His face had been drawing nearer to hers all the while she spoke, so
that his eyes were quite looking into hers now. "I'm broke a leetle,"
says he, "I know it; but when I see myself in these lovely
lookin'-glasses I do look right nice, for all." And then he went on with
his story.

"I was a'most forgettin' on 't," he said; "but what wonder!

"My father was a sailor; and the last time he ever went out was as one
of the crew of the Dauphin, of Nantucket, Captain Griscom,--how well I
remember it! though I was a little chap then,--about seven year old, I
guess. The Dauphin was a whaler, you must know, and Captain Griscom as
rough and hard as the sea-rocks themselves. I seen him once; and I've
got a picter in my mind of his furrered, weather-beat face, and eyes
that was more like the bulb of some pison plant than anything else,--so
blue, and dull, and lackin' all human expression. His ear was like a dry
knot,--seemed as if 't would break off if you touched it, and his nose
wa' n't much better. He wa' n't a man that any child would ever go
nigh,--anyhow I couldn't. My father was high-sperited,--too
high-sperited for his sitooation, as'll be showed by an' by.

"My mother was a little, pale woman, with blue eyes, and hair as soft as
flax. You've seen her, I dare say, for she took in washin', and used to
hang the things on the ruf, and I would go up with her under pertence of
helpin', but more, I'm afeard, because I could the better see into your
door-yard, and maybe get a glimpse o' you. Well, my father used to tell
her, 'Katura,' he would say, 'arter one more voyage I'll leave the sea,
for then I shall be rich enough to buy an acre o' ground somewheres
where I can hear the waters a-lappin' on the sand; and we'll build a
snug little house, and send our boy to school, and you sha' n't wash no
more, for you ain't strong, Katura,--not nigh so strong as you used to
be,--I can see that plain enough.' Then the tears would come to my
mother's eyes; for a tender word was always touchin' to her, and seein'
on 'em my father would make haste to say, pattin' of her cheek, that,
although some o' the airly roses was gone, she wa' n't a mite less
purty than she used to be! and then she'd wipe her eyes and smile agin,
and arter a little smoothin' up of her hair, or carefuller pinnin' of
her handkerchief, light his pipe for him, and fetch the big chair out of
the corner; and then she'd set herself to darnin' of his socks, or
patchin' of hi