forgive me that I have picked so little out of my companion at our
first interview. In the next it is possible he may tell me more
pleasing incidents; for though he is a familiar, he is not an evil,
spirit.



III.--PACOLET'S STORY.

From my own Apartment, May 12.

I have taken a resolution hereafter, on any want of intelligence, to
carry my Familiar abroad with me, who has promised to give me very
proper and just notices of persons and things, to make up the
history of the passing day. He is wonderfully skilful in the
knowledge of men and manners, which has made me more than ordinarily
curious to know how he came to that perfection, and I communicated
to him that doubt. "Mr. Pacolet," said I, "I am mightily surprised
to see you so good a judge of our nature and circumstances, since
you are a mere spirit, and have no knowledge of the bodily part of
us." He answered, smiling, "You are mistaken; I have been one of
you, and lived a month amongst you, which gives me an exact sense of
your condition. You are to know that all who enter into human life
have a certain date or stamen given to their being which they only
who die of age may be said to have arrived at; but it is ordered
sometimes by fate, that such as die infants are, after death, to
attend mankind to the end of that stamen of being in themselves
which was broken off by sickness or any other disaster. These are
proper guardians to men, as being sensible of the infirmity of their
State. You are philosopher enough to know that the difference of