I never see one of them queer little old fashioned tea pots, like that are in the cupboard of Marm Pugwash, said the Clockmaker, that I dont think of Lawyer Crowningshield and his wife.  When I was down to Rhode Island last, I spent an evening with them.  Arter I had been there a while, the black House help brought in a little home made dipt candle, stuck in a turnip sliced in two, to make it stand straight, and set it down on the table.  Why, says the Lawyer to his wife, Increase my dear, what on earth is the meanin o’ that? what does little Viney mean by bringin in such a light as this, that aint fit for even a log hut of one of our free and enlightened citizens away down east; where’s the lamp?  My dear, says she, I ordered it—­you know they are agoin to set you up for Governor next year, and I allot we must economise or we will be ruined—­the salary is only four hundred dollars a year, you know, and you’ll have to give up your practice—­we can’t afford nothin now.  Well, when tea was brought in, there was a little wee china tea pot, that held about the matter of half a pint or so, and cups and sarcers about the bigness of children’s toys.  When he seed that, he grew most peskily ryled, his under lip curled down like a peach leaf that’s got a worm in it, and he stripped his teeth, and showed his grinders, like a bull dog; what foolery is this, said he?  My dear, said she, its the foolery of being Governor; if you choose to sacrifice all your comfort to being the first rung in the ladder, don’t blame me for it.  I did’nt nominate you—­I had not art nor part in it.  It was cooked up at that are Convention, at Town Hall.  Well, he sot for some time without sayin a word, lookin as black as a thunder cloud, just ready to make all natur crack agin.  At last he gets up, and walks round behind his wife’s chair, and takin her face between his two hands, he turns it up and gives her a buss that went off like a pistoll—­it fairly made my mouth water to see him; thinks I, them lips aint a bad bank to deposit one’s spare kisses in, neither.  Increase, my dear, said he, I believe you are half right, I’ll decline to-morrow, I’ll have nothin to do with it—­I wont be A Governor, on no account.

Well, she had to haw and gee like, both a little, afore she could get her head out of his hands; and then she said, Zachariah, says she, how you do act, aint you ashamed?  Do for gracious sake behave yourself:  and she colored up all over like a crimson piany; if you hav’nt foozled all my hair too, that’s a fact, says she; and she put her curls to rights, and looked as pleased as fun, though poutin all the time, and walked right out of the room.  Presently in come two well dressed House Helps, one with a splendid gilt lamp, a real London touch, and another with a tea tray, with a large solid silver coffee pot, and tea pot, and a cream jug, and sugar boul, of the same genuine metal, and a most an elegant sett of real gilt china.  Then in came