"WELL, just as I was ready to start away, down comes Lucy to the keepin'
room, with both arms behind her head, a fixin' of the hooks and eyes.
'Man alive,' says she, 'are you here yet? I thought you was off gunnin'
an hour ago; who'd a thought you was here?' 'Gunnin'?' says I, 'Lucy, my
gunnin' is over, I shan't go no more, now, I shall go home; I agree with
you; shiverin' alone under a wet bush, for hours, is no fun; but if Lucy
was there'--'Get out,' says she, 'don't talk nonsense, Sam, and just
fasten the other hook and eye of my frock, will you?' She turned round
her back to me. Well, I took the hook in one hand, and the eye in the
other; but arth and seas! my eyes fairly snapped again; I never see such
a neck since I was raised. It sprung right out o' the breast and
shoulder, full round, and then tapered up to the head like a swan's, and
the complexion would beat the most delicate white and red rose that ever
was seen. Lick, it made me all eyes! I jist stood stock still, I
couldn't move a finger, if I was to die for it. 'What ails you, Sam,'
says she, 'that you don't hook it?' 'Why,' says I, 'Lucy, dear, my
fingers is all thumbs, that's a fact, I can't handle such little things
as fast as you can.' 'Well, come,' says she, 'make haste, that's a dear,
mother will be comin' directly;' and at last I shut to both my eyes, and
fastened it; and when I had done, says I, 'There is one thing I must
say, Lucy.' 'What's that?' says she. 'That you may stump all Connecticut
to show such an angeliferous neck as you have. I never saw the beat of
it in all my born days--it's the most----' 'And you may stump the State,
too,' says she, 'to produce such another bold, forrard, impedent,
onmannerly tongue, as you have--so there now--so get along with
you.'"--_Sam Slick._