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"Well my worthy hostess of the Sun, how goes business?" inquired the cooper.

"Not so well as it might," replied the landlady. "The people from the town almost all stop at the house of my neighbour, the landlord of the Star; but they seem to despise my wine, though it is undeniably better. I can't tell how it is at all."

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The cooper said, "I could tell you exactly, landlady, if you would not take it amiss of me.” "Quite the reverse," said the landlady; "I should rather regard it as an act of friendship." "Well, then," said the cooper, if So, I must out with what I think. The landlord of the Star has certainly not got such good wine as you, but his glasses are bright and clean. My landlady of the Sun has, on the contrary, better wine, but glasses which are dirty and smeared with flies. Now, let the wine be ever so good, still it does not taste well out of dirty glasses. You should therefore take care, my worthy hostess, that your glasses be as clean as your wine is good; so you will soon have guests enough stopping at your house."

The landlady took these words to heart. Scrubbing and polishing soon went on briskly; all the furniture was cleaned; till not even the least spot of dirt was to be seen. The people in the town, as soon as they heard this, came in numbers to drink good wine out of bright glasses in a room which was well cleaned and comfortable. At last so many guests arrived, that the hostess could scarcely accommodate them.*

* Schmid.

HUNGER IS THE BEST SAUCE.

A PRINCE, overtaken in his walk by a shower, sought shelter in a neighbouring cottage.

The children happened to be sitting at table, with a great dish full of oatmeal porridge placed before them. They were all eating it with a right good appetite, and looked, moreover, as fresh and ruddy as roses.

"How is it possible," said the prince to the mother, "that they can eat such coarse food with such evident pleasure, and look so healthy and blooming withal ?"

The mother answered, "It is on account of three kinds of sauces which I put in the food. First, I let the children earn their dinner by work; secondly, I give them nothing to eat out of meal-time, that they may bring an appetite with them to table; thirdly, I bring them up in the habit of contentment, as I keep dainties and sweetmeats out of their way."

"Seek far and wide, no better sauce you'll find Than hunger, work, and a contented mind.”* Chemic (alchemic) chemical. Counterfeit, imitate.

Content.

There is a jewel which no Indian mine can
No chemic art can counterfeit;

It makes men sich in greatest poverty,
Makes water wine, turns wooden cups to gold,
The homely whistle to sweet music's strain,
Seldom it comes; to few from heaven sent,

buy

That much in little—all in naught— Content. †

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Unnecessary, not needful.
Capital, the money lent.

Put out at interest, lend at a profit.
Expense, money spent.

MONEY WELL SPENT.

AN industrious joiner, who earned much money, used to content himself with very simple fare. He clothed himself and his family in a plain, neat manner, and carefully avoided all unnecessary expenses.

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"Where do you put the money which you have over, Master Joiner?" asked his neighbour, a turner. The joiner answered, "I pay off some debts with part of the money, and part I put out at interest. "Ah!" said the turner, "you are joking! You have neither debts to pay, nor a capital out at interest anywhere.

"Yes, indeed, I have," said the joiner; "let me only explain the thing to you. Observe, then, all the money which my good parents have laid out upon me since the hour that I first saw the light I consider as my debt, which I must repay them; but the money which I lay out upon my children, in order to get them a good education, I consider as my capital, which some day, when I am old, they will, I hope, repay me, together with the interest. As my parents spared no expense to educate me well, so I do the same with my children; and as I regard it as my duty to repay the kindnesses of my parents, so do I expect that my children will repay me."

"What parents for their children's good outlay,
Forms but a debt those children should repay.'

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* Schmid.

THE TRUSTY DOG.

A LURKING thief had thrown a crust of bread to an honest Mastiff, hoping to bribe him to silence by the bait, "Hark ye, friend," said the Mastiff, "what! you want to stop my tongue, I suppose, and to keep me from barking for the service of my master. But you are greatly mistaken, I assure you; for this sudden kindness will only put me the more upon my guard." Be not tempted to do evil.

THE DOG AND THE CROCODILE. It is reported by travellers, that when the Dogs of Egypt went to drink out of the river Nile, they lap up the water as they run along the banks, for fear of being seized by the Crocodiles.

As one of them therefore, was thus quenching his thirst," So, ho, my friend!" cried a sly Crocodile, "pray drink what you please at your leisure, and don't be so fearful."

"Yes," answered the Dog, "I would take your advice with all my heart, if I did not know that you would be very glad to make a meal of my carcass."

Beware of deceitful persons.

THE FOX AND THE EAGLE.

A CRUEL Eagle once stole the cubs of a Fox, and carried them to her nest for her young ones. The poor mother running after her, began to beg and pray that she would not be so cruel to a wretch who deserved her pity. But the Eagle thinking herself safe from danger, was above listening to her cries.

The Fox, however, snatched a burning torch from a hearth, and set fire to the tree, and the flames made her enemy tremble for the lives of her children. At last, therefore, the haughty bird, to save her own brood, not only restored her cubs to the Fox, but was glad to add prayers and intreaties to prevent the ruin of her own offspring. Do to others as you would that they should do unto you.

THE SOUP.

"THE soup is not good enough-I can't eat it," said little Mary at dinner, and laid her spoon down.

"Well, then," said her mother, "I will get you some better at supper.'

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Her mother then went into the garden and dug up some potatoes, which Mary had to pick up and put into sacks till sunset.

Mary

After they had both returned to the house, her mother at length brought out the soup. tasted it, and said, "This is certainly a different kind of soup; it tastes better." So she ate the whole plateful.

But her mother smiled and said, "It is the very same soup which you left-to day at noon; but now it tastes better, because you have well earned your supper by hard work."

"A dinner, earn'd by honest labor,
Will never want a pleasant flavor."*

*Schmid.

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