18 NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY 



putted the cliubby cheeks of the child, and were in a good humor 

 with every body. 



6th. — Soon after we started this morning, we were overtaken 

 by a stage wliich was going to Fulton, seven miles distant, 

 and as the roads were somewhat heavy, we concluded to make 

 use of this convenience. The only passengers were three 

 vouno- men from the far west, who had been to the eastward 

 purchasing goods, and were then travelling homeward. Two 

 of them evidently possessed a large share of what is called 

 mother wit, and so we had jokes without number. Some of 

 them were not very refined, and perhaps did not suit the day 

 very well, (it being the Sabbath,) yet none of them were really 

 offensive, but seemed to proceed entirely from an exuberance of 

 animal spirits. 



In about an hour and a half we arrived at Fulton, a pretty 

 little town, and saw the villagers in their holiday clothes 

 parading along to church. The bell at that moment sounded, 

 and the peal gave rise to many reflections. It might be 

 Ions ere I should hear the sound of the " church-2;oino; bell" 

 again. I was on my way to a far, far country, and I did 

 not know that I should ever be permitted to re-visit my own. 

 I felt that I was leaving the scenes of my childhood ; the spot 

 which had v/itnessed all the happiness I ever knew, the home 

 where all my affections were centered. I was entering a land 

 of strangers, and would be compelled hereafter to mingle with 

 those who might look upon me with indifference, or treat me 

 with neglect. 



These reflections were soon checked, however. We took a 

 light lunch at the tavern where we stopped. I shouldered my 

 gun, Mr. N. his stick and bundle, and off we trudged again, 

 westward, ho ! We soon lost sight of the prairie entirely, and our 

 way lay through a country thickly covered with heavy timber, 

 the roads very rough and stony, and we had frequently to ford 



