us in his arms and kissed us; and at another
time we went to Mt. Vernon and made him a visit.'

"Never were more intelligent old ladies than Mrs. Poinsett and Miss
Pinckney. The latter stepped around like a young girl, and brought a
heavy book to show me the sketch of her sister, Marie Henrietta
Pinckney, who, in the nullification time of 1830, wrote a pamphlet in
defence of the State.

"Miss Pinckney's father was the originator of the celebrated maxim,
'Millions for defence, but not one cent for tribute.' Their house was
the headquarters for the nullifiers, and they had serenades, she said,
without number.

"It was pleasant to hear the old ladies chatter away, and it was
interesting to think of the distinguished men who had been under that
roof, and of the cultivated and beautiful women who had adorned the
mansion.

"Miss Pinckney, when I left, followed me to the door, and put into my
hands an elegant little volume of poems, called 'Reliquiai.'

"They seem to be simple effusions of some person who died early.

"May 9. We left Charleston, its old houses and its good people, on
Monday, and reached Augusta the same day.

"Augusta is prettily laid out, but the place is of little interest; and
for the hotel where we stayed, I can only give this advice to its
inmates: 'Don't examine a black spot upon your pillow-case; go to sleep
at once, and keep asleep if you can.'

"When we were on the road from Augusta to Atlanta, the conductor said,
'If you are going on to Nashville, you will be on the road in the night;
people don't love to go on that road in the night. I don't know why.'

"When we came to the Nashville road, I thought that I knew 'why.' The
road runs around the base of a mountain, while directly beneath it, at a
great depth, runs a river. A dash off the track on one side would be
against the mountain, on the other side would be into the river, while
the sharp turns seem to invite such a catastrophe. When we were somewhat
wrought up to a nervous excitement, the cars would plunge into the
darkness of a tunnel--darkness such as I almost felt.

"It was a picturesque but weary ride, and we were tired and hungry when
we reached Nashville.

"May 11. To-day we have been out for a two-hours' drive. It is warm,
cloudy, and looks like a tempest; we are too tired for much effort.

"Mrs. Fogg, of Nashville, took us to call on the widow of President
Polk. We found her at home, though apparently just ready for a walk.