“Our Father”――said a bishop, who was benevolently teaching the Lord’s prayer to a poor beggar boy, to whom he had just given a hard crust of bread. “What,――not _our_ Father,” said the boy. “Yes,” said the bishop, “_our_ Father.” “Then we are _brothers_; _and an’t you ashamed to offer your brother such a crust as this?_” Eccentric Characters [Illustration: OLD BOOTS, OF RIPON] Among the infinite variety of human countenances, none was ever better calculated to excite laughter, than that of the person whose portrait we have given above. He was servant of an inn at Ripon, in Yorkshire, England, where it was part of his duty to wait upon travellers and take charge of boots and shoes. Hence, he went under the title of Old Boots. It was his custom to introduce himself into the room, with a pair of slippers in one hand and a boot-jack in the other. His features at once amazed and diverted every visitor; for nature had given him such length of nose and chin, and brought them so near together, that he could hold a piece of money between them, like a thumb and finger, or a pair of nippers. This feat he was always ready to perform, and he became, in fact, the great curiosity of the place. [Illustration: CAPTAIN SNARLY.] There is nothing more easy than to find fault, particularly after a little practice; for the thing grows upon us as we get used to it. Of all countries, there is none that furnishes such inveterate fault-finders, as England. Many of them are very much addicted to grumbling, even in their own country; but when out of it, everything goes wrong. The other day I saw a boy with a snapping turtle, which he had just taken out of a muddy pond. The creature was very savage――and if you pointed your finger at him, he would snap at you in the most spiteful manner. Nothing could move around him, but he would snap at it. I must confess that when I looked at the creature, he put me in mind of Captain Hall, Mrs. Trollope, Major Hamilton, and other English travellers, who have visited our country, and gone home and reviled everything they saw. But we must now turn to the subject of the present article, Joseph Cappur, whose portrait is placed at the head of this article, and whom we call Captain Snarly. He lived at a place near London, called Kensington, and though he was rich, his habits were exceedingly stingy. He was chiefly famous for his love of finding fault; and he loved nothing so well as a snarling companion. One day, as he was walking about the place, he came to a small tavern. He entered, and asked the landlord if he could furnish him lodgings. “No!” said the landlord, fiercely――and then ordered him out of the house. This pleased old Snarly so much, that he immediately took up his abode at the place, and there he lived for twenty-five years. His greatest sport was to poke fun at the landlord and make him mad with fury.