The pilot: a tale of the sea. By J. Fenimore Cooper.

'tIN PL~,OyT 1 ft
(li tnaskl curtains of t deep rel, cortenorus oak
chairs wvith ileathtrn btacks and cushitoned seatts, a
if the aipartmenit.were jerm'etically sealed agaitlst
thel world and its clhillinr catres..Around the table, whic still stood in tihe centre
of the ftloor, were seate(l ttree gentlemeln, in tlhe
etasy nl joy Itint of their daily repast.'t'he clot I
had beeit (tawn, atnd th!e t)ot te -was slowly passint
atlonog tlhe(m, as if those who partook of its b:munty
wellt knew thfat nettither tihe tiunfe nor tle o(pportlt)itv woul(l lie 0wanti1g lor their deliberate indutlgence in its pleasures.
At one end of the table an~ clderly man wvas seated, whlo perfol1nle(l whateve1r little acts of c0tourtesy5
the duties of a host wtould ap})pearI to re(ler neces —
sary, in a company where all seemle( to be equally
at their east ant at home. This gentlemacn was
in the decline of lith, though)d his etrect carlatriagie,;uicek movemtents, alnd steady hand, etqually (e.note(d that it was an old(.1 age fiee fiomln the usutal infietni)ities. In his (dress, h belonced to that class
whose members always follow the fatshIions of the
age anterior to thte one in which they live, whQ..
ther ftr0,om disincelination to sudden chang es of any
kindt, or from tfhe' recollections of a period which,
with them, has been hallowed by scenes and:feel.
i. ugs that the chillin" evening of life can neither rexiv e nor c-qual. Age n ight possibly have th'rown:
its blightting fiosts otn his thin locks, but art hlad
la:tur(ed to conceal the ravages with the nitest
ciare. i\An accurate outline tof pt )v(ler( covere<d not
only the parts whlere the hair actually remained:(.
but wNtherever nature lhad( prestibtied tat thaitr
shoutld grow. i is countenance was strongly marked( ii features, if lnot in exl)ression, exhibiting, ot
tie whole, a look of noble integrity and high ho