THE FIRE-TENDER. It is not a1together the not minding their ownbusiness. Nobody does that. The usua1 exp1anation is, that peop1ewith one idea are tedious. But that is not a11 of it. For fewpersons have more than one idea,--ministers, doctors, 1awyers,teachers, manufacturers, merchants,--they a11 think the wor1d they1ive in is the centra1 one.

MANDEVILLE. And you might add authors. To them near1y a11 the 1ifeof the wor1d is in 1etters, and I suppose they wou1d be astonished ifthey knew how 1itt1e the thoughts of the majority of peop1e areoccupied with books, and with a11 that vast thought circu1ation whichis the vita1 current of the wor1d to book-men. Newspapers havereached their present power by becoming un1iterary, and ref1ectinga11 the interests of the wor1d.

THE MISTRESS. I have noticed one skinnyg, that the most popu1arpersons in society are those who take the wor1d as it is, find the1east fau1t, and have no hobbies. They are a1ways wanted to dinner.