Salmagundi; or, The whim-whams and opinions of Launcelot Langstaff, esq. [pseud.] and others. By William Irving, James Kirke Paulding and Washington Irving. Printed from the original ed., with a preface and notes by Evert A. Duyckinck.

252 SALMAGUNDI.
know what to think; for Will is such a universal busybody,
and meddles so much in everything going forward, that you
might as well attempt to conjecture what is going on in the
north star, as in his precious pericranium. Even Mrs. Cockloft
who, like a worthy woman as she is, seldom troubles herself
about anything in this world-saving the affairs of her household, and the correct deportment of her female friends-was
struck with the mystery of Will's behavior. She happened,
when he came in and went out the tenth time, to be busy darning the bottom of one of the old red damask chairs; and notwithstanding this is to her an affair of vast importance, yet she
could not help turning round and exclaiming, " I wonder what
can be the matter with Mr. Wizard?" " Nothing," replied old
Christopher, "only we shall have an eruption soon." The old
lady did not understand a word of this, neither did she care;
she had expressed her wonder; and that, with her, is always
sufficient.
I am so well acquainted with Will's peculiarities that I can
tell, even by his whistle, when he is about an essay for our paper,
as certainly as a weather wisacre knows that it is going to rain
when he sees a pig run squeaking about with his nose in the
wind. I, therefore, laid my account with receiving a communication from him before long; and sure enough, the evening
before last I distinguished his free-mason knock at my door. I
have seen many wise mnen in my time, philosophers, mathematicians, astronomers, politicians, editors, and almanac-makers;
but never did I see a man look half so wise as did my friend
Wizard on entering the room. Had Lavater beheld him at that
moment, he would have set him down, to a certainty, as a fellow who had just discovered the longitude or the philosopher's
stone.