their hearts to each
other, and follow the footsteps of honest John Buzzby, as he sailed down
the village with his wife and children, and a host of admiring friends
in tow.

Buzzby's feelings had been rather powerfully stirred up by the joy of
all around, and a tear _would_ occasionally tumble over his
weather-beaten cheek, and hang at the point of his sunburnt and oft
frost-bitten nose, despite his utmost efforts to subdue such outrageous
demonstrations.

"Sit down, John dear," said Mrs. Buzzby in kind but commanding tones,
when she got her husband fairly into his cottage, the little parlour of
which was instantly crowded to excess. "Sit down, John dear, and tell us
all about it."

"Wot! begin to spin the whole yarn o' the Voyage afore I've had time to
say, 'How d'ye do?'" exclaimed Buzzby, at the same time grasping his two
uproarious sons, who had, the instant he sat down, rushed at his legs
like two miniature midshipmen, climbed up them as if they had been two
masts, and settled on his knees as if they had been their own favourite
cross-trees!

"No, John, not the yarn of the voyage," replied his wife, while she
spread the board before him with bread and cheese and beer, "but tell us
how you found old Captain Ellice and where, and what's comed of the
crew."

"Werry good! then here goes."

Buzzby was a man of action. He screwed up his weather-eye (the one next
his wife, _of course_, that being the quarter from which squalls might
be expected). and began a yarn which lasted the better part of two
hours.

It is not to be supposed that Buzzby spun it off without interruption.
Besides the questions that broke in upon him from all quarters, the two
Buzzbys junior scrambled, as far as was possible, into his pockets,
pulled his whiskers as if they had been hoisting a main-sail therewith,
and, generally, behaved in such an obstreperous manner as to render
coherent discourse all but impracticable. He got through with it,
however; and then Mrs. Buzzby intimated her wish, pretty strongly, that
the neighbours should vacate the premises, which they did laughingly,
pronouncing Buzzby to be "a trump," and his better half "a true blue."

"Good day, old chap," said the last who made his exit; "tiller's fixed
agin--nailed amid-ships, eh?"

"Hard and fast," replied Buzzby, with a broad grin, as he shut the door
and returned to the bosom of his family.

Two days later a grand feast was given at Mrs. Bright's cottage, to
whi