THE BOY'S FRIEND. MYSELF. Many a better man has hidden himself, MEN have different ways of doing things. One man on a journey mounts his horse, and keeps the turnpike-road; another walks blithely across the fields. One man goes round the world, comes back again, and says nothing; another travels a hundred miles, and has a thousand things to describe on his return. Then, again, some men think that they cannot talk wisely without first making a long face, and appearing B disconsolate; others are all alive, and cheerful, and smile while they impart their lessons of instruction. If, then, other people indulge their whims, let me indulge mine also; and if I like to be awake while others sleep, to laugh when others cry, and to make myself agreeable when they are peevish and ill-tempered, let it not be to my reproach. If you are reasonable, you will see reason in these remarks; and if you are unreasonable, the best reasons in the world will not satisfy you. It is my desire to give you pleasure and profit, and did I happen to know of what you are most fond, I would commence with that subject; but as I do not, suppose, to make a beginning, I say something about myself. When I was a child, I cried and laughed longer and louder than any child within ten miles of the place; ran across the room when others of my age could not stand upon their feet; and talked before my companions could say a word. When a boy, I outran my schoolfellows at hare and hounds, and in arithmetic; beat them at trap and ball, and trigonometry; and surpassed the whole school in trundling a hoop, and in comprehending the terrestrial and celestial globes. When I became a man, still determined to excel, I read more, travelled more, saw more, talked more, reflected more, and, of course, understood more, than other men. No wonder, then, that I am so much wiser than my neighbours. And now, if I have not convinced you of my ability to amuse and instruct you, why you must be a very odd sort of a person. Every man has some strange humour or other, and my humour is to talk; a capital thing it is, then, that I am able to talk so much to the purpose. If I were satisfied that you would remember half of what I say, I might be content to talk less, but as I know very well that you will not do so, I think it right to say the more, that there may be the better chance of a part of it being remembered. If a sportsman were to put but one shot into his gun, he would most likely miss his mark; but when he puts in fifty, he has a better chance of bringing down his game. If it be an error to talk fast, let my example warn you from committing it, and then you will have reason to be thankful for my fast talking all the days of your life. You may fancy, too, that I have but little method in what I say; that I huddle together, all sixes and sevens, things which have no natural connexion with each other, and fly from little to |