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FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN?????????????????????????????? A CHEERFUL TEMPER?????????????????????????? by Hans Christian Andersen????FROM my father I received the best inheritance, namely a goodtemper. And who was my father? That has nothing to do with the goodtemper; but I will say he was lively, good-looking round, and fat;he was both in appearance and character a complete contradiction tohis profession. And pray what was his profession and his standingin respectable society? Well, perhaps, if in the beginning of abook these were written and printed, many, when they read it, wouldlay the book down and say, It seems to me a very miserable title, Idont like things of this sort. And yet my father was not askin-dresser nor an executioner; on the contrary, his employmentplaced him at the head of the grandest people of the town, and itwas his place by right. He had to precede the bishop, and even theprinces of the blood; he always went first,- he was a hearse driver!There, now, the truth is out. And I will own, that when people sawmy father perched up in front of the omnibus of death, dressed inhis long, wide, black cloak, and his black-edged, three-cornered haton his head, and then glanced at his round, jocund face, round asthe sun, they could not think much of sorrow or the grave. That facesaid, It is nothing, it will all end better than people think. SoI have inherited from him, not only my good temper, but a habit ofgoing often to the churchyard, which is good, when done in a properhumor; and then also I take in the Intelligencer, just as he used todo.????I am not very young, I have neither wife nor children, nor alibrary, but, as I said, I read the Intelligencer, which is enough forme; it is to me a delightful paper, and so it was to my father. Itis of great use, for it contains all that a man requires to know;the names of the preachers at the church, and the new books whichare published; where houses, servants, clothes, an