guise.
Hisonlybookswereanalmanacandanarithmetic,inwhichlasthewasconsiderablyexpert.Theformerwasasortofcyclop?diatohim,whichhesupposedtocontainanabstractofhumanknowledge,asindeeditdoestoaconsiderableextent.Ilovedtosoundhimonthevariousreformsoftheday,andheneverfailedtolookattheminthemostsimpleandpracticallight.Hehadneverheardofsuchthingsbefore.Couldhedowithoutfactories?Iasked.Hehadwornthehome-madeVermontgray,hesaid,andthatwasgood.Couldhedispensewithteaandcoffee?Didthiscountryaffordanybeveragebesidewater?Hehadsoakedhemlockleavesinwateranddrankit,andthoughtthatwasbetterthanwaterinwarmweather.WhenIaskedhimifhecoulddowithoutmoney,heshowedtheconvenienceofmoneyinsuchawayastosuggestandcoincidewiththemostphilosophicalaccountsoftheoriginofthisinstitution,andtheveryderivationofthewordpecunia.Ifanoxwerehisproperty,andhewishedtogetneedlesandthreadatthestore,hethoughtitwouldbeinconvenientandimpossiblesoontogoonmortgagingsomeportionofthecreatureeachtimetothatamount.Hecoulddefendmanyinstitutionsbetterthananyphilosopher,because,indescribingthemastheyconcernedhim,hegavethetruereasonfortheirprevalence,andspeculationhadnotsuggestedtohimanyother.Atanothertime,hearingPlato’sdefinitionofaman,—abipedwithoutfeathers,—andthatoneexhibitedacockpluckedandcalleditPlato’sman,hethoughtitanimportantdifferencethatthekneesbentthewrongway.Hewouldsometimesexclaim,“HowIlovetotalk!ByGeorge,Icouldtalkallday!”Iaskedhimonce,whenIhadnotseenhimformanymonths,ifhehadgotanewideathissummer.“GoodLord,”saidhe,“amanthathastoworkasIdo,ifhedoesnotforgettheideashehashad,hewilldowell.Maybethemanyouhoewithisinclinedtoracethen,bygorry,yourmindmustbethereyouthinkofweeds.”Hewouldsometimesaskmefirstonsuchoccasions,ifIhadmadeanyimprovement.OnewinterdayIaskedhimifhewasalwayssatisfiedwithhimself,wishingtosuggestasubstitutewithinhimforthepriestwithout,andsomehighermotiveforliving.“Satisfied!”saidhe“somemenaresatisfiedwithonething,andsomewithanother.Oneman,perhaps,ifhehasgotenough,willbesatisfiedtositalldaywithhisbacktothefireandhisbellytothetable,byGeorge!”YetInever,byanyman?uvring,couldgethimtotakethespiritualviewofthingsth