Leezur. "I ain't a-sayin'
nothin', that they will or that they won't, but if they dew, let 'em.
Did ye ever think o' what a heap o' wisdom there is in a poor old
bean-pole?

"Mornin' glory comes up an' looks at it. Bean-pole stands up stiff,
without no feelin's: don't look at 'er, nor bend over an' kiss 'er, nor
nothin'. Mornin' glory don't git skeered, an' she peouts out a lot o'
leaves an' tenderls an' begins to kile. Bean-pole takes a chaw o'
terbakker an' looks off t'other eend o' the field t' see what the
pertater crop 's goin' to be. Mornin' glory peouts out more leaves an'
blossoms, an' keeps a-kilin'. By 'n' by thar ain't no poor old
God-forsaken bean-pole standin' there--it 's all one mess o' kile an
mornin' glory!

"I tell ye, major, we need once in a while for t' l'arn a lesson from
natur'. I ain't a-goin' to press ye to stay longer, for I know ye
wanter go neighborin'!"

Dazzled, I turned away from the refulgent keenness of his wink.

But I did not take the direction that wink had indicated. I had an
invitation, not from Vesty, but from the two most ancient of the Basins
to tea, and I stopped in, a solitary and thoughtful bean-pole, at
Captain Pharo's on the way.

The music-box was playing. I was glad to hear that; a tune in
undertone, like waves slowly, softly breaking.

"She used ter play fifteen different tunes when we first had her," said
Captain Pharo pensively; "but she got to squeakin', an' so we had
Leezur up to ile 'er, an' ever sence she 's played one tune fifteen
times! Poo! poo! hohum! Wal, wal--

[Illustration: Music fragment: 'My days are as the grass--']

Shouldn't care so much, though, ef 'twas only 'The Wracker's Darter.'

"I've threatened a good many times to overhaul her myself, but I ain't
no knowledge o' instermental music, and I s'pose I might spend a week
on 'er, and not combine 'er insides up to playin' no 'Wracker's
Darter,' arter all. Hohum!

[Illustration: Music fragment: 'Or as the morning flow'r.]

At each successive pause the organs of the music-box wheezed,
struggled, almost faintly let go of life, then began again the
undertone, of waves softly breaking.

"I like it," I said. "I like it wonderfully."

Captain Pharo gave me a keen look and went to the door and winked. I
was no longer supine under such invitations. I rose and followed him.
"Look a' here, major," said he, when we were alone, coughed. "My foot
's 'most well."

"I am glad of it