36 
TOtm IN ENGLAND—NO. Sttt. 
The mansion-house at Ashland is roomy and 
handsome, and such as a refined country gentle¬ 
man may have been supposed to erect for his own 
comfort and convenience. The grounds are ample 
and beautiful, abounding with what we most ad¬ 
mire in winter, a profusion of lofty evergreens. 
The views from the spot are charming, embracing 
the town of Lexington just beyond, and a fertile 
country of considerable extent in quiet repose 
around. In the absence of Mr. Clay, his respected 
lady received us very politely, and we found her 
presiding with equal dignity and grace over the 
affairs of the household; where, to her honor be it 
spoken, and also in the general management of the 
plantation, she as eminently excels, as her husband 
in the Legislative Halls—proving herself an ad¬ 
mirable wife for one whose public duties have so 
often called him away from his home. 
We are fearful of trespassing upon the sanctity 
of private life by dwelling longer upon this theme, 
and will only add that we felt no less honored than 
gratified by our visit to Ashland, and at our depar¬ 
ture could not but breathe more strongly than ever, 
the wish that its possessors may soon be transfer¬ 
red by the voice of this great nation, to that exalt¬ 
ed seat which their eminent talents and virtues 
have so well fitted them to adorn and fill. 
(Tottr fit EnfllatrK. No. 17. 
An English Farmer. —Gazing over the stock 
that weekly graces the market square of the an¬ 
cient town of Abingdon, and occasionally chatting 
with its sturdy owners, among others we were 
particularly struck with the fine appearance of a 
young farmer of some six and twenty, who was 
chaffering for a lot of sheep. He was dressed in 
white top boots, drab breeches, linen faultlessly 
clean, a black hat with rather a wide brim, and, 
instead of a coat, he wore the common farmer’s- 
frock of the country, covering his under dress, and 
reaching down to the tops of his boots. He stood 
full six feet high, with broad shoulders, full chest, 
and in his whole person was a model of health, 
strength, and manly beauty. In his hand he held 
a long whip, and when we first observed him, he 
was bargaining for a lot of sheep with a wiry 
looking old man, in leather gaiters, and hob-nailed 
shoes. We were looking for some stock of a par¬ 
ticular kind, and had been informed that the young 
man before us was considerable of a dealer, and 
that he would be able to furnish whatever was 
wanted. 
After finishing his bargain for the sheep, which. 
judging from the loud cracks and abundant flour¬ 
ishes he gave upon winding up with his whip, 
seemed to be quite a gratifying one, We jogged 
him on the shoulder, and made known our wishes. 
He said he had not the stock himself, but if we would 
go home with him and stay a few days to make 
some excursions, there was no doubt he would be 
able to procure all we wanted. This was |ust the 
thing to suit, so we unhesitatingly accented his 
frank invitation; when, giving directions to a fat, 
pumpkin-cheeked boy who was accompanied by a 
sharp-nosed colly dog, (just the antipodes of his 
own,) to drive home his sheep purchase, we walk- 
ed down to the inn, where, after smoking a long 
pipe, and sipping a silver tankard of strong beer, 
in both of which operations he greatly wondered 
that we declined joining, he ordered up his bob¬ 
tailed cob and spring cart, and away we trotted at 
an easy pace over a smoothly gravelled road, dis¬ 
coursing upon all sorts of farming matters—we 
perfectly astonishing him with a few long-bows 
which we took the liberty of occasionally drawing 
by way of variety, on the fertility and productions 
of our own country. 
His residence was some ten miles or so from 
Abingdon, on the further edge of one of the oldest 
hamlets we visited in England; situated in a 
smooth gorge of a valley, and lying scattering 
along a narrow winding road for about a quarter 
of a mile. The farm was a small one of 79 acres 
only; the out-buildings old and rather inconve¬ 
nient. We arrived here at twilight, and as there 
was no road to the front of the domicil, we found 
our way there by first bringing up in the stone- 
paved barn-yard, from which a wicker gate led 
through a small patch of a garden; to this was 
joined a few square rods of lawn, and at the end 
stood the cottage, a genuine antique throughout, 
with thick brick walls; dark oaken door, diamond- 
pane windows leaded in iron sashes, and low 
thatched roof. What a contrast to the smart 
white paint, and green Venetians of our own 
country! But if things looked old and somewhat 
gloomy without, they were extremely neat and 
comfortable within. The presiding genius of this 
was of course my friend’s wife—a fair, nice wo¬ 
man, though not equal in personal appearance to 
her husband. She informed us that she not only 
attended to the affairs of her small household, but 
milked the cows, and did all the light work in the 
garden, and kept the lawn and its few flowers and 
shrubbery in order. 
Supper was soon made ready, to which we 
needed no second invitation, as in the case of the 
