ng I had ever seen. After above an hour's most pitiless pelting,
we found ourselves suddenly before a small log-house, in front of
which, swinging between two upright posts, a cross-bar connecting them
at the top, depended a sign, on which was described, in large
characters, for the information of all way-worn or thirsty-travellers,
"that good liquor, good beds, and good accommodations, both for man and
horse, could be had from the proprietor, Thomas Turner Orton."

Although from the outward appearance of the premises we did not expect
the best accommodation, we thought anything better than being exposed
longer to the fury of the storm, so giving our horse and waggon to the
charge of the ostler, we entered Mr. Orton's tavern, and demanded to be
shown into a private room, which request we found it was out of the
power of mine host to comply with, seeing he had only one apartment,
which answered the treble purpose of parlour, kitchen, and bar-room.
Besides this general apartment there were two small bedrooms on the
ground-floor. Luckily for us, a good fire blazed on the ample hearth,
its only occupant, in the shape of a guest, being a gentleman from Port
Hope, who, like ourselves, had just taken refuge from the storm.

While our clothes were being dried, our hostess prepared dinner, which
consisted of a boiled chicken, eggs, and fried ham, which we found
excellent, and, as a preventive against catching cold, after the
soaking we had got, I ordered some whiskey-punch, which I have always
found very efficacious on such occasions. Some people recommend tea
made from the boughs of the hemlock-pine, which, I dare say, is
excellent for some constitutions; but it never agreed half so well with
mine as the former antidote, which I can conscientiously recommend but,
like all other medicines, an over-dose may do more harm than good.

Our host, who appeared to make himself quite at home in his own house,
joined in the conversation, and being very communicative about his own
affairs, wanted us to be equally so about ours. His eccentricity
greatly amused us. He informed me that he was by birth a Yorkshireman,
and that he had been in business in London, where he had built some
fine "place" or "terrace," which still bore his name. He spouted Latin
occasionally, and showed me a Greek lexicon, which he told me was his
constant companion. His real stock of Latin and Greek consisted only of
a few words and sentences he had picked up, and w