mpared to the
personal investigation of the fact--facts for the people, and for
himself as one of the people--that's the pivot on which Mathew Mizzle
turns and returns, one fact being to his mind worth whole volumes of
speculative assumption; and to Mizzle all facts, let them relate to
what they may, are of peculiar interest. It is useless to tell him so.
He must go, see and examine for himself. Often, for instance, as he
had been told that Gruffenhoff's big dog would bite at the aspect of
strange visitations, do you think that this species of information
would content the youthful Mizzle? No--he must see into the matter for
himself, and ascertain it beyond the possibility of a doubt, by
touching up Gruffenhoff's big dog with a stick, as the aforesaid big
dog lay asleep in the sun, whereby the demonstration was immediately
afforded. The big dog would bite--he did bite severely; and thus the
little Mizzle added another fact to his magazine of knowledge, as well
as an enduring scar to his person, which placed the result upon
record, and kept memory fresh on the subject. One dog, at least, will
bite; and thenceforth, Mathew Mizzle admitted the inference that dogs
are apt to bite, under circumstances congenial to such dental
performances. If you doubt it, there's the mark.

"Burnee--burnee, baby," are the notes of warning often heard in the
nursery, when heated stoves become an object of interest to little
human specimens just learning to creep. But "burnee, burnee," conveyed
no precise idea to the infantile Mizzle during his preliminary
locomotive operations; and in consonance with the impulses of his
nature, he soon tried the stove in its most intense displays of
caloric, and in this way determined that "burnee, burnee," was
unpleasant to the person, and injurious to the costume and raiment of
that person, to say nothing of its threatening dispositions toward the
whole establishment. "Burnee, burnee," to the house, as well as
"burnee, burnee," to the baby. And so also as to lamps and
candles--that they would "burnee" too, was placed, painfully, beyond
the impertinent reach of a doubt in minds of the most sceptic order.
Mathew Mizzle can show you the evidences to this day, scored, as it
were, upon the living parchment, and engrossed in characters not to be
misunderstood upon the cuticular binding of his physical identity.

It was useless, also, to place the little Mathew at the head of
stairs, with information that any f