Not Down In The Books

A boy was once brought before "Oíd Steady" Baker, the mayor of Folkstone, for stealing' gooseberries. Baker turned over to Burn's "Justice," but, not able to find the article he wanted ia the book, which is alphabetically arranged, he liftad up his spectacles and addressed the culprit thus: "My lad, it's very lucky for you that, instead of stealing gooseberries, you were not brought here for stealin? a goose; there is a statute against stealing1 geese, but I can'tfind anythinw about g'ooseberries in all Burn; so let the prisoner be discharged.for I suppose it is no offense."