cost in consideration of their being broken up and planted, wear at present an appearance very little promising as to the approaching harvest. Wide strips of unbroken soil intervene between the scattered lines of the plough; and if any seed was sown on these, the solid sward has sent up no return. The broad field that I survey just now from the window, bears at least as much resemblance to a great green gridiron as the Escurial does to a stone one. But it is something to feel one's self a proprietor of the soil, and I anticipate much pleasure in sending my own wheat to the mill, be it little or much. I think however I can now perceive why my friend Mr. Doolittle complimented me so highly on the extent of my agricultural knowledge, and declared his sentiments on the subject of farming to agree precisely with my

own.

My letter is already femininely long, yet I must give you an instance of rustic simplicity which occurred this morning-a verification indeed of your repeated prediction. A stout youth of twenty years or so applied for work, stating that he had "hearn tell how the 'squire wanted a hand." I was glad to obtain an addition to our effective force, and the bargain was nearly concluded when our swain broke in with,

"I say, uncle! does your hands eat with you?" Conceive of the question if you can, and you will readily imagine the answer: but you can never

paint to yourself the air with which this untamed son of the forest turned on his heel, saying with the utmost coolness,

"If I a'n't good enough to eat with ye, I a'n't good enough to work for ye, that's all!"

Think of such companionship for Florella, who, though a democrat in principle on all important points, is, in personal habits, quite as fastidious as one could wish. To me these things would be matters of indifference, especially where the contact was only for a limited period. Mere accidents in social condition are nothing in themselves; and I have too high an idea of the dignity of labor to despise the practical agriculturist, though I may not relish his manners. But with ladies the case is different, and I shall never attempt to conform, in this particular, to the customs of the country. When John and Sophy get their log-house finished, they will relieve us from the disagreeable necessity of boarding hands.

Do not fear such unreasonably long letters in future. I expect to be much occupied with building and other improvements, and shall hardly have time to weary you with my favorite topics.

Ever yours,

T. SIBTHORPE.

VOL. II.

7

74

LETTER III.

Mrs. Sibthorpe to Mrs. Williamson.

MY DEAREST CATHARINE,

WHY have I not written you a dozen letters before this time? I can give you no decent or rational apology. Perhaps, because I have had too much leisure-perhaps too many things to say. Something of this sort it certainly must be, for I have none of the ordinary excuses to offer for neglect of my dear correspondent. Think any thing but that I love you less. This is the very place in which to cherish loving memories. But as to writing, this wild seclusion has so many charms for me, this delicious summer weather so many seductions, that my days glide away imperceptibly, leaving scarcely a trace of any thing accomplished during their flight. I rise in the morning determined upon the most strenuous industry.

My broken credit with half a dozen correspondents whom I have treated as ill as yourself is to be entirely redeemed before dinner. For this purpose I place my desk before a window that opens towards the west, and which is consequently shaded during all the earlier part of the day. Here do I seat myself with the resolute air of one who is not to be tempted from duty. Nothing before me but

huge trees, between whose ancient mossy trunks no ray of any but soft green light can reach the moist sward below. The only sound is that of the sighing wind that scarcely stirs the heavy verdure, yet makes its presence known by a ceaseless moan resembling almost precisely the soft rush of summer waves upon a pebbly beach; magic music any where, and fraught with dreams; but particularly so where we feel, as it were, alone in the august presence of Nature, with nothing to limit the flights of fancy, and with an unbounded leisure which seems to promise time for every thing. Pen in hand, eyes unconsciously exploring the mysterious arcades of the forest, behold your friend, her heart full of affection, and her head of pleasant musings, still hesitating for materials for an epistle, which were never to seek while surrounded with all that is supposed likely to occupy or to distract the mind.

It may be that I have a lurking doubt of your sympathy in the strange pleasure with which these solitudes inspire me; or, possibly, a cowardly fear of the ridicule that is always attached, by those who live in the fashionable world, to any thing which approaches the romantic, whether in sentiment or action. A true enthusiast, however, would rather anticipate your speedy conversion, and, at worst, why should I dread your kind smiles? You could not, if you would, make me ashamed of mv

happiness, and I am sure you would not if you could.

Our way of living just now is odd enough. John's house is so nearly finished that he and Sophy live in it and take our work-people as boarders. This is quite convenient for us, since we could not obtain laborers on any other terms. But I find Sophy is sadly missed as the head of domestic affairs, (I forget whether Mr. Sibthorpe has mentioned in any of his numerous and lengthy epistles, that Chadwell has left us and returned to Newyork, because she "couldn't a-bear the 'orrid beer as they makes in Michigan"-though this her chosen comforter was manufactured by a countryman of her own, who is considered quite an adept in the art.) Sophy's invention was all in all to Rose, whose materials are so limited as to require all Caleb Balderstone's ingenuity in order to set a table which shall in any degree accord with her ideas of propriety. Truth to say, I had a very unpractical idea of what sort of things would be needed for forest life. I forgot that our habits must be in some degree the standard, whatever should be the circumstances, and in planning for a simple country life, I did not take into account the fact that we had yet to learn to be country people. I find we must simplify our habits exceedingly, to make out at all with the moderate amount of household con