14 MILES 



Our lesson having been disposed of, we slept soundly 

 and awoke reconciled to a wandering in Connecticut, 

 only we wished we knew the places of interest or had 

 some reason for going to one place rather than another. 

 The wish was soon gratified by a friend we met before 

 leaving Barre, who spoke very enthusiatically of Tol- 

 land, as she recalled a visit there many years ago. This 

 was enough for us ; we had a connecting link with some- 

 body, and took direction accordingly. 



We rested Charlie at Ware, after our morning drive. 

 We remembered the pleasant driving in this vicinity, 

 but towards Palmer it was new to us. The thunder was 

 muttering all the afternoon, and it was our good fortune 

 to find ourselves in a comfortable hotel at Palmer an 

 hour earlier than we usually stop, for we had only 

 reached our room when the rain fell in sheets, and the 

 lightning flashed at random. 



Palmer is so associated with the Boston and Albany 

 railroad, that it seemed as if only the spirit of opposition 

 could prompt us to take a short cut to Hartford without 

 paying our respects to Springfield; but we declare inde- 

 pendence of railroads when we have our phaeton, and as 

 we "did" Springfield so thoroughly a few years ago, we 

 did not diverge, but aimed straight for Connecticut. 



The morning was bright and fresh after the shower, 

 and we left Palmer early, with a little book sounding the 

 praises of Connecticut, handed us by the clerk, which 

 proved quite useful. We drove on through Monson, but 

 before we got to Stafford Springs, where we intended to 

 stop, we came to a place too tempting to be passed by 

 — such a pretty rocky hillside, with inviting nooks under 



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