is so delightful," said Mr. Weston, "that we had better take
our ride to the Congress burial ground. Your time is short, young ladies;
you cannot afford to lose any of it, if all your plans are to be carried
out."

The ladies gladly agreed to go, and were not long in their preparation.
Mark was a perfect prince of a driver. When the ladies had occasion to go
into the country, he entreated them to hire a carriage, but he was always
ready to display his handsome equipage and horses in the city, especially
on the Avenue.

He drove slowly this afternoon, and Mrs. Weston remembered, as she
approached Harper's, that she had one or two purchases to make. Fearing it
might be late on their return, she proposed getting out for a few moments.

A stream of gayly-dressed people crowded the pavements. The exquisite
weather had drawn them out. Belles with their ringlets and sun-shades, and
beaux with canes and curled moustaches. Irish women in tawdry finery, and
_ladies_ of color with every variety of ornament, and ridiculous imitation
of fashion. Now and then a respectable-looking negro would pass, turning
out of the way, instead of jostling along.

"Truly," said Mr. Weston, "Pennsylvania Avenue is the great bazaar of
America. Here are senators and members--three and four walking arm in arm.
Here are gay young men, dressed in the latest style; here is the army and
navy button; old people and young children with their nurses; foreigners
and natives; people of every shade and hue. There is our President, walking
unattended, as a republican president should walk. And see! there are a
number of Indians, noble-looking men, and a white boy throwing a stone at
them. I wish I had the young rascal. On our right, in their carriages, are
the wives and children of the rich; while, scattered about, right and left,
are the representatives of the poor. But what is this, coming along the
side-walk?"

The girls put their heads out of the window, and saw a colored man,
sauntering along in an impudent, dont-carish manner. His dress--indeed his
whole appearance--was absurd. He wore a stylish, shiny black hat; the rim
slightly turned up in front, following the direction of the wearer's nose,
which had "set its affections on things above." His whiskers were immense;
so were his moustaches, and that other hairy trimming which it is the
fashion to wear about the jaws and chin; and for which I know no better
name than that which the children give--goate