"And won't be kept much longer," said Captain Cephas, "fer
I've hearn Mrs. Crumley say she couldn't afford it."

"That's so," said Captain Eli. "If she can't afford to keep
the little gal, she can't afford to give no Christmas trees nor
stockin's, and so it seems to me, cap'n, that that little gal
would be a pretty good child to help us keep Christmas."

"You're all the time forgettin'," said the other, "that
nuther of us can keep a child all night."

Captain Eli seated himself, and looked ponderingly into the
fire. "You're right, cap'n," said he. "We'd have to ship some
woman to take care of her. Of course, it wouldn't be no use to
ask Mrs. Crumley?"

Captain Cephas laughed. "I should say not."

"And there doesn't seem to be anybody else," said his
companion. "Can you think of anybody, cap'n?"

"There ain't anybody to think of," replied Captain Cephas,
"unless it might be Eliza Trimmer. She's generally ready enough
to do anything that turns up. But she wouldn't be no good--her
house is too far away for either you or me to hail her in case a
croup came up suddint."

"That's so," said Captain Eli. "She does live a long way off."