r clams, and the grocery keepers furnish the seasonin'."

"Wall," said I, "if the Sea has many such runs on her clam-banks as
this, she will have to put on her shutters soon, and go into
lickerdation."

"In which state," said he laffin', "it would be exceedin'ly
_clam_-etous."

The members of the Fat Men's Club all went prepared for hot weather,
dressed in a linnen soot and carryin' palm leaf fans.

I also notised large fassits onto the toes of their butes, so as to let
out the grease occasionly, and keep there butes from sloppin' over.

President RANSOM told me, that a fat man's wife invented the fassets, so
as to save sope grease.

"One fat man in hot weather," said Mister RANSOM, "will furnish grease
enuff, in the summer time, to keep his family in soft sope the year
around, besides supplyin' two or three daily papers with a lot."

Between you and me, Friend PUNCHINELLO, that greasy yarn seems rather
too slipperry to swaller, but I guess it'll wash after all.

PETER REED, of New York, and Docter WHITBECK, of West Troy, danced the
hiland fling for the championship and a barrel of clams.

"While PETE was cuttin' a pigin wing, and the Dr. was rakin' down a
dubble shuffle, they made things rattle, and naborin' towns thought it
was an airthquake, and began movin' out their feather beds.

"Go it, my fat friends," said I, to encourage 'em, "blood will tell, and
exercise help to digest your clams."

They shook their feet ontil exhausted natur, from necessity, ceased to
be virtous, when suddenly they both tumbled over onto their backs, and
blowed like porpoises.

The weather bein' hot, a shovel full of cloride of lime was sprinkled
onter them, to keep them from gettin' fly blode.

I was introjuced to a North River steembote pilot, whose corporosity
looked like the Commissary department of a Prushion Regiment.

"How are you, Paunchy Pilate," said I, gettin' off a joak at his
expense. "How many clams have you crucifide to-day?"

"Bully for you, ole man. Haw! haw! he! he! ho! ho!" roared half a dozen
fat men at my faceshusness, and they laffed and shook their sides, ontil
I thought they'd colaps a floo and spatter me.

One of them fat men approched me, and invited me to have a game of leep
frog.

"Excuse me, Captin," said I, "when I get so I can sholder an elefant,
I'le come around and accomodate you."

Some was playin' tag. Some was playin' blindman's-buff, while all was
amusin' themselves, at some innocen