England"--when I was startled by a short, quick bark, on one side of the
hedge. I turned sharply round; and, seated upon the sward, was a man,
apparently of the pedlar profession; a large deal box was lying open
before him; a few articles of linen, and female dress, were scattered
round, and the man himself appeared earnestly occupied in examining the
deeper recesses of his itinerant warehouse. A small black terrier flew
towards me with no friendly growl. "Down," said I: "all strangers are not
foes, though the English generally think so."

The man hastily looked up; perhaps he was struck with the quaintness of
my remonstrance to his canine companion; for, touching his hat, civilly,
he said--"The dog, Sir, is very quiet; he only means to give me the alarm
by giving it to you; for dogs seem to have no despicable insight into
human nature, and know well that the best of us may be taken by
surprise."

"You are a moralist," said I, not a little astonished in my turn by such
an address from such a person. "I could not have expected to stumble upon
a philosopher so easily. Have you any wares in your box likely to suit
me? if so, I should like to purchase of so moralizing a vendor?"

"No, Sir," said the seeming pedlar, smiling, and yet at the same time
hurrying his goods into his box, and carefully turning the key--"no, Sir,
I am only a bearer of other men's goods; my morals are all that I can
call my own, and those I will sell you at your own price."

"You are candid, my friend," said I, "and your frankness, alone, would be
inestimable in this age of deceit, and country of hypocrisy."

"Ah, Sir!" said my new acquaintance, "I see already that you are one of