FROM A NEW ENGLAND HILLSIDE. 285 



mammies stand in the doorways, or the 

 little pickaninnies lie around basking in the 

 sun. There is seldom any evidence of 

 effort to beautify the home-place by the 

 planting of trees, shrubs, or vines, or other 

 wise. The surroundings are usually bare 

 and unsightly. The house has the appear 

 ance not of a home as we think of it, but of 

 being a mere shelter from the inclemency 

 of the elements. This is doubtless largely 

 because of the great poverty of the people, 

 which everywhere forces itself upon the 

 attention ; but it cannot be only because of 

 this. Certainly in other localities you fre 

 quently find unmistakable evidences of 

 poverty accompanied by like unmistakable 

 evidences of a craving for something more 

 than food, clothing, and the shelter of a roof. 

 The man on horseback is seen every 

 where where people are visible. The sad 

 dle is a natural home for a Virginian. I 

 cannot, however, say much for the grace 

 and comeliness of the ordinary Virginia 

 horse as I have seen him during the past 

 few days. I am inclined to think that he 

 must rather yield the palm to the mule, 

 whose long ears make their appearance 

 upon every side. Not many unfamiliar 

 crops appear in the fields. The tobacco 



