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264 with its radiant swallow's tail. Nor will he entrust the command of his ship to an inexperienced navigator, or any one who casts aside the old compass and quadrant, and offers to conduct the voyage upon an entirely new plan, and steer his course by some new star or nebulous meteor. In all that relates to money matters, men are generally wise and prudent; small matters are not considered beneath their notice—even the expenses of the nursery are often calculated with penurious exactness. But upon whatever concerns the life and health of themselves or their families, they manifest a culpable apathy and indiscretion.

The sagacious charlatan is aware of this state of things, and seizes every opportunity to gain the favor of all the gossips in town, and to enlist them in his service. Officious individuals may sometimes pay all their own medical bills in this way, and perhaps get some presents to boot. Even hags of a low order often accomplish much in their way: common sense and common decency are confounded by their babbling, reason falls before their flying artillery, and empiricism and fraud triumph over truth and reason.