the shrewdest looking men I ever saw. Another, the brother of my companion, was more dignified, and not so easily read. They behaved like men under some feeling of restraint, occasioned no doubt by their endeavour to conform to civilized habits; but I soon set them more at ease, and enjoyed to witness their manners. The evening passed off quite lively.

I spent an evening at the house of a clergyman at Richmond, which was very interesting. He is considered one of the most learned men in that city and its neighbourhood. His wife had an unusual share of animation; and several young ladies of cultivated minds were of the party. We touched on divinity, poetry, national characters and other subjects, in a cursory but enlivening manner, and separated in good humour. These different visits tended more and more to confirm my favourable opinion of the Americans. After mentioning so many different evenings, it is proper to add, that in the southern States, it is customary for the heads of the family and all of advanced years, to retire into an adjoining room, leaving the young to enter into conversation, without that restraint which is always felt in the presence of their elders. In the middle and northern States, this separation is less com

mon, though a little reflection may show its propriety. There is a passage, if I remember rightly, in Hurdis's Adriano illustrative of this.

Besides evenings like those I have described, where no formality is used, and no other restraint than that required by decorum, they have their dress and card parties. A gentleman in Philadelphia, from whom I had received various marks of kindness, requested me to call on him one evening, as he wished to introduce me to some of his friends. Without letting me know beforehand what sort of a company I was to meet, he took me to one of these dress-parties. When I entered the room and perceived about a dozen ladies in full dress, I felt a little confused. My shoes were not very clean; and my face was not so smooth as usual, owing to the razor I had used in the morning, being out of order. when my name was mentioned, with the addition of my being an Englishman, I was in worse condition, owing to the eyes of all being turned towards me. What was to be done? To retreat was impossible. To apologise, would cause some to notice me still more minutely. I therefore placed myself, as quickly as I decently could, in one corner of the room, where I thought I should escape attention, and began conversing

And

with a young lady near me.

However I was

soon obliged to change my seat, and considering that the appearance of embarrassment was unpleasant, I put a good face upon things, and enjoyed myself probably nearly as much, as if I had gone fully prepared for company. Formal visiting parties have never had charms for me; but in the present case, the great variety of the entertainment, and the smiles of the fair, served to pass the evening pleasantly. Lemonade, wine of different sorts, ice-creams, and spirituous compounds, were handed round, as well as strawberries, raspberries, preserved peaches, sweet cakes and other delicious articles. The party broke up about eleven o'clock. On two similar occasions at New York, I was nearly as awkwardly circumstanced; but I found that a cheerful spirit carried me through with little difficulty. Why should we suffer mortification to supersede pleasure, when all around are gay? Birds whose feathers are plain, sing not the less lively tunes, for being in company with others of beautiful plumage.

It is very common in a summer's evening af ter the heat has subsided, for persons to sit at their doors to enjoy the cool breezes. A walk at such a time through a village or small town

is quite enlivening. The ladies are often in their best dresses, generally in white, and seem to take pleasure in showing the utmost good humour and hilarity to the gentlemen who stop to chat with them. This custom has in it something of a patriarchal or oriental character, especially in Virginia, where a stranger who receives entertainment has to wait while the cakes are made and baked. Perhaps in no part of the domestic life of the Americans, is there any thing in which their sociability and amiability are more apparent than in their summer evening parties. How delightful it is to witness the general cheerfulness! To an Englishman it is very amusing to listen to the conversation of a party sitting outside of the door, and at the same time watch the motions of the fire-flies, whose phosphoric scintillations give the air a curious appearance.

CHAPTER VII.

SPIRIT OF CONVERSATION.

A STRANGER in America may soon perceive that conversation has not been much studied as an art. The Americans converse sensibly and rationally; but they appear to have no ambition to attract attention by clever, smart, or witty sayings, like the French, or by throwing a fictitious interest over common matters by sentimental refinement, like the Germans. Like a gently-flowing limpid brook, their conversation has no turbulence, but shows every thing at the bottom at a glance. That it is deficient in energy and animation, will from this at once be conceived. It produces a feeling akin to that experienced by every one who sits down to enjoy rest after fatigue. Now I am one of those, who admire in preference, a more spirit-stirring sensation. The vehemence of the Irish is more to my taste than the calmness of the Americans. During my stay amongst them, I met not with a single individual whose colloquial talents were such as I should denominate first-rate; though there were several whom I greatly admired for one or another good quality. A lawyer at Norfolk in Vir