Trueman's name out of a newspaper,"
interrupted he in a fright, "for if it be there, it must either be
found in the Old Bailey or the bankrupt list, unless, indeed, I were
to remove shop, or sell off my old stock. Well, but Mr. Fantom, you,
I suppose, are now as happy as the day is long?" "Oh yes," replied
Fantom, with a gloomy sigh, which gave the lie to his words,
"perfectly happy! I wonder you do not give up all your sordid
employments, and turn philosopher!" "Sordid indeed!" said Trueman,
"do not call names, Mr. Fantom; I shall never be ashamed of my
trade. What is it has made this country so great? a country whose
merchants are princes? It is trade, Mr. Fantom, trade. I can not say
indeed, as well as I love business, but now and then, when I am
overworked, I wish I had a little more time to look after my soul;
but the fear that I should not devote the time, if I had it, to the
best purpose, makes me work on, though often, when I am balancing my
accounts, I tremble, lest I should neglect to balance the great
account. But still, since, like you, I am a man of no education, I
am more afraid of the temptations of leisure, than of those of
business; I never was bred to read more than a chapter in the Bible,
or some other good book, or the magazine and newspaper; and all that
I can do now, after shop is shut, is to take a walk with my children
in the field besides. But if I had nothing to do from morning to
night, I might be in danger of turning politician or philosopher.
No, neighbor Fantom, depend upon it, that where there is no
learning, next to God's grace, the best preservative of human virtue
is business. As to our political societies, like the armies in the
cave of Adullam, 'every man that is in distress, and every man that
is in debt, and every man that is discontented, will always join
themselves unto them.'"

_Fantom._ You have narrow views, Trueman. What _can_ be more
delightful than to see a paper of one's own in print against tyranny
and superstition, contrived with so much ingenuity, that, though the
law is on the look-out for treason and blasphemy, a little change of
name defeats its scrutiny. For instance; you may stigmatize
_England_ under the name of _Rome_, and _Christianity_ under the
name of _Popery_. The true way is to attack whatever you have a mind
to injure, under another name, and the best means to destroy the use
of a thing, is to produce a few incontrovertible facts against the
abuses it. O