IN THE FLAT- WOODS. 3 



advanced, they receded. It was still only 

 the beginning of a wood ; the trees far apart 

 and comparatively small, the ground covered 

 thickly with saw palmetto, interspersed here 

 and there with patches of brown grass or 

 sedge. 



In many places the roads were under 

 water, and as I seemed to be making little 

 progress, I pretty soon sat down in a pleas- 

 antly shaded spot. Wagons came along at 

 intervals, all going toward the city, most of 

 them with loads of wood ; ridiculously small 

 loads, such as a Yankee boy would put upon 

 a wheelbarrow. " A fine day," said I to the 

 driver of such a cart. " Yes, sir," he an- 

 swered, " it 's a pretty day." He spoke with 

 an emphasis which seemed to imply that he 

 accepted my remark as well meant, but 

 hardly adequate to the occasion. Perhaps, 

 if the day had been a few shades brighter, 

 he would have called it " handsome," or even 

 " good looking." Expressions of this kind, 

 however, are matters of local or individual 

 taste, and as such are not to be disputed 

 about. Thus, a man stopped me in Talla- 

 hassee to inquire what time it was. I told 

 him, and he said, " Ah, a little sooner than 



