mile when we hear the disciples
of Hamilton, and of Adams, and of all that high-toned school, declaiming
against the use of the veto, and talking of the "one man power," and of
Congress' leading the government! The deacon was very apt to throw the
opprobrium of even a bad season on the administration, and the reader has
seen what he thought of the subject of running packets between New York
and Cape Horn.

"There ought to be a large navy, Mary, a monstrous navy, so that the
vessels might be kept carrying letters about, and serving the public. But
we shall never have things right, until Rufus King, or some man like him,
gets in. If Gar'ner lets that Daggett get the start of him, he never need
come home again. The islands are as much mine as if I had bought them; and
I'm not sure an action wouldn't lie for seals taken on them without my
consent. Yes, yes; we want a monstrous navy, to convoy sealers, and carry
letters about, and keep some folks at home, while it lets other folks go
about their lawful business."

"Of what islands are you speaking, uncle? Surely the sealing islands,
where Roswell has gone, are public and uninhabited, and no one has a
better right there than another!"

The deacon perceived that he had gone too far, in his tribulation, and
began to have a faint notion that he was making a fool of himself. He
asked his niece, in a very faint voice, therefore, to hand him the letter,
the remainder of which he would endeavour to read himself. Although every
word that Roswell Gardiner wrote was very precious to Mary, the gentle
girl had a still unopened epistle to herself to peruse, and glad enough
was she to make the exchange. Handing the deacon his letter, therefore,
she withdrew at once to her private room, in order to read her own.

"Dearest Mary," said Roswell Gardiner, in this epistle, "your uncle will
tell you what has brought us into this port, and all things connected with
the schooner. I have sent home more than $4000 worth of oil, and I hope my
owner will forgive the accident off Currituck, on account of this run of
good luck. In my opinion, we shall yet make a voyage, and that part of my
fortune will be secure. Would that I could feel as sure of finding you
more disposed to be kind to me, on my return! I read in your Bible every
day, Mary, and I often pray to God to enlighten my mind, if my views have
been wrong. As yet, I cannot flatter myself with any change, for my old
opinions appear rather to b