tears were coursing after each other down his furrowed
but placid cheek.

"Squire," said Mr. Slick to me, "this won't do. We must
not allow him to dwell too long on the thoughts of leaving
home, or he'll droop like any thing, and p'raps, hang
his head and fade right away. He is aged and feeble,
and every thing depends on keeping up his spirits. An
old plant must be shaded, well watered, and tended, or
you can't transplant it no how, you can fix it, that's
a fact. He won't give ear to me now, for he knows I can't
talk serious, if I was to try; but he will listen to
_you_. Try to cheer him up, and I will go down below and
give you a chance."

As soon as I addressed him, he started and said, "Oh! is
it you, Squire? come and sit down by me, my friend. I
can talk to _you_, and I assure you I take great pleasure
in doing so I cannot always talk to Sam: he is excited
now; he is anticipating great pleasure from his visit to
England, and is quite boisterous in the exuberance of
his spirits. I own I am depressed at times; it is natural
I should be, but I shall endeavour not to be the cause
of sadness in others. I not only like cheerfulness myself,
but I like to promote it; it is a sign of an innocent
mind, and a heart in peace with God and in charity with
man. All nature is cheerful, its voice is harmonious,
and its countenance smiling; the very garb in which it
is clothed is gay; why then should man be an exception
to every thing around him? Sour sectarians, who address