er nonsense; and when they wanted to make a very ridiculous
figure, I noticed they came for me. I always observed that whoever
had me on talked through his nose, with an ugly drawl, and used
vulgar words and expressions, such as "Now you don't! Do tell!
Sartin true!"

Once they put me on a dancing bear. This was insulting. I don't like
to think of it. I try to forget it.

In short, every one laughs when I am present, for some reason or
other; and I suppose I have been kept on account of the merriment I
have afforded the family. After all, my friends, I am not sure that
he who adds to the innocent gayety of people is not as valuable a
person as one who has more dignity, and who never made any one laugh
in his life.

I have done, my friends--the old cloak is a more serious, dignified
person than I, and will now, I trust, give us her history."

The old cloak began to speak in a different tone from that of the
coat. I cannot say the tone was gloomy, though it was very serious.
It was a kindly, affectionate tone, that made you not unhappy, but
thoughtful. "I agree," said she, "with my neighbor who has just
spoken, that no one deserves better of society than he who promotes
its innocent merriment. No bad person can know what true gayety of
heart is. Goodness and cheerfulness are like substance and shadow;
where the one is, the other will always follow.

I was made of German wool; and, in my country, the people all laugh
and sing. They keep still a saying of old Martin Luther, which runs,
if I remember rightly,--

"Wo man singt, leg' ich mich freilich nieder. Bose Menschen haben
keine Lieder."

"Keep to plain English, you Hushan!" shouted the musket with a kick.

"I am sorry to hurt your feelings, my old soldier," said the good
natured cloak. "I think, however, it is rather hard of you to keep
the name of Hessian as a term of reproach forever, just because a
few poor miserable fellows once came over here to fight you. Was it
not enough to have treated them as you say you did in the Jerseys?
For the benefit of you and those less prejudiced, I will translate
the couplet:--

"Where I singing hear,
I lay me, free from fear.
Men intent on wrong
Never have a song."

I was a singer myself once during the short time when I was
connected with one of dame spinning wheel's relatives. I am not even
a laugher now. Still I am contented and cheerful, and I remember
past trials without any bitterness. I went through