A SUMMER DRIVE IN THE LAKE COUNTRY. 909 
our inquiries of a man coming out of a blacksmith shop, 
we were told to “go a certain distance and turn to the 
left.” As this would take us back again, I innocently 
inquired, “ Why not turn to the right?” The burly man 
straightened himself up and shouted, “ Turn to the right 
if you wish to; what the d—l1l to you s’pose I care 
which way you turn?” “ But I wish to go to Batavia,” 
said I. “Then why didn’t you say so?” returned he, a 
little mollified. 
The further we proceed east, the better appear the 
crops. Inthe town of Alabama, and in this of Oak- 
field, the wheat fields are extensive, and present a fine 
appearance. 
During the past two days we have been stopping 
with our friend, the Captain, proprietor of the “Old 
Orchard.” The orchard is still full of objects of inter- 
est. A part of it is as wild and leafy as the primitive 
forest. This morning I found in blossom the largest 
white violets, and the little geranium, and I counted 
fifteen species of wild flowers usually found in the 
woods. The orchard is full of singing birds. The pur- 
ple finch, warbling vireo, gold finch, cat-bird, and robin 
have all sung this morning in the tree under which I 
am writing The squirrels are more plentiful than 
ever, and three or four have appeared together in one 
tree ; they chitter and cackle, bark and squeal as they 
scamper up and down after one another, or sit erect 
eating the young apples, which they hold to their 
mouths as would a child. The good old gentleman 
will not haveany of them killed, although they make 
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