98 Melancholy Effects of a redundant Population. 



poor mother to her condition, and its con- 

 sequent privations ; but the daughter, who held 

 down her head, seemed ashamed that their 

 wretched state should thus be exposed to a 

 stranger. My heart sympathized in their suf- 

 feringstheir miseries, poor creatures, were too 

 legibly written on the characters of all, to admit 

 the reality being questioned, or to furnish a sus- 

 picion of their having arisen out of any fault or 

 crime imputable to themselves ; but, that they 

 were the general lot of their community, arising 

 out of the unfortunate situation of the country. 

 I hastened to the next cabin with no hope, 

 though with a sincere wish, of finding less to 

 deplore. The good woman was at the door, 

 encouraging a fine little naked boy of five years 

 old to persevere in chasing a pig ; whether 

 from the cold, or some mixture of shame, I 

 know not, but it required both persuasion and 

 authority, to induce the little one's obedience. 

 The woman, I presume, observed by my coun- 

 tenance that I was surprised at her admonitions, 

 and apologized by saying, " This, Sir, is the way 

 we take to harden our children against winter, 

 for fuel here is a scarce article.** 



I had seen enough to be convinced of the 

 melancholy consequences attendant on a re- 



