that any intellect, especially in so
small a matter, should have such power to impose itself upon another,
against its best exerted will, too. However, it is satisfaction to know
that the main moral, to which all tends, I fully approve. But, to
begin."

CHAPTER XL.

IN WHICH THE STORY OF CHINA ASTER IS AT SECOND-HAND TOLD BY ONE WHO,
WHILE NOT DISAPPROVING THE MORAL, DISCLAIMS THE SPIRIT OF THE STYLE.

"China Aster was a young candle-maker of Marietta, at the mouth of the
Muskingum--one whose trade would seem a kind of subordinate branch of
that parent craft and mystery of the hosts of heaven, to be the means,
effectively or otherwise, of shedding some light through the darkness of
a planet benighted. But he made little money by the business. Much ado
had poor China Aster and his family to live; he could, if he chose,
light up from his stores a whole street, but not so easily could he
light up with prosperity the hearts of his household.

"Now, China Aster, it so happened, had a friend, Orchis, a shoemaker;
one whose calling it is to defend the understandings of men from naked
contact with the substance of things: a very useful vocation, and which,
spite of all the wiseacres may prophesy, will hardly go out of fashion
so long as rocks are hard and flints will gall. All at once, by a
capital prize in a lottery, this useful shoemaker was raised from a
bench to a sofa. A small nabob was the shoemaker now, and the
understandings of men, let them shift for themselves. Not that Orchis
was, by prosperity, elated into heartlessness. Not at all. Because, in
his fine apparel, strolling one morning into the candlery, and gayly
switching about at the candle-boxes with his gold-headed cane--while
poor China Aster, with his greasy paper cap and leather apron, was
selling one candle for one penny to a poor orange-woman, who, with the
patronizing coolness of a liberal customer, required it to be carefully
rolled up and tied in a half sheet of paper--lively Orchis, the woman
being gone, discontinued his gay switchings and said: 'This is poor
business for you, friend China Aster; your capital is too small. You
must drop this vile tallow and hold up pure spermaceti to the world. I
tell you what it is, you shall have one thousand dollars to extend with.
In fact, you must make money, China Aster. I don't like to see your
little boy paddling about without shoes, as he does.'

"'Heaven bless your goodness, friend Orchis,' replied