62 EEMINISCENCES OF THE LEWS. 



— as we were all standing on deck and neariug 

 joyfully our beloved Aline, all of a sudden I 

 saw Fred's countenance change. " Bless that 

 fellow! there he is again!" he remarked; 

 and, true enough, there lay the cutter, dressed, 

 as they say, with her flags and signals, and 

 yards manned, welcoming our arrival with 

 band, and salutes, and cheers, among which 

 there was no mistaking the skipper's. It was, 

 however, his last torment. He was on his way 

 to Greenock to give up the command of the 

 cutter, the term of his service being out. 

 Well, peace be to his ashes ; but I do not think 

 anything so mischievously noisy could be at 

 peace. If he went aloft, I think he must have 

 destroyed the equilibrium of Heaven itself. If 

 he went below, I think he must have tired out 

 the devils themselves, who would have returned 

 him to earth, not by their sovereign's com- 

 mands out of jealousy for Madame Pluto, but 

 from inability to bear him among them. 



It was during this memorable epoch that 

 poor Celery's malady reached its climax. 

 When the little steamer hove in sight, every- 

 body commenced doing the last things to the 

 carpet-bags. Celery, making rapturous allu- 

 sions to her responsibility, disappeared into the 

 nursery, from which, in due time, she emerged 



