chaise to pay what I
owed.

"You know what a little fellow the deacon is, and he looked particularly
small that evening, for he was seated in his arm-chair reading a large
newspaper which hid him all but his legs. These are so shrunken that I
wonder how his wife gets his stockings small enough for him.

"'Good evening, Mrs. White,' said I, for the old lady was sitting on the
steps knitting.

"'Mercy's sake, deacon,' said she, 'put down your newspaper; don't you see
Mr. Johnson?'

"'The deacon did not even give me a nod until he had scrutinized the
condition of the horse and chaise, and then he said, 'How are you?'

"'Not a screw loose in me, or the horse and chaise either, for I had two
girls with me, and I'm courting one of them for a quarter, so I drove very
carefully. I am in a hurry now, tell me what I am to pay you?'

"'Twelve and a half cents,' said the deacon, slowly raising his spectacles
from his nose.

"'No!' said I. 'Twelve and a half cents! Why, I have had the horse all
day.'

"'That is my price,' said the deacon.

"'For a horse and chaise, all day?' said I. 'Why, deacon, do charge me
something that I aint ashamed to pay you.'

"'That is my regular price, and I can't charge you any more.'

"I remonstrated with him, and tried to persuade him to take twenty-five
cents--but, no. I appealed to Mrs. White; she said the 'deacon hadn't ought
to take more than the horse and chaise was worth.' However, I induced him
to take eighteen and three-quarter cents, but he was uneasy about it, and
said he was afraid he was imposing on me.

"The next morning I was awakened at day-dawn--there was a man, they said,
who wanted to see me on pressing business, and could not wait. I dressed in
a hurry, wondering what was the cause of the demand for college-students. I
went down, and there stood the deacon, looking as if his last hour were
come. 'Mr. Abel,' he said, 'I have passed a dreadful restless night, and I
couldn't stand it after the day broke--here's your six and a quarter
cents--I hadn't ought to have charged you more than my usual price.' I was
angry at the old fellow for waking me up, but I could not help laughing,
too."

"''Twas very ugly of you, Mr. Abel, to persuade me to take so much,' said
he; 'you're welcome to the horse and chaise whenever you want it, but
twelve and a half cents is my usual price.'"

"Now," said Mr. Hubbard, "he is like the Portuguese devils; when they are
good, they are too good-