f hard points and tough knots, that, should you
but lose the crossing of a 't,' or even the dotting of an 'i,'
thereof, all the rest will be to you as so much hifalutin
transcendentalism." (Here Uncle Juvinell took a gigantic swallow of
cider, and pronounced the sugar a decided improvement; while the
little folks wrote something on their slates, very long, and which no
two of them spelt alike. Uncle Juvinell smacked his lips, and then
resumed.)

Now, you must know, my dear children, that Great Britain, at the time
of which we are speaking, was, and for many years had been, and, in
fact, still is, and, in all human likelihood, will ever continue to
be, burdened with a mountain-load of debt, which has already given her
a frightful stoop in the shoulders, and may, in time, grow to such an
enormous bulk as to break her sturdy old back outright. She had, as
you have seen, added all French America to her dominions; but with
this increase of power and glory, that made her king and nobles smile
and sing with joy, came also an increase of debt and trouble, that
made her common people scowl and growl with want and discontent. The
expenses of the late war with France had added the weight of another
AEtna or Sinai to the already staggering load that chafed her back;
and, sorely grieved thereat, she began casting in her mind what might
be done to lighten it a little.

"My young Colonies," said our mother to herself, "which were planted
by my love so many years ago, have grown to a goodly size, and
prospered in a wonderful manner, under my fostering care, for which
they owe me many thanks; and, being quite old and strong enough, must
now repay it by taking their due share of my heavy burden."

Now, in all this, our mother did but deceive herself: for these
Colonies had been planted by her oppression, not by her love; they
had grown by her neglect, not by her fostering care. Therefore, they
did not, as she pretended, owe her either love or thanks, although
they gave her both; and she had no right to make them carry her burden
without their consent. Strange as it may appear, these infant Colonies
loved their mother to distraction, in spite of her unmotherly
treatment of them; and would have gone any length to serve her,--even
to the extent of bearing double the burden she would have laid on
them,--had she been wise enough to consult their wishes about the
matter, and suffer them to lay it on their own shoulders, in their own
fashio