r a sleigh-ride, or a "frolic," as
all such parties of pleasure were and still are called in New England.
At sea he was always beloved, by both officers and seamen, for his
nautical skill and good-nature. Notwithstanding the confinement that his
duties made unavoidable, he had managed to make himself acquainted with
men and manners, and, during the many leisure hours that those engaged
in the whale-fishery always find, he had amused himself with
drawing--for which he possessed a natural talent, reading, and keeping a
sort of memorandum of different occurrences and his reflections upon the
habits of the different nations he visited,--and was, in short, one of
those somewhat rare but still existing prodigies, a well educated, well
informed gentleman with a hard hand and short jacket, many individuals
of which nearly extinct species of animals I have had the singular good
fortune to fall in with during my voyage through life.

CHAPTER IX.

Here comes Romeo, here comes Romeo--without his roe, like a dried
herring. O flesh, flesh! how art thou fishified!

ROMEO AND JULIET.

Upon his return to his dear native town, Morton was received by his
father with his usual quiet affection; for old Mr. Morton was one of
that nearly obsolete school of parents, husbands, and members of
society, that do not think their duties in either relation require any
sounding of trumpets, and who are of opinion that those who feel most
deeply and sincerely religion, Christian charity, or human affections,
are generally people who seldom make any parade of either. This sect
seems to be very nearly extinct, or at least their leading principles, I
have been told, are exploded from the creeds of modern saints; but as my
acquaintance with modern saints is, thank God, very limited, I cannot
vouch for the fact.

It was not long after Morton's return, when the young people of his own
age and standing began to perceive an alteration in his manners, and
that he, who was a leader in their gay parties, was now a moping,
stupid, silent, dull creature, without any of his former animation and
gaiety. The young ladies took it for granted that he was in love; and
as it was evident that he was not in love with any of them, why of
course some nymph in the Pacific had stolen his heart; and as, moreover,
they had no idea of the existence in that remote and unknown quarter of
creation of any females more fasci