I
noticed that Abel, whenever we had occasion to visit a grocery,
would go sniffing around, alternately attracted or repelled by the
various articles: now turning away with a shudder from a
ham,--now inhaling, with a fearful delight and uncertainty,
the odor of smoked herrings. `I think herrings must feed on sea-
weed,' said he, `there is such a vegetable attraction about them.'
After his violent vegetarian harangues, however, he hesitated about
adding them to his catalogue.
"But, one day, as we were passing through the village, he was
reminded by the sign of `WARTER CRACKERS' in the window of an
obscure grocery that he required a supply of these articles, and we
therefore entered. There was a splendid Rhode Island cheese on the
counter, from which the shop-mistress was just cutting a slice for
a customer. Abel leaned over it, inhaling the rich, pungent
fragrance.
"`Enos,' said he to me, between his sniffs, `this impresses me like
flowers--like marigolds. It must be--really--yes, the vegetable
element is predominant.
Pages:
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297