His ways are past finding out, saith King David: but a man of war, from his youth upward, hath no chance such as a gardening man hath.

What a many of them have I found out!" "What has that got to do with it!" I cried.

"Just tell me what it was you were speaking of just now." "I was just a-thinking, when I looked at you, miss," he answered, in the prime of leisure, and wiping his forehead from habit only, not because he wanted it, "how little us knows of the times and seasons and the generations of the sons of men.

There you stand, miss, and here stand I, as haven't seen your father for a score of years a'most; and yet there comes out of your eyes into mine the very same look as the Captain used to send, when snakes in the grass had been telling lies about me coming late, or having my half pint or so on.

Not that the Captain was a hard man, miss--far otherwise, and capable of allowance, more than any of the women be.