S18

LIFE OX THE MISSISSIPPI.

* Fifteen hundred devils ! * cried I, *fve hundred would rot his
principles, paralyse his industry, drag him to the rumshop, thence to

the gutter, thence to the almshouse, thence to------*

c Why put upon ourselves this crime, gentlemen 1' interrupted the
poet earnestly and appealingly. * He is happy where he is, and as he
is. Every sentiment of honour, every sentiment of charity, every
sentiment of high and sacred benevolence warns us, beseeches us, com-
mands us to leave him undisturbed. That is real friendship, that is
true friendship. We could follow other courses that would be more

showy; but none that
would be so truly kind
and wise, depend upon it.'
After some further
talk, it became evident
that each of us, down
in his heart, felt some
misgivings over this
settlement of the matter.
It was manifest that we
all felt that we ought to
send the poor shoemaker
something. There was
long and thoughtful dis-
cussion of this point;
and we finally decided to
send him a chromo.

Well, now that every-
thing seemed to be ar-
ranged satisfactorily to everybody concerned, a new trouble broke
out: it transpired that these two men were expecting to share equally
in the money with me. That was not my idea. I said that if they
got half of it between them they might consider themselves lucky.
Hogers said—

tf Who would have had any if it hadn't been for me ? I flung out
the first hint—but for that it would all have gone to the shoemaker/
Thompson said that he was thinking of the thing himself at the
vary moment that Bogers had originally spoken.

«HE is HAPPY WHEKE HE is.'