After the first course of maize and banana-bread,—styled by the padre crumpets, while under the moulding pressure of Luocuratia’s fair hands,—the elder maidens seated themselves beside their parents, the little ones taking their places, their busy eyes watchful for an opportunity to render aid in supplying the wants of their parents and guests. So well versed were they in the language of eyes, tongues were rarely used. Our most skillful performer with the knife and fork caused them to stand on tiptoe with wonder, in view of their rapid alternations in the transfer of food to his mouth, although himself unmindful of special notice. Whether the pantomimic expressions evoked from their symmetrical hands, arms, and questioning eyes, were elicited from the quantity or facile speed in the disposal of food, we could not judge. At the close of the refection, the prætor remarked, that the impression of their debt of gratitude was accumulating so fast from an increase in happiness, they felt sensitively the poverty of their resources for making suitable returns. “But if you will only wait with confidence, our dispositions will find some method of recompense that will prove more acceptable than metallic gold?”
Mr. Welson assured him if true happiness could be considered a meed for equivalent reciprocation, the Heracleans had conferred far more by their example than they had received.
_Dosch._ “Then you must fain remain content with each other, and bestow your mutual aid upon the less favored for the recognition of your source of happiness. As the day is drawing to a close, perhaps Dr. Baāhar will favor us, and the other children, with his impressions and ideas derived from his associations of the day?”