THE POOR WOODCUTTER. 17

 

wharf, said, as he touched his hat re-
spectfully—

“Td like to split it for you, sir.”

‘ Mr. Edgar remembered, by this time,
that he had no one at home who could split
the wood after it was sawed. So he in-
quired as to the cost, remarking, at the
same time, that, as it was for an air-tight
stove, not more than half of it would need
to be cleft, and that only into two pieces

“Tl do it for half-a-dollar,” said the

man. .
“ Half-adollar!” returned Mr. Edgar, in
surprise; “why you ask more than the
cost of hauling. Oh no! I shall give no
such price as that—Tll split the wood my-
self, first. If you choose to do it for a
quarter, you may. Not one half of it will
have to be touched with an axe.”

The man shook his head, and said that
he couldn’t walk over’a mile and split half
a cord of wood for twenty-five cents, even
if he was very poor.