A Very Old Milestone. 193 



It is a little difficult to realize now, when 

 practically all the one-time natural features of 

 the region have been removed, that our public 

 roads, as they now are, did not spring at once 

 into existence at the command of the surveyor. 

 Some of them did, but the main thoroughfares, 

 the old-time roads, grew into being very gradu- 

 ally, and, time-honored, should not their old 

 name of "road*' be retained? What sickly 

 sentimentality that changes it to " avenue," as 

 we find the case in many a city ! Now, the 

 pedestrian's highway is the winding foot-path 

 along the hill-side, with an old worm-fence on 

 one side and a respectable wood on the other. 

 This is the squirrel's and chipmunk's highway 

 also, so one is pretty sure of lively company, or 

 if this is too remote, the pedestrian can take the 

 "back road," or that most remote from the 

 popular lines of travel ; a deep sandy road 

 that defies the bicycle and so leaves the foot- 

 passenger happy. May such roads long con- 

 tinue ! Pay the supervisor his salary, but pray 

 him not to earn it. If only as a prostrate mon- 

 ument to good old times, let us have here and 

 there a road such as suited our easy-going 

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