372 A TOUGH WALK FOR A YOUTH. 



purser. We had walked twelve miles over rugged paths and pebbly- 

 shores, and soon proceeded along the edge of the river. Seven tough 

 miles ended, we found a house near the bank, and in it we determined to 

 pass the night. The first person we met with was a woman picking cot- 

 ton in a small field. On asking her if we might stay in her cabin for the 

 night, she answered we might, and hoped we could make a shift with the 

 fare on which she and her husband lived. While she went to the house 

 to prepare supper, I took my son and Mr Rose to the water, knowing 

 how much we should be refreshed by a bath. Our fellow-traveller re- 

 fused, and stretched himself on a bench by the door. The sun was set- 

 ting ; thousands of robins were flying southward in the calm and clear 

 air ; the Ohio was spread before us smooth as a mirror, and into its wa- 

 ters we leaped with pleasure. In a short time the goodman of the hut 

 called us to supper, and in a trice we were at his heels. He was a tall 

 raw-boned fellow, with an honest bronzed face. After our frugal meal, 

 we all four lay down in a large bed spread on the floor, while the good 

 people went up to a loft. 



The woodsman having, agreeably to our instructions, roused us at 

 day-break, told us that about seven miles farther we should meet with a 

 breakfast much better than the last supper we had. He refused any pe- 

 cuniary compensation, but accepted from me a knife. So we again started. 

 My dear boy appeared very weak at first, but soon recovered, and our 

 stout companion, whom I shall call S., evidently shewed symptoms of 

 lassitude. On arriving at the cabin of a lazy man blessed with an indus- 

 trious wife and six healthy children, all of whom laboured for his support, 

 we were welcomed by the woman, whose motions and language indicated 

 her right to belong to a much higher class. Better breakfast I never ate : 

 the bread was made of new corn ground on a tin-grater by the beautiful 

 hands of our blue-eyed hostess ; the chickens had been prepared by one 

 of her lovely daughters ; some good coffee was added, and my son had 

 fresh milk. The good woman, who now held a babe to her bosom, seemed 

 pleased to see how heartily we all ate ; the children went to work, and the 

 lazy husband went to the door to smoke a corn-cob pipe. A dollar was 

 put into the ruddy hand of the chubby urchin, and we bade its mother 

 farewell. Again we trudged along the beach, but after a while betook 

 ourselves to the woods. My son became faint. Dear boy ! never can I 

 forget how he lay exhausted on a log, large tears rolHng down his cheeks. 

 I bathed his temples, spoke soothingly to him, and chancing to see a fine 



