"Didst thou never read, my son," said the ancient, shaking his head, "of a usage they have in the Nicobar islands, when they wish to get rid of a restless spirit, of provisioning a little raft for a few days, towing it out to sea, and turning the frail craft with its solitary voyager adrift to perish? If haply thou hast, why may we not apprehend, while launching here thy shallop so boldly from the shore, lest the alacrity and liberality with which it has been fitted out and started upon this adventurous voyage, be a Nicobar stratagem to get rid of thee forever?"
"We are indeed, sir, at some loss to account for the unexpected and undeserved confidence with which our design hath been seconded the moment it became public; but the fate of a perturbed spirit could hardly be intended for so quiet a one as ours, nor do we know any reason why our civilized and enlighted community should adopt the usages of a simple-minded and barbarous people, seeing that they can neither affect the price of stocks, nor have any political bearing whatsoever. Then, too, as for those already engaged to assist us, their kind offices are alone a warrant of success. There are names, not quite unknown, nor known disadvantageously, whose influence and assistance have been already most courteously tendered; but high as are our expectations from these, they are by no means our principal dependance. Such good friends as they and the public will always meet with mutual satisfaction, and we shall be happy to be the means of bringing them more frequently together—"
"Though neither side has special need of you as the medium of communication," ejaculated the ancient.
"True! venerable sir, but there is another class, a most numerous class, and one that in its unions would be mighty, who have need of us (or of some one in our place) and of the public, and the public and we have need of them. It is the class of hidden capacities—of scattered, obscure, and disunited talents—and our chiefest task will be to gather in some of these from their manifold dispersion; and to invent, if possible, some new divining rod, wherewith to bring out upon the surface of our society, the thousand springs of its own fresh and latent talent."
"But why," interrupted the sage, "should such magical means be requisite to elicit ability. Doth not talent, as in my day, become soon conspicuous, and as the most vigorous sap- lings of the forest, shoot above their fellows, and seek the
