lways loved to return to it.

In his advanced years he wished to prepare a little story or parable
that would show that people spend too much time and money on things that
could be more cheaply purchased or that they could well do without. He
wrote out an anecdote of his childhood that illustrated in a clear way,
like so many flashes, how the resources of life may be wasted. The story
has been printed, we may safely say, a thousand times. Few stories have
ever had a wider circulation or been more often quoted. It has in it a
picture of his old home, and as such we must give it here. Here is the
parable again, as in the original:

"When I was a child, at seven years old, my friends, on a holiday,
filled my pockets with coppers. I went directly to a shop where they
sold toys for children, and, being charmed with the sound of a _whistle_
that I met by the way in the hands of another boy, I voluntarily offered
him all my money for one. I then came home, and went whistling all over
the house, much pleased with my _whistle_, but disturbing all the
family. My brothers and sisters and cousins, understanding the bargain I
had made, told me I had given four times as much for it as it was worth.
This put me in mind what good things I might have bought with the rest
of the money; and they laughed at me so much for my folly that I cried
with vexation, and the reflection gave me more chagrin than the
_whistle_ gave me pleasure.

"This, however, was afterward of use to me, the impression continuing on
my mind; so that often, when I was tempted to buy some unnecessary
thing, I said to myself, _Don't give too much for the whistle_, and so I
saved my money.

"As I grew up, came into the world, and observed the actions of men, I
thought I met with many, very many, who _gave too much for the whistle_.

"When I saw any one too ambitious of court favor, sacrificing his time
in attendance on levees, his repose, his liberty, his virtue, and
perhaps his friends, to attain it, I have said to myself, _This man gave
too much for his whistle._

"When I saw another fond of popularity, constantly employing himself in
political bustles, neglecting his own affairs, and ruining them by
neglect, _He pays, indeed_, says I, _too much for this whistle._

"If I knew a miser who gave up every kind of comfortable living, all the
pleasure of doing good to others, all the esteem of his fellow-citizens,
and the joys of benevolent friendship for the sake of