MRS ALDGEO. 189 



The day proved hot we dined at Delaware, a village of 

 seven or eight houses, situated on the Thames, over which 

 there is a bridge, and the road passes to the north side of the 

 river. I was anxious to be present at a sale of Crown lands, 

 which was to take place at Chatham next day, but we could 

 not obtain the means of transport, and no alternative remained 

 but jogging along on foot. We called at the land-office at 

 Caradoc, and reached Mrs Aldgeo s tavern an hour after night 

 fall, where we found two gentlemen who had passed us on the 

 road in the afternoon, and one of whom I had seen at York. 

 They were going to the sale of Crown lands at Chatham, 

 which one of them did not reach in time, and the other re 

 mained at Mrs Aldgeo s, having been slightly injured by a 

 fall from a waggon. 



Mrs Aldgeo s tavern is a log-house of mean appearance, ha 

 ving two apartments a kitchen, and room for all purposes. It 

 is, however, the most comfortable house of entertainment in 

 this part of the country, owing to the excellent management 

 and good-humour of the hostess. Four individuals slept in 

 the same appartment, in two clean beds, in which we were 

 told, by way of recommendation, the Chief-Justice and Attor 

 ney-General had slept a few nights before. 



The next morning proved wet, which enabled me to see a 

 little of the economy of the establishment ; and I particularly 

 remarked a poor fowl very unceremoniously knocked off a rail 

 fence with a stick, and in the space of twenty minutes pre 

 sented at table in the shape of an excellent stew. Mrs Ald- 

 geo is a genuine Irish lady, fiom the old country, and her 

 kindness and loquacity during breakfast, which she served 

 out, were unbounded. She did not always wait for an answer 

 to her questions ; and with a few pauses, held forth in the 

 following manner : 



&quot; I was married at the age of twenty-four to Aldgeo, then 

 eighteen and a-half, and the finest-looking man in the world. 

 I lost him six years ago, God rest his soul ! it was a sad loss to 

 me as but of this no more. Yes, my poor dead husband left 

 four horses, fifteen sheep, twenty cows, forty hogs, ox chains, 

 auger, gimlet, and other farm utensils. Will you take some 

 thing more, Mr ? I will help you to a little more of the fowl ; 



