Captain Leezur's felts.

"Moderation in all things, ye know," he added, beaming, not to distress
me; "even in passnips."

I mused with him in silent sympathy. "Oiling the saw again, I see," I
said at last glancing with reverent admiration of such benign industry
at the oil-can.

"No," said Captain Leezur kindly; "I wa'n't, I was a-goin' deown, by
'n' by, to the cove, to ca'm the water deown, 'n' see ef I c'd spear up
a few fleounders; but I ain't in no hurry. I'd jest as soon set
areound on the int'rust o' my money!"

This was a joke insatiable between us, always bubbling over, always
enough of it left for next rime. At its utterance Captain Leezur's
countenance was accustomed to break up entirely, while I laughed with
an appreciation that never fainted or palled.

We felt that there was never aught sparkling enough to be said after
it, but parted in succulent silence, Captain Leezur with his oil-can,
going down to compose the waters, while I pursued my less omnipotent
way to the Basin "post-office."

"Ef there 's anything trying," said Lunette, though with the peculiarly
official air she always wore on post days, "it is dressin' sand-peeps.
But thar! Tyson come home with a harf-bushel, an' what are ye goin' to
do? Onct a year, Ty says, he wants ter jest stuff himself to the
collar-bone on sand-peep pie, an' then he don't want to see nary one,
nor hear 'em mentioned in his sight--not for another year."

It might have troubled the casual observer at first to discover, in the
variety of Lunette's official capacity, which was post-office and which
was sand-peeps, so agreeably and informally did these two elements
combine in her surroundings.

"Mis' Pharo Kobbe!" she called.

That lady, thus summarily summoned, sprang forward from a cloud of
witnesses, as choice and flattered assistant.

"Won't you take them letters 't Major Henry's jest brought in, and
deface the stamps on 'em? Turn the ink enter them pictur's o' George
Washin'ton so 't his own mother's son wouldn't know him. I don't
calk'late to have no stamps 't 's sent out from the Basin post-office
washed out an' used over ag'in. The defacement they gets here is for
everlastin' an' for aye."

I watched helplessly a full discharge of this command on the part of
Mrs. Pharo Kobbe, and proceeded to pluck one of the sand-peeps
meanwhile, along with the rest, waiting the arrival of the post bag.

"Some o' the rusticators 't was here in the summer," con