You know the boy whom I hear called John, with the old gentleman who collects shells ?" "Oh! ho!" said Mr.Bill Hen, delighted to find a fresh subject of interest.

"Deacon Scraper, yes, yes! well named, sir, Deacon Scraper is, well named, you see! Very close man, pizeon close they do say.

Lived here all his life, Deacon Scraper has, and made a fortune.

Scraped it, some say, out of folks as weren't so well off as he, but I don't know.
Keen after shells, the old gentleman, yes, yes! like liquor to him, I've heard say.

Never a man to drink or what you might call royster, no way of the world but just that; but get him off to Boston, or any place where there were shells to be bought, and he'd come home fairly drunk with 'em, his trunk busting out and all his money gone.