that Pinchbrook is rather a singular name.
The antiquarians have not yet had an opportunity to determine its origin;
but our private opinion is that the word is a corruption of _Punch_-brook.
Perhaps, at some remote period in the history of the town, before the Sons
of Temperance obtained a foothold in the place, a villainous mixture,
known to topers under the general appellation of "punch," may have been
largely consumed by the Pinchbrookers. Though not a very aged person
ourself, we have heard allusions to festive occasions where,
metaphorically, the punch was said to "flow in streams." Possibly, from
"streams" came "brooks,"--hence, "Punchbrook,"--which, under the strange
mutations of time, has become "Pinchbrook." But we are not learned in
these matters, and we hope that nothing we have said will bias the minds
of antiquarians, and prevent them from devoting that attention to the
origin of the word which its importance demands.

The Somers family, which we have already partially introduced, occupied a
small cottage not quite a mile from Pinchbrook Harbor. Captain Somers, the
head of the family, had been, and was still, for aught his wife and
children knew, master of the schooner Gazelle. To purchase this vessel, he
had heavily mortgaged his house and lands in Pinchbrook to Squire
Pemberton. But his voyages had not been uniformly successful, though the
captain believed that his earthly possessions, after discharging all his
liabilities, would amount to about five thousand dollars.

The mortgage note would become due in June, and Captain Somers had been
making a strong effort to realize upon his property, so as to enable him
to pay off the obligation at maturity. Captain Somers had a brother who
was familiarly known in the family as uncle Wyman. He had spent his life,
from the age of eighteen, in the South, and at the time of which we write,
he was a merchant in Norfolk.

Captain Somers and his brother had been interested together in certain
mercantile transactions, and uncle Wyman being the business man, had the
proceeds of these ventures in his own hands.

On the 10th of April, only two days before the bombardment of Fort Sumter,
Captain Somers had sailed in the Gazelle, with an assorted cargo, for
Norfolk. Before leaving home he had assured his wife that he should not
return without effecting a settlement with Wyman, who had postponed it so
many times, that the honest sailor began to fear his brother did not mea