180 OCEAN TO OCEAN ON HORSEBACK. 



ing life in all its phases; and besides, the softening 

 influence of home-made bread and other country 

 luxuries, which were furnished me here, tended to 

 make me look charitably upon everything. 



In the afternoon I left for Byron Centre, reaching 

 it at six o'clock and making eleven miles for the day. 

 While at supper there, the guests of the Byron Centre 

 House were greatly amused by two itinerant photog- 

 raphers who, after their day's work was done, made a 

 practice of entertaining the public with fife and drum. 

 Through this cunning advertising scheme it was my 

 good fortune to see one of the most interesting crowds 

 that rustic America could bring together. These 

 enterprising '^artist musicians" seemed to possess the 

 magic powers of Orpheus, for the villagers attracted 

 by their strains came flocking from every direction 

 and unconsciously made up a group which would 

 have been irresistible to a painter, and which was 

 certainly interesting to the ordinary observer. The 

 sight was an entirely novel one to me, for although 

 I am a New Yorker, and have seen roving concerns 

 of almost every description, this particular species 

 had never come to my notice. Through the cour- 

 tesy of Charles Leonard, the proprietor of the hotel 

 here, 1 was introduced to several Byron Centre gentle- 

 men, among them Rev. Edwin Allen, who called just 

 before my departure. Mr. Allen was most cordial, 

 and gave me a very clever idea of the place, and the 

 country adjacent. 



Throughout my journey I was often placed under 

 obligations of this sort. They added to my pleasure 

 and increased my facilities for becoming acquainted 

 with the people and the country. 



