hour yet; an' it hasn' reached my ears that the fashion of thankin' the
Lord for His bounty have a-perished out o' this old-fangled race of men
an' women; though no doubt, my dear, you'd get first news o' the change,
with a bed-room window facin' on Ruan Cove."

"Thank you, Old Zeb; I'll be careful to draw my curtains," said she,
answering sarcasm with scorn, and turning on her heel.

The old man stooped to lift the sailor again. "Better clog your pretty
ears wi' wax," he called after her, "when the kiss-i'-the-ring begins!
Well-a-fine! What a teasin' armful is woman, afore the first-born
comes! Hey, Sim Udy? Speak up, you that have fifteen to feed."

"Ay, I was a low feller, first along," answered Sim Udy, grinning.
"'Sich common notions, Sim, as you do entertain!' was my wife's word."

"Well, souls, we was a bit tiddlywinky last Michaelmas, when the _Young
Susannah_ came ashore, that I must own. Folks blamed the Pa'son for
preachin' agen it the Sunday after. 'A disreppitable scene,' says he,
''specially seein' you had nowt to be thankful for but a cargo o' sugar
that the sea melted afore you could get it.' (Lift the pore chap aisy,
Sim.) By crum! Sim, I mind your huggin' a staved rum cask, and kissin'
it, an' cryin', 'Aw, Ben--dear Ben!' an' 'After all these years!'
fancyin' 'twas your twin brother come back, that was killed aboard the
_Agamemny_--"

"Well, well--prettily overtook I must ha' been. (Stiddy, there,
Crowder, wi' the legs of en.) But to-day I'll be mild, as 'tis
Chris'mas."