ned the gentleman, as he pointed with
his cane to an uncommonly dirty newsboy with one eye. 'To the Envy of
the world, sir, and the leaders of Human Civilization. Let me ask you
sir,' he added, bringing the ferule of his stick heavily upon the deck
with the air of a man who must not be equivocated with, 'how do you like
my Country?'

'I am hardly prepared to answer that question yet,' said Martin 'seeing
that I have not been ashore.'

'Well, I should expect you were not prepared, sir,' said the gentleman,
'to behold such signs of National Prosperity as those?'

He pointed to the vessels lying at the wharves; and then gave a vague
flourish with his stick, as if he would include the air and water,
generally, in this remark.

'Really,' said Martin, 'I don't know. Yes. I think I was.'

The gentleman glanced at him with a knowing look, and said he liked his
policy. It was natural, he said, and it pleased him as a philosopher to
observe the prejudices of human nature.

'You have brought, I see, sir,' he said, turning round towards Martin,
and resting his chin on the top of his stick, 'the usual amount of
misery and poverty and ignorance and crime, to be located in the bosom
of the great Republic. Well, sir! let 'em come on in shiploads from the
old country. When vessels are about to founder, the rats are said to
leave 'em. There is considerable of truth, I find, in that remark.'

'The old ship will keep afloat a year or two longer yet, perhaps,' said
Martin with a smile, partly occasioned by what the gentleman said,
and partly by his manner of saying it, which was odd enough for he
emphasised all the small words and syllables in his discourse, and left
the others to take care of themselves; as if he thought the larger parts
of speech could be trusted alone, but the little ones required to be
constantly looked after.

'Hope is said by the poet, sir,' observed the gentleman, 'to be the
nurse of young Desire.'

Martin signified that he had heard of the cardinal virtue in question
serving occasionally in that domestic capacity.

'She will not rear her infant in the present instance, sir, you'll
find,' observed the gentleman.

'Time will show,' said Martin.

The gentleman nodded his head gravely; and said, 'What is your name,
sir?'

Martin told him.

'How old are you, sir?'

Martin told him.

'What is your profession, sir?'

Martin told him that also.

'What is your destination, sir?' inquired the gentlema