11>G A BUSINESS DAY AT CIIEE-HA. 



gathered. " Why should I pause to observe it nar- 

 rowly ? Some better drainage is wanted, I can sec 

 at a glance ; but that is past and incurable ; before 

 another crop all that shall be remedied ; and there 

 are my peas ungathered their bearing is truly 

 abundant ; but what is this ? a deer's track ! two of 

 them, by Jove! not two nights since have they 

 cropped these leaves, as I know by the freshness of 

 the tooth-print ! My dainty, sleek-skinned marau- 

 ders, you shall account to me for this ! And there 

 is my cotton-field on the hill to the right : it lies 

 out of my way, a distant coup d'ceil must serve me 

 IIOW T , some other time I shall examine it closely." 

 Oh ! it is wonderful how we stride over the field of 

 business, when we have hitched to the fence beyond, 

 some favorite hobby which we are impatient to- 

 mount and ride ! 



And now the noisy chirping of a thousand black- 

 birds, clustered on a neighboring tree ; and the 

 merry clatter of the flail rebounding from the barn- 

 yard floor, announced the approach to the settle- 

 ment. The overseer crawled forth to greet me, pale 

 and still feeble from the inflictions of the autumnal 

 scourge; and yet this man had done no bodily 

 labor he had not toiled under our burning skies ; 

 but rode habitually to the fields to superintend the 

 work of the blacks, and was sheltered from sun and 



