and ample--for I could not
refrain from laughing outright every time I looked in her face; and
laughter, when it is hearty and hilarious, is catching, almost as much
as yawning; and I fancy few will dispute how potent, how Mesmeric, or
magnetic the effect of an outstretched arm and wide gaping oscitation
is. I declare, I caught myself gaping the other night on seeing my
wife's white cat stretch herself on the rug, and yawn.

"I really should feel obliged if you would be polite enough to keep
your eye off my face," said the lady.

Now it need hardly be remarked, that when any thing is the matter with
a person's face, be it a wall-eye, a squint, a cancer, very bad teeth,
or any such disfigurement or malady, it is impossible to look at any
other spot--it is sure to fix your gaze, you can look at no other
part; you cannot keep your eye off it, unless you are more generous,
or better bred than most men.

"I really should feel obliged if you would be polite enough to keep
your eye off my nose; it puts me out of countenance," said the fair
one. She said this half earnest, half jest; and I obliged her, by
directing my looks to her taper fingers and white hands--and the
conversation proceeded with the breakfast.

"May I inquire how you rested, after your escape from the ten thousand
rats, and twenty thousand mice, which attacked you before you changed
your room?"

"Do you ask the question seriously?"

"Certainly I do."

"Why, then, to use a homely but a very expressive phrase, it was out
of the frying-pan into the fire."

"Mercy on us! how can that be; you had what is considered the best bed
in the house."

"O, I dare say--no doubt, the softest I ever lay in; but instead of
ten thousand rats, and twenty thousand mice, I had not been in it
fifteen minutes ere a hundred and twenty thousand hornets, wasps,
scorpions, and centipedes, two or three thousand hedge-hogs, and as
many porcupines, seemed to be full drive at me; and had I not soon
been relieved by perspiration, I should assuredly have gone mad, and
been in bedlam. Nervous headache! Why, madam, it would have been
considered paradise, compared with the purgatory you inflicted on me."

Her eyes sparkled with glee--and she began to laugh joyously; but soon
checking herself, and assuming a sort of mock sympathy, said,

"I am very sorry--_very_ sorry, indeed, that you should have found
your bed so like the love of some men, rather hot to hold."

On inquiring whet