ime once a week to New Bedford.

Though not "so terrible old" as I might be, I recollect when a journey
from Boston to Providence, a distance _then_ of forty-five miles,
occupied three days: namely, the traveller, leaving Boston in the
morning, arrived at Deadham about sunset, and "put up" at the "Gay
tavern," or the "Widow Woodward's;" the second _hitch_ carried him to
Attleborough; and the third evening saw him snugly seated in the
bar-room of the "Old Coffee House," Providence. But a journey to New
York, as it was generally supposed that the traveller must "go down to
the sea in ships" part of the way, that is, through Long Island Sound in
a sloop, was one of the most momentous events of a long life. The
traveller "concluded" upon it in the fall, occupied the entire winter
and the months of March and April in collecting his dues, paying his
debts, setting his house in order, and making his will, before the
weather was settled.

Two Sundays before starting, a note was "put up" in his parish
meeting-house, "desiring prayers," and early on Monday morning, to be
sure of reaching Providence before the next Sabbath, he took a weeping
farewell of his wife and family, and turned his horse's head towards the
"neck," and his bereaved household betook them to their chambers,
"sorrowing as those that had no hope" of seeing him again.

Morton's messenger, spurred on by the hopes of high pay, made such
diligence that he actually arrived at Taunton the first night, the
selectmen of which fair town were so indignant at what they conceived
barbarous and unparalleled hard driving, that they talked of prosecuting
the man; but it appearing from the report of a court of inquiry of
ostlers that the horse did not seem distressed by his day's work, but
had fallen to work upon his oats and hay, they "withdrew their motion."

Old Mr. Morton received the news of his son's arrival with the greatest
joy. He sat out the next day in his own carriage, drawn by two noble bay
horses, and arrived without "let or hindrance" in Boston. He expected to
find Isabella a girl possessed of some considerable beauty, just
sufficient to captivate a seaman who for months had seen no women more
attractive than the squaws of the North-West Coast or South Sea
Islands; and sailors, under such circumstances, are exceedingly
susceptible, _me ipso testi_; he had made up his mind, too, that she
could be no other than ignorant and ill-bred withal. When, then, her
exqu