section of the States. Of this class, Mr. Slick is a specimen. I do
not mean to say he is not a vain man, but merely that a portion only of
that, which appears so to us, is vanity, and that the rest and by far
the greater portion too, is local or provincial peculiarity.

This explanation is due to the Americans, who have been grossly
misrepresented, and to the English, who have been egregiously deceived,
by persons attempting to delineate character, who were utterly incapable
of perceiving those minute lights and shades, without which, a portrait
becomes a contemptible daub, or at most a mere caricature.

"A droll scene that at the house o' represen_tatives_ last night," said
Mr. Slick when we next met, "warn't it? A sort o' rookery, like that
at the Shropshire Squire's, where I spent the juicy day. What a darned
cau-cau-cawin' they keep, don't they? These members are jist like the
rooks, too, fond of old houses, old woods, old trees, and old harnts.
And they are jist as proud, too, as they be. Cuss 'em, they won't visit
a new man, or new plantation. They are too aristocratic for that. They
have a circle of their own. Like the rooks, too, they are privileged to
scour over the farmers' fields all round home, and play the very devil.

"And then a fellow can't hear himself speak for 'em; divide, divide,
divide, question, question, question; cau, cau, cau, cau, cau, cau. Oh!
we must go there again. I want you to see Peel, Stanley, Graham, Shiel,
Russell, Macauley, Old Joe, and so on. These men are all upper crust
here. Fust of all, I want to hear your opinion of 'em. I take you to be
a considerable of a good judge in these matters."

"No Bunkum, Mr. Slick."

"D---- that word Bunkum! If you say that 'ere agin, I won't say another
syllable, so come now. Don't I know who you are? You know every mite,
and morsel as well as I do, that you be a considerable of a judge of
these critters, though you are nothin' but an outlandish colonist; and
are an everlastin' sight better judge, too, if you come to that, than
them that judge _you_. Cuss 'em, the state would be a nation sight
better sarved, if one o' these old rooks was sent out to try trover for
a goose, and larceny for an old hat, to Nova Scotia, and you was sent
for to take the ribbons o' the state coach here; hang me if it wouldn't.
You know that, and feel your oats, too, as well as any one. So don't be
so infarnal mealy-mouthed, with your mock modesty face, a turnin' up