190 - MRS ALDGEO. 



you must eat while under my charge, and not become thin 

 there, take an egg. Here is an elegant potato from the gar 

 den, where they are planted for the old woman, as she has not 

 time to go to the fields. My boy will sometimes say, ah, 

 mother, leave the gentlemen to themselves ; but I like to press 

 old-country gentlemen, when not proud. I never press Yan 

 kees ; them boys help themselves. Yankee women are lazy 

 good-for-nothings, eating cake and sucking sugar all day long. 

 I attend to man and beast. Yes, there is no one to assist me 

 in the house, and I look to the fowls, hogs, and cows ; in the 

 evenings, my feet are like to drop out of my shoes. Do 

 you see that field on the opposite side of the road ? my hands 

 burnt all the brush on that field. Do take some of the bread 

 baked by the old woman ; I bake some every afternoon that 

 is handsome bread. The Scotch lawyer below, with the 

 wooden leg, and angel children, brought his pretty little wife 

 here to learn to make bread. I use no barm, but mix two 

 parts of milk and one of water together, add a spoonful of salt, 

 a little flour, and let them stand ten or twelve hours by the 

 fire. Then make the bread with milk, as water gives it a black 

 colour. I make my own soap oh, darling soap and never 

 boil it. My boys have not taken wives, but my two eldest 

 daughters are married. Did you observe an elegant store at 

 the corner of - - in London ? that belongs to my daughter s 

 husband. My youngest girl is at a boarding-school in Lon 

 don, where two ladies from England have lately commenced, 

 and I pay for my girl $39 a-year.&quot; 



The rain ceasing about noon, we left Mrs Aldgeo s, and 

 reached Howardbridge to tea, where the road passes to the 

 south side of the Thames. The roads were fatiguing in con 

 sequence of their wetness, and we gladly accepted of an oifer, 

 made by two gentleman in a waggon, to carry our knapsacks, 

 and in whose company we next day travelled to Chatham, where 

 we spent the night. Some time before reaching Chatham, I 

 obtained a draught of water from a young girl on the banks of 

 the Thames, to whom I proifered a piece of money, which she 

 declined, saying, she never accepted money for such things. 

 At this time my British habits were not altogether laid aside. 



The soil on the banks of the Thames, from the point where 



