14 NARRATIVE OF A JOrRXEY 



upon us, we accepted the invitation with cheerfulness. Upon 

 arriving at his mansion, our good host threw wide his hospitable 

 doors, and then with a formal, and rather ultra-dignified polite- 

 ness, making us a low bow, said, " Gentlemen, my name is P., 

 and I am very happy of your company." We seated ourselves 

 in a large, and well-furnished, parlor. Mr. P. excused himself 

 for a few minutes, and soon returned, bringing in three fine 

 looking girls, whom he introduced as his daughters. I took a 

 particular fancy to one of them, from a strong resemblance 

 which she bore to one of my female friends at home. These 

 girls were certainly very superior to most that I had seen in 

 Missouri, although somewhat touched with the awkward bash- 

 fulness and prudery which generally characterizes the prairie 

 maidens. They had lost their mother when young, and having 

 no companions out of the domestic circle, and consequently no 

 opportunity of aping the manners of the world, were perfect chil- 

 dren of nature. Their father, however, had given them a good, 

 plain education, and they had made some proficiency in needle 

 work, as was evinced by numerous neatly worked samplers 

 hanging in wooden frames around the room. Anon, supper was 

 brought in. It consisted of pork chops, ham, eggs, Indian bread 

 and butter, tea, coffee, milk, potatoes, preserved ginger, and 

 though last, certainly not least in value, an enormous tin dish 

 of plovers, (the contents of my game-bag,) fricaseed. Here 

 was certainly a most abundant repast, and we did ample justice 

 to it. 



I endeavored to do the agreeable to the fair ones in the eve- 

 ning, and Mr. N. was monopolized by the father, who took a 

 great interest in plants, and was evidently much gratified by the 

 information my companion gave him on the subject. 



The next morning when we rose, it was raining, and much 

 had evidently fallen during the night, making the roads wet 

 and muddy, and therefore uni)leasant for pedestrians. I confess 



