A WELL. 91 



truthful that he had cleaned out the well, but called 

 up the man that did it. A severe cross-examination 

 having convinced me that they both told the truth, I 

 returned home wondering how long it would take 

 to learn to like stinking, as the Mississippians have 

 learned to like dirty, water. I have always had a 

 weakness for water. Whisky is the natural Ameri 

 can drink ; lager bier is admirably suited to the Teu 

 tonic mistinesss of intellect; the frothy Champagne 

 is adapted to the volatile Frenchman, and the thick 

 ale to the muddled Englishman. Brandy is suitable 

 for men, if we are to believe high authority. Gin, in 

 the shape of schnapps, was the daily potation of our 

 respectable Dutch ancestors. Both are irreproach 

 able liquors, and rum deserves a better reputation ; 

 but pure, cold, transparent spring or well water, fresh 

 from its bubbling fountain, or drawn from the cold 

 recesses of its deep receptacle, has always been very 

 attractive to me, and for washing purposes it has no 

 equal. The prospect, therefore, of doing without wa 

 ter was unpleasant. Cows, and horses, and pigs have 

 not learned to appreciate strong drinks ; they prefer 

 the native element ; and to draw for half a mile from 

 the nearest good pump as much as a cow and a horse 

 can swallow would require pretty nearly the entire 

 time of the latter. 



