"hadn't Any Objection."

The author of " St Twol'moiJ' notod for his love oí a practical joke and a sliglit impedimcnt in his speech, was "on duty" at tho Fair ot' tho American Instituto, aud finding a convenient point of rest behind a pyramid of paste and ' blackiug, went quietly to work to writu up notes. Ho had just cowpleted a glowing eulogium on the merite oí a patent bcan-siftur when he was interruptcd by a tall countrviiian, who asked : " Haow do you sell your blackin', mister 't" " I d-óUloö't 8öll it," said the absorbed writer. " Dün't gin it away, du ye ?' said the querist handling a box coveto :sly. " I ha-ha-haven't g-sriven away any yet," replied the still busy knight of the pencil. "Hain't got any objections to my takin' a box, have ye 's" persisted the torment. " N-n n-hot the 1-1-loast in the world,"' said the now thoroughly aroused joker, cahnly closing his book, and beaming blandly upon his interrogator. The countryfnan imraediately seiifed upon a box of the polih ; a sharp boy standing, near followed his example ; the news of tree blacking spread among othoi sharp boys, and the pyramid of blacking was soon reduced to a plain, when the newspaper man was ovortaken a little distanee further in the hall by the black ing dealer, irate and red-faced, with two policeinen, who had the original ofendo? and a half dozen boy in his custody. " What the blazes do you nienn," said the man of polish, in anything but polished languago, ' by setting people to steal my blücking." " M-m-my dear sir," said tho para grapher, urbanely, " the g-g-gentleman aaked me if I ha-ha-had iiny objections to his t-t-taking a box of the blacking, ü'i'i I badn't any objections at all, and I d -don't know why 1 should have." And he walked quietly on in pursuit of his bibors, leaving Messr?. I?ay ifc Martin to charge a gross of paste blacking to proflt and loss.