hard labor to obtain-aye, and twenty dollars to boot. Not satisfied, I suppose, with the attestation of the president and venerable board of trustees, they were desirous of adding their own ratification to my pretensions to science. Be that as it may, full of delightful anticipation at the prospect of returning to my native state, after an absence of four years, I took my seat in the mail stage, and travelled three hundred miles without going to bed. Such a journey at this day of steamboat and railroad car, would be nothing, but at that time it was a great undertaking, and attended with much fatigue. The vehicles were crazy, and often broke down, and the passengers had the pleasure of paying dearly for the privilege of walking many a mile through the mud.

,

the

At length I arrived at the little town of Fend of my journey on the great mail route, where I expected to meet with some kind of conveyance to take me into the country to my uncle's. As I leaped from the carriage to the pavement, where many loiterers were gathered to witness the arrival of the stage, I found myself suddenly locked in the arms of some one who exclaimed, “There he is, the very moral of his grandpapa! God bless your honor, how do ye do? I'm so glad to see you.' ." Extricating myself with some degree of embarrassment, because of the crowd around me, I perceived that the salutation proceeded from one of our old servants, who stood gazing upon me with the most benevolent smile. His appearance was quite outre to one who had lived so long at the north. His old and faded livery was blue, turned up with yellow; he held in his hand a horseman's cap, without the bear-skin; his boots had once been white-topped, but could no longer claim that distinctive epithet; like Sir Hudibras, he wore but one spur, though probably for a different reason; his high forehead glistened in the sun, and his slightly grey hair was combed neatly back, and queued behind with an eelskin so tight that he could hardly wink his eyes, exhibiting a face remarkably intelligent and strongly marked, with a nose uncommonly high and hawkbilled for a negro. Per

ceiving my embarrassment, he drew back with a very courtly bow, declaring he was so glad to see me, he had forgotten himself and made too free. I made haste to assure him that he had not-gave him a hearty shake by the hand-called him Uncle Simon, a name he had always been accustomed to from me, and drawing him aside, overwhelmed him with questions about every body and every thing at home. "Tell me," said I, "how is my uncle ?" "I thank you, sir, quite hearty, and much after the old sort-full of his projjecks, heh! heh! perpechil motion, and what not." "What," said I, "is he at that still?" "Oh yes-oh yes-and carridges to go without horses; God love you, Mass Ned, I don't think they can go without animel nater." "And how does my aunt like all this?" "Ah!" said he, putting up his hands with an air of disgust, "she can't abide it-things go on badly. You 'member my four greys? so beautiful!-my four in hand!-all gone, all sold. Why, sir, I could whistle them hawses to the charrut jest as easy as snap my finger. Our fine London charrut, too! that's gone, and my poor Missis, your aunt, has nothin to ride in but a nasty pitiful, park phaton.' "I am sorry to hear it, Simon." "Why, Mass Ned, what mek you all let dem Demmy Cats sarve you so? What you call 'em? Publicans? yes, I'd cane 'em as old master used to do." "But Simon, how is Cousin Mary ?" "Miss Mary? oh, Miss Mary is a beauty; gay as a young filly, and she walks upon her pasterns."

"Well, well," said I, interrupting him, "Simon let us be off; what have you brought for me to ride ?” “Old Reglus, sir, your old favorite." Having taken some refreshment, and transferred my clothes to the portmanteau, I mounted Regulus, who still showed his keeping. He was a bright bay, and his hair was as glossy as silk, under Simon's management; his eye still glanced its fire, and his wide nostrils gave token of his wind. He knew me, I shall ever believe it, for my voice made him prick his ears, as if listening to the music of former days. It seemed to inspire him with new life; he flew like an arrow, and Simon found it

impossible to keep up with me, mounted as he was on a high trotting, raw boned devil, that made the old man bound like a trap ball, whenever he missed his up-anddown-postilion movement. His figure, thus bobbing in front of a monstrous portmanteau and bearskin, was so ludicrous I could not forbear laughing; and reining up my steed, I told him I would ride slower, for the sake of conversation with him. "Do, my good sir," cried he, “for this vile garran will knock the breath out of my body. If I had but my old hawse, Grey Dick, alive agin-that hawse, Mass Ned, was the greatest hawse upon the face of the yearth; I rod him ninety miles the hottest day that ever came from heaven; when I got through our outer gate, he seized the bit between his teeth, and run away with me, and never stopped till he got clean into the stable. Whenever I fed him, I was 'bliged to shet the stable door and go away, for if he heard me move, or a stirrup jingle, he wouldn't eat another mouthful, but stood with his head up, and his eyes flying about, impatient for me to mount."

I knew this was a moment to put in a leading question to bring out a story I had heard a thousand times. "That was not the horse that ran away with you when a boy?" "No-no-that was Whalebone; your grandpapa used always to go to court in his coach and six; I can see him now, in his great big wig, hanging down upon his shoulders, and powdered as white as a sheet. I was then a little shaver, and always went behind the carriage to open the gates. Waitinman George rod the old gentleman's ridin hawse Bearskin, and led Mass Bobby's hawse Whalebone; Mass Bobby rod in the carriage with old master. Well, one day, what should George do but put me up upon Whalebone, as big a devil as ever was; soonever I got upon him, off he went by the coach as hard as he could stave; old master hallooed and bawled-he'll kill him-he'll kill him-George, how dare you put Simon upon Whalebone? Pshey! the more he hallooed the more Whalebone run. I pulled and pulled until I got out of sight, and turned down the quarter stretch, and then I did

give him the timber-Flying Childers was nothing to him. When old master got home, there I was, with Whalebone as cool as a curcumber. I made sure I should get a caning, but all he said was 'D-n the fellow! I blieve he could ride old Whalebone's tail off-heh! heh! heh!" I am sorry I cannot do more justice to the eloquence of Simon, who excelled in all the arts of oratory. His eyes spoke as much as his tongue; his gestures were vehement, but quite appropriate; he uttered some words in as startling a voice as Henry Clay, and his forefinger did as much execution as John Randolph's. As to his political opinions, he was the most confirmed aristocrat, and thought it the birthright of his master's family to ride over the poor, booted and spurred. It was his delight to tell of his meeting one day, as he swept along the road with his smoking four in hand, a poor man on horseback, whom he contemptuously styled a Johnny. He ordered the man to give the road; but as he did not obey him as readily as he desired, he resolved to punish him. By a dexterous wheel of his leaders, he brought the chariot wheel in contact with the fellow's knee, and shaved every button off as nicely as he could have shaved his beard with a razor.

But enough of Simon. I beguiled the way by drawing him out upon his favorite topics, until we got within sight of my uncle's house, a fine old mansion, with an avenue of cedars a mile in length. They had been kept for several generations neatly trimmed, and he who had dared to mar their beauty with an axe, would have been considered a felon, and met his fate without benefit of clergy. I have lived to see them all cut down by the ruthless hand of an overseer, who sees no beauty in any thing but a cornstalk. However, this is wandering from my present theme. Then they were in all their evergreen loveliness, and I hailed them as my ancient friends, as I galloped by them, with a joyous feeling at approaching the scene of my childhood. The folding doors soon flew wide open, and the whole family rushed out to meet me, with true-hearted, old fashioned Virginia promptitude. I must not attempt

to describe a meeting which is always better imagined than described. Let it suffice, that after the most affectionate greeting, which extended to every servant about the premises, I was ushered to my bed room at a late hour, with as much of state as could be mustered about the now decaying establishment, and soon sunk into a profound slumber, well earned by the toils and fatigues of my journey. Early the next morning, before I left my room, my excellent and revered uncle paid me a visit, and ordered in the never failing julap, such a one as would have done honor to Chotank. At the same time he suggested to me that he would greatly prefer my taking a mixture of his own, which he extolled as much as Don Quixote did his balsam to Sancho, or Dr. Sangrado his warm water to Gil Blas. It was a pleasant beverage, he said, compounded of an acid and an alkali. He had discovered, by close observation, that all diseases had their origin in acid, and that alkali of course was the grand panacea; even poisons were acids, and he had no doubt that he should be able to form a concrete mass, by means of beef gall and alkali, which would resemble and equal in virtue the mad stone. If I felt the slightest acidity of stomach, I would find myself relieved by one of his powders. He had written to Dr. Rush on the subject, and he showed me a letter from that gentleman, at which he laughed heartily, and in which the doctor protested he might as well attempt to batter the rock of Gibraltar with mustard seed shot, as to attack the yellow fever with alkali. I could not help smiling at the earnestness of my dear uncle, and assured him that I had no doubt of the virtues of his medicine, but as I was quite well, I would rather try the anti-fogmatic; and if I should feel indisposed I would resort to his panacea; although I secretly resolved to have as little to do with it as Gil Blas had with water.

Having dressed myself, and descended to the breakfast room, I there met my aunt and cousin, who soon made me acquainted with the present condition of the family. Every thing was fast declining, in consequence of the total absorption of the mind of my uncle in his