Page:Harper's New Monthly Magazine - v108.djvu/268



HAVE a letter," said the engineer, "from Dr. Ulswater."

Those who were gathered on the wharf at Bateman's Slip roused themselves.

"From Dr. Ulswater," repeated the engineer. "Dated two months ago, Malay Peninsula." He held the letter in his hand and gazed dreamily at the tossing, shining water of the bay outside of Bateman's Slip.

"Malay Peninsula! It sounds like Ulswater—sort of fleshy and floating. But he might have dated himself before the Flood and been likely. He had a mind like a sargasso sea, and whiskers resembling sargasso. But maybe Mrs. Ulswater has trimmed them by this time, and rearranged his mind, and tidied it up, and swept it, and hung anti-macassars over the chairs, and polished the andirons, and flung the cuspidor out of the window, and canned the tropical fruitage of his character into jellies and jams in glass jars with screw tops and rubber bands. Well, those would be the rational instincts of a housekeeper like Mrs. Ulswater; but she was a good woman, and I was fond of Mrs. Coe. Malay Peninsula! That's a long way east of Potterville."

April 21st.—Oh, my friend! Forever shall my voice bear testimony [wrote Dr. Ulswater] to the remarkable character of Mrs. Ulswater. She has gathered the mingled races about her knee. She has faced the wisdom of the East and subdued it. I proceed: