should speak in this way. The French minister, too, wrote that all Washington was turned upside down. But this hard feeling passed away, and it is now generally agreed that Jefferson did well in aiming at simplicity of manners.

Jefferson's most important act in behalf of the country, after becoming President, was in making what was called the Louisiana Purchase. He took the responsibility of buying from the French government that is, from Napoleon Bonaparte-in 1803, over a million (1,032,790) square miles of territory, more than doubling the whole area of the nation. The state which we now call Louisiana was but a small part of this, for the territory purchased stretched from Mexico on the south to the British possessions on the north, and extended from the Mississippi to the Rocky Mountains. The price paid for all this land was fifteen million dollars. Jefferson hesitated a good deal about making this purchase, for he was not quite sure that he as President had the right to make it, but at last the land was bought.

Another important order given by President Jefferson was that which sent some American men-ofwar to rescue prisoners from the Barbary States on the Mediterranean Sea. These states used to capture American vessels and send their crews into slavery, to the number of thousands in all, so that millions of dollars were spent to ransom the pris

oners. At last a treaty was made with these states by which the United States was to pay a sum of money for the protection of American vessels.

When at last the Barbary States broke the treaty, President Jefferson sent out four American ships, at a time when the whole navy consisted of only six. One of these very ships, the Philadelphia, was wrecked on the Barbary coast and its crew enslaved. But at length, through the bravery and skill of a young lieutenant named Decatur, piracy was utterly abolished in the Barbary States, so far as Americans were concerned.

Jefferson, although himself a slave-holder, was opposed to slavery, and would have freed his own slaves had the law permitted. It is pleasant to know that when he returned from Europe in 1789, after one of his absences, his slaves took him from his carriage and carried him to his house. When, during the American Revolution, the British general, Tarleton, took possession of Jefferson's plantation and carried away about thirty of his slaves, Jefferson wrote to his friends that "if this had been done to give the slaves freedom, he [Tarleton] would have done quite right." This saying, coming from a man who owned a great many slaves, shows plainly his personal generosity.

But Jefferson made himself unpopular in New England, because he secured the passing of a law called "The Embargo,” by which he tried to protect

American vessels from England and France by forbidding them to go to sea at all. This law ruined many merchants and injured American commerce so much that the effect of it is felt to this day.

Daniel Webster, who saw Mr. Jefferson in his old age at Monticello, found him very different from any idea that he had previously formed of him. Mr. Webster says, "He was a tall, gaunt, light-haired, light-complexioned man, and not a person of impressive aspect."

Jefferson had very strong likes and dislikes, and was not at all careful in his statements about those who resisted him in politics. Nevertheless, he and President John Adams, who were strongly opposed to each other in early life, became warm friends before they died, and used to talk over their early contests with perfect good-nature. They died upon the same day, July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of that Declaration of Independence which they had joined in preparing and carrying through. Both had rendered great service to their common country. But it was of Jefferson that Webster said, "He more deeply impressed himself upon the legislation and destinies of the country than any other man who had ever lived."

in fe ri or'i ty, a lower state or condi- | in tol'er able, not to be borne. tion.

Bar'bar y States, a general name for the countries along the northern coast of Africa.

ran'som, to buy out of servitude. treat'y, a contract or agreement between nations.

leg is la'tion, the making of laws.

SCROOGE AND MARLEY

CHARLES DICKENS

OLD MARLEY was as dead as a door-nail. Scrooge never painted out old Marley's name. There it stood years afterward, above the warehouse door-Scrooge & Marley. The firm was known as Scrooge & Marley. Sometimes people new to the business called Scrooge Scrooge, and sometimes Marley, but he answered to both names. It was all the same to him.

No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty.

Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, with gladsome looks, "My dear Scrooge, how are you? When will you come to see me?" No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children. asked him what it was o'clock, no man or woman ever once in all his life inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge.

But what did Scrooge care? It was the very thing he liked.

Once upon a time-of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve-old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-house. It was cold, bleak, biting weather - foggy withal- and he could hear the

people in the court outside go wheezing up and down, beating their hands upon their breasts, and stamping their feet upon the pavement stones, to warm them. The city clocks had only just struck three, but it was quite dark already—it had not been light all day—and candles were flaring in the windows of the neighboring offices, like ruddy smears upon the brown air. The fog came pouring in at every chink and keyhole, and was so dense without, that, although the court was of the narrowest, the houses opposite were mere phantoms.

The door of Scrooge's counting-house was open, that he might keep his eye upon his clerk, who, in a dismal little cell beyond, was copying letters. Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk's fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. But he couldn't replenish it, for Scrooge kept the coal-box in his own room; and so surely as the clerk came in with the shovel, the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part. Wherefore the clerk put on his white comforter, and tried to warm himself at the candle; in which effort, not being a man of strong imagination, he failed.

"A merry Christmas, uncle!" cried a cheerful voice. It was the voice of Scrooge's nephew, who came upon him so quickly that this was the first intimation he had of his approach.

"Bah!" said Scrooge. "Humbug!"