light as a cork!
As I looked at the great, rolling waves, I laughed to myself, thinking
what nice times we were going to have in bathing; ducking under them,
when they came roaring along the shore after us, as if they meant to
gobble us up, and bouncing out again when they had passed, all dripping
and laughing, and ready for the next one to play the same trick on us.
Sometimes, to be sure, the waves play too rough, and knock you off your
feet without "by your leave;" or a little crab will walk up and bite
your toes, just by way of welcoming you to Long Branch; but nobody minds
it. Bless you!--that only makes it more fun to go in bathing!

Well, the boat stopped at the pier, which extends a quarter of a mile
from the shore, putting one in mind of a long crab's claw stuck out for
"shake hands" by old Neptune; and I jumped into the cars and was bounced
and rattled along to Long Branch. As it was Saturday afternoon, a great
crowd of people were going there with me, and, deary me! when _I_ came
to the Mansion House, there wasn't any room left for me! Wasn't it too
bad? Just when I had fixed to have such a nice time with my dear little
friends! It would never do to go away, however, so I said: "Well, never
mind, Mr. Mansion House--that is, Mr. Neighbor Nelly--dear me!--Mr.
Laird, I can do without a room; and at night you can put me to sleep in
the pigeon house, or the hen coop, or under the counter of the office,
or up the chimney, I don't care which; but go away I can't!"

Now, I expect, Mr. Laird must have known I had come to see Neighbor
Nelly, and what a disappointment it would be not to get in; for after a
consultation with his bookkeeper, he told me he could give me a room
after all! and I was so glad, that I offered him my snuff box
immediately, which is a favor I only grant to very nice people!

So up stairs I hurried, to get ready for tea, in high good humor, and,
would you believe it, when I came down again, whose table should I be
put to sit at, but Neighbor Nelly's? Oh, how surprised and pleased she
was to see me! and Jimmy and his father and mother were just as glad.
There was famous "clam chowder" for tea, and such great big
blackberries, that we really had to make two bites of them! not to
mention the quantities of other good things; and after tea we strolled
out on the bluff, which overlooks the ocean. There are three pretty
little summer houses before the Mansion House, and in one of these we
took our seats