MEMeiB. 



XXXV 



sions into? the mountains across the river, visits to beati- 

 tiful neighboring places, boating,, botanizing, painting,— or 

 wh3,tever else could be done ia the country, and dope in 

 thfe pleasantest way. At evening, there was musie, — fine' 

 playing and singing, for the guest was thrice welcome who 

 was musical, and the musical were triply musical there^^— 

 dancing, charades, games of every kind,— iiever suffered to 

 flag, always .delicately directed,-^and in due season some 

 slight violation of the Maine Law. ' llr. Downing liked the 

 Ohio, wiiaes, with which -his friend, Mr. Xongworth, kept 

 him supplied, and of which he said, with his calm good 

 sense, in the "Horticulturist," August, 1850,— "We do 

 not, mean to say; that. men could not live and breathe just 

 as well if there were no such thing as wine known ; but 

 that since the time, of Noah men will not be ^contented 

 with merely living and breathing ; and it , is therefore 

 better to provide them mth proper and wholesome food 

 and drink, than to put improper aliments within t^ieir 

 reach." Charades were a favorite diversion, in which s&v-. 

 eral of his most frequent guests excelled. He was always 

 ready to take part,, but his reserve and self-consciousness 

 interfered with .his success. His social enjoyment was 

 always quiet. He rarely laughed loud. He preferred 

 rather to sit with a friend and watch the dance or the game 

 from a comer, than to mingle in them. He wrote yerses, 

 but.never showed them. ^ They were chiefly rhyming let- 

 ters, clever and graceful, to his wife, and her sisters,- and ' 

 some intimate friends, and to a little niece, of whom he 

 was especially fond. One bvening, after vainly endeavoring, 

 to persuade a friend that he was mistaken in the* kind of 

 a fruity he sent him the foUbwiag characteristic lines : 



