HINDRANCES AND HELPS. 257 



possess none of that kindling magnetism which comes 

 from personal intercourse. Type grows wearisome 

 at last, however stocked with information and 

 gorgeous fancies ; and a man frets for the lively re 

 bound of discussion. 



Friends from the city may drop upon you from 

 time to time, exercising this compassion for your re 

 tirement ; and they treat you compassionately. Of 

 course the novelty of the scene and the life has charms 

 for any metropolitan, whatever his tastes ; and he 

 bears himself very briskly at the first. The view is 

 charming ; the well-water is charming ; the big oaks 

 (they are all maples) are charming. And his eye 

 falls upon a riotous hedge of Osage-orange, &quot; Dear 

 me, that s the hawthorn ; how beautiful it is ! &quot; 



Of course you do not correct him ; in fact, you 

 partake of his exhilaration, and seem to see things 

 with new eyes. 



&quot; And, bless me, here s your boy (its a girl) ; how 

 old is he ? &quot; (patting her head). 



What a fine flow of spirits he is in, to be sure ! 

 i r ou show him up and down your grounds (always 

 4 your grounds, he calls them, if it be only a potato 

 garden). 



Presently his eye lights upon a blooming Weigelia. 

 lt Ah, a dwarf apple ! and do you go largely into 

 fruit ? &quot; upon which you offer him a Red-Astrachan 



