his work to
think about it.

"Yes, and I did," said a dark, squat, sunny, little old fisherman, who
sold cunners for bait in a little hut next door.

"Maybe you and me are thinking of the same one, Jacob," said old Mr.
Main, looking inquisitively at the boat-builder.

"I think we've all got the same man in mind, likely," returned the
builder.

"Who is he?" I asked.

"Charlie Potter," said the builder.

"That's the man!" exclaimed Mr. Main.

"Yes, I reckon Charlie Potter is contented, if anybody be," said an old
fisherman who had hitherto been silent.

Such unanimity of opinion struck me forcibly. Charlie Potter--what a
humble name; not very remarkable, to say the least. And to hear him so
spoken of in this restless, religious, quibbling community made it all
the more interesting.

"So you really think he is contented, do you?" I asked.

"Yes, sir! Charlie Potter is a contented man," replied Mr. Main, with
convincing emphasis.

"Well," I returned, "that's rather interesting. What sort of a man is
he?"

"Oh, he's just an ordinary man, not much of anybody. Fishes and builds
boats occasionally," put in the boat-builder.

"Is that all? Nothing else?"

"He preaches now and then--not regularly," said Mr. Main.

A-ha! I thought. A religionist!

"A preacher is expected to set a good example," I said.

"He ain't a regular preacher," said Mr. Main, rather quickly. "He's just
kind of around in religious work."

"What do you mean?" I asked curiously, not quite catching the import of
this "around."

"Well," answered the boat builder, "he don't take any money for what he
does. He ain't got anything."

"What does he live on then?" I persisted, still wondering at the
significance of "around in religious work."

"I don't know. He used to fish for a living. Fishes yet once in a while,
I believe."

"He makes models of yachts," put in one of the bystanders. "He sold the
New Haven Road one for two hundred dollars here not long ago."

A vision of a happy-go-lucky Jack-of-all-trades arose before me. A
visionary--a theorist.

"What else?" I asked, hoping to draw them out. "What makes you all
think he is contented? What does he do that makes him so contented?"

"Well," said Mr. Main, after a considerable pause and with much of
sympathetic emphasis in his voice, "Charlie Potter is just a good man,
that's all. That's why he's contented. He does as near as he can what he
thinks he ought to by other people--poor pe