cxx LIFE OF WILSON. 



town before me, on an irregular plain, ornamented with a small 

 white spire, and consisting of several parallel streets, crossed 

 by some others; many of the houses built of brick; others of 

 frame, neatly painted; but a great proportion wore a more 

 humble and inferior appearance. The fields around looked 

 clean and well fenced; gently undulating, but no hills in view. 

 In a hollow between two of these parallel streets, ran a consi- 

 derable brook, that, uniting with a larger a little below the 

 town, drives several mills. A large quarry of excellent build- 

 ing stone also attracted my notice as I entered the town. The 

 main street was paved with large masses from this quarry, the 

 foot path neat, and guarded by wooden posts. The numerous 

 shops piled with goods, and the many well dressed females I 

 passed in the streets; the sound of social industry, and the gay 

 scenery of " the busy haunts of men," had a most exhilarating 

 effect on my spirits, after being so long immured in the forest. 

 My own appearance, I believe, was to many equally interest- 

 ing; and the shopkeepers and other loungers interrogated me 

 with their eyes as I passed, with symptoms of eager and inqui- 

 sitive curiosity. After fixing my quarters, disposing of my 

 arms, and burnishing myself a little, I walked out to have a 

 more particular view of the place. 



" This little metropolis of the western country is nearly as 

 large as Lancaster in Pennsylvania. In the centre of the town 

 is a public square, partly occupied by the court-house and mar- 

 ket place, and distinguished by the additional ornament of the 

 pillory and stocks. The former of these is so constructed as 

 to serve well enough, if need be, occasionally for a gallows, 

 which is not a bad thought; for as nothing contributes more to 

 make hardened villains than the pillory, so nothing so effectu- 

 ally rids society of them as the gallows; and every knave may 

 here exclaim, 



" My bane and antidote are both before me." 



I peeped into the court-house as I passed, and though it was 

 court day, I was struck with the appearance its interior exhi- 



