. Jefferson
Brick, and others; renowned, as it appeared, for excellence in the achievement
of a peculiar style of broadside-essay called a screamer.
    »We are a busy people, sir,« said one of the captains, who was from the
West, »and have no time for reading mere notions. We don't mind 'em if they come
to us in newspapers along with almighty strong stuff of another sort, but darn
your books.«
    Here the general, who appeared to grow quite faint at the bare thought of
reading anything which was neither mercantile nor political, and was not in a
newspaper, inquired »if any gentleman would drink some?« Most of the company,
considering this a very choice and seasonable idea, lounged out, one by one, to
the bar-room in the next block. Thence they probably went to their stores and
counting-houses; thence to the bar-room again, to talk once more of dollars, and
enlarge their minds with the perusal and discussion of screamers; and thence
each man to snore in the bosom of his own family.
    »Which would seem,« said Martin, pursuing the current of his own thoughts,
»to be the principal recreation they enjoy in common.« With that, he fell
a-musing again on dollars, demagogues, and bar-rooms; debating within himself
whether busy people of this class were really as busy as they claimed to be, or
only had an inaptitude for social and domestic pleasure.
    It was a difficult question to solve; and the mere fact of its being
strongly presented to his mind by all that he had seen and heard, was not
encouraging. He sat down at the deserted board, and becoming more and more
despondent, as he thought of all the uncertainties and difficulties of his
precarious situation, sighed heavily.
    Now, there had been at the dinner-table a middle-aged man with a dark eye
and a sunburnt face, who had attracted Martin's attention by having something
very engaging and honest in the expression of his features; but of whom he could
learn nothing from either of his neighbours, who seemed to consider him quite
beneath their notice. He had taken no part in the conversation round the stove,
nor had he gone forth with the rest; and now, when he heard Martin sigh for the
third or fourth time, he interposed with some casual remark, as if he desired,
without obtruding himself upon a stranger's notice, to engage him in cheerful
conversation if he could. His motive was so obvious
