y-seventh year he died. It was a pity he did not live to
be a hundred. The night before he died, he went into his room to put
me on my accustomed pole. He did not see clearly, and let me fall on
the floor.

"Ah!" said he, "the old head will fall too, before long. No matter;
it is time it should go. Here, Cato, help your old master."

Cato was at hand, picked me up, put me in my place, and helped his
master to bed.

I never saw the dear old man again.

The next thing that I remember, is being put into a box and carried
I knew not whither.

The first light I saw was the dim light of this garret.

The mother of that little girl took me out; and as she put me on my
pole, which she had caused to be brought here also, "People may
laugh at me," said she, "but I will keep the dear old man's wig. It
seems to me a part of him, and is a memorial of the happy hours I
have passed under his hospitable roof."

It is now one hundred and six years since I was born into this
world. For twenty-eight years I flourished on the beautiful head of
dear Alice. Ever since then, I have been only a wig. I am now
falling into utter decay. If any one were to shake me, I should fall
to pieces. I have, like many of you, my friends, since inhabiting
this garret, been abused and made fun of, by children. I was once
put upon the head of a donkey, while a boy with a fool's cap on his
head rode him, and took a love letter to a young man. I was also put
upon the head of a great monkey brought to the house for exhibition,
who took me off his head and threw me at the boys. Once, as you
know, I was made to play the mock judge on the head of a dog. Once
that little girl who sleeps there, used me to keep a litter of
kittens warm in, on a cold winter night. This nearly killed me, and
from that moment the children were forbidden to touch me.

"I have now," concluded the wig, "only to ask your pardon, my
friends, for the impatience with which I have listened to your
stories when I thought them too long, and for the truly human vanity
and inconsistency which made me tell the longest story myself. But I
knew that no one waited for me. I shall certainly never speak more.
These are my last words. Farewell."

Just at these words, it seemed to me as if the wig gradually
dissolved into a bright halo. Then suddenly it fell into golden
ringlets all so soft and graceful and beautiful; while I looked,
they seemed to shade such a lovely, innocent face, that I knew