ntroducing my wife to
you."

Our greetings and compliments were drowned by the piercing voice of the
indefatigable Yankee.

"Ma'am!" cried he, with a box of ointment in each hand, "Ma'am! the
finest cure in the world for toothach. If teeth are good, it keeps 'em
so; if bad, it makes 'em sound and white as ivory. A small bit on the
point of a knife between the teeth and the gum--acts like a charm. Young
ladies! a capital remedy for narrow chests."

The skinny Miss Dobletons turned green with vexation.

"Incomparable remedy!" continued Jared; "rub it well in on the part
affected, and in a short time the most contracted chest becomes as wide
as that of Mrs Broadbosom to Charleston. Fine thing for lockjaw, ma'am!"
cried he to a Mrs Bodwell who was standing by, and amongst whose good
qualities that of silence was not considered to hold a conspicuous
place; "a famous cure for lockjaw, from whatever cause it may come on.
There was Miss Trowlop--she had a very handsum' mouth and a considerable
gift of the gab--was goin' to be married to Mr Shaver, run a hickory
splinter through her prunella shoe into her foot--jaw locked as fast as
old Ebenezer Gripeall's iron safe. If she'd a-had my Palmyra sarve she'd
be still alive, Mrs Shaver, now; 'stead of that, the land-crabs have
eaten her. Another example, ladies: Sally Brags, Miss Sally Brags to
Portsmouth. You know Portsmouth, Providence, where the pretty gals grow;
some folk _do_ say they're prettier to Baltimore--won't say they
ain't--matter of taste, pure matter of taste; but Miss Sally Brags,
ladies, had the lockjaw--couldn't say a word; took a box of my Palmyra
sarve--ladies, two dollars a box by retail--her tongue now goes
clap-clap-clap like any steam-mill. Famous cure for lockjaw!"

During this unceasing flow of words, the Yankee had found the time to
drive a capital trade; his merchandise of all kinds was rapidly
disappearing, and the more the backwoodsmen laughed, the faster flowed
the dollars into the pedlar's pouch. It was most diverting to observe
the looks of the purchasers of the Palmyra ointment, as they first
smelled at it and then shook their heads, as if in doubt whether they
were not duped.

"Wonderful stuff!" cried the Yankee with imperturbable gravity, and as
if to reassure them. "And capital coffee-pots," continued he to a
leather-jerkined Missouri man, who had taken up one of the latter and
was examining it. "I'll warrant 'em of the best description, an