knee high to
a goose, or could recollect any thin' amost; I have got into a horrid
sight of scrapes by 'em, that's a fact. I never forgot that lesson
though, it was kicked into me: and lessons that are larnt on the right
eend, ain't never forgot amost. I _have_ "aimed high" ever since, and
see where I be now. Here I am an Attache, made out of a wooden clock
pedlar. Tell you what, I shall be "embassador" yet, made out of nothin'
but an "Attache," and I'll be President of our great Republic, and
almighty nation in the eend, made out of an embassador, see if I don't.
That comes of "aimin' high." What do you call that water near your
coach-house?"

"A pond."

"Is there any brook runnin' in, or any stream runnin' out?"

"No."

"Well, that's the difference between a lake and a pond. Now, set that
down for a traveller's fact. Now, where do you go to fish?"

"To the lakes, of course; there are no fish in the ponds."

"Exactly," said Mr. Slick, "that is what I want to bring you to; there
is no fish in a pond, there is nothin' but frogs. Nova Scotia is only
a pond, and so is New Brunswick, and such outlandish, out o' the way,
little crampt up, stagnant places. There is no 'big fish' there, nor
never can be; there ain't no food for 'em. A colony frog!! Heavens and
airth, what an odd fish that is? A colony pollywog! do, for gracious
sake, catch one, put him into a glass bottle full of spirits, and send
him to the Museum as a curiosity in natur. So you are a goin' to make
your two nice pretty little smart boys a pair of colony frogs, eh? Oh!
do, by all means.

"You'll have great comfort in 'em, Squire. Monstrous comfort. It will
do your old heart good to go down to the edge of the pond on the fust of
May, or thereabouts, accordin' to the season, jist at sun down, and hear
'em sing. You'll see the little fellers swell out their cheeks, and roar
away like young suckin' thunders. For the frogs beat all natur there for
noise; they have no notion of it here at all. I've seed Englishmen that
couldn't sleep all night, for the everlastin' noise these critters made.
Their frogs have somethin' else to do here besides singin'. Ain't it a
splendid prospect that, havin' these young frogs settled all round you
in the same mud-hole, all gathered in a nice little musical family
party. All fine fun this, till some fine day we Yankee storks will come
down and gobble them all up, and make clear work of it.

"No, Squire, take my advice now fo