seated at the piano apparently the early day with the of a whole strange of this was an unwonted effort for her had fallen of late into � and it had been supposed for a year past that she had a careless adieu to all its charms but this morning she resumed it with a spirit and a perseverance that attracted the notice of all the it in their simple some impending disaster such a change in the lady s habits could import no good they intimated that when people were going to give up the ghost such were the not unusual of the event it was as bad one of the servant maids remarked as to hear a hen crow at night from the and she shouldn t wonder if something was going to happen � a burying or a wedding or some such dreadful thing but prudence was not melancholy on the contrary she smiled and seemed more cheerful than ever after breakfast mr passed an hour or two in the parlor and fascinated the ladies by the of his discourse he fell into a conversation with prudence upon literary topics and nothing could be more refreshing than to hear how much she had read and how passionately she admired it was hard to tell which was best pleased with this comparison of opinions � it was so congenial prudence proclaimed to be her favorite bard and that was exactly s preference they both disliked the of and admired scott and both delicious lines from the pleasures of hope � tis distance enchantment to the view following the line up with twenty more tis distance echoed prudence � as if it had been a thought � and responded throughout in a softer voice and with an eye to the whole good souls delightful i why has cruel fate � nonsense i shall grow sentimental myself if i say another word about them strange symptoms before noon s was at the door had arranged the examination of the line to take place on wednesday next in the mean time the ent parties on either side were to their hostile preparations with the most gracious condescension the philosopher poet patron and ascended his radiant car and away with the brisk and flourish that belongs to this race of gifted mortals chapter the national the event with which i have closed the last chapter took place on the morning of the fourth of july a day that is never without its interest even in the most secluded parts of our country it was to be celebrated at the landing a place about a mile and a half distant on the bank of the river where the small river boats are usually to take in their to this spot ned proposed that we should ride after dinner it was a holiday so had permission to accompany us and was directed to have our horses at the door we were amused to find that the old groom had not only brought out our own cavalry but also a horse for himself and there he stood holding our arrayed in his best coat with a pair of old top boots drawn over loose of striped cotton which were clean he wore his spurs and carried also a riding whip his mien was unusually brisk and after an ancient fashion he ventured to tell us that master frank thought he ought to attend us to the landing as there was on down there upon account of the fourth of july the truth was that learning our destination he had slipped off to to ask his permission to go with us our aged squire rode at a distance behind us and the national on a hard mouthed and obstinate that belonged to him trotted by our sides with both hands pulling in the bridle and his legs thrust forward to enable him to the constant tendency of his to away that � for so he calls his � is the easiest going animal on the place although each particular step lifted him at least six inches above his saddle and almost entirely stopped his talking because the motion shook the words out of his mouth somewhat in the same manner that water comes out of a bottle however no man ever thinks ill of his horse our road lay through of pine in the shade of which we advanced rapidly and we soon reached the landing there are very few villages in the tide water country of virginia it is by so many rivers that almost every plantation may be approached sufficiently near by trading vessels to gratify the demand of the population without the assistance of those little towns which in other parts of the united states up like there are yet therefore to be seen the of former trading stations on all the principal rivers and the traveller is not surprised when having consulted his map and been informed of some village with a goodly name he that he has passed over the spot without being conscious of any thing but a standing on the bank of a river in deep and solitary shade the landing which we had now reached had originally been used for a foreign trade in which vessels of a large class a long time ago were accustomed to receive of tobacco and deposit the required by the country in return it is now however nothing more than the place of resort for a few river craft used in carrying the country produce to market there were two or three buildings in view and among these one of larger dimensions than the rest a brick house with the national a part of tlie entirely gone a rank crop of weed grew up within so as to be seen through the windows of the first story indian corn was planted on the adjacent ground up to the walls and extended partly 