ock. 'Pharo,' says he, 'thar 's too much friction in her.'
So, by clam! he took out most of her insides and laid 'em by, and
poured some ile over what they was left, and thar' she stands! She
couldn't tick to save her void and 'tarnal emptiness. 'Forced-to-go
never gits far,' says Leezur, he says--'ye know.'"

Captain Pharo and I, standing by the wood-box, nudged each other with
delight over this conceit.

"'Forced-to-go never gets far, you know,'" said I.

"'Forced-to-go,'" began Captain Pharo, but was rudely haled away by
Mrs. Pharo Kobbe, to dress.

That was another thing; apparently they could never get me to the house
early enough, pleased that I should witness all their preparations.
They led me to the sofa, and Mrs. Kobbe came and combed out her
hair--pretty, long, woman's hair--in the looking-glass, over me; and
then Captain Pharo came and parted his hair down the back and brushed
it out rakishly both sides, over me. Usually I saw the children
dressed; they were at school. It was too tender a thought for
explanation, this way of taking me with brotherly fondness to the
family bosom.

"How do you like Cap'n Pharo's new blouse?" said his wife.

In truth I hardly knew how to express my emotions; while he sniffed
with affected disdain of his own brightness and beauty, I was so
dim-looking, in comparison, sitting there!

"When I took up the old carpet this spring, I found sech a bright piece
under the bed, that I jest took and made cap'n a blouse of her--and
wal, thar? what do you think?"

I looked at him again. The hair of my soul's brother had ceased from
the top of his head, but the long and scanty lower growth was brushed
out several proud inches beyond his ears. He was not tall, and he was
covered with sections of bloom; but as he turned he displayed one
complete flower embracing his whole back, a tropical efflorescence,
brilliant with many hues.

"She is beautiful," I murmured; "what sort of a flower is she?"

"Oh, I don' know," said Captain Pharo, with the same affected
indifference to his charms, but there was--yes, there was--something
jaunty in his gait now as he walked toward the barn; "they're rather
skeerce in this kentry, I expect; some d--d arniky blossom or other!
Poo! poo!

[Illustration: Music fragment: 'Or as the morning flow'r, The blighting
wind sweeps o'er, she with-']

Come, wife, time ye was ready!"

I was not unprepared, on climbing to my seat in the carriage, to have