his health, and the speculative man of business returns
with his "invoices," to his shop, or factory, where profit leads the
way.

We are on board ship--the Triton ploughing the deep blue waters of the
ocean track from Sandy Hook to New Orleans; for October, the weather is
rather unruly, _damp_, and boisterous. We perceive a number of
passengers on board, and by near guess of our memory, we see a person or
two we have seen before. Our be-whiskered friend of the "first-class
hotel," is there; he does not look so self-possessed and pompous on
board the heaving and tossing ship as he did behind his marble slab in
"the office." "The sea, the sea!" as the song says, has quite taken the
starch out of our stiff friend, who is not enjoying a first-rate time.
And from an overheard conversation between two hardy, noble specimens of
men that are men--two officers of the stoutly-timbered ship, the comfort
of the be-whiskered gentleman is in danger of a commutation.

"Do you know him, Mr. Brace?"

"Yes, I know him; I knew him as soon as I got the cut of his jib coming
aboard. Now, says I, my larky, you and I've got to travel together, and
we'll settle a little odd reckoning, if you please, or if you don't
please, afore we see the Balize. You see, that fellow keeps a crack
hotel in York; I goes in there to deliver a package for a deuced good
fellow as ever trod deck, and this powder monkey, loblolly-looking swab,
puts on his airs, sticks up his nose, and hardly condescends to exchange
signals with me. Ha! ha! I've met these galore cocks before; I can take
the tail feathers out of 'em!" says Mr. Brace, who is the same hardy,
frank and free fellow, with whom the reader has already formed something
of a brief acquaintance. The person to whom Brace was addressing himself
was the second officer of the merchantman, and it was settled that
whatever nautical knowledge and skill could do to make things uneasy for
Mr. Lollypops, the empressario of the "first-class hotel," was to be
done, by mutual management of the two salt-water jokers.

"It appears to me, that a--bless me, sir, a--how this ship rolls!" said
Lollypops, coming upon deck, and addressing Mr. Brace; "I--a never saw a
ship roll so."

"Heavy sea on, sir," said Brace; "nothing to what we'll catch before a
week's out."

"Bad coast, I believe, at this time o' year?" said Lollypops, balancing
himself on first one leg and then the other.

"Worst coast in the world, sir; I'd rat