over like a toad. The boy resembled his hideous mother, but with the
addition of a villainous obliquity of vision which rendered him the most
disgusting object in this singular trio.

As we passed them, our driver gave a knowing nod to my husband, directing,
at the same time, the most quizzical glance towards the strangers, as he
exclaimed, "We are in luck, sir! I think that 'ere sleigh may be called
Beauty's egg-basket!"

We made ourselves very merry at the poor people's expense, and Mr. D____,
with his odd stories and Yankeefied expressions, amused the tedium of our
progress through the great swamp, which in summer presents for several
miles one uniform bridge of rough and unequal logs, all laid loosely
across huge sleepers, so that they jumped up and down, when pressed by the
wheels, like the keys of a piano. The rough motion and jolting occasioned
by this collision is so distressing that it never fails to entail upon the
traveller sore bones and an aching head for the rest of the day. The path
is so narrow over these logs that two wagons cannot pass without great
difficulty, which is rendered more dangerous by the deep natural ditches
on either side of the bridge, formed by broad creeks that flow out of the
swamp, and often terminate in mud-holes of very ominous dimensions. The
snow, however, hid from us all the ugly features of the road, and Mr.
D____ steered us through it in perfect safety, and landed us at the door
of a little log house which crowned the steep hill on the other side of
the swamp, and which he dignified with the name of a tavern.

It was now two o'clock. We had been on the road since seven; and men,
women, and children were all ready for the good dinner that Mr. D____ had
promised us at this splendid house of entertainment, where we were
destined to stay for two hours, to refresh ourselves and rest the horses.