear reason, she will surely rap your knuckles,' as poor Richard says."

Thus the old gentleman ended his harangue. The people heard it, and approved the doctrine, and immediately practiced the contrary, just as if it had been a common sermon; for the auction opened, and they began to buy extravagantly. I found the good man had thoroughly studied Almanack, and digested all I had dropped on these topics during the course of twenty-five years. The frequent mention he made of me must have tired any one else; but my vanity was wonderfully delighted with it, though I was conscious that not a tenth part of the wisdom was my own which he ascribed to me; but rather the gleanings that I had made of the sense of all ages and nations. However, I resolved to be the better for the echo of it; and though I had at first determined to buy stuff for a new coat, I went away, resolved to wear my old one a little longer. Reader, if thou wilt do the same, thy profit will be as great as mine. I am, as ever, thine to serve thee.

Putting Up Stoves.

One who has had considerable experience in the work of putting up stoves says the first step to be taken is to put on a very old and ragged coat, under the impression that when he gets his mouth full of plaster it will keep his shirt-bosom clean. Next he gets his hands inside the place where the pipe ought to go, and blacks his fingers, and then he carefully makes a black mark down one side of his nose. It is impossible to make any headway, in doing this work, until this mark is made down the side of the nose. Having got his face properly marked, the victim is ready to begin the ceremony. The head of the family, who is the big goose of the sacrifice, grasps cuc side of the bottom of the stove, and his wife and the hired girl take hold of the other side. In this way the load is started from the wood-shed toward the parlor. Going through the door, the head of the family will carefully swing his side of the stove around, and jamb his thumb-nail against the door-post. This part of the ceremony is never omitted. Having got the stove comfortably in place, the next thing is to find the legs. Two of these are left inside the stove since the Spring before; the other two must be hunted after for twenty-five minutes. They are usually found under the coal. Then the head of the family holds up one side of the stove while his wife puts two of the legs in place, and next he holds up the other side while the other two are fixed, and one of the first two falls out. By the time the stove is on its legs he gets reckless, and takes off his coat, regardless of his linen. goes off for the pipe, and gets a cinder in his eye. any difference how well the pipe was put found a little too short or a little too long. jambs his hat over his eyes, and, taking a pipe under each arm, goes to the tin-shop to have it fixed. When he gets back he steps up on one of the best parlor chairs to see if the pipe fits, and his wife makes him get down for fear he will scratch the varnish off from

Then he

It don't make

up last year, it will be

The head of the family

In getting down he will

the chair with the nails in his boot-heel. surely step on the cat, and may thank his stars if it is not the baby. Then he gets an old chair, and climbs up to the chimney again, to find that in cutting the pipe off, the end has been left too big for the hole in the chimney. So he goes to the wood-shed and splits one end of the pipe with an old axe, and squeezes it in his hands to make it smaller. Finally he gets the pipe in shape, and finds that the stove does not stand true. Then himself and wife and the hired girl move the stove to the left, and the legs fall out again. Next it is to move to the right. More difficulty with the legs. Moved to the front a little. Elbow not even with the hole in the chimney, and he goes to the wood-shed after some little blocks. While putting the blocks under the legs the pipe comes out of the chimney. That remedied, the elbow keeps tipping over, to the great alarm of the wife. Head of the family gets the dinner-table out, puts the old chair on it, gets his wife to hold the chair, and balances himself on it, to drive some nails into the ceiling. Drops the hammer onto wife's head. At last gets the nails driven, makes a wire swing to hold the pipe, hammers a little here, pulls a little there, takes a long breath and announces the ceremony completed. Job never put up any stoves. It would have ruined his reputation if he had.

NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.

N

ATHANIEL HAWTHORNE was born in Salem, Mass., July 4, 1804, and he died in Plymouth, N. H., May 19, 1864. His father died when Nathaniel was six years of age. At ten, on account of feeble health, he was taken to live on a farm in Maine. He studied at Bowdoin College, and received his degree in 1825. This gifted author was a classmate of our loved and lamented Longfellow. Hawthorne's first work was a collection of stories entitled Twice Told Tales, which, though praised by Longfellow, produced no special impression upon the public.

His reputation was fully established by the picturesque and powerful romance, The Scarlet Letter, published in 1850. This work carried his name across the waters, and gave him prominence in England. In 1851 appeared The House of the Seven Gables. In 1852 he wrote the biography of his college friend, Franklin Pierce, then a candidate for the presidency.

He published an Italian romance, called The Marble Faun, in 1860; and his impressions of England, under the title of Our Old Home, in 1863. The Wonder Book, The Snow Image, Tanglewood Tales, and True Stories from History and Biography are among his excellent works. Six volumes of his Note Books have been published since his death, and Septimus Felton, a posthumous romance, has appeared in the [Atlantic Monthly.] Hawthorne's literary works fill twenty-one volumes.

In addition to his literary work, he held important po

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