THE YOUTH’S CABINET.

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what a fine parcel of hazel-nuts you
have to shell out? They have been dry
several days, but you have found no time
to attend to them.”

‘We did not think of that,” said the
boys. “ To-day is just the day for such
work ; for when it is pleasant, we cannot
spare the time,”

‘‘I do not suppose,” said their aunt,
“that you will wish to shell out hazel-
nuts all day. When you are tired, come
to me; I think I can help you to find
some other employment.”

The clouds of discontent, which had
been rapidly gathering, quickly passed
away, and the boys went cheerfully to
work. After they had been some time
employed, they began to feel weary ; but
they thought they might not have an-
other rainy day, to shell out their nuts,
before they returned home. One of
them proposed they should think of
something to amuse them, while they
continued their work. Charles, at
length, proposed that they should see
how many words they could think of,
which began with the letter H, the first
letter in hazel-nut. In this way, an-
other hour passed rapidly. They then
concluded to put aside their nuts, and go
to their aunt. She had selected an in-
teresting story, for them to read to her;
and this occupied the time till dinner
was ready.

After dinner, the boys again came to
their aunt, and said, “ What shall we do
now, aunt?”

“Have you not laid aside some small
boards and blocks, to make you some
little wagons ?”

«Yes, aunt; but it rains so hard, we
cannot go out; and we can’t make wag-
ons in the house, you know,”

“Yes, you may, upon certain condi-
tions. I will permit you to convert my
back room into a carpenter’s shop, pro-
vided, when you have done, you will re-
move all the dust and shavings, leaving
no trace of your afternoon’s employ-
ment.”

The boys were delighted with the
plan, and readily accepted the condition.
Their aunt gave them permission to col-
lect together their blocks, nails, hammer,
and gimblet, as soonas they chose. All
went on smoothly for a time; but it was
not long before their aunt heard them
rapidly approaching the room in which
she was sitting. Charles was the first to
speak,

‘Edward will not let me have the
hammer, aunt.”

« And Charles will not let me have
the gimblet,” said Edward.

“J should think,” said their aunt,
“that two New York boys might occupy
one room, and use the same hammer and
gimblet, without quarreling.”

“Why do you say New York boys,
aunt?” said Charles. “ What has that
to do with the matter?”

“What do you do when you are
walking in Broadway or Chatham street ?
Do you go on in one straight line, deter-
mined to turn neither to the right hand
nor the left, for any one you meet ?”

“No, aunt,” said Charles, laughing.
“We should be knocked down before we
had gone two blocks, if we were to man- .
age in that way.”

“ How, then, do you get along ?”

‘Sometimes we take one side of the
walk, and sometimes the other, and slip
along through the crowd just where we
can find a place.”

“ It seems then you have practiced the