Dinner over，we get into another vehicle which is ready at the door(for the coach has been changed in the interval)，and resume our journey；which continues through the same kind of country until evening，whenwe come to the town where we are to stop for tea and supper；and havingdelivered the mail—bags at the post—office，ride through the usual widestreet，lined with the usual stores and houses(the drapers always havinghung up at their door，by way of sign，a piece of bright—red cloth)，to thehotel where this meal is prepared．There being many boarders here，we sit down，a large party，and a very melancholy one as usual．But there is a buxOm hostess at the head of the table，and opposite，a simple Welsh schoolmaster with his wife and child；who came here on a speculation of greater promise than performance，to teach the classics；and they are sufficient subjects of interest until the meal is over，and another coach is ready．In it we go on once more，lighted by a bright moon，until midnight；when we stop to change the coach again，and remain for half an hour or sO in a miserable room，with a blurred lithograph of Washington over the smoky fireplace，and a mighty jug of cold water on the table；to which refreshment the moody passengers do SO apply themselves that they would seem to be，one and all，keen patients of Dr．Sangrado．Among them is a very little boy，who chews tobacco like a very big one；and a droning gentleman，who talks arithmetically and statistically on all subjects，from poetry downwards，and who always speaks in the same kev．with exactly the same emphasis，and with very grave deliberation-He came outside just now．，and told me how that the uncle of a certain voung lady who had been spirited away and married by a certain captain，lived in these parts；and how this uncle was so valiant and ferocious that he shouldn’t wonder if he were to follow the said captain to England， “and shoot him down in the street wherever he found him；”in the feasibility of which strong measure I，being for the moment rather prone to contradiction，from feeling half asleep and very tired，declined to acquiesce-assuring him that if the uncle did resort to it，or gratified any other little whim of the like nature，he would find himself one morning prematurely throttled at the Old Bailey；and that he would do well to make his will before he went，as he would certainly want it before he had been in Britain very long．
On we go，all night，and by the day begins to break，and presently the first cheerful rays of the warm sun come slanting on us brightly．It sheds its light upon a miserable waste of sodden grass，and dull flees，and squalid huts，whose aspect is forlorn and grievous in the last degree．A very desert in the wood，whose growth of green is dank and noxious like that upon the top of standing water；where poisonous fungus grows in the rare footprint on the oozy ground，and sprouts like witches’coral，from the crevices in the cabin wall and floor：it is a hideous thing to lie upon the very threshold of a city．But it was purchased years ago，and as the owner cannot be discovered，the state has been unable to reclaim it．So there it remains，in the midst of cultivation and improvement，like ground accursed，and make obscene and rank by some great crime．
We reached Columbus shortly before seven O’clock，and stayed there，to refresh，that day and night；having excellent apartments in a very large unfinished hotel called the Neill House，which were richly fitted with the polished wood of the black walnut．and opened on a handsome portico and stone veranda，like rooms in some Italian mansion．The town is clean and pretty，and of course is“going to be”much larger．It is the seat of the state legislature of Ohio，and lays claim，in consequence，to some consideration and importance．
There being no stage—coach next day．upon the road we wished to take，I hired“an extra，”at a reasonable charge，to carry us to Tiffin，a small town from whence there is a railroad to Sandusky．This extra was an ordinary four—horse stage—coach，such as I have described，changinghorses and drivers，as the stage-coach would，but was exclusively ourown for the journey．To ensure our having horses at the proper stations，and being incommoded by no strangers，the proprietors sent an agenton the box，who was to accompany US the whole way through；and thusattended，and bearing with US，besides，a hamper full of savoury coldmeats，and fruit，and wine；we started off again in high spirits，at half_past six 0’clock next morning，very much delighted to be by ourselves，and disposed to enjoy even the roughest joumey．
