Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1861 edition. Excerpt: ... been first put on the fire, and then scoured. The solids are my care, and I am, in fact, the first person in the house. My only pleasure is after dinner to stand neat and clean upon the shelf, and have some sensible conversation with my comrades. With the exception of the Pail, which sometimes gets out into the yard, we, however, lead a more secluded life here than in a convent. Our only news-purveyor is the Market-basket; but he talks too freely of the government and of the people. Why, it was only yesterday, I think, that an old jug fell off the shelf from sheer fright, and broke into pieces." "'You chatter too much, ' the Tinder-box interrupted her, and the flint and steel came in such violent contact that sparks followed. 'Let us now have a merry evening of it.' . "'Let us discuss which of us is of the noblest birth, ' the Matches said. "'No, I do not like talking about myself, ' a Dish said. 'Let us rather have a general friendly conversation. I will make a beginning, and tell things such as every one has experienced, for then one can enter so thoroughly into the story, and it becomes really amusing. Well, on the coast of the German Ocean, under the shade of the Danish beech forests' "' What a delightful beginning!' the Plates exclaimed with one voice. 'That will certainly be a story after our own hearts!' "'Well, there I spent my youth in a quiet family. Each piece of furniture was dazzlingly bright, that one might see oneself in it. Every morning the floor of hard, white wood, most tastefully laid down in a pattern, was scoured clean, and regularly every fortnight clean curtains were put up.' "' My gracious ! how interestingly you do tell the story !' the Broom interrupted. 'One can see at once that it is a lady who is talking, for...
