﻿260 PICTORIAL MISCELLANY. 



My Visit to the Country. 



I WAS resting myself in my old arm-chair in my qu:et room, not 

 many days ago, when there entered a gentleman with two children ; 

 an intelligent boy and girl of about a dozen or fourteen years of age, 



" Is this Mr. Mark Forrester ? " said they. 



I am known by that name, my friends, I replied. 



The gentleman then said his children were my " constant read- 

 ers," and feeling a desire to see the " good old man "' who every 

 year made such an interesting book for them, they had persuaded 

 him to bring them to town and call on me. " And if," said he, 

 " your time and strength will allow, we all should be very happy to 

 have you accompany us home in the eleven o'clock train, and dine 

 and spend the afternoon." 



I thanked my new friends, and told them I would accept their 

 kind invitation with pleasure. I soon found out the names of my 



young friends William and Lucy . They remained with 



me the hour before the cars started, while their father went to attend 

 to some business. I showed them all my curiosities, as the best way 

 to entertain them. I find I can easily tell how much children have 

 studied, and how extensively they have read, by simply opening my 

 cabinet doors. They exclaimed at sight of some stones which I 

 picked up, a good many years ago, near Rochester, New York, filled 

 with shells shells that had been rolled by the waves of the sea 

 and imbedded in earth, and which ages had petrified ! 



My schoolmates, most of whom are now dead, knowing my fond- 

 ness for remarkable specimens and relics, have assisted me in col- 

 lecting from all parts of the earth through which they have travelled, 

 curiosities, which I value more than silver or gold. 



We were all in the midst of an earnest conversation over a drawer 



of beautiful fossil fish, when Mr. S returned. After we had 



arrived at the large and commodious depot of the Fitchburg Rail- 

 road we found that we had a few minutes to look at the elegant 

 building. 



Shortly afier we had taken our seats in the cars, we all felt a tre- 

 mendous jerk, and were soon aware that the fiery steed was har- 

 nessed to our train. Now what a delightful view we had from the 



