The Parent's Assistant

va sano, e

ftly goes f

arket with his grapes and figs, he found that he was not shunned or taunted as usual. A

ht Piedro had suffered enough to cure him of his tricks, and that it would be cruelty in them, because he might once have been in fa

hem he the next day purchased from a fruit dealer a fresh supply; and thus he went on for some time, conducting himself with scrupulous honesty, so that he acquired some credit amo

dro; but in proportion to his credit, his opportunities of defrauding increased; and these be

ut slow work," said he to himself. "What signifi

time into his account. He set his invention to work, and he did not want for ingenuity, to devise means of cheating without running the risk

almonds and sugar-plums, and he painted in capital gold coloured letters upon his board, "Sweetest, largest, most admirable sugar-plums of

st day amply satisfied. Each had a full measure of coloured sugar-plums at the usual price, and along with these a burnt almond gratis. The burnt almond had such an effect upon the public judgment, that it was uni

med, he heaped up to the top, and pressed down before he poured out the contents into the open hands of his approving customers. This belief, and Piedro's popularity, continued

itten on Piedro's board. "This promises rarely. Old as I am, and tall of my age, which makes the matter worse, I am still as fond of sugar-plums as my little sister, who is five years younger tha

our sister, then," said Piedro

ved them, or even my sister, so well as to run in debt for them? Here's for myself, and here's for my s

een out of burnt almonds th

in your advertiseme

me to scratch them

blot out a few words-let us try"; and as he spoke, Carlo, for that was the name of Piedro's new customer, pulled a bit o

d Piedro; "I shall have a fre

board tell a

me to alter i

but I could scarcely

ut of his usual soft voice of civility, by this last observation. "My character, and tha

you may not injure yourself. Do as you please with your board, but give me my

your han

ox: I bought some for her in it yesterday, and she'll think they'll taste the better out of the same box.

measure, as I g

now," said Carlo; "that's what all the l

id Piedro,

he held in his hand. "An inch every way; and yet by my eye-and I have no bad one, being used to meas

said Piedro. "There's nothi

his rule, which, since he spoke last, he had put into the cube to take its depth in the inside. "Thi

t, and lifting it above his head, he ran into the midst of the square where the little market was held, exclaiming, "A discovery! a discovery! that concerns

rom all parts of the

those sugar-plums," cried several littl

gratitude to his numerous customers, gives

eral voices. "We all know Piedro

false bottom-it holds only three-quarters as much as it ought to do; and his numerous customers have all been cheated of one-qua

f courtesy, full of craft!" [317] "So this is the meaning of his burnt almonds gratis," cried others; all joined in an upr

, that I have published his disgrace, for I would not hurt you. You don't sell sugar-plums as he does,

there's an end of the matter. I have reason to be obliged to you, for I was nearly taken in. He has behaved so well for some time past, that I intended this v

d him. "You have a measure for sugar-plums; and we have all agreed to refer to that, and to see how much we have

e were now most clamorous. They hung the just and the unjust measures upon high poles; and, forming themselves into a formidable phalanx, they proceeded towards Piedro's well known yellow lettered

ered upon the ground and trampled under foot by the crowd. Piedro's bench was broken, and the public vengeance wreaked itself also upon his treacherous painted board. It was, after being much disfigured by various inscriptions expressive of the universal contempt for Pie

being esteemed and beloved, of having a safe conscience, with perfect freedom from all the various embarrassments and terror to which knaves are subject. Is it not clear

ry handsome one, to its rightful owner. After a hot walk through several streets, he overtook Carlo, who had just reached the door of his own house. Carlo was particularly obliged to him, he said, for restoring this rule to him, as it was a present from the master of a vessel, who employed his father to do carpenter's work for him. "One should not praise one's self, they say," continued Carlo, "but I long so much to gain your good opinion, that I must tell you the whole hi

d be kind enough to tell me the meaning of some of those lines and figur

hem myself; but when I'm at fault, my father, who is clever

ttle alarmed at the high sounding word; "tha

t just as you do now-all in a fright and a puzzle, when I first heard of angl

ncisco, whilst Carlo laughed, with

tudy it together. I have a great notion we shall become friends; and, to begin, step in with me now," said Carlo, "and eat a little macaroni with us. I know it is ready by this time. Besides, you'll see my father, and he'll show you plenty of rules and compasses

y mutually improved each other. Francisco, before he saw his friend's rule, knew but just enough of arithmetic to calculate in his head the price of the fruit which he sold in the market;

be of some use to me before I die?" said Francisco, as

t useful, and I was going to say necessary thing to be known by men in all stations; and a little trigonometry does no harm.

e wise will a

le to pass one's time with one's book, and one's compasses and pencil? Safe companions these for young and old. No one ge

try, was interrupted by the sudden entrance of his little daughter Rosetta, all in tears: a very unu

d her brother Carlo, and he went up to her, and wiped them from her cheeks. "And these tha

ing, and said that she did not know till

s?" said her brother, looking at a heap of s

y as any of them, because I wanted to fill my basket soon; and then I thought I should sell my basketful directly in the little wood-market. As soon as I had filled my basket, and made up my faggot (which was not don

wise to leave

boy, who had picked up all these beautiful shells upon the sea-shore, and who wanted to sell them, that I should be glad to buy them from him, if he would only

t mightily on thes

ery good-natured; he poured them into my lap, and said I had such an honest face he would trust me, and that as he was in a great hurry, he could not wait an hour whilst I sold my wood; but that he was sure I woul

it that you did no

o you know it was empty, quite empty, not a chip left? Some dishones

faggot. Won't that be better than crying?" said her brother. "Should y

osetta. "It had a notch at one end of it, where one of the

which the carpenter cut it sti

but I cannot bring it to

ancisco, "and I hope we sh

nd then proceeded to the little wood-market, and searched every heap that lay before the little factors; but no no

ble of taking what did not belong to them; that of all persons they should never have thought of taking anything from

et. As they were returning home, they were met by the English servant

f chalk, which her brother had lent her, Arthur exclaimed, "I have seen such a bit of wood as this within this quarter of an hour; but I

t there but just in time. The baker had in his hand the bit o

Stop! stop!" re-echoed by many voices, the baker stopped; and turning to Francisco, Carlo and

e little market that morning; that this faggot he had purchased between the hours of twel

I am sure; I know it by t

it to me. He desired to be paid in bread, and my bread was not quite baked when he was here. I bid

as standing watching at the door, exclaimed, "Here comes Piedr

ntered the shop, started at the sight of Carlo and Francisco, who

l you that this piece of wood, and all that you took out of the bask

eed," cri

at he was suspected only upon the bare assertion of a child like Rosetta, who might be baffled a

ulprit with all the Italian vehemence of oratory and gesture. Arthur went on to say something in bad Italian about the excellence of an English trial by jury, which

to the little wood-market. On their way, they had passed through the fruit-market, and crowds of those w

e guilty but insolent looking Piedro, and the ingenuous, modest Rosetta stood before him. She made her complaint in a very artless manner; and Piedro, with ingenuity, which in a better cause would have deserved admiration, spoke volubly and craftily in his own defence. But all that he could say could not alter facts. The judge compared the notched bit of wood found at the baker's with a piece from which it

gs, and served them about to foreigners; but one day, as he was trying to jostle a competitor from the coach door, he slipped his foot, and broke his glasses. They had been borrowed from an old woman, who hired out glasses to the boys who sold lemonade. Piedro knew that it was the custom to pay, of cours

follies and his fate; or, to speak more properly,

tecture neatly; and pleased with the eagerness Francisco showed to receive instruction, he willingly put a pencil and compasses into his hand, and taught him all he knew himself. Francisco had great perseverance, and, by repeated trials, he at length succeeded

other people do things; but I am sure that I never have been able to get anything done well but by patience. Don't you rem

to cut it, you cut it just as if you were using a pruning-knife to your vines; but now it is your turn to la

heir fine things, cause the crier to promise a reward of so much money to anyone who shall find a

, for he was well satisfied his son never neglected his business; and as to the hours spent in Naples, he had so much confidence in Francisco that he felt no apprehensions of his getting into bad company. When his son had once said

ue it; no friends so good as the English, be it spoken without offence to your Italian friend, for whom you now continually le

sco. "You must come with me to Carlo's, and see how

eception he met with from the generous Carlo and the playful Rosetta. They showed him Francisco's drawings with enthusiastic eagerness; and Arthur, though no great judg

l Naples could see them, provided they mi

e, eating a dessert of Francisco's grapes, he entered respectfully, with his little portfolio under his arm, a

desired to summon the young artist. Francisco's honest, open manner, joined to the proofs he had given of his abilities, and the character Arthur gave him for strict honesty, and constant kindness to his parents, interested Mr. Lee, the name of this English gentleman, m