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I should put rather a low value upon the taste of that man, or woman,
or child, who could visit this part of the country, when Nature has
her best dress on, and not pronounce it one of the most delightful
spots, in his or her opinion, that the sun or moon ever shone upon.

Among my friends in this charming village, is one whom, at present, I
will call Mr. Bissell--Mr. _Samuel Bissell_. I will call him so for
the present, I say. His real name is no more like Bissell than yours
is--no more like Samuel Bissell than it is like John Smith or George
Jones; but I think he will forgive us, though, for taking such a
liberty with his "good name," should he ever happen to come across
this story, and should it prove to him a sort of looking-glass, in
which he can see his own features.

When he was a lad, about twelve years old, his father, who had been
possessed of a handsome property, failed in business, and as Samuel
says, "became as poor as a church mouse." What would have taken place
if Samuel's father had been successful in his business affairs, so
that it would not have been absolutely necessary for the lad to work
for a living, is more than I can say. Probably it is more than anybody
can say. Very likely it would not have been as well for Samuel. It is
a good thing for boys and girls to work. Idleness is the cause of a
great deal of mischief. I really pity the boy whose father brings him
up without giving him a chance to learn some trade or profession. I am
always afraid that, in such cases, the lad will learn a trade "on his
own hook," and one which will give him trouble, if his father or
guardian does not himself see that he gets something better to do.

As I was saying, it is impossible to tell what would have been the
history of Samuel Bissell, if, by his father's failure in business, he
had not been driven to get a living by his own labor. It is enough for
us to know what his history actually was in the circumstances in which
he was placed when his father, by a sudden change of fortune, became a
poor man.

But I must go back a little in my history. I want you to see and mark
well two or three things, which, though little in themselves, are very
important. Little things, let me tell you, are not to be despised,
because they are little. A very small stream of water, which you might
easily wade across, can set the machinery of a whole factory in
motion. Half a dozen marks made with a pen in as many seconds, are
suff