her himself. Acting on this consideration, he mentioned the matter to her, remarking that her husband could not live long, and asking if she would marry him after he was dead?

She replied that she had no objections at all if “her husband was willing." He said he had no doubt on that point, and he would speak to him about it. He did so, and the husband unhesitatingly gave his consent, adding that he was glad she would be so well provided for after his death. So when winter approached, the young settler would come and "court" the prospective widow, while the dying husband laid and coughed on the bed in the corner.

Now there was not much sentiment in this, I grant, but there was a vast deal of philosophy. It was rather cool on her part, to be sure, but vastly sensible on his. What could his wife and children do, all alone there in the woods, without a protector? The toughest part of the proceeding, and that which no doubt tested the backwoodsman's philosophy the severest, was the courtship. To lie gasping for breath in one part of the room, and see the young athletic and healthy backwoodsman and his wife sitting together by the fire, and know that after a few

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more painful weeks, he would occupy that place permanently, and yet bear it all patiently, required a good deal of stamina. Especially must the reflection that they were both probably very anxious to have him take his departure, have been rather a bitter pill to swallow. I go into all these little particulars, you know, to show the character of my hero to the best advantage the heroine speaks for herself. These two interesting personages were my shoemaker and his wife.

Yours truly,

XXX.

ODDS

AND ENDS-TRIAL WOODS-NEW MODE OF REPORTING AN ELECTIONPARADOX LAKE-VON RAUMER AND HIS STATEMENTS.

OF A THIEF IN THE BACK

DEAR H- :

THEY have a curious way of disposing of civil and political matters in the backwoods; for they are not trammelled by the formalities of law, having imbibed the very ridiculous notion that its end is secured by the administration of justice. It will be some time, I am afraid, before they become sufficiently educated to understand that the science of law as reduced to practice now-a-days, is based on two great principles— first, to give the scoundrel a better chance than the honest man—and second, to make technicalities weigh against truth and justice. The idea never entered their heads, poor souls, that a slight informality

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should always be sufficient to defeat the cause of a good man, and advance that of a bad one.

Being so barbarous as to love simple justice, some of their trials are conducted on a singular plan. On one occasion, a little settlement of some half a dozen families having discovered a thief among their num ber, without farther ado, assembled, tried, and condemned him. The nearest jail, however, was fifty miles distant, through the forest: yet they resolved to despatch him thither, and two men were appointed as his conductors.

The first day they made about twenty-five miles, and then built up a fire and lay down for the night, with their prisoner. In the morning, feeling rather stiff and lame, they declared that the tramp of a hundred miles was going to cost more than it would come to, and so turned him loose in the woods to find his way out as he best could.

I was much amused at a method of voting adopted in another settlement composed of a few clearingsthe only ones in the township-in which were some ten or a dozen voters. The candidate for their suffrages -I forget his name-lived in Glen's Falls, near Saratoga Springs. Having assembled together in

one of the log huts of the settlers, they talked over the matter, and finally concluded to vote all one way, and for this gentleman. It was a grave and solemn deliberation, and the sound political maxims there uttered were worthy of the momentouso ccasion that called them together. Having folded up their some dozen votes, they put them in a little wooden box with a lid to it, and despatched a man with them eighty miles distant to Glen's Falls, fifty of which were through a dense forest. After several days' hard traveling, he reached the place; but instead of going to the proper authorities, he went straight to the candidate's house, and opening the box, counted the votes saying, "Here, them's all for you-every one of 'em." The man laughed, and said that he was much obliged for the votes, but they could do him no good, brought in this informal way.

I caught a terrible drubbing in a school house, the other day, from a Methodist exhorter. Seeing me present, and hearing or surmising that I was from New York, he thought it was a good opportunity to give his opinion of the inhabitants of that wicked city. Among other severe things which he uttered, he said the people were so affected that they could