Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: world. By degrees, however, he became more accustomed to this somewhat gloomy state; and he felt much solaced, when, on turning over the old lumbering furniture, he found that his father had been quite correct in speaking of his prosperous state of affairs. This happy feeling was much increased on opening a strong iron closet, which had always been locked and barred in his father's lifetime, in which he beheld large heaps of heavy gold-pieces lying intermingled with bright, glittering jewels of great size and value. This sight quite dissipated his grief; but, calling to mind the excellent advice he had received, he resolved to continue the same quiet, economical style of living he had been accustomed to all his life. Each morning, at sunrise, found him hard at work in the little garden; then he would be off to the great city-market to make his little purchases. The cookery and household duties were still performed by himself, and so the little cottage was kept in much the same style as before. But one day, whilst on his way to the market, as usual, to buy some meat for his dinner, he passed by a house, the door of which was ajar. The sound of merry voices coming from within, he pushed the door a little wider open. The mirth and fun still seemed to increase, followed by songs and merry peals, of laughter. He now put his head inside to see what was going on, and beheld a spacious and beautiful court-yard, with an elegant fountain playing in the centre; in front of which was spread out an azure silk canopy, spangled with gold and silver, and supported on light pillars. Beneath were five young men, reclining on ottomans, covered with soft cushions of richly embroidered satin and velvet. In the midst stood a table, tastefullylaid out with the most exquisite and delicate viands, t...