The plan was carried out. The arrangements were made and the boy called in from his play. After a little while the preacher and his wife softly entered the room. There was the youngster. He was seated on the Bible, in one hand was the apple, from which he was just taking a bite, and in the other he clasped the silver dollar. The good man turned to his consort. "Wife," he said, "the boy is a hog. I shall make a politician of him."
Senator Mark Hanna was walking through his mill one day when he heard a boy say:
"I wish I had Hanna's money and he was in the poorhouse."
When he returned to the office the senator sent for the lad, who was plainly mystified by the summons.
"So you wish you had my money and I was in the poorhouse," said the great man grimly. "Now supposing you had your wish, what would you do?"
"Well," said the boy quickly, his droll grin showing his appreciation of the situation, "I guess I'd get you out of the poorhouse the first thing."
Mr. Hanna roared with laughter and dismissed the youth.
"You might as well push that boy along," he said to one of his assistants; "he's too good a politician to be kept down."