210 WALKS ABOUT TALLAHASSEE. 



woman had insisted upon giving me when I 

 stopped beside the fence to ask her the 

 name of the bush. It was my first, but by 

 no means my last, experience of the floral 

 generosity of Tallahassee people. 



The next morning I woke betimes, and to 

 my astonishment found the city enveloped 

 in a dense fog. The hotel clerk, an old 

 resident, to whom I went in my perplexity, 

 was as much surprised as his questioner. 

 He did not know what it could mean, he was 

 sure ; it was very unusual ; but he thought 

 it did not indicate foul weather. For a man 

 so slightly acquainted with such phenomena, 

 he proved to be a remarkably good prophet ; 

 for though, during my fortnight's stay, 

 there must have been at least eight foggy 

 mornings, every day was sunny, and not a 

 drop of rain fell. 



That first bright forenoon is still a bright 

 memory. For one thing, the mocking-birds 

 outsang themselves till I felt, and wrote, 

 that I had never heard mocking-birds be- 

 fore. That they really did surpass their 

 brethren of St. Augustine and Sanford 

 would perhaps be too much to assert, but so 

 it seemed ; and I was pleased, some months 



