the corn; or if the wife
want the horses to go ten or twenty miles to have a gossip with a
neighbour over a comfortable cup of tea; but they, to do them justice, do
not forget the beef steaks, or the barbecued fowls, on these occasions;
that is to say, a fowl caught up in the yard, scalded in a minute, cleaned
the next, and splitted down the back, and clapped upon the _gridiron_
(favourite implement of mine,) and then upon the table, along with the hot
cakes, the preserved peaches, and the comfortable cup of tea. If a wife
want the horses for this purpose, or for any other, and should continue
too long a time in a visiting or frolicing humour, the poor corn gives
signs of the consequence, by becoming yellow, and sharp-pointed at the
blade. By and by, however, the Yankee comes with his plough; and it would
frighten an English farmer out of his senses to see how he goes on,
swearing at the horses, and tearing about the ground, and tumbling it up
against the plants; but, at any rate, moving it all pretty deeply, somehow
or other. I have seen them do this when the tassel was nearly at its full
height, and when the silk was appearing from the ears. One rule is
invariable; that is, that if the corn be not ploughed at all there will be
no crop; there will be tassel, and the semblance of ears; but (upon
ordinary land, at least,) there will be no crop at all."

(_To be concluded in our next._)

* * * * *

THE GATHERER.

"A snapper-up of unconsidered trifles."

SHAKSPEARE.

ONE WAY TO DIE FOR LOVE.

A lady, nearly related to the writer, having a great partiality (though
married) for the feline race, particularly lavished favours upon a young
and beautiful cat, whom she constantly fed, taught to perform several
pleasing tricks, and in short made of the animal such a companion, that
she never liked it to be out of her sight. She had also in her service a
cook, who boasted not of partialities for any living creature, save a
village youth, for whom she cherished a flame that rivalled the bright and
ardent fire of her own kitchen; to him she generously assigned as a hiding
place and rendezvous, the corner of an out-house, to which she frequently
stole in order to enjoy a _tete a tete_ with her admirer. Thither also
stole puss, either in gratitude for past savoury benefactions, or in
anticipation of future. But the lady of the house, frequently missing her
favourite, and tracing h