54 ECLECTIC SERIES.

1. ABOUT twenty years ago there lived a singular gentleman in the Old
Hall among the elm trees. He was about three score years of age, very
rich, and somewhat odd in many of his habits, but for generosity and
benevolence he had no equal.

2. No poor cottager stood in need of comforts, which he was not ready
to supply; no sick man or woman languished for want of his assistance;
and not even a beggar, unless a known impostor, went empty handed
from the Hall. Like the village pastor described in Goldsmith's poem of
"The Deserted Village,"

"His house was known to all the vagrant train; 
He chid their wand’rings, but relieved their pain; 
The long remembered beggar was his guest, 
Whose beard descending swept his aged breast."

4. No sooner was it known that the old gentleman was in want of a boy
than twenty applications were made for the situation; but he determined
not to engage anyone until he had in some way ascertained that he did
not possess a curious, prying disposition.

5. On Monday morning seven lads, dressed in their Sunday clothes,
with bright and happy faces, made their appearance at the Hall, each of
them desiring to obtain the situation. Now the old gentleman, being of
a singular disposition,

had prepared a room in such a way that he might easily know if
any of the young people who applied were given to meddle
unnecessarily with things around them, or to peep into cupboards and
drawers. He took care that the lads who were then at Elm Tree Hall
should be shown into this room one after another.

6. And first, Charles Brown was sent into the room, and told that he
would have to wait a little. So Charles sat down on a chair near the door.
For some time he was very quiet, and looked about him; but there
seemed to be so many curious things in the room that at last he got up to
peep at them.

7. On the table was placed a dish cover, and Charles wanted sadly to
know what was under it, but he felt afraid of lifting it up. Bad habits are
strong things; and, as Charles was of a curious disposition, he could not
withstand the temptation of taking one peep. So he lifted up the cover.

8. This turned out to be a sad affair; for under the dish cover was a heap
of very light feathers; part of the feathers, drawn up by a current of air,
flew about the room, and Charles, in his fright, putting the cover down
hastily, puffed the rest of them off the table.

9. What was to be done? Charles began to pick up the feathers one by
one; but the old gentleman, who was in an adjoining room, hearing a
scuffle, and guessing the cause of it, entered the room, to the
consternation of Charles Brown, who was very soon dismissed as a
boy who had not principle enough to resist even a slight temptation.

10. When the room was once more arranged, Henry Wilkins was placed
there until such time as he should be sent for. No sooner was he left to
himself than his attention was attracted by a plate of fine, ripe cherries.
Now Henry was uncommonly fond of cherries, and he thought it would
be impossible to miss one cherry among so many. He looked and longed,
and longed and looked, for some

time, and just as he had got off his seat to take one, he heard, as he
thought, a foot coming to the door; but no, it was a false alarm.

11. Taking fresh courage, he went cautiously and took a very fine cherry for he was determined to take but one, and put it into his mouth. It was
excellent; and then he persuaded himself that he ran no risk in taking
another; this he did, and hastily popped it into his mouth.

12. Now, the old gentleman had placed a few artificial cherries at the top
of the others, filled with Cayenne pepper; one of these Henry had
unfortunately taken, and it made his mouth smart and burn most
intolerably. The old gentleman heard him coughing, and knew very well
what was the matter. The boy that would take what did not belong to
him, if no more than a cherry, was not the boy for him. Henry Wilkins
was sent about his business without delay, with his mouth almost as hot
as if he had put a burning coal into it.

13. Rufus Wilson was next introduced into the room and left to himself;
but he had not been there ten minutes before he began to move from one
place to another. He was of a bold, resolute temper, but not overburdened
with principle; for if he could have opened every cupboard, closet, and
drawer in the house, without being found out, he would have done it
directly.

14. Having looked around the room, he noticed a drawer to the table, and
made up his mind to peep therein. But no sooner did he lay hold of the
drawer knob than he set a large bell ringing, which was concealed under
the table. The old gentleman immediately answered the summons, and
entered the room.

15. Rufus was so startled by the sudden ringing of the bell, that all his
impudence could not support him. He looked as though any one might
knock him down with a feather. The old gentleman asked him if he had
rung the bell because he wanted anything. Rufus was much confused,

and stammered, and tried to excuse himself, but all to no
purpose, for it did not prevent him from being ordered off the premises.

16. George Jones was then shown into the room by an old steward; and
being of a cautious disposition, he touched nothing, but only looked at the
things about him. At last he saw that a closet door was a little open, and,
thinking it would be impossible for any one to know that he had opened
it a little more, he very cautiously opened it an inch farther, looking down
at the bottom of the door, that it might not catch against anything and
make a noise.

17. Now had he looked at the top, instead of the bottom, it might have
been better for him; for to the top of the door was fastened a plug, which
filled up the hole of a small barrel of shot. He ventured to open the door
another inch, and then another, till, the plug being pulled out of the barrel,
the leaden shot began to pour out at a strange rate. At the bottom of the
closet was placed a tin pan, and the shot falling upon this pan made such
a clatter that George was frightened half out of his senses.

18. The old gentleman soon came into the room to inquire what was the
matter, and there he found George nearly as pale as a sheet. George was
soon dismissed.

19. It now came the turn of Albert Jenkins to be put into the room. The
other boys had been sent to their homes by different ways, and no one
knew what the experience of the other had been in the room of trial.

20. On the table stood a small round box, with a screw top to it, and
Albert, thinking it contained something curious, could not be easy
without unscrewing the top; but no sooner did he do this than out
bounced an artificial snake, fall a yard long, and fell upon his arm. He
started back, and uttered a scream which brought the old gentleman to his
elbow. There stood Albert, with the bottom of the box in one hand, the
top in the other, and the snake on the floor.

21. "Come, come," said the old gentleman, "one snake is quite enough to
have in the house at a time; therefore, the sooner you are gone the better."
With that he dismissed him, without waiting a moment for his reply.

22. William Smith next entered the room, and being left alone soon began
to amuse himself in looking at the curiosities around him. William was not
only curious and prying, but dishonest, too, and observing that the key
was left in the drawer of a bookcase, he stepped on tiptoe in that
direction. The key had a wire fastened to it, which communicated with an
electrical machine, and William received such a shock as he was not likely
to forget. No sooner did he sufficiently recover himself to walk, than he
was told to leave the house, and let other people lock and unlock their
own drawers.

23. The other boy was Harry Gordon, and though he was left in the room
full twenty minutes, he never during that time stirred from his chair.
Harry had eyes in his head as well as the others, but he had more integrity
in his heart; neither the dish cover, the cherries, the drawer knob, the
closet door, the round box, nor the key tempted him to rise from his seat;
and the consequence was that, in half an hour after, he was engaged in the
service of the old gentleman at Elm Tree Hall. He followed his good old
master to his grave, and received a large legacy for his upright conduct in
his service.
 

DEFINITIONS 2. Languished, suffered, sank away. Im p-ostor, a deceiver. 
3. A ver'sion, dislike. In dulge', to give way to. Pound, a British denomination of money equal in value to about $4.86. 4. Ap pli cation, the act of making
a request. 9. Conster na’tion, excessive terror, dismay. Prin'ci ple, a right
rule of conduct. 12. Ar ti fl'cial (pro. ar ti fish’al), made by art, not real. In 
toler ably, in a manner not to he borne. 14. S6m'mon§, a call to appear.
19. Ex peri ence, knowledge gained by actual trial. 23. In teg'ri ty,
honesty. Legacy, a gift, by will, of personal property.