"There," said he, "find the newspaper you were speaking of and pick out
the paragraph, IF YOU CAN."

From my earliest boyhood I had manifested a strong attachment for
newspapers. It may have been that, not finding other means to gratify my
thirst for reading, I read every newspaper that came in my way; and as
I was blessed with a good memory, I always kept tolerably well posted in
regard to the current news of the day. I opened the bundle and promptly
singled out the newspaper in question, and pointing to a paragraph with
my finger, said, "There, sir, you may see for yourself."

The captain seemed astonished. He did not take the paper from my hands.
"My eyes," said he, "are not good; they are weak, and it troubles me to
read. Let me hear YOU read it."

I read the paragraph accordingly. The captain, meanwhile, fixed his
eyes, which exhibited no signs of weakness, upon me with an earnest
expression. When I finished reading, he nodded his head and mused a few
moments in silence, then hastily surrendered the tiller, bundled up the
newspapers, and vanished down the companion-way.

"What does this bode?" thought I to myself. "The man is evidently angry.
I acted like a fool to question anything he said, however absurd." I did
Captain Thompson injustice. He was not long absent, but soon came up
the steps, bringing a sack-bottomed chair in one hand and a
suspicious-looking pamphlet in the other. He placed the chair in front
of the tiller.

"Hawser," said he, "sit down in that chair, and take this pamphlet,
which is one of the most wonderful books that was ever laid before a
wicked world. The author shows by figures, facts, and calculations that
the world will be destroyed on the 12th of June. Good Lord! The time
is close at hand. I have not read the book; my eyes trouble me too
much besides, I have not had time. But I have heard much about it, and
received orders, when I left Newbern for New York to bring back a dozen
copies to enlighten the poor creatures on their fate. Sit right down,
Hawser, I tell you, and go to work. I'll steer the schooner while you
read."

I obeyed orders, as was my custom; and a curious picture we must have
presented, the captain steering the schooner and listening with greedy
ears to every word which fell from my lips, as, seated directly fronting
him, my back supported by the binnacle, I read in a clear and distinct
voice, and with due emphasis, the crude absurdities of a crack-brained
religious