ble, but dangerous passion; and, had I turned and endeavoured to escape from these bloodhounds, it is a hundred to one but I had been seized in that part where honour is said to be lodged.

I, therefore, stood my ground, and called lustily to the house. My cry was not unheard; the door was opened, and a lad advanced with a light, which he had fixed in a calabash.

The way, my friend, if you please, to Frying

Pan.

έσ

Frying-Pan! 'Tis a right difficult road to "find in the dark. You must keep along the "worm-fence-Jowler! begone-hush your "mouth, there, you Rover !-begone, I say, you "bloody-You must keep strait along the worm (i. e. crooked) fence, till you come to a barn"but I would advise you to avoid the brush"wood about the barn, because of a nest of rat"tlesnakes-and the old one is mighty savage."Well-when have left the barn on your you right, take the path that leads into the woods, "and keep the main road the whole way, with"out turning either to the right or left, till you "come to the track of the wheel-then cross

right over into the next wood, and that will

bring you to Frying-Pan Run-and, then, you "could not go wrong if you was to try at it."

My friend, will you favour me with a draught of water?

Yes, sure. Come walk with me into the house.

You Rover!-hush your noise, you negur. Jowler! if you don't hush, I'll make you rally for something.

On entering the log-house, I found a man sitting with his wife and five children, before a blazing fire of wood. My reader, do you not envy me the sensations with which the strings of my heart vibrated on beholding this domestic groupe? The weary Traveller, after losing his way in the awful woods of America, stoops to enter at the door of a little log-house, and happy to be once more in the society of his fellowcreatures, finds the roof under which he has got shelter large enough for his heart's desire.

Hospitality is the prominent feature in the character of a Virginian; and I had a presentiment that I was housed for the night. When I had drunk my water, which tasted the more delicious, from being administered to me by a fine girl of seventeen, (she had two pitch-balls stuck in her head for eyes,) I rose to depart; but the man of the house accosted me, saying, "Be content, I pray you, 'and tarry here all night; the day is grown to an end: to-morrow I will send my son to put you in the way."

The children now considered me as one of the family, and, moving their chairs, made room for me to come within their circle.

My dogs, said the man, gave you a rally. But I reckon it was the little dog you brought with you, that made them so savage.

Oh! my! what a pretty little lap Foist, cried the eldest girl. Indeed, indeed, he's right beautiful.

Mary, said a boy about nine years old, he's for all the world like the little dog that Jack Hatchet bought of 'Squire Carter's driver. He's spotted just like him. I'll lay you he came out of the same bitch.

Do hush, Bill, said Mary. The gentleman brought the dog with him from England.

An Englishman once, said the eldest son, borrowed a dog of me, and was ashamed to return him. He carried him to England. If I was ever to go there, I would make a point to find the dog How big, Sir, is England?

out.

Nearly, Sir, as big as the State of Virginia. (Oh! Mary, said the next sister, what a great big place!)

Then, said the young man, I should give it up for a bad job. I did not reckon that England had been bigger than Prince William County.

Supper (that is tea) was now got ready; nor was it without a grateful emotion that I beheld the mother of this worthy family unlock her Sunday cupboard, and hand her eldest daughter part of a loaf of sugar to break for the repast.

Wilmot, the eldest son, now departed. I discovered afterwards that he was courting the daughter of Mr. Strangeways' neighbour, whom he never failed to visit after the labour of the

day. It was plain he was a lover by the care he took in adorning his person; changing his leggings for a pair of Philadelphia-made boots, and his frock for a fashionable coatee. The first character of love is a diffidence of pleasing.

After supper we again drew round the fire.I had for some time perceived an unusual blaze in the chimney; but supposing it to come from an oven, I said not a word.

At length the good woman exclaimed, The plague! there's our chimney on fire again. We must pull down the rubbish, or we shall get no

peace.

Mr. Strangeways now rose with great composure, and seizing a large staff, went out to the back of the chimney, where he raked away the rubbish; while Mary, catching up a gourd, filled it thrice with water, and helped to extinguish the conflagration.

As the night advanced, I could not but meditate upon the place my worthy host designed for my repose. I formed a hundred conjectures. He surely would not cherish me in the bosom of his numerous family? And yet I could perceive only one room in the house.

There were three beds in the room.

Of these

I discovered that the back one belonged to the two eldest girls; for while Mr. Strangeways, his wife, and I were yawning in concert over the fire, I

* Indian stockings.

+ Coatee is the American for a short coat.

perceived Mary, from the corner of my eye, steal softly to her nest, and slip in under the clothes; an example that was quickly followed by Eliza, who, with equal archness, crept in by her side.

Pure and simple innocence! To dread no eye, and to suspect no tongue, is the prerogative of the family to whom these manners belong.

At length Mr. Strangeways asked me if I was willing to go to bed, and, upon my replying in the affirmative, he fetched a ladder from an outhouse into the room, and having placed it against the wall, he ascended a few steps, and opened a trap-door in the rafters, which I had not perceived led to a cock-loft.

Did you ever mount a ship's ladder, said Mr. Strangeways?

I replied, that I had a thousand.

case.

Then, said he, be kind enough to follow me. I followed, without betraying the least emotion of surprise; none but a rustic would have uttered an exclamation at the novelty of the stairI found a decent bed in the room appropriated to my reception; and, when Mr. Strangeways had opened and closed the shutter of the window in a manner which, after travelling so long in America, I could not but understand; the worthy man bade me a good night, and left me to my repose. I soon fell asleep; nor were my slumbers disturbed by the vision of an exorbitant