Tales and Sketches

Sketches, vol 5, part 3

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Title: Tales and Sketches Part 3, From Volume V., The Works of
Whittier: Tales and Sketches
Author: John Greenleaf Whittier
Release Date: December 2005 [EBook #9589] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on October 18,
2003]
Edition: 10

Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, TALES
AND SKETCHES ***

This eBook was produced by David Widger [[email protected]]

TALES AND SKETCHES
BY
JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER

CONTENTS:
THE LITTLE IRON SOLDIER PASSACONAWAY THE OPIUM
EATER THE PROSELYTES DAVID MATSON THE FISH I DID
N'T CATCH YANKEE GYPSIES THE TRAINING THE CITY OF A
DAY PATUCKET FALLS FIRST DAY IN LOWELL THE
LIGHTING UP TAKING COMFORT CHARMS AND FAIRY
FAITH MAGICIANS AND WITCH FOLK THE BEAUTIFUL THE
WORLD'S END THE HEROINE OF LONG POINT

THE LITTLE IRON SOLDIER
OR, WHAT AMINADAB IVISON DREAMED ABOUT.
AMINADAB IVISON started up in his bed. The great clock at the head
of the staircase, an old and respected heirloom of the family, struck
one.
"Ah," said he, heaving up a great sigh from the depths of his inner man,
"I've had a tried time of it."
"And so have I," said the wife. "Thee's been kicking and threshing
about all night. I do wonder what ails thee."
And well she might; for her husband, a well-to-do, portly, middle-aged
gentleman, being blessed with an easy conscience, a genial temper, and
a comfortable digestion, was able to bear a great deal of sleep, and
seldom varied a note in the gamut of his snore from one year's end to
another.
"A very remarkable exercise," soliloquized Aminadab; "very."

"Dear me! what was it?" inquired his wife.
"It must have been a dream," said Aminadab.
"Oh, is that all?" returned the good woman. "I'm glad it's nothing worse.
But what has thee been dreaming about?"
"It's the strangest thing, Hannah, that thee ever heard of," said
Aminadab, settling himself slowly back into his bed. Thee recollects
Jones sent me yesterday a sample of castings from the foundry. Well, I
thought I opened the box and found in it a little iron man, in
regimentals; with his sword by his side and a cocked hat on, looking
very much like the picture in the transparency over neighbor O'Neal's
oyster-cellar across the way. I thought it rather out of place for Jones to
furnish me with such a sample, as I should not feel easy to show it to
my customers, on account of its warlike appearance. However, as the
work was well done, I took the little image and set him up on the table,
against the wall; and, sitting down opposite, I began to think over my
business concerns, calculating how much they would increase in profit
in case a tariff man should be chosen our ruler for the next four years.
Thee knows I am not in favor of choosing men of blood and strife to
bear rule in the land: but it nevertheless seems proper to consider all the
circumstances in this case, and, as one or the other of the candidates of
the two great parties must be chosen, to take the least of two evils. All
at once I heard a smart, quick tapping on the table; and, looking up,
there stood the little iron man close at my elbow, winking and
chuckling. 'That's right, Aminadab!' said he, clapping his little metal
hands together till he rang over like a bell, 'take the least of two evils.'
His voice had a sharp, clear, jingling sound, like that of silver dollars
falling into a till. It startled me so that I woke up, but finding it only a
dream presently fell asleep