240 HOSPITALITY OF INHABITANTS SPRINGFIELD. 



mer. Two other travellers on horseback arrived, and bread 

 of both kinds was presented at table. 



One of the travellers was on his way to Galena, for the 

 purpose of getting payment of horses he had sold some time 

 before. He was originally from Kentucky, and now resi 

 ded in the neighbourhood of Jacksonville. His manners were 

 somewhat rough, and with this individual I had much con 

 versation. At first he was most anxious to engage me as a 

 farming-help, admitting that he himself had become too lazy to 

 work hard, and pressed me again and again to name my terms. 

 To him and others who wished my assistance as farmino:- 



J O 



help, I uniformly expressed thankfulness for their kindness, 

 and assured them that circumstances did not admit me to 

 reside in the country. Before separating, he offered me a 

 letter to his wife, who would give me free board at his house 

 till he returned, and his sons would drive me over the adjoin 

 ing country. I took down his address and left him, with a 

 promise to visit Mrs Taylor if time permitted me. 



The travellers breakfasted at Salt creek before setting out 

 on their journey, which is good policy in thinly settled dis 

 tricts. The day was excessively warm, and I suffered con 

 siderably from thirst. On passing a cottage, before reaching 

 Sangamon river, a girl was drawing water, from whom I 

 asked a drink; she went into the house and brought a 

 tumbler, which she filled with indifferent water, and handed 

 over the rails. When about to depart, a woman of prepossessing 

 appearance came to the door, and asked me to enter the house 

 and shelter myself from the sun. I thanked her, and in return, 

 said I was anxious to reach Springfield in time for dinner. 

 She told me her husband, who was sick, liked above all things 

 to converse with travellers, and hoped for his sake I would 

 enter the house. There was something so earnest in the 

 woman s manner that I would have found difficulty in resist 

 ing her entreaties at any time, and on the present occasion 

 my inclination yielded a willing assent. 



The husband was stretched on a clean uncurtained bed, and 

 appeared in a most debilitated state. He brightened up by 

 degrees, and showed he possessed a good deal of information. 



