great variety
of commodities, adapted to every human want, was in itself a perfect
'curiosity-shop.' Odd-looking boxes, kegs, chests, casks, barrels and
hogsheads, contained his groceries, drugs and dye-stuffs. A few remnants
of domestic prints and muslins, together with stray fragments of
broadcloth, constituted his stock of dry-goods. Then there was a modicum
of hardware and cutlery; a few spelling-books and new testaments for a
book store; and sundry jars and bottles filled with fancy-colored powders
and liquids, for an apothecary shop. His remaining list of commodities was
made up of hats, caps and bonnets, boots and shoes, tin-pans and
looking-glasses, slate-pencils and sifters; and as his standing
advertisement in the village newspaper duly notified the public, 'other
articles too numerous to mention--call and see for yourselves.' If any
body desired an article nobody ever heard of before, he could find a large
lot thereof at Tom Hardesty's; and if any lucky or ingenious wight had
found or made any thing that nobody else would have as a gracious gift,
let him call on Mr. Hardesty, and it was the very thing he wanted. In a
word, his shop was a grand depot for every article the ingenuity of man
could devise, or his necessities require.

What a blessed convenience was Tom Hardesty! How could we have gotten
along without him? How honest and affable! What long ells and heavy pounds
he gave! And then his tea! how it inspired the village gossip on long
winter nights in a chimney corner! All the matrons of the village were
quite in love with Tom, or his tea; and many an old crone, as she sat
inhaling cup after cup of the divine beverage, has been known to pause in
the midst of her inspirations, and exclaim with uplifted hands, 'God bless
Tom Hardesty!'

And yet Tom Hardesty was a bachelor, and kept 'bachelor's hall.' The only
members of his mess were an orphan boy of his adoption, who waited in the
store, and a brindle cat which the master had honored with his own name.
This point, however, is still wrapt in obscurity, for Tom and 'Tom' were
both so venerable that nobody could swear whether the cat had been named
after the master, or the master after the cat. It had been rumored by
those who should know, that Mr. Hardesty should not be held strictly
accountable for this sin of celibacy, since he had offered his hand, his
heart, and a partnership in his worldly goods, to more than one village
beauty, each of whom had foun