LIFE SKETCH. 19 



my headquarters at the Charter House for three 

 months with Sylvester Charter. Then I went to 

 Thompsonville, Suffolk, Warehouse Point, Windsor 

 Locks, South Hartford, Middletown, Manchester, Staf- 

 ford Springs, West Winsted, Collinsville, Unionville, 

 Meriden, New Haven, Guilford Springs, Saybrook, 

 Essex, Chester, Colchester, Durham, Wallingford, 

 New Britain, and back to Hazardville. While at 

 Manchester I met my father for the first time since I 

 left home. I can still see his astonished look as he 

 heard for the first time, while sitting on the stoop of 

 the hotel, my lecture to a large audience; and he was 

 still more astonished when he saw me take in $270. 

 He had taken in considerable money in his day, but 

 never at the rate of two hundred dollars an hour. His 

 first words were, "Don't you want a partner?" At 

 Hazardville I remained about four months, giving in- 

 struction in the education of horses; I also trained a 

 bay horse I had purchased of Henry Bristol, of New 

 Haven, for $110. About New Year's day my father 

 joined me, bringing with him two wagons, two horses, 

 and three new harnesses. 



The winter beingan open one, I continued giving ex- 

 hibitions out-of-doors, travelling with wagons. While 

 at Stafford a man interrupted me in one of my lectures, 

 saying, "Oh, God ! Rockwell used to drive his horses 

 without lines and no bridle on his horse." My reply 

 was: "I only use lines for the safety of my hearers. 

 Take off the bridle and I will show you I can do with 

 a horse anything that any man can." I had my buck- 

 skin mare Topsy with me. I had never made the 

 attempt to drive her in the shafts without lines, 

 although they were generally hanging loose on the 

 dasher. You can imagine somewhat my feelings 

 when he obeyed my injunction to take the bridle off; 



