sperous of all Americans sculptors.

"Paint me just as I am, warts and all," said Oliver Cromwell to the
artist who, thinking to please the great man, had omitted a mole.

"I can remember when you blacked my father's shoes," said one member of
the House of Commons to another in the heat of debate. "True enough,"
was the prompt reply, "but did I not black them well?"

"It is easy to tell good indigo," said an old lady. "Just take a lump
and put it into water, and if it is good, it will either sink or swim,
I am not sure which; but never mind, you can try it for yourself."

John B. Gough told of a colored preacher who, wishing his congregation
to fresco the recess back of the pulpit, suddenly closed his Bible and
said, "There, my bredren, de Gospel will not be dispensed with any more
from dis pulpit till de collection am sufficient to fricassee dis
abscess."

When troubled with deafness, Wellington consulted a celebrated
physician, who put strong caustic into his ear, causing an inflammation
which threatened his life. The doctor apologized, expressed great
regrets, and said that the blunder would ruin him. "No," said
Wellington, "I will never mention it." "But you will allow me to
attend you, so that people will not withdraw their confidence?" "No,"
said the Iron Duke, "that would be lying."

"Father," said a boy, "I saw an immense number of dogs--five hundred, I
am sure--in our street, last night." "Surely not so many," said the
father. "Well, there were one hundred, I'm quite sure." "It could not
be," said the father; "I don't think there are a hundred dogs in our
village." "Well, sir, it could not be less than ten: this I am quite
certain of." "I will not believe you saw ten even," said the father;
"for you spoke as confidently of seeing five hundred as of seeing this
smaller number. You have contradicted yourself twice already, and now
I cannot believe you." "Well, sir," said the disconcerted boy, "I saw
at least our Dash and another one."

We condemn the boy for exaggerating in order to tell a wonderful story;
but how much more truthful are they who "never saw it rain so before,"
or who call day after day the hottest of the summer or the coldest of
the winter?

There is nothing which all mankind venerate and admire so much as
simple truth, exempt from artifice, duplicity, and design. It exhibits
at once a strength of character and integrity of purpose in which all
are willing to confide.

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