2 NORTHWARD HO ! 



myriads alike the fresh air and pure light of heaven ; 

 while before me were anticipations of an atmosphere, 

 proverbial indeed for its mists, yet at least untainted 

 by the smoke of cit}^, often too of marvellous clearness 

 to the sight, bracing to the nerves, and renovating to 

 the health. And as I thought of all this, I resolved 

 not to forget the pledge just made to my friend, that I 

 would da my best, by a periodically transmitted record 

 of my doings, to enliven the dull monotony of an 

 existence, which, in serio-comic strain, he described as 

 frequently occupied " on "change," jet knowing no 

 variety; and in which the noblest energies and greatest 

 activity were spent " on the stocks." 



Hence, gentle reader, originated the following ema- 

 nations from my feeble pen. Feeble did I say ? 'tis a 

 quill plucked by friend Donald from the kingly pinion 

 of the eagle, worthy indeed of a chieftain's bonnet, and 

 has soared full oft, I ween, beyond the ken of man 

 higher far, I fear, than any flight it is destined again to 

 take, at least in my fingers. * 



But to begin, without stopping to dwell upon the 

 journey, the scenery through which we passed, or the 

 petty hindrances and annoyances we experienced 

 such as the loss of Walter's "wide-awake/' which, 

 apparently preferring a lively flight through the pure 

 air of heaven to the drowsy atmosphere of the rail- 

 way-carriage, suddenly took its departure through the 

 window; or, again, my anxiety about a certain box, 

 containing all my fishing-tackle, which would most 

 provokingly stay behind, and for which we had even- 

 tually to interrupt our journey by a delay of two days 

 in " auld Beekie," the box having booked itself to some 

 place nobody knew where, I must now beg you, reader, 

 to transport yourself in imagination at least, if not in 



