1856.] The Emperor and the YanTcee. 439 



and guessed I should go back in tbe same ship. I bid 'em good bye 

 all round, and went about mj business. Ain't I had a glorious time? 

 I expect you didn't calculate to see me run such a rio-." 



" No, indeed, T did not, my lad. You may very well consider your- 

 self lucky ; for its very uncommon thing for crowned heads to treat 

 a stranger with such distinction." 



A few days after he called again, and said, " I guess I shall stay 

 here a spell longer, I'm treated so well. T'other day a grand officer 

 came to my room, and told me that the empress had sent him to show 

 me all the curiosities ; and I dressed myself, and he took me into a 

 mighty fine carriage, with f)ur horses; and I've been to the theater 

 and museum ; and I expect I've seen about all there is to be seen ia 

 St. Petersburgh. What do you think of that, Mr. Dallas ? " 



It seemed so incredible that a poor, ungainly Yankee lad should be 

 thus loaded with attentions, that the ambassador scarcely knew what 

 to think or say. 



In a short time his visitor re-appeared. '' Well," said he, '' I made 

 up my mind to go home; so I went to thank the emperor, and bid him 

 good-bye. I thought that I couldn't do less, he'd been so civil. Says 

 he : 'Is there any thing you'd like to see before you go back to 

 Ameriky ?' I told him I should like to have a peep at Moscow, but 

 it would cost a sight of money to go there, and I wanted to carry my 

 earnings to mother. So I bid him good-bye, and come off. Now 

 what do you guess he did next morning? I vow he sent the man in 

 regimentals to carry me to Moscow! and bring me back again, when 

 I've seen all I want to see; and we're going to-morrow mornino-, Mr 

 Dallas." °' ■ 



And sure enough the next morning the Yankee boy passed the am- 

 bassador's house, in a splendid coach and four, waving his pocket 

 handkerchief and shouting, ^'Good-bye! Mr. Dallas, good-bye ! " 



> 



Mrs. Smikes says the reason children are so bad this generation is 

 owing to tbe wearing of gaiter shoes instead of the old fashioned slip- 

 pers. Mothers find it too much trouble to undo gaiters to whip chil- 

 dren, so they go unpunished; but when she was a child, the way the 

 old slipper used to do its duty was a caution. 



