"Ah," he said, "how disastrous is ambition! how unsatisfying its rewards!
how terrible its disappointments! Behold yonder peasant tilling his
field in peace and contentment! He rises with the lark, passes the day
in wholesome toil, and lies down at night to pleasant dreams. In the mad
struggle for place and power he has no part; the roar of the strife
reaches his ear like the distant murmur of the ocean. Happy, thrice
happy man! I will approach him and bask in the sunshine of his humble
felicity. Peasant, all hail!"

Leaning upon his rake, the Peasant returned the salutation with a nod,
but said nothing.

"My friend," said the Office Seeker, "you see before you the wreck of an
ambitious man--ruined by the pursuit of place and power. This morning
when I set out from the national capital--"

"Stranger," the Peasant interrupted, "if you're going back there soon
maybe you wouldn't mind using your influence to make me Postmaster at
Smith's Corners."

The traveller passed on.

The Various Delegation

The King of Wideout having been offered the sovereignty of Wayoff, sent
for the Three Persons who had made the offer, and said to them:

"I am extremely obliged to you, but before accepting so great a
responsibility I must ascertain the sentiments of the people of Wayoff."

"Sire," said the Spokesman of the Three Persons, "they stand before you."

"Indeed!" said the King; "are you, then, the people of Wayoff?"

"Yes, your Majesty."

"There are not many of you," the King said, attentively regarding them
with the royal eye, "and you are not so very large; I hardly think you
are a quorum. Moreover, I never heard of you until you came here;
whereas Wayoff is noted for the quality of its pork and contains hogs of
distinction. I shall send a Commissioner to ascertain the sentiments of
the hogs."

The Three Persons, bowing profoundly, backed out of the presence; but
soon afterward they desired another audience, and, on being readmitted,
said, through their Spokesman:

"May it please your Majesty, we are the hogs."

The No Case

A Statesman who had been indicted by an unfeeling Grand Jury was arrested
by a Sheriff and thrown into jail. As this was abhorrent to his fine
spiritual nature, he sent for the District Attorney and asked that the
case against him be dismissed.

"Upon what grounds?" asked the District Attorney.

"Lack of evidence to convict," replied the accused.

"Do you happe