f I did not love another better, it would
make me the happiest monikin on earth, if you would consent to become
my wife, that we might be models of domestic propriety before all eyes,
from this time henceforth and forever." Now this distinction, subtle and
insignificant as it was to the eye and the ear, caused a vast deal of
heart-burning and disappointment among the young people of Leaphigh.
Several serious lawsuits had grown out of this cause, and two great
political parties had taken root in the unfortunate mistake of a young
monikin of quality, who happened to lisp, and who used the fatal word
indiscreetly. That feud, however, was now happily appeased, having
lasted only a century, but it would be wise, as we were all three
bachelors, to take note of the distinction. Captain Poke said he
thought, on the whole, he was perfectly safe, as he was much accustomed
to the use of the word "switchel"; but he thought it might be very
well to go before some consul as soon as the ship anchored, and enter
a formal protest of our ignorance of all these niceties, lest some
advantage should be taken of us by the reptiles of lawyers; that he in
particular was not a bachelor, and that Miss Poke would be as furious
as a hurricane, if by accident, he should happen to forget himself. The
matter was deferred for future deliberation.

About this time, too, I had some more interesting communications with
Dr. Reasono, on the subject of the private histories of all the party of
which he was the principal member. It would seem that the philosopher,
though rich in learning, and the proprietor of one of the best developed
caudce in the entire monikin world, was poor in the more vulgar
attributes of monikin wealth. While he bestowed freely, therefore, from
the stores of his philosophy, and through the medium of the academy
of Leaphigh, on all his fellows, he was obliged to seek an especial
recipient for his surplus knowledge, in the shape of a pupil, in order
to provide for the small remains of the animal that still lingered in
his habits. Lord Chatterino, the orphan heritor of one of the noblest
and wealthiest, as well as one of the most ancient houses of Leaphigh,
had been put under his instruction at a very tender age, as had my Lady
Chatterissa under that of Mrs. Lynx, with very much the same objects.
This young and accomplished pair had early distinguished each other,
in monikin society, for their unusual graces of person, general
attainmen