CLIMATE, SEASONS, ETC. 



1818. 



Jan. 21. of his present neighbours, than he left behind him 

 upon the skins of all the people in the three parishes 

 of Guildford. However, he would not have found 

 this to be the case in Pennsylvania, and especially in 

 those parts where the Quakers abound ; and, I am 

 told, that, in the New England States, the people 

 are as cleanly and as neat as they are in England. 

 The sweetest flowers, when they become putrid, 

 stink the most ; and, a nasty woman is the nastiest 

 thing in nature. 



22. Hard frost. My business in Pennsylvania is with the 

 legislature. It is sitting at Harrisburgh. Set off 

 to-day by stage. Fine country ; fine barns ; fine 

 farms. Must speak particularly of these in another 

 place. Got to Lancaster. The largest inland town 

 in the United States. A very clean and good town. 

 No beggarly houses. All looks like ease and plenty. 



23. Harder frost, but not very severe. Almost as cold 

 as the weather was during the six weeks, continuance 

 of the snow, in 1814, in England. 



24. The same weather continues. 



25. A sort of half thaw. Sun warm. HARRISBURGH 

 is a new town, close on the left bank of the river 

 SUSQUEHANNAH, which is not frozen over, but has 

 large quantities of ice floating on its waters. All 

 vegetation, and all appearance of green, gone away. 



26. Mild weather. Hardly any frost. 



27. Thaws. Warm. Tired to death of the tavern 

 at HARRISBURGH, though a very good one. The 

 cloth spread three times a day. Fish, fowl, meat, 

 cakes, eggs, sausages ; all sorts of things in 

 abundance. Board, lodging, civil but not servile 

 waiting on, beer, tea, coffee, chocolate. Price, a 

 dollar and a quarter a day. Here we meet altogether : 

 senators, judges, lawyers, tradesmen, farmers, and 

 all. I am weary of the everlasting loads of meat. 

 Weary of being idle. How few such days have I 

 spent in my whole life ! 



28. Thaw and rain. My business not coming on, I 

 went to a country tavern, hoping there to get a room 

 to myself, in which to read my English papers, and 

 sit down to writing. I am now at McAllister s 

 tavern, situated at the foot of the first ridge of 

 mountains ; or rather, upon a little nook of land, 

 close to the river, where the river has found a way 

 through a break in the chain of mountains. Great 

 enjoyment here. Sit and read and write. My 

 mind is again in England. Mrs. M ALLISTER just 



23 



