his white dimity small clothes without spot or blemish.  He caught rabbits, and sold them, till he obtained money enough to purchase brass buckles for his knees, and for the straps of his shoes.  The first time he made his appearance in the city with this new finery, he felt his ambition concerning personal decoration completely satisfied.  The neatness of his dress, and his manly way of proceeding, attracted attention, and induced his customers to call him “The little governor.”  For several years, he was universally known in the market by that title.  Fortunately, his father had no wish to obtain undue advantage in the sale of his produce; for had it been otherwise, his straight-forward little son would have proved a poor agent in transacting his affairs.  One day, when a citizen inquired the price of a pair of chickens, he answered, with the utmost simplicity, “My father told me to sell them for fifty cents if I could; and if not, to take forty.”

“Well done, my honest little fellow!” said the gentleman, smiling, “I will give you whatever is the current price.  I shall look out for you in the market; and whenever I see you, I shall always try to trade with you.”  And he kept his word.

When quite a small boy, he was sent some distance of an errand, and arrived just as the family were about to sit down to supper.  There were several pies on the table, and they invited him to partake.  The long walk had whetted his appetite, and the pies looked exceedingly tempting; but the shyness of childhood led him to say, “No, I thank you.”  When he had delivered his message, he lingered, and lingered, hoping they would ask him again.  But the family were Quakers, and they understood yea to mean yea, and nay to mean nay.  They would have considered it a mere worldly compliment to repeat the invitation; so they were silent.  Isaac started for home, much repenting of his bashfulness, and went nearly half of the way revolving the subject in his mind.  He then walked back to the house, marched boldly into the supper-room, and said, “I told a lie when I was here.  I did want a piece of pie; but I thought to be sure you would ask me again.”  This explicit avowal made them all smile, and he was served with as much pie as he wished to eat.

The steadfastness of his whig principles led him to take a lively interest in anecdotes concerning revolutionary heroes.  His mother had a brother in Philadelphia, who lived in a house formerly occupied by William Penn, at the corner of Second Street and Norris Alley.  This uncle frequently cut and made garments for General Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and other distinguished men.  Nothing pleased Isaac better than a visit to this city relative; and when there, his boyish mind was much occupied with watching for the famous men, of whom he had heard so much talk.  Once, when General Washington came there to order some garments, he followed him a long distance from the shop.