"Wall," sez I, "buy it if you want to."

"Wall," sez he, "that's what I lay out to do, mom."

So he accosted a Columbus Guard that stood nigh, and sez he--

"I'm a-goin' to buy that little picter, and I want to know if I can take
it home now in my vest pocket?"

[Illustration: "I'm a-goin' to buy that little picter, and I want to
know if I can take it home now in my vest pocket?"]

"That picter," sez he, "is twenty thousand dollars. It is owned by the
German National Gallery, and is loaned by them," and sez he, with a
ready flow of knowledge inherent to them Guards, "the artist, Adolph
Menzel, is to German art what Meissonier is to the French. His picters
are all bought by the National Gallery, and bring enormous sums."

Josiah almost swooned away. Nothin' but pride kep him up--

I didn't say nothin' to add to his mortification. Only I simply said--

"Babe will prize that picter, Josiah Allen."

And he sez, "Be a fool if you want to; I'm a-goin' to git sunthin' to
eat."

[Illustration: "Be a fool if you want to."]