'Four-and-six-pence,' said the driver, for yourself and the little

girl.'

'Well, that is a monstrous sight of money, for a little girl's passage, like that; her father, my husband, has been dead these two long years, and I was never so fur from home before in all my life. I live in the state of New-Hampshire. It is very unpleasant for a lady; but I dare say neither of them gentlemen would see me imposed upon.' 'I will take your fare, if you please, ma'am,' again said the driver, in a tone bordering somewhat on impatience. 'How much did you say it was?

lady.

three-and-sixpence ?' asked the

Four-and-six-pence, if you please, ma'am,' said the driver. 'O, four-and-six-pence!' And after a good deal of fumbling, and shaking of her pockets, she at last produced a half dollar, and a York shilling, and put them into the driver's hand.

That is not enough, ma'am,' said the driver; 'I want nine-pence more.'

'What!- - aint we in York state?' she asked, eagerly.

'No, ma'am,' replied the driver;' it is six shillings, York money.' 'Well,' said the lady, I used to be quite good at reckoning, when I was to home, in the state of New-Hampshire; I've reckoned up many a fish v'yage; but since I have got so fur from home, I b'lieve I am beginning to lose my mental faculties.'

'I'll take that other nine-pence, if you please, ma'am,' said the driver, in a voice approaching a little nearer to impatience. At last, after making allusion two or three times more to her native state, and her deceased husband, (happy man!) she handed the driver his nine-pence, and we were once more in motion. Although my fellow travellers remained silent all the time she was disputing with the driver, yet they looked as though they were wishing the New-Hampshire lady some of the worst wishes that could be imagined.

Do you think it's dan-gerous on this road?' began the lady, as soon as the door was closed. I am a very lengthy way from home, in the state of New-Hampshire; and if any thing should happen, I don't know what I should do. I am quite unfamiliar with travelling; and I hope you won't think me obtrusive; I am a widow lady; my husband, this little girl's father, has been dead these two years, come this spring; and I am going with her to the Springs: she has got a dreadful bad complaint in her stomach. Are you going to the Springs, Sir?' she said, addressing herself to the invalid, who shook his head in reply.

'Ah; are you going, Sir?' she said, addressing the humorist. 'No, I am not,' he replied; and if I were But the con

tingency was inwardly pronounced.

a

• Well, now, that is very straänge,' continued the gossip; I hav'n't met a single soul that I know, since I left home; and I am in a public way, too, I follow school-keepin', mostly, for an occupation; and I am acquainted with all the first people in the state. I have been a school-teacher ever since my husband died, this poor little girl's father, two years ago ; and I am very well known in Rocky-bottom, Rockingham county, in the state of New-Hampshire; I know all the first gentlemen in the place. There's Squire Goodwin, Squire Cushman, Mr. Timothy Havens, Mr. Zaccheus Upham, Doctor David

Heavens and earth ! exclaimed the humorist, 'I can't stand this ! Driver! stop, and let me get out!'

The driver reined up, and the humorist took his valise in his hand, and jumped out, followed by the invalid, who set out to walk back to the tavern we had left behind us. I thought the New-Hampshire lady would probably understand the cause of our fellow-traveller's sudden departure, and leave me to the quiet enjoyment of my nap. I never was more mistaken. No sooner was the coach in motion again, than she began to pour out such a running stream of surmises, and questions, about them gentlemen that had left us,' mingled with reminiscences of New Hampshire, and her deceased husband, that I began to wish myself back again on board of a rail-road car. At length, driven to desperation, I was compelled to call out to the driver to stop, and let me get out. The lady was very earnest in her endeavors to persuade me to remain; but I was regardless of her entreaties, although not exactly deaf to them. I took my wallet, determined to wait until the next coach came along. I was some distance from a tavern, but there was a quiet-looking burying-ground, just at the foot of the hill, which to my wearied eyes held out a promise of rest; and as the sun was low, I determined to leap over the picketfence, and with my wallet for a pillow, take a nap on the dry, warm grass.

It was a calm, secluded spot, surrounded by romantic hills, covered to their summits with beautiful trees. Fitting rest,' thought I, for pious age and innocent youth!' And such it proved to be. The modest white marble stones with which the ground was studded, were nothing but records of virtues and dates. Here were buried a governor, a chief justice, a lesser judge, deacons, pastors, and minor dignitaries, a good many. But whether man, woman, or child; husband, parent, or son ; judge, pastor, or deacon ; wife, spinster, or daughter; there was the most astonishing similarity of goodness of character and purity of life. My curiosity was excited, to know where so many excellent people could have lived; for I had but small experience in tomb-stones, and did not know that they always told the same story. But I was too weary to seek for information on the subject; and having found a proper spot, I stretched myself out upon the ground, and immediately fell asleep. Upon this, my wandering spirit took the liberty of stepping out of its tabernacle, and making another tour of the tomb-stones; and I was not a little amused to find they told quite a different story from what they did at first. And yet

I was not at all astonished; for it is one of the peculiarities of dreams, that nothing ever surprises, though it be ever so absurd and paradoxical. I saw the self-same wbite marble tablets, but there

6

6

Gimcrackery.

1839.]

was a curious alteration in the inscriptions which they bore. For instance :

Here lies ye mortal remains of
MISS HULDAH HOTCHKISS, SPINSTER,
who departed this life ye 16th of Feby 1763, aged 56 years ;

Universally hated by all who knew her ;
for she was much given to slander, and had made many hearts to ake by

her evil reports. The young and ye beautiful

were particularly obnoxious to her.

Psalms, chap. xxxiv., verse 13. The next I read was as follows:

to

SACRED TO THE MEMORY

OF
DEACON ELIPHALET EATWELL.
Born Novi 16, 1711. died yo 7 day of April, 1792:
He was rich, and he never spared any expense

in the promoting of his own pleasures ;
but he was niggardly in y: extreame, when called upon to

contribute to yue comforts of others.

He was a professed follower of Christ,
Although he never practised one of y* precepts of Him

whose disciple he professed to be.
Stranger ! beware what this tall tomb-stone says!
First ponder well, ther. go and mend thy ways:
But if 't is well with hun, then never fear,

It will be well with thee - that case is clear.'
J. T., Senlpsit.

0. T., Fecit. Passing on, I came to the following:

This stone is erected
Point out the spot where the ashes of a bad man are

deposited.
THE HONE HEZEDIAH HELPHIMSELF, ESQUIRE,
Died on the 21st day of June, in the year of our Lord,

Anno Domini 1801.
He was a Judge of the Supreme Court of this state;
And having gained his office by the basest means, he

employed it in the most corrupt manner.

He has now gone to a place
Where he will receive, what he never dispensed himself,

Justice.
He was 68 years, 4 months, and 28 days old.
He has left behind him a family of children, who will spend

in Dissipation
the wealth wlich he gained

by Fraud. It was a relief to read the next; a little brown stone, at the head of a tiny mound of turf, which was bright and green, as though it had been watered with tears :

a

C. F. B. ÆT. 1 Mo. 24 DAY.

Here my babe lies,
Put who cries ?
Here my babe sleeps,
But who weeps ?
Flowers weep at morn,
Tears drop from the corn,
A mother weeps for her babe to-day,
And a mother's heart will ake alway,
But my babe is blest,
He sleeps on Jesus' breast.

21

VOL. XIV.

As I raised my eyes from the next stone, which bore a record of crimes perpetrated by a man who had borne the character of an honorable gentleman, while living, I perceived one of those beautiful beings standing by my side, who sometimes visit us in our sleep, but take especial care to shun us in our waking hours.

Nous avons changé tout cela?' said the beautiful apparition.

'So I perceive,' I replied; but I did not know before that ghosts spoke French.'

It is the universal language,' replied the spirit.

'I know it is,' I replied; but I think it would be well for spirits to speak in the vernacular of those to whom their visits are paid.' Vous avez raison,' answered the spirit.

'I think the millennium must be at hand,' I said, looking inquiringly into her face; and perhaps you have come to announce it. For what man will ever again dare to do evil, with the knowledge that his villanies will be inscribed upon his tomb at his death? I can anticipate a mighty change in the world, from this new fashion in gravestones.'

Suddenly the beautiful appearance changed into a wild Mephistophilian shape, and uttered such a wild demoniacal Ha! ha!' that I started upon my feet, with my heart beating as though it would break through my ribs. It was a lusty young bull, that had obtruded his head through an aperture in the fence, near where I lay, and his loud bellowing had broken in upon my sweet sleep.

Thinking I heard a voice like that which haunted the guilty Macbeth, I hurried out of the grave-yard, and having reached the tavern, I sat down upon the piazza, where I enjoyed what I so much needed, a good nap.

If all the wild flowers of the forest and prairie bore upon their leaves an inscription of their medicinal properties, the pleasure with which we regard them would be more than half destroyed. So, gentle reader, if I were to inscribe at the head of these pages, 'This is a sermon in disguise,' or, This essay is good for bad morals,' or, This story will be found very effectual in softening a hard heart,' if you read them at all, it would be with far other than pleasurable feelings. I shall leave, therefore, to your own keen perceptions, the task of discovering the hidden qualities of these seemingly light and trivial papers. But be assured, that like those beautiful children of the summer, whose exhalations perfume the air, and whose delicate colors charm the eye, these Gimcrackeries' shall contain an essence which shall be for the healing of those who have the ingenuity to extract it.

There were voices beloved, but their tremulous tone

Told of the years that were over and gone;

There were brows scarce touched by 'Time's darkening wing, That looked like the lingering flowers of spring;

There were smiles, but they shone only over decay,

Like the fading light of the dying day!