Then there is that water privilege, worth three or four thousand
dollars, twice as good as what Governor Cass paid fifteen thousand
dollars for. I wonder, Deacon, you don't put up a carding mill on
it; the same works would carry a turning lathe, a shingle machine,
a circular saw, grind bark, and--"
"Too old," said the Deacon, "too old for all those speculations--"
"Old," repeated the clockmaker, "not you; why you are worth half
a dozen of the young men we see, nowadays; you are young enough to
have--" Here he said something in a lower tone of voice, which I did
not distinctly hear; but whatever it was, the Deacon was pleased, he
smiled and said he did not think of such things now.
"But your beasts, dear me, your beasts must be put in and have a
feed;" saying which, he went out to order them to be taken to the
stable.
As the old gentleman closed the door after him, Mr. Slick drew near
to me, and said in an undertone, "That is what I call 'SOFT SAWDER.'
An Englishman would pass that man as a sheep passes a hog in a
pasture, without looking at him; or," said he, looking rather archly,
"if he was mounted on a pretty smart horse, I guess he'd trot away,
if he could. Now I find--" Here his lecture on "SOFT SAWDER" was cut
short by the entrance of Mrs. Flint.
"Jist come to say good-bye, Mrs. Flint.
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