e out; next, the pork was consumed;
and always there was a great scarcity of groceries, and other necessaries
of that nature. This neglect on the part of the parishioners, coupled with
a certain improvidence on that of the pastor, left the clergyman's family
completely in that state which is usually described as being in the "from
hand to mouth" condition, and which consequently occupied so large a
portion of the good man's time in "providing."

Deacon Pratt felt a little conscious and awkward, at encountering the Rev.
Mr. Whittle. It was not the fish that caused the first any concern. Fifty
times had he met and gone by his pastor, running about with a perplexed
and hungry look, when his own hands, or chaise, or wagon, as the case
might be, contained enough to render the divine's family happy and
contented for a week. No compunctions of that sort ever troubled the
deacon's breast. But, he had missed the afternoon's meeting the last
Sabbath, a delinquency for which he felt an awkwardness in accounting,
while he saw its necessity. The salutations passed as usual, the one party
thinking intently on the absence from service, and the other of the
sheepshead. Now, it happily occurred to the deacon to invite his pastor
also to partake of the fish. There was enough for all; and, though no one
on Oyster Pond was much in the habit of entertaining at dinner, it was by
no means unusual for the parishioners to have their pastor for a guest.
This lucky invitation so occupied the parties that nothing was said about
an occurrence so very unusual as the deacon's absence from "meeting" the
"last Sabba' day afternoon."

By these simple means the party at table consisted of the deacon himself,
Mary, Roswell Gardiner, and the Rev. Mr. Whittle. The fish was excellent,
being so fresh and so skilfully prepared; and Mary was highly complimented
by all who ate of it, for her share in the entertainment. But Mary Pratt
seemed sad. She had not yet recovered from the melancholy feelings
awakened by the recent death and funeral; and then her thoughts recurred,
with few interruptions, to the long voyage of Roswell, and most especially
to the unhappy state of religious belief in which he would undertake so
hazardous an expedition. Several times had she hinted to the clergyman her
desire that he would 'talk to Roswell;' but the good man, though
well-enough inclined, had really so much to do in 'providing,' that it was
not a very easy matter for him to g