he job! by the job!" and the
needles stitched away like an express train! Bartlemy, however, crossed
his legs, put his thimble firmly on, and stitched briskly for five
minutes; then his attention would wander, and presently, dropping work,
thimble, shears, and needle, he began singing to himself,

"Oh, if I were only possessed of my riches,
I never would sew on a pair of old breeches!
Thimbles and thread!
Buttons and braid!
Oh, who would be bound to this rascally trade?

"If money I had, I'd be free from all care,
And what _master_ must _make_, _I_ should have but to _wear!_
Needles and pins!
Shears and cloth ends!
When the work's ended then pleasure begins!"

"What's that you're singing about riches?" cried his master, sharply;
"Riches, forsooth! you will die in the poor house, I can tell you, if
you don't stitch more diligently! Come, sew away! sew away!" So saying,
he gave him a good thwack with his yard stick, to make him continue
working.

[Illustration]

All the beatings in the world, however, could not thump out of Bartlemy
Bowbell a belief that had got into his head that he should one day
become rich and famous, through the agency of a wonderful jewel called
the Gold Stone. As I said, people, in those days, were by no means so
wise as they are at present, and so it fell out that the most learned
philosophers of that olden time believed as firmly as did the tailor's
apprentice in the existence of this Gold Stone, the peculiar property of
which was, that if it came in contact with any common metal, it changed
it, on that instant, into gold. Now, this story had come to the ears of
Bartlemy Bowbell, and by one of those odd cranks that not overwise
people sometimes take in their heads, he was perfectly persuaded that,
sooner or later, he was fated to find the miraculous gem.

Matters soon rose to such a pitch, as may easily be seen, that his
master finally turned him out of doors, saying "that he ate more than he
would ever earn."

"Very well, master," quoth Bartlemy, "I don't regret your goose and
cabbage!" and having said this, he ran away as hard as he could,
dropping one of his slipshod shoes as he went along, with his master
pursuing after, yard stick in hand, whom, however, he soon contrived to
outstrip.

[Illustration]

As he had not earned a penny during the week, he was en