He is done, poor fellow! the spavin spoiled his speed,
and he now roams at large upon ’my farm at Truro.’
Mohawk never failed me till this summer, I pride myself
(you may laugh at such childish weakness in a man
of my age,) but still, I pride myself in taking the
concert out of coxcombs I meet on the road, and on
the ease with which I can leave a fool behind, whose
nonsense disturbs my solitary musings, On my last
journey to Fort Lawrence, as the beautiful view of
Colchester had just opened upon me, and as I was contemplating
its richness and exquisite scenery, a tall thin man,
with hollow cheeks and bright twinkling black eyes,
on a good bay horse, somewhat out of condition, overtook
me; and drawing up, said, I guess you started early
this morning, Sir? I did, Sir, I replied.
You did not come from Halifax, I presume, Sir, did
you? in a dialect too rich to be mistaken as genuine
Yankee. And which way may you be travelling?
asked my inquisitive companion. To Fort Lawrence.
Ah! said he, so am I, it is in my circuit.
The word circuit sounded so professional, I looked
again at him, to ascertain whether I had ever seen
him before, or whether I had met with one of those
nameless, but innumerable limbs of the law, who now
flourish in every district of the Province. There
was a keenness about his eye, and an acuteness of
expression, much in favor of the law; but the dress,
and general bearing of the man, made against the supposition.
His was not the coat of a man who can afford to wear
an old coat, nor was it one of ’Tempest & More’s,’
that distinguish country lawyers from country boobies.
His clothes were well made, and of good materials,
but looked as if their owner had shrunk a little since
they were made for him; they hung somewhat loose on
him. A large brooch, and some superfluous seals
and gold keys, which ornamented his outward man, looked
‘New England’ like. A visit to the
States, had perhaps, I thought, turned this Colchester
beau into a Yankee fop. Of what consequence was
it to me who he was—in either case I had
nothing to do with him, and I desired neither his
acquaintance nor his company—still I could
not but ask myself who can this man be? I am
not aware, said I, that there is a court sitting at
this time at Cumberland? Nor am I, said my friend.
What then could he have to do with the circuit?
It occurred to me he must be a Methodist preacher.
I looked again, but his appearance again puzzled me.
His attire might do—the colour might be
suitable—the broad brim not out of place;
but there was a want of that staidness of look, that
seriousness of countenance, that expression, in short,
so characteristic of the clergy. I could not
account for my idle curiosity—a curiosity
which, in him, I had the moment before viewed both
with suspicion and disgust; but so it was—I
felt a desire to know who he could be who was neither
lawyer nor preacher, and yet talked of his circuit
with the gravity of both. How ridiculous, I thought