Book excerpt: This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1858 edition. Excerpt: ... 57.--THE PEBBLES. A young carrier named Florian had, in consequence of gin drinking, fallen into a dangerous sickness. A physician spoke thus to him: "If you do not entirely give up gin you will certainly die; it is downright poison for a youth." The sick lad said: "That I cannot do; I am now become so much accustomed to it I can't do without drinking up this little bottle full every day." The physician said--" Ah ! well! I must try some other means." The following day he brought him a little coloured box full of pebble stones, and said --* You drop every day one of these little pebble stones into your spirit bottle, but let it always remain there--then the spirits will do you no harm." The sick man believed that the little stone had the property of rendering the spirits harmless, and every day put one into the bottle. Thus, day after day, without being aware of it, he drank a few drops less, and when the bottle at last became full of stones, he had broken himself of the destructive habit of spirit drinking. Would you attain to faultless good? the way Is to do somewhat t'wards it every day. 58.--THE SACK FULL OF EARTH. A rich man defrauded his neighbour, a poor widow, of her only field, that he might thereby enlarge his own garden. Some days after, as he went over the field the poor widow came with an empty corn sack, and with weeping eyes spoke thus to him, "I beg of you to allow me to take from the inheritance of my father only so much earth as this sack will contain." The rich man replied, " What a foolish request; 1 will, however, readily concede it to you." The %vidow proceeded to fill the sack full of earth DEGREESand then said, "I have one more request to make. Be so good as to help me to take this sack on my shoulder." The rich...