"how pleasant it
will be to have so many old friends on board, won't it?"

"No, Sir," said the Attache, "they are only a goin' to see you on
board--it is a mark of respect to you. They will go down to the "Tyler,"
to take their last farewell of you."

"Well, that's kind now, ain't it?" he replied. "I suppose they thought
I would feel kinder dull and melancholy like, on leaving my native land
this way; and I must say I don't feel jist altogether right neither.
Ever so many things rise right up in my mind, not one arter another, but
all together like, so that I can't take 'em one by one and reason 'em
down, but they jist overpower me by numbers. You understand me, Sam,
don't you?"

"Poor old critter!" said Mr. Slick to me in an under-tone, "it's
no wonder he is sad, is it? I must try to cheer him up, if I can.
Understand you, minister!" said he, "to be sure I do. I have been that
way often and often. That was the case when I was to Lowel factories,
with the galls a taking of them off in the paintin' line. The dear
little critters kept up such an everlastin' almighty clatter, clatter,
clatter; jabber, jabber, jabber, all talkin' and chatterin' at once,
you couldn't hear no blessed one of them; and they jist fairly stunned a
feller. For nothin' in natur', unless it be perpetual motion, can equal
a woman's tongue. It's most a pity we hadn't some of the angeliferous
little dears with us too, for they do make the time pass quick, that's
a fact. I want some on 'em to tie a night-cap for me to-night; I don't
commonly wear one, but I somehow kinder guess, I intend to have one this
time, and no mistake."

"A night-cap, Sam!" said he; "why what on airth do you mean?"

"Why, I'll tell you, minister," said he, "you recollect sister Sall,
don't you."

"Indeed, I do," said he, "and an excellent girl she is, a dutiful
daughter, and a kind and affectionate sister. Yes, she is a good girl is
Sally, a very good girl indeed; but what of her?"

"Well, she was a most a beautiful critter, to brew a glass of whiskey
toddy, as I ever see'd in all my travels was sister Sall, and I used to
call that tipple, when I took it late, a night-cap; apple jack and
white nose ain't the smallest part of a circumstance to it. On such an
occasion as this, minister, when a body is leavin' the greatest nation
atween the poles, to go among benighted, ignorant, insolent foreigners,
you wouldn't object to a night-cap, now would you?"

"Well, I don't know