MEMOIR. XXXV 



sions into the mountains across the river, visits to beau- 

 tiful neighboring places, boating, botanizing, painting, or 

 whatever else could be done in the country, and done in 

 the pleasantest way. At evening, there was music, fine 

 playing and singing, for the guest was thrice welcome who 

 was musical, and the musical were triply musical there, 

 dancing, charades, games of every kind, never suffered to 

 flag, always delicately directed, and in due season some 

 slight violation of the Maine Law. Mr. Downing liked the 

 Ohio wines, with which his friend, Mr. Longworth, kept 

 him supplied, and of which he said, with his calm good 

 sense, in the " Horticulturist," August, 1850, " We do 

 not mean to say that men could not live and breathe just 

 as well if there were no such thing as wine known ; but 

 that since the time of Noah men will not be contented 

 with merely living and breathing ; and it is therefore 

 better to provide them with proper and wholesome food 

 and drink, than to put improper aliments within their 

 reach." Charades were a favorite diversion, in which sev- 

 eral of his most frequent guests excelled. He was always 

 ready to take part, but his reserve and self-consciousness 

 interfered with his success. His social enjoyment was 

 always quiet. He rarely laughed loud. He preferred 

 rather to sit with a friend and watch the dance or the game 

 from a corner, than to mingle in them. He wrote verses, 

 but never showed them. They were chiefly rhyming let- 

 ters, clever and graceful, to his wife, and her sisters, and 

 some intimate friends, and to a little niece, of whom he 

 was especially fond. One evening, after vainly endeavoring 

 to persuade a friend that he was mistaken in the kind of 

 a fruit, he sent him the following characteristic lines : 



