n what way
did you travel to advance at such a snail's pace? I should think you
could almost have walked the distance in that length of time."

"You will be amused when I tell you the length of the first day's
journey," replied mamma. "Father hired a large wagon, and stowed away
our trunks, furniture, and all of his family in it, and we went as far
as Whitehall, a distance of about nine miles. Here we stopped over
night, and the next day took the boat for Troy, where we again broke
the journey after travelling, I believe, two days. At that time there
were no regular ferry-boats to cross the river from East to West Troy,
and passengers were taken over in row-boats. I remember that the
boatmen stood by the river-side and called all day and night:

"'Over, over, over, going o-o-o-o-ver!' to attract custom.

"Now came the most delightful part of the journey--going from Troy to
Buffalo upon the canal-boat. There were two different kinds of boats
that went between those cities; the packet-boats, carrying the mails
and passengers but no freight, and the line-boats, which took both
freight and passengers, and were consequently cheaper. These were used
by people like ourselves, who were moving from one part of the country
to the other, with furniture, who wished to economize, and to whom time
was no object; for the packet-boats travelled twice or thrice as
rapidly as the line-boats.

"I think I never enjoyed myself so thoroughly when a child, as at that
time. My sisters and I were much petted by the captain and the
passengers; and the excitement of being on the water, and the constant
change of scene, kept up our spirits to the highest pitch. Margaret,
who was then four years old, was, I remember, an especial favorite on
the boat; for she was extremely pretty, with her fragile, doll-like
figure, her clear complexion, bright blue eyes, and reddish gold curls.
She inherited the family talent for spelling, and was very fond of
displaying her accomplishments in that line; for sister Margaret was a
very self-possessed little creature, and was afraid of no one--not even
of father himself. I recollect that when the boat stopped at any small
town to take on passengers, Margaret's bright eyes would if possible
discover a shop with the sign 'Grocery;' and then, going up to some one
of her new friends, would gravely spell 'G-r-o, gro, c-e, ce, groce,
r-y, ry, grocery;' followed usually by an intimation that a reward of
merit