here not five minutes ago, lamenting the loss
of it. How overjoyed she will be when she knows it is found! I will send
to her directly, and make her happy with the news."

Mrs. Hansen disappeared, leaving me, I am afraid, looking rather
confounded at this singular and unexpected COINCIDENCE, and almost
sorry that the owner of the pin had been so easily discovered. In a few
minutes Mrs. Hansen returned, accompanied by "her dear friend," Mrs.
Johnson, who, after examining the pin, said it was her own. She thanked
me for having found it, was in raptures with her good fortune, declared
she should never forget she was indebted to me, then in a business-like
manner placed the rich ornament on her bosom, where it seemed as much
out of place "as a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear," and hastily walked
off with the prize before I could recover from my astonishment! I was
a stranger to the ways of the world, and it did not occur to me, until
years afterwards, that this was an IMPROMPTU comedy, ingeniously devised
and skilfully performed by two capital actresses, for the purpose of
swindling me out of the jewel!

A day or two after the adventure of the breastpin, my landlord
represented to me, with much gravity, that I had been living with him
above a fortnight, had not paid a cent towards my board, and, so far
as he could see, there was no prospect that I ever would pay any. This
state of things, I must be sensible, could not last forever.

I told him, in reply, that I was every day becoming more able to do a
seaman's duty' that, as he well knew, I had tried to find a berth in a
coaster, but none was to be had; that I was confident I should at some
future time pay him, principal and interest, for all his expense and
trouble, and he might rely on my promise.

Hansen rejoined, with a derisive smile, that it was not his custom to
give credit, or rely upon promises; that I must find something to do, or
he should be compelled to turn me out of his house! "Did you ever do any
thing but go to sea?" he asked abruptly.

"O, yes," said I, "I was brought up on a farm, and understand all kinds
of farming work."

"If that's the case," continued he, "your business is done. There
are fine farms in Brooklyn, within sight of the ferry. All our best
vegetables and fruit are raised on those farms. It is now the spring
of the year, when farm laborers are wanted. You had better go over to
Brooklyn and find work on a farm."

"That I'll do with pl