The boy could not tell what it was exactly.  But it was a “funny book”—­he was sure of that—­and it cost a shilling.

Well, it finally turned out that the book which the little fellow wanted was a comic almanac—­a book filled with miserable pictures—­pictures of men and beasts twisted into all sorts of odd shapes—­and vulgar jokes, and scraps of low wit.

“Will you let me look at it?” I asked the little boy as the clerk handed the book to him.

“Yes, sir,” said he.

I took the almanac, and turned over some of its leaves.  There was not a particle of information in the book, except what related to the sun, and moon, and stars, and that formed but a small portion of the volume.  “My son,” said I, pleasantly, “what do you buy this book for?”

“To make me laugh,” said he.

“But is that all you read books for—­to find something to laugh at?” I inquired.

“No, sir,” he replied, “but then this book is so funny.  Giles Manly has got one, and”—­he hesitated.

“He has a great time over it,” I interrupted, to which the little boy nodded, as much as to say,

“Yes, sir, that’s it.”

“Did your father send you after this book?” I asked.

“No, sir.”

“Did your mother tell you to get it?”

“No, sir.  But my mother gave me a shilling, and told me I might buy just such a book as I liked.”

“Well, my son,” said I, “look here.  You have heard Giles read some of the funny things in this almanac, have you not?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And you’ve seen some of the pictures?”

“Yes, sir, all of them.”

“Then you know pretty well what the book is?”

“Yes, sir, all about it, and that’s what makes me want to buy it.”

“Well, you have a right to buy just such a book as you want.  But if I were in your place, I would not buy that book; and I’ll tell you why.  There’s a good deal of fun in it, to be sure.  No doubt you would laugh over it, if you had it.  But you can’t learn anything from it.  Come, now, I’ll make a bargain with you.  Here’s a book”—­I handed him one of the Lucy books, written by Mr. Jacob Abbott—­“which is worth a dozen of that.  This will make you laugh some, as well as the other book; and it will do much more and better than that.  It will set you to thinking.  It will instruct, as well as amuse you.  It will sow some good seeds in your mind, and your heart, too.  It will teach you to be a thinker as well as a reader.  It costs a little more than that almanac, it is true.  But never mind that.  If you’ll take this book, and give the gentleman your shilling, I’ll pay him the rest of the money.  Will you do it?  Will you take the Lucy book, and leave the funny almanac?”

He hesitated.  He hardly knew whether he should make or lose by the trade.

“If you will do so,” I continued, “and read the book, when you get through with it, you may come to my office in Nassau street, and tell me how you was pleased with it.  Then, if you say that you did not like Mr. Abbott’s book so well as you think you would have liked the book with the funny pictures, and tell me that you made a bad bargain, I’ll take back the Lucy book, and give you the almanac in the place of it.”