"The business," replied Hezekiah, "is going up by leaps and bounds-
-leaps and bounds. But, of course, all that means harder work for
me. It's from six in the morning till twelve o'clock at night."

"There's nothing I know of," returned Solomon, who was something of
a pessimist, "that's given away free gratis for nothing except
misfortune."

"Keeping yourself up to the mark ain't too easy," continued
Hezekiah; "and when it comes to other folks! play's all they think
of. Talk religion to them--why, they laugh at you! What the
world's coming to, I don't know. How's the printing business
doing?"

"The printing business," responded the other, removing his pipe and
speaking somewhat sadly, "the printing business looks like being a
big thing. Capital, of course, is what hampers me--or, rather, the
want of it. But Janet, she's careful; she don't waste much, Janet
don't."

"Now, with Anne," replied Hezekiah, "it's all the other way--
pleasure, gaiety, a day at Rosherville or the Crystal Palace--
anything to waste money."

"Ah! she was always fond of her bit of fun," remembered Solomon.

"Fun!" retorted Hezekiah. "I like a bit of fun myself. But not if
you've got to pay for it. Where's the fun in that?"