Boughtandexchanged-Quiteempty-Anewfirm-Bibles-
Countenanceofalion-Clapofthunder-Atrucewiththis-I
havelostit-Clearlyaright-GoddessoftheMint。
INpursuanceofmypromisetotheoldwoman,IsetaboutprocuringheraBiblewithallconvenientspeed,placingthebookwhichshehadintrustedtomeforthepurposeofexchangeinmypocket。I
wenttoseveralshops,andaskedifBiblesweretobehad:Ifoundthattherewereplenty。When,however,IinformedthepeoplethatIcametobarter,theylookedblank,anddeclinedtreatingwithme;
sayingthattheydidnotdobusinessinthatway。AtlastIwentintoashopoverthewindowofwhichIsawwritten,’Booksboughtandexchanged’:therewasasmartishyoungfellowintheshop,withblackhairandwhiskers;’Youexchange?’saidI。’Yes,’saidhe,’sometimes,butwepreferselling;whatbookdoyouwant?’’A
Bible,’saidI。’Ah,’saidhe,’there’sagreatdemandforBiblesjustnow;allkindsofpeoplearebecomeverypiousoflate,’headded,grinningatme;’IamafraidIcan’tdobusinesswithyou,moreespeciallyasthemasterisnotathome。Whatbookhaveyoubrought?’Takingthebookoutofmypocket,Iplaceditonthecounter:theyoungfellowopenedthebook,andinspectingthetitle-page,burstintoaloudlaugh。’Whatdoyoulaughfor?’saidI,angrily,andhalfclenchingmyfist。’Laugh!’saidtheyoungfellow;’laugh!whocouldhelplaughing?’’Icould,’saidI;’I
seenothingtolaughat;IwanttoexchangethisbookforaBible。’
’Youdo?’saidtheyoungfellow;’well,Idaresaythereareplentywhowouldbewillingtoexchange,thatis,iftheydared。Iwishmasterwereathome;butthatwouldneverdo,either。Master’safamilyman,theBiblesarenotmine,andmasterbeingafamilyman,issharp,andknowsallhisstock;I’dbuyitofyou,but,totellyouthetruth,Iamquiteemptyhere,’saidhe,pointingtohispocket,’soIamafraidwecan’tdeal。’
Whereupon,lookinganxiouslyattheyoungman,’WhatamItodo?’
saidI;’IreallywantaBible。’
’Can’tyoubuyone?’saidtheyoungman;’haveyounomoney?’
’Yes,’saidI,’Ihavesome,butIammerelytheagentofanother;
Icametoexchange,nottobuy;whatamItodo?’
’Idon’tknow,’saidtheyoungman,thoughtfullylayingdownthebookonthecounter;’Idon’tknowwhatyoucando;Ithinkyouwillfindsomedifficultyinthisbarteringjob,thetradeareratherprecise。’Allatoncehelaughedlouderthanbefore;
suddenlystopping,however,heputonaverygravelook。’Takemyadvice,’saidhe;’thereisafirmestablishedinthisneighbourhoodwhichscarcelysellsanybooksbutBibles;theyareveryrich,andpridethemselvesonsellingtheirbooksatthelowestpossibleprice;applytothem,whoknowsbutwhattheywillexchangewithyou?’
ThereuponIdemandedwithsomeeagernessoftheyoungmanthedirectiontotheplacewherehethoughtitpossiblethatImighteffecttheexchange-whichdirectiontheyoungfellowcheerfullygaveme,and,asIturnedaway,hadthecivilitytowishmesuccess。
Ihadnodifficultyinfindingthehousetowhichtheyoungfellowdirectedme;itwasaverylargehouse,situatedinasquare;anduponthesideofthehousewaswritteninlargeletters,’Bibles,andotherreligiousbooks。’
Atthedoorofthehouseweretwoorthreetumbrils,intheactofbeingloadedwithchests,verymuchresemblingtea-chests;oneofthechestsfallingdown,burst,andoutflew,nottea,butvariousbooks,inaneat,smallsize,andinneatleathercovers;Bibles,saidI,-Bibles,doubtless。Iwasnotquiteright,norquitewrong;pickinguponeofthebooks,Ilookedatitforamoment,andfoundittobetheNewTestament。’Come,younglad,’saidamanwhostoodby,inthedressofaporter,’putthatbookdown,itisnoneofyours;ifyouwantabook,goinanddealforone。’
Deal,thoughtI,deal,-themanseemstoknowwhatIamcomingabout,-andgoingin,Ipresentlyfoundmyselfinaverylargeroom。Behindacountertwomenstoodwiththeirbackstoasplendidfire,warmingthemselves,fortheweatherwascold。
Ofthesemenonewasdressedinbrown,andtheotherwasdressedinblack;bothweretallmen-hewhowasdressedinbrownwasthin,andhadaparticularlyill-naturedcountenance;themandressedinblackwasbulky,hisfeatureswerenoble,buttheywerethoseofalion。
’Whatisyourbusiness,youngman?’saidtheprecisepersonage,asIstoodstaringathimandhiscompanion。
’IwantaBible,’saidI。
’Whatprice,whatsize?’saidtheprecise-lookingman。
’Astosize,’saidI,’Ishouldliketohavealargeone-thatis,ifyoucanaffordmeone-Idonotcometobuy。’
’Oh,friend,’saidtheprecise-lookingman,’ifyoucomehereexpectingtohaveaBiblefornothing,youaremistaken-we-’
’IwouldscorntohaveaBiblefornothing,’saidI,’oranythingelse;Icamenottobeg,buttobarter;thereisnoshameinthat,especiallyinacountrylikethis,whereallfolksbarter。’
’Oh,wedon’tbarter,’saidthepreciseman,’atleastBibles;youhadbetterdepart。’
’Stay,brother,’saidthemanwiththecountenanceofalion,’letusaskafewquestions;thismaybeaveryimportantcase;perhapstheyoungmanhashadconvictions。’
’NotI,’Iexclaimed,’Iamconvincedofnothing,andwithregardtotheBible-Idon’tbelieve-’
’Hey!’saidthemanwiththelioncountenance,andtherehestopped。Butwiththat’Hey’thewallsofthehouseseemedtoshake,thewindowsrattled,andtheporterwhomIhadseeninfrontofthehousecamerunningupthesteps,andlookedintotheapartmentthroughtheglassofthedoor。
Therewassilenceforaboutaminute-thesamekindofsilencewhichsucceedsaclapofthunder。
Atlastthemanwiththelioncountenance,whohadkepthiseyesfixeduponme,saidcalmly,’Wereyouabouttosaythatyoudon’tbelieveintheBible,youngman?’
’Nomorethaninanythingelse,’saidI;’youweretalkingofconvictions-Ihavenoconvictions。ItisnoteasytobelieveintheBibletilloneisconvincedthatthereisaBible。’
’Heseemstobeinsane,’saidtheprim-lookingman;’wehadbetterordertheportertoturnhimout。’
’Iambynomeanscertain,’saidI,’thattheportercouldturnmeout;alwaysprovidedthereisaporter,andthissystemofoursbenotalie,andadream。’
’Come,’saidthelion-lookingman,impatiently,’atrucewiththisnonsense。Iftheportercannotturnyouout,perhapssomeotherpersoncan;buttothepoint-youwantaBible?’
’Ido,’saidI,’butnotformyself;Iwassentbyanotherpersontooffersomethinginexchangeforone。’
’Andwhoisthatperson?’
’Apooroldwoman,whohashadwhatyoucallconvictions,-heardvoices,orthoughtsheheardthem-Iforgottoaskherwhethertheywereloudones。’
’Whathasshesenttoofferinexchange?’saidtheman,withouttakinganynoticeoftheconcludingpartofmyspeech。
’Abook,’saidI。
’Letmeseeit。’
’Nay,brother,’saidthepreciseman,’thiswillneverdo;ifweonceadoptthesystemofbarter,weshallhavealltheholdersofuselessrubbishinthetownapplyingtous。’
’Iwishtoseewhathehasbrought,’saidtheother;’perhapsBaxter,orJewell’sAPOLOGY,eitherofwhichwouldmakeavaluableadditiontoourcollection。Well,youngman,what’sthematterwithyou?’
Istoodlikeonepetrified;Ihadputmyhandintomypocket-thebookwasgone。
’What’sthematter?’repeatedthemanwiththelioncountenance,inavoiceverymuchresemblingthunder。
’Ihaveitnot-Ihavelostit!’
’Aprettystory,truly,’saidtheprecise-lookingman,’lostit!
Youhadbetterretire,’saidtheother。
’HowshallIappearbeforethepartywhointrustedmewiththebook?ShewillcertainlythinkthatIhavepurloinedit,notwithstandingallIcansay;nor,indeed,canIblameher,-
appearancesarecertainlyagainstme。’
’Theyareso-youhadbetterretire。’
Imovedtowardsthedoor。’Stay,youngman,onewordmore;thereisonlyonewayofproceedingwhichwouldinducemetobelievethatyouaresincere。’
’Whatisthat?’saidI,stoppingandlookingathimanxiously。
’ThepurchaseofaBible。’
’Purchase!’saidI,’purchase!Icamenottopurchase,buttobarter;suchwasmyinstruction,andhowcanIbarterifIhavelostthebook?’
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