rned from him, that the church
was a collegiate charge, that it had been burned down about forty years
ago, that the people, though poor, were contented, and that he himself
was but the successor of his father, who had been postmaster before
him. We then began to converse about the late war, upon which he
informed me, that Napoleon, on his retreat from Moscow, had passed
through Gabel, and breakfasted at the post-house; that fifteen or
twenty thousand men occupied the town some time; but that, though there
had been some skirmishes and frequent alarms, no battle was fought in
the neighbourhood. Finally, he undertook to correct my route, which I
showed him; mentioned one or two places as deserving of notice, which
were omitted from it; and promised to accompany us some way on the road
to Oybin, the point which he advised us to visit on the morrow.

It was now getting late, and our supper and usual allowance,--a bottle
of light wine between us,--being finished, my companion and I rose to
wish our friends good night. Numerous hints were on this thrown out,
that it was yet early, and that we should be disturbed by the bands of
music, one of which was playing at the inn door, another in a
gentleman's house hard by; but we would not attend to them. Having
strolled through the street once or twice in order to free our lungs,
in some measure, from an atmosphere of tobacco, we retired to our
apartment, where, in clean and comfortable beds, we slept soundly, till
five o'clock next morning.

Something had passed over-night between the postmaster and myself which
left an impression on my mind that he had urged us to stay and spend
this day with him; so, having finished breakfast by seven o'clock, we
left our knapsacks, packed and ready, and strolled down to the
post-house. My imagination had, however, run wild, for no such
agreement existed; so, after getting a few hints as to distances,
roads, and places of call, we returned to the inn. Here, in the
tap-room, were assembled host, hostess, and maid, all of them
unaffectedly grieving at our threatened departure, and all ready with
cogent arguments, such as might tempt us to halt at least one day
longer among them. Nor were these without their effect. Mine host
happening to inquire into the uses of the instrument which, enveloped
in a brown linen case, I carried in my hand, I told him, and he
instantly assured me of as good a day's fishing as old Isaac Walton
himself need desire. Th