g. The Audience lifted the
glass case from him and set it over the Boy-leaning-against-a-greyhound
and the China-girl-rising-out-of-a-pen-wiper.

"Be happy!" said he.

"Happy!" said the Cat-made-of-worsted. "Happy!"

Still they were happy.

THE AUTOCRAT OF THE BREAKFAST TABLE

BY OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES

It is not easy, at the best, for two persons talking together to make
the most of each other's thoughts, there are so many of them.

[The company looked as if they wanted an explanation.]

When John and Thomas, for instance, are talking together, it is natural
enough that among the six there should be more or less confusion and
misapprehension.

[Our landlady turned pale;--no doubt she thought there was a screw loose
in my intellects,--and that involved the probable loss of a boarder. A
severe-looking person, who wears a Spanish cloak and a sad cheek, fluted
by the passions of the melodrama, whom I understand to be the
professional ruffian of the neighboring theater, alluded, with a certain
lifting of the brow, drawing down of the corners of the mouth and
somewhat rasping _voce di petti_, to Falstaff's nine men in buckram.
Everybody looked up. I believe the old gentleman opposite was afraid I
should seize the carving-knife; at any rate, he slid it to one side, as
it were carelessly.]

I think, I said, I can make it plain to Benjamin Franklin here, that
there are at least six personalities distinctly to be recognized as
taking part in that dialogue between John and Thomas.

{ 1. The real John; known only to his Maker.
{ 2. John's ideal John; never the real one, and often
Three Johns { very unlike him.
{ 3. Thomas's ideal John; never the real John, nor
{ John's John, but often very unlike either.

{ 1. The real Thomas.
Three Thomases { 2. Thomas's ideal Thomas.
{ 3. John's ideal Thomas.

Only one of the three Johns is taxed; only one can be weighed on a
platform-balance; but the other two are just as important in the
conversation. Let us suppose the real John to be old, dull and
ill-looking. But as the Higher Powers have not conferred on men the gift
of seeing themselves in the true light, John very possibly conceives
himself to be youthful, witty, and fascinating, and talks from the point
of view of this ideal. Thomas, again believes him to be an artful rogue,
we will say; therefore he _is_ so f