48 FivEAcKES TOO MUCH. 



Some one had been moving a house down its main 

 street in the ordinary manner, with rollers and a 

 windlass, and its slow rate of progression led to much 

 animadversion, and many remarks that in a country 

 village pass for jokes. One by-stander wanted to 

 know whether it had stopped at the corner to take a 

 drink, another desired to inquire whether it was 

 going to the city for a visit, and a third sarcastically 

 pointed out its rate of speed as an example for the 

 railroad company to imitate. The Flushing Gazette 

 to.ok the matter up, and had an editorial every week 

 on the progress of the house. So the reader can im 

 agine what was the effect when the Flushingites 

 learned that a stranger was about bringing a house 

 from Nantucket. The Gazette entered into the sub 

 ject with spirited hilarity, hoping that it would move 

 faster than the &quot; pattern house,&quot; and wondering 

 whether it would sail down or come by land sug 

 gesting that the other houses, the old settlers, ought 

 to call on the new-comer and generally made itself 

 quite facetious over the affair. 



After signing his agreement, Mr. Sille disappeared, 

 it was supposed, to look up the house, and the foun 

 dation was rapidly completed by a resident mason ; 

 but neither he nor the house reappeared. Weeks 

 went by ; the prophecies of the incredulous were be- 



