Ah, here are the oysters! I hope that all of you will find them to your liking." A dozen were served for every guest--it was the day of plenty, the fields and woods and waters of America furnishing more food than its people could consume--and they approached them with the keen appetites of strong and healthy men.
"Perhaps we do not have the sea food here that you have in New York, Alan," said Master Jacobus with mock humility, "but we give you of our best." "We've the finest oysters in the world, unless those of Baltimore be excepted," said Hervey, "but yours are, in truth, most excellent.
Perhaps you can't expect to equal us in a specialty of ours.

You'll recall old Tom Cotton's inn, out by the East River, and how unapproachably he serves oyster, crab, lobster and every kind of fish." "I recall it full well, Alan.

I rode out the Bowery road when I was last in New York, but I did not get a chance to go to old Tom's.

You and I and Benjamin have seen some lively times there, when we were a bit younger, eh, Alan ?" "Aye, Jacobus, you speak truly.

We were just as much concentrated upon self as the youth of to-day.