nd feet had thrown out the volume that
Waldo carried in his breast. Bonaparte picked it up and began to inspect
it, as the boy climbed slowly over the wall. He would have walked off
sullenly, but he wanted his book, and he waited until it should be given
him.

"Ha!" said Bonaparte, raising his eyes from the leaves of the book which
he was examining, "I hope your coat has not been injured; it is of an
elegant cut. An heirloom, I presume, from your paternal grandfather? It
looks nice now."

"Oh, Lord! oh! Lord!" cried Tant Sannie, laughing and holding her sides;
"how the child looks--as though he thought the mud would never wash off.
Oh, Lord, I shall die! You, Bonaparte, are the funniest man I ever saw."

Bonaparte Blenkins was now carefully inspecting the volume he had picked
up. Among the subjects on which the darkness of his understanding had
been enlightened during his youth, Political Economy had not been one.
He was not, therefore, very clear as to what the nature of the book
might be; and as the name of the writer, J.S. Mill, might, for anything
he knew to the contrary, have belonged to a venerable member of the
British and Foreign Bible Society, it by no means threw light upon the
question. He was not in any way sure that Political Economy had nothing
to do with the cheapest way of procuring clothing for the army and navy,
which would be certainly both a political and economical subject.

But Bonaparte soon came to a conclusion as to the nature of the book
and its contents, by the application of a simple rule now largely
acted upon, but which, becoming universal, would save much thought and
valuable time. It is of marvellous simplicity, of infinite utility, of
universal applicability. It may easily be committed to memory and runs
thus:

Whenever you come into contact with any book, person, or opinion of
which you absolutely comprehend nothing, declare that book, person or
opinion to be immoral. Bespatter it, vituperate against it, strongly
insist that any man or woman harbouring it is a fool or a knave, or
both. Carefully abstain from studying it. Do all that in you lies to
annihilate that book, person, or opinion.

Acting on this rule, so wide in its comprehensiveness, so beautifully
simple in its working, Bonaparte approached Tant Sannie with the book in
his hand. Waldo came a step nearer, eyeing it like a dog whose young has
fallen into evil hands.

"This book," said Bonaparte, "is not a fit and proper