heir novels to their bosoms.

"There isn't a breath down there," they said, one after another. The
last one added, "Barlow says it's the hottest day he's ever seen here."

In a minute Barlow himself appeared at the head of the steps with the
ladies' remaining wraps, and confirmed their report in person. "I tell
you," he said, wiping his forehead, "it's a ripper."

"It must be an awful day in town," said one of the ladies, fanning
herself with a newspaper.

"Is that to-day's Advertiser, Mrs. Alger?" asked another.

"Oh, dear, no! yesterday's. We sha'n't have today's till this afternoon.
It shows what a new arrival you are, Mrs. Scott--your asking."

"To be sure. But it's such a comfort being where you can see the
Advertiser the same morning. I always look at the Weather Report the
first thing. I like to know what the weather is going to be."

"You can't at Jocelyn's. You can only know what it's been."

"Well," Barlow interposed, jealous for Jocelyn's, "you can most al'ays
tell by the look o' things."

"Yes," said one of the ladies; "but I'd rather trust the Weather Report.
It's wonderful how it comes true. I don't think there 's anything that
you miss more in Europe than our American Weather Report."

"I'm sure you miss the oysters," said another.

"Yes," the first admitted, "you do miss the oysters. It was the last of
the R months when we landed in New York; and do you know what we did the
first thing--? We drove to Fulton Market, and had one of those Fulton
Market broils! My husband said we should have had it if it had been
July. He used to dream of the American oysters when we were in Europe.
Gentlemen are so fond of them."

Barlow, from scanning the heavens, turned round and faced the company,
which had drooped in several attitudes of exhaustion on the benching of
the piazza. "Well, I can most al'ays tell about Jocelyn's as good as the
Weather Report. I told Mrs. Maynard here this mornin' that the fog was
goin' to burn off."

"Burn off?" cried Mrs. Alger. "I should think it had!" The other ladies
laughed.

"And you'll see," added Barlow, "that the wind 'll change at noon, and
we'll have it cooler."

"If it's as hot on the water as it is here," said Mrs. Scott, "I should
think those people would get a sunstroke."

"Well, so should I, Mrs. Scott," cordially exclaimed a little fat
lady, as if here at last were an opinion in which all might rejoice to
sympathize.

"It's never so hot on the water, Mrs