1844-54. A STORY WITH A MORAL. 357 



But how was 't possible to keep his books 



When he was ignorant as any nigger, 

 And never learned to make pot hooks, 



Or found, in early life, the way to figure ? 

 Why, this he did, he used his pen, 



But not to mark the money due him ; 

 When he sold any goods, why, then 



He pulled his ledger out and drew 'em. 

 If hats were bought, he painted hats, 



If China-ware, he sketched the dishes ; 

 If mats were sold, he drew the mats ; 

 Or herrings ? portraits of the fishes ; 

 And so, with some mysterious signs 



That made his pictures clearer, 

 He marked, beside his quaint outlines, 



Whether his goods were cheap or dearer. 

 One day a customer came in to settle 



And begged his bill might be looked up, 

 There drawn against him stood a kettle, 



A pound of sugar, and a breakfast cup. 

 " And I find also," quoth the dealer, 



" Here sketched against you, if you please, 

 Nothing you see, Sir, could be clearer, 



The portrait of a skim-milk cheese." 

 " A cheese ! oh no !" the other cried, 



" I never bought a cheese from you." 

 " You did indeed," the first replied, 



" And there's the figure of the cheese I drew." 

 And so he showed a round thing like the moon, 



Or any other round thing that you please, 

 A hoop, a ring, a saucer, or a spoon, 



But he who drew it said it was a cheese. 

 A cheese it could not be, the man protested ; 



And so there rose a very strong contention 

 Cheese or no cheese, they bitterly contested, 



And lost their temper in the hot discussion. 

 At length the dealer, making no impression, 



Suddenly stopped and changed his ground. 

 " My good man," says he, " make at least confession, 



You lately purchased something round." 

 " Round !" quoth the customer, " why, wait a bit ! 



Ay, sure enough, as I'm Jack Bilston, 

 (We'll square it now, the nail you've hit), 



I bought from you last spring a millstone." 

 Loud laughed the dealer ; " I forgot 



I see you did not try to diddle- 

 So put within the ring a dot, 



To show the axle in the middle : 

 I mark my cheeses from my millstones so, 



But I was hurried on that day, 

 And so forgot the dot ; but you must go, 



Well, here's the sum you have to pay." 



