Jedediah Irish. 191 



laurel, we returned to the house, speaking of nothing else 

 than the picturesque beauty of the country around. 



"A few days passed, during which I became acquaint- 

 ed with my hostess and her sweet children, and made oc- 

 casional rambles, but spent the greater portion of my time 

 in drawing. One morning, as I stood near the window of 

 my room, I remarked a tall and powerful man alight from 

 his horse, loose the girth of his saddle, raise the latter 

 with one hand, pass the bridle over the head of the ani- 

 mal with the other, and move towards the house, while 

 the horse betook himself to the little brook to drink. I 

 heard some movement in the room below, and again the 

 same tall person walked towards the mills and stores, a 

 few hundred yards from the house. In America, busi- 

 ness is the first object in view at all times, and rightly it 

 should be so. Soon after, my hostess entered my room 

 accompanied by the fine-looking woodsman, to whom, as 

 Mr. Jedediah Irish, I was introduced. Reader, to de- 

 scribe to you the qualities of that excellent man, were vain ; 

 you should know him as I do, to estimate the value of 

 such men in our sequestered forests. He not only 

 made me welcome, but promised all his assistance in for- 

 warding my views. The long walks and long talks we 

 have had together I never can forget, nor the many beau- 

 tiful birds which we pursued, shot, and admired. The 

 juicy venison, excellent bear's flesh, and delightful trout 

 that daily formed my food, methinks I can still enjoy. 

 And then what pleasure I had in listening to him, as he 

 read his favorite poems of Burns, while my pencil was oc- 

 cupied in smoothing and softening the drawing of the 

 bird before me. Was not this enough to recall to my 

 mind the early impressions that had been made upon it 

 by the description of the golden age, which I here found 

 realized ? The Lehigh about this place forms numerous 

 short turns between the mountains, and affords frequent 



