from his breast:
"here they are, a gross of green spectacles, with silver rims and
shagreen cases."

"A gross of green spectacles!" repeated my wife, in a faint voice. "And
you have parted with the colt and brought us back nothing but a gross of
green paltry spectacles!"

"Dear mother," cried the boy, "why won't you listen to reason? I had
them a dead bargain, or I should not have bought them. The silver rims
will sell for double the money."

"A fig for the silver rims!" cried my wife, in a passion. "I dare swear
they won't sell for above half the money at the rate of broken silver,
five shillings an ounce."

"You need be under no uneasiness," cried I, "about selling the rims; for
they are not worth sixpence, for I perceive they are only copper
varnished over."

"What," cried my wife, "not silver, the rims not silver!"

"No," cried I, "no more silver than your sauce-pan."

"And so," returned she, "we have parted with the colt, and have only got
a gross of green spectacles, with copper rims and shagreen cases! A
murrain take such trumpery! The blockhead has been imposed upon, and
should have known his company better."

"There, my dear," cried I, "you are wrong; he should not have known them
at all."

"Marry, hang the idiot," returned she, "to bring me such stuff; if I had
them, I would throw them into the fire."

"There again you are wrong, my dear," cried I; "for though they be
copper, we will keep them by us, as copper spectacles, you know, are
better than nothing."

By this time the unfortunate Moses was undeceived. He now saw that he
had been imposed upon by a prowling sharper, who, observing his figure,
had marked him for an easy prey. I therefore asked the circumstances of
his deception. He sold the horse, it seems, and walked the fair in
search of another. A reverend-looking man brought him to a tent, under
pretence of having one to sell.

"Here," continued Moses, "we met another man, very well dressed, who
desired to borrow twenty pounds upon these, saying that he wanted money
and would dispose of them for a third of the value. The first gentleman,
who pretended to be my friend, whispered me to buy them, and cautioned
me not to let so good an offer pass. I sent for Mr. Flamborough, and
they talked him up as finely as they did me, and so at last we were
persuaded to buy the two gross between us."

Goldsmith: "The Vicar of Wakefield."

THE MAPLE

Oh, tenderly deepen the woodland gl