sharp-tempered individual, and could as ill sit quiet under a
contradiction as any man I ever was conjunct with. But just before
the close of my second provostry, Providence was kind to Mr Hirple,
and removed him gently away from the cares, and troubles, and the
vain policy of this contending world, into, as I hope and trust, a
far better place.

It may seem, hereafter, to the unlearned readers among posterity,
particularly to such of them as may happen not to be versed in that
state of things which we were obligated to endure, very strange that
I should make this special mention of Mr Hirple at his latter end,
seeing and observing the small store and account I have thus set
upon his talents and personalities. But the verity of the reason is
plainly this: we never discovered his worth and value till we had
lost him, or rather, till we found the defect and gap that his death
caused, and the affliction that came in through it upon us in the
ill-advised selection of Mr Hickery to fill his vacant place.

The spunky nature of Mr Hirple was certainly very disagreeable often
to most of the council, especially when there was any difference of
opinion; but then it was only a sort of flash, and at the vote he
always, like a reasonable man, sided with the majority, and never
after attempted to rip up a decision when it was once so settled.
Mr Hickery was just the even down reverse of this. He never, to be
sure, ran himself into a passion, but then he continued to speak and
argue so long in reply, never heeding the most rational things of
his adversaries, that he was sure to put every other person in a
rage; in addition to all which, he was likewise a sorrowful body in
never being able to understand how a determination by vote ought to
and did put an end to every questionable proceeding; so that he was,