could know anything about me, having no connexions whatever-good, bad, or indifferent in America, I was speedily received with a cordial and generous hospitality, that I can never recall without the liveliest sentiments of gratitude to all who lived in that pleasant town, to which, as it would seem, I was led by some friendly gale of Providence.

As for the employers whom I now went to serve, they were gentlemen in every sense; and during the whole of my stay I ever had reason to be thankful for the fortunate circumstance that placed me in their service. In fact, they treated me as an equal, rather than a subordinate and never, on any occasion whatever, was I subjected to the insulting treatment which I had received from my late capricious managers. My attempts to please here met with all success, the business arrangements gave the fullest satisfaction—and in short, during the whole two years that I remained with them, I can justly say, that their conduct, as American employers, merited the highest approbation.

VI.—AMERICAN COUNTRY BOARDINGHOUSES.

THE boarding-houses of America, especially in country parts, are matters of necessity to a single man; nay, in some villages and towns there are neither hotels nor

private lodgings to be had, so that he has no alternative. Different customs prevail in different establishments of this kind; but I must say, that when the rate of payment is generally pretty high, it is rather hard to be compelled to eat whatever a landlady may choose to provide, whether agreeable to the palate or not, or whether one be ill or well. Nevertheless, like the laws of the Medes and the Persians, which never alter, the arrangements cannot be changed; and, therefore, at first, felt this American mode of living somewhat awkward, though I got used to it after a time, and could relish apple and pumpkin pies for breakfast as well as the best of them.

The private boarding-houses, in pleasant families, are agreeable enough; but when a boarder is daily reminded by a proprietress of the high price of provisions, or some family squabble is reproduced at the dinner-table, one is apt to leave it with any but agreeable impressions. At one of the houses where I resided, we had an old landlady, about whose dinners there was a peculiarity quite the reverse of pleasant. At a stated time, say twelve o'clock, all the boarders were supposed to be in their places at the dinner-table; but the old lady would have the dinner served up halfan-hour previously, in order to supply to each individual his or her portion. The idea was capital, and a master-stroke of economy; but the result unhappily was, that we always had a cold dinner, which to me is at any time far from agreeable. Yet the Americans

submitted to her whims without a murmur, and said that I should be unpopular if I interfered. This same lady was quite a character in her way, for she devoted herself with especial diligence to the reading of newspapers. Her depth in this sort of knowledge, indeed, was immense; and with such skill in political lore, that she could fully sustain an argument on any subject, however great the opposition, rocking, meanwhile, to and fro in her rocking chair, and laying down the law so loudly, and with so strong an emphasis, that she soon drove her opponents from the field. One more anecdote respecting her, and I have done. The sultry hot weather of July and August fairly threw me into a fever, during which, I must in justice say, the old lady attended me with great kindness. One day, however, I was worse than usual, and having no relatives in America, I could not help feeling a sort of despondence which doubtless was pourtrayed in my looks; when, perhaps, for the purpose of cheering me, this Job's comforter in petticoats observed, "Young man, it would be a great pity, I guess, to have to bury you so far away from your friends!"

While on the subject of private boarding-houses, however, let me observe, that a great deal depends on the boarder making himself as agreeable as he can to the host and hostess, as well as to the other guests of the house; for a sour-tempered person will find himself subjected to a thousand petty annoyances. In many families with whom I resided, I gladly acknowledge

that I can speak in the highest terms, both of their general household arrangements and individual kind attentions.

VII. THE COLD WEATHER AND

SLEIGH-RIDING.

AT length the cold weather came on, and I can say of a truth, that it is most intense; so much so, indeed, that great care must be taken, or else the nose and ears will be frost-bitten. The cold, bracing air, nevertheless, is highly salubrious, and the health of the inhabitants is, generally speaking, far better and stronger in winter than in summer. The snow-storms, too, are very violent, as to render it impossible for the wayfarers to see their road; besides which, such an astonishing quantity will sometimes fall in a single night, as to drift, in many places, to a height of eight or ten feet.

Through the hush'd air the whit'ning show'r descends,
At first thin, wav'ring-until at last the flakes
Fall broad and wide and fast, dimming the day
With a continual flow; while all around
Earth's universal face, deep hid and chill,

Is one wide dazzling waste that buries wide

The works of man.

In such a case, the municipal authorities are accustomed to send men with machines, drawn by oxen, in order to level the highways sufficiently to allow a passage for the mails and ordinary traffic.

Sleigh driving is to a stranger a peculiarly pleasant and exciting amusement. The silent smoothness with which the vehicle dashes through the snow, the internal ease and comfort of the conveyance, the gay trappings of the horse or horses that draw, and the numerous sleighs one meets, with fast trotting steeds, all contribute to give an indescribable charm to this favourite winter recreation. Ladies especially are seen to great advantage, while employed in this agreeable mode of travelling; for their well-assorted travelling costume becomes them wonderfully-while their nierry, ringing laugh, sounds full of life and vivacity, and the clear atmosphere, fanning their cheeks, gives the countenances an air of charming naiveté, and paints their complexions with the roseate hue of blooming health. It is a merry time-this season of sleigh-riding in the United States-every person's spirits seem unusually light and elastic; and sometimes companies of twenty or thirty persons are collected to fill a gigantic sleigh, drawn by six, or eight horses. Then is it, when all are snugly tucked up, that as the poet says:—

Obsequious to their call, the docile steeds,

Yield to the sleigh their necks and whirl them swift,

The joy-bells tingling as they whirl along

O'er hill, and dale, heap'd into one expanse
Of marbled snow, as far as eye can sweep,
With a blue crust of ice unbounded glaz'd.

In this case, it is usual to drive to some hotel or house at a considerable distance, where, after a merry dance, or cheerful chat, they partake with zest of a