A BLUE-STOCKING. 323 



and quiet village. The road might be called semi-aquatic, as it 

 passes OTer bridges and embankments through salt marshes of 

 great extent, bounded by wooded hills towards the sea, and 

 distant ones inland. We stopped a few moments at Shoemaker 

 Town (Lynn), where I paid one dollar for my fare, and reached 

 this place afterwards at half-past ten." 



" I was put down at the Lafayette Hotel, and soon made my 

 way to Mr. Cleveland's office ; he received me kindly, and invited 

 me to dine with him at one o'clock. I took some back numbers 

 of my ' Birds of America ' to Miss Burley, and found her as good, 

 amiable, and generous as ever ; and she at once interested herself 

 to make the object of my visit successful. Called on Dr. Pierson, 

 to whom I had a letter, and met a most congenial spirit, a man 

 of talents and agreeable manners. The Doctor went with me to 

 see several persons likely to be interested in my work ; and I 

 then called alone on a Miss Sitsby, a beautiful ' blue,' seven or 

 eight seasons beyond her teens, and very wealthy. Blues do 

 not knit socks, or put on buttons when needed ; they may do 

 for the parlour, but not for the kitchen. Although she has the 

 eyes of a gazelle, and capital teeth, I soon discovered that she 

 would be no help to me : when I mentioned subscription, it 

 seemed to fall on her ears, not as the cadence of the wood thrush 

 or mocking bird does in mine, but as a shower-bath in cold 

 January. Ornithology seemed to be a thing for which she had 

 no taste ; she said, however, ' I will suggest your wish to my 

 father, sir, and give you an answer to-morrow morning.' She 

 showed me some valuable pictures, especially one by that king 

 of Spanish painters, MuriUo, representing himself, and gun, and 

 dog ; the Spanish dress and tout ensernhle brought to my mind 

 my imaginations respecting G-il Bias. At last I bowed, she 

 curtsied, and so the interview ended. 



" September 23. ' Chemin faisant.' I met the curator of the 

 Natural History Society of Salem, and gladly accepted his 

 invitation to examine the young collection of that new-born 

 institution, and there I had the good fortune to find one egg of 

 the American bittern. 



" It was now nearly one o'clock, and going to the office of 

 Mr. Cleveland, I found him waiting to conduct me to his house. 

 We soon entered it and his dining-room, where I saw three 



Y 2 



