14000 MILES 



treasure-house of knowledge to him. Still he was not a 

 florist, but a vegetable gardener, and we learned ever so 

 much about the business, and for a while could talk 

 glibly of Angel of Midnight corn and Blue-eyed (?) 

 pease and so on. He gave quite a discourse, too, on the 

 advantages of co-operation and exchange of ideas. He 

 told us how much he enjoyed a fair at the New England 

 Institute Building, and was interested to know that we 

 saw it when in flames. Our pleasant chat was brought to 

 a sudden stop, just as he was telling us of his ambitious 

 daughter and other family details, by other travelers, for 

 whom we had to clear the road. 



We spent a night pleasantly at Saxton's River, and 

 received the courtesies of friends, then on through Bel- 

 lows Falls and Keene towards Monadnock. We wanted 

 to go to the Mountain House for the night, but it was 

 several miles out of our way, and we were tired as well 

 as Charlie, with thirty miles' driving in the heat, so 

 contented ourselves with recollections of two delightful 

 visits there, and stopped at Marlboro, five miles from 

 Keene. 



When we were packing up in the phaeton, the next 

 morning, a lady brought us three little bouquets, the third 

 and largest for Charlie, we fancy. It was a very pleasant 

 attention to receive when among strangers and gave us 

 a good send-off for our last day's drive. Forty miles is a 

 long drive at the end of a long journey, but Charlie 

 seemed fully equal to it, and all went well as we 

 journeyed along the familiar route through Troy, Fitz- 

 william, Winchendon, Ashburnham and Fitchburg. We 

 dined at Winchendon and visited the friends in Fitchburg 



125 



