nag jog-trots a little; the nurse’s voice is heard—­“Walk, walk, that’s a dear! walk till you’re comfortable in the saddle.  William, mind you don’t let go the rein; is it strong enough?” William smothers a laugh; the procession moves funereally, the faithful nurse watching it with an expression betokening intense anxiety.  “Take care, that’s a dear!” and then, as the object of her solicitude disappears among the trees, she draws a long sigh; a mutter is heard—­“some accident” are the only words distinguishable; a bang of the door follows, and the affectionate nurse is—­what?—­probably wiping her eyes in the passage.

Here are two systems which may be said to vary a little, and might require my consideration, were it not that I have no daughters, partly owing, doubtless, to the primary deficiency of a wife.  At all events, I have at present no time for further reflections; for the waggon is waiting at the door, the traps are all in, and there stand mine host and his lady, as ready to speed the parting as they were to welcome the coming guest.  A hearty shake of the hand, and farewell to Hospitality Hall.  May no cloud ever shade the happiness of its worthy inmates!

As we drive on, I may as well tell you that Canandaigua is a beautiful little village, situated on a slope descending towards a lake of the same name, and therefore commanding a lovely view—­for when is a sheet of water not lovely?  There are some very pretty little villas in the upper part of the village, which is a long broad street, with trees on either side, and is peopled by a cozy little community of about four thousand.  Here we are in the open country.  What is the first novelty that strikes the eye?—­the snake fences; and a tickler they would prove to any hot-headed Melton gentleman who might try to sky over them.  They are from six to seven feet high—­sometimes higher—­and are formed by laying long split logs one over another diagonally, by which simple process the necessity of nails or uprights is avoided; and as wood is dirt-cheap, the additional length caused by their diagonal construction is of no importance;—­but, being all loose, they are as awkward to leap as a swing-bar, which those who have once got a cropper at, are not anxious to try again.

It is at all times a cheery thing to go bowling along behind a spicy team, but especially so when traversing a wild and half-cultivated country, where everything around you is strange to the eye, and where the vastness of space conveys a feeling of grandeur; nor is it the less enjoyable when the scenery is decked in the rich attire of autumn, and seen through the medium of a clear and cloudless sky.  Then, again, there is something peculiarly pleasing while gazing at the great extent of rich timbered land, in reflecting that it is crying aloud for the stalwart arm of man, and pointing to the girdle of waving fields which surround it, to assure that stalwart arm that industry will meet a sure reward.  Poverty may well hide her head in shame amid such scenes as these, for it can only be the fruit of wilful indolence.