I sat at one corner of the table, beside
Perkins Brown, who took an opportunity, while the others were
engaged in conversation, to jog my elbow gently. As I turned
towards him, he said nothing, but dropped his eyes significantly.
The little rascal had the lid of a blacking-box, filled with salt,
upon his knee, and was privately seasoning his onions and radishes.
I blushed at the thought of my hypocrisy, but the onions were so
much better that I couldn't help dipping into the lid with him.
"`Oh,' said Eunice, `we must send for some oil and vinegar! This
lettuce is very nice.'
"`Oil and vinegar?' exclaimed Abel.
"`Why, yes,' said she, innocently: `they are both vegetable
substances.'
"Abel at first looked rather foolish, but quickly recovering
himself, said--
"`All vegetable substances are not proper for food: you would not
taste the poison-oak, or sit under the upas-tree of Java.'
"`Well, Abel,' Eunice rejoined, `how are we to distinguish what is
best for us? How are we to know WHAT vegetables to choose, or
what animal and mineral substances to avoid?'
"`I will tell you,' he answered, with a lofty air.
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