r of the
World.' It is hard for a Pixie to acknowledge in any way the Blessed
Author of Salvation to Men. Let me see!--M stands for one thousand; M, M
for two thousand; the bar over the top means a thousand also. [=M] is
one thousand thousand, [=M], [=M] two thousand thousand, and just there
is a gap. The other legible figures count up eighteen hundred. That is
all I can make out; but I suppose the Pixies mean to say that the world
is a good many thousand times two hundred thousand years old! Do you
believe it?"

"That's a ripe old age, Sophie," said Faith, "and I neither believe nor
disbelieve. How can one tell? Our fathers only say that 'in the
beginning,' whenever that was, the world was made. But the further back
one can trace the being of the earth by established facts, just so much
further can we 'walk by sight' into the Eternity whose sovereign Lord we
receive by faith."

"True enough," replied Sophia, "the question interests me as a matter of
fact simply. As a matter of religion, I suppose it has little value. At
least, I have so heard the good minister Dr. Comingo say in conversation
with Governor Wille. But turn the page, please!"

Faith turned the leaves of the book, reading aloud the titles of the
chapters. Now and then she stopped, read a sentence or two, commented
upon the sentiment, and contrasted it with the good, pure, unselfish
laws of Brownieland. Our story need not be burdened with much of what
Faith and Sophia saw in the "Wisdom of the Pixies," but some of our
older readers will be curious to have a few extracts. Here they are,
with the headings or titles of the chapters given, for the most part:

Chapter I. On the First and Great Law--Take Care of Number One....
Chapter II. On the Chief End of Life--Eat, Drink and be Merry, for
To-morrow You Die.... Chapter IX. The End Justifies the Means....
Chapter X. On Attaining One's End: By Fair Means if You Can, by Foul
Means if You Must.... Chapter XV. Showing That an Individual Cannot
Wrong a Corporation--On the Right of Corporations to Plunder the
People.... Chapter XVI. Showing That it Cannot be Wrong to Rob a
Government.... Chapter XVII. Showing That Since the World Loves to be
"Humbugged," it is Quite Lawful to Gratify it, for One's Own
Advantage.... Chapter XXXV. Is Man an Automaton?

"Why, what a strange notion!" cried Sophie. "What sage starts that
question?"

"It appears to be some Chinese sage whose sentiments are quoted, if I
may judge by