To this a long pause succeeded, which I interrupted by rising to depart. 66 Perhaps thee will favour us with thy name?" said the inquisitive and smooth-faced speaker. "If it will gratify you, yes-Paul Ulric.” "Oh, the rich nobleman's son ! Bless me, how fortunate! By all means, thee shall remain with us the night. Our accommodations are none of the best; but, such as they are, thee is quite welcome." "The rich nobleman's son !" was whispered by all present, until it went through the apartment like the hum of bees. "If I remember," said one, laughingly, "thee is the person who shot Deacon Wafer's ducks and turkeys ?" I bowed in assent. "And farmer J's sheep?" said another, with a loud and continued chuckle, which caused the kind-hearted dame, who had just given me a welcome for the night, to say, "Why, Jeremy, thee will split thy sides! I do wish thee would learn to behave more discreetly in the presence of strangers. Paul, thee will not mind the boy's laughing !" "What a delightful thing it is to have a reputation!" said I to myself. "My fame has already preceded me; and, most assuredly, has procured me this enviable reception." A meager pale-faced girl, and three lank-looking boys, began to climb upon my knees, and examine the metal buttons of my coat; while I, as the readiest means of escape, complained of suffocation, and requested to be shown to my room-refusing all invitations to supper. The next morning I was served with breakfast, which, though none of the best, was very acceptable. The highway, which I was desirous to reach at an early hour, that I might avail myself of the stage, was a mile distant; accordingly, I bade adieu to my hospitable friends of the farmhouse, and set out on my journey. CHAPTER V. Diaries are, at present, a monomania; and I will, therefore, in obedience to fashion, e'en commence one myself. The Stolen Daughter. They say this town is full of cozenage. Comedy of Errors. A villain, when he most seems kind, Is most to be suspected. LANSDOWN'S Jew of Venice. In two days, with the aid of stages and steamboats, I arrived in one of the Atlantic cities, which, for various reasons, I shall not name. As it was late at night, I ordered a carriage. The wheels rattled briskly over the pavement, and the stars looked down with a pure and steady light. My mind, for the first time, perhaps, in my life, glided into a train of important reflections, and at length I found myself humming over something like the following soliloquy :— "Let me see, what is my object? Ah, I never thought of this before! It is a pity we never learn to think. What a fool I was, that I did not take my father's advice, when he was lecturing me about books! But have I no rich relations-no influential friends? Alas! not one!" Here I pulled out the well-filled purse which had been sent to me by my mother. "One friend, at least -one true friend!" I cried so loud that the coachman reined up his horses, and opened the carriage door to inquire what was the matter. "Go to the d-1!" I exclaimed, by way of an"Drive on, you scoundrel, or I'll have you swer. punished!" The man of the whip, as Sir Walter would say, thought it prudent to obey my command; and at length I was set down by direction at the hotel. I retired immediately to my apartments, ordering materials for writing, with which I noted the progress of my journey up to the time of my arrival. Gentle reader, (that is, if you are disposed to be gentle,) will you accept a specimen? I promise you, upon the honour of a gentleman, that it shall be short. THE DIARY OF PAUL ULRIC. His first attempt at Journalizing. "Wednesday. This morning I eloped, or rather strayed away, from Essex. I shall say nothing of the events which led to this determination. The roads were good, and the weather remarkably fine. I was slightly affected on being presented by the footman with some presents from my mother and sisters-near the point, I believe, of shedding tears. "In the evening I arrived at an old farmhouse, where there were fifteen children, and thirty-seven grandchildren: I was at the trouble of counting. Their grandfather was a hundred and fifty years old, and had fought in the revolution. At breakfast I ate heartily of a substance called 'bacon;' drank also of a composition termed 'cider'-made, I am told, of the juice of apples. Kissed the youngest daughter but seven, and came away, regretting that I could not stay longer. I should have mentioned that the people were Quakers. “ Thursday.—Rode nearly all day in a stage. Roads dusty-company good-a talkative old woman and her uncommunicative daughter. The latter decidedly handsome-about fifteen years of age-eyes black-hair slightly curled. Forgot to mention that her hand was remarkably small. "Went on board the steamboat-spent an hour in the necessary ablutions—another at the toilet -was shaved for the first time by a barber-inquired if there were not false whiskers to be ob |