In ways devoid of his own vaunted subtlety, it was conveyed to Solon that Little Arcady expected him to do something.

This was after the town had been cleanly canvassed for two monthly magazines--one of which had a dress-pattern in each number, to be cut out on the dotted line--and after our heroine had gallantly returned to the charge with a rather heavy "Handbook of Science for the Home,"-- a book costing two dollars and fifty cents and treating of many matters, such as, how to conduct electrical experiments in a drawing-room, how to cleanse linen of ink-stains, how the world was made, who invented gun-powder, and how to restore the drowned.

I recite these from memory, not having at hand either of my own two copies of this valuable work.

Upon myself Mrs.Potts was never to call in vain, for to me she was an important card miraculously shuffled into the right place in the game.

It was the custom of Miss Caroline, also, to sign gladly for whatsoever Mrs.Potts signified would be to her advantage.
She gave the "Handbook of Science" to Clem, who, being strongly moved by any group of figures over six, rejoiced passionately to read the weight of the earth in net tons, and to dwell upon those vastly extensive distances affected by astronomers.
But abroad in the town there was not enough of this complaisance nor of this passion for mere numerals to prevent worry from creasing the brow of Solon Denney.
"The good God helped him once, but it looks like he'd have to help himself now," said Uncle Billy McCormick, the day he refused to subscribe for an improving book on the ground that the clock-shelf wouldn't hold another one.