CHAPTER XXII. Mineral Springs.-Lewisburg.-Language.-Periodical Press. -Stage Passengers.-Charleston Salt-Works.-Guyandott.Cholera. Orthography and Orthoepy.-School Prejudices.— National Fallacies.-Kentucky.-Usury Laws.-Lexington.Inquisitive Traveller.-Lunatic Asylum.-Colored Preacher. -Stage Regulations.-Slave System.-Planter convert to Abolition. Character of Kentuckians.-Frankfort.-Louisville. I ABOUT thirty miles from Fincastle, the stage stopped to dinner at the Sweet Springs; a place much frequented by invalids in the summer. At this time there were none. The landlord could give me no account of the water, except that it was used as a tonic. It had never been analyzed, he said, though its medicinal qualities had long been known. tasted it, and found the flavor agreeable, differing but slightly from that of good water. The well is eight or ten feet in depth. The water contains a great deal of gas, of which large bubbles are constantly rising to the surface. A quarter of a mile beyond, we passed another spring, not covered in or protected in any way. From the red ferruginous VOL. II. Р appearance on the surface and the sides, it seemed to be more of a chalybeate than the other. The latter is used as a bath also. The house, which is well situated, is about twelve miles from the top of. the Alleghany. Fifteen miles further, we came to the Sulphur Springs. There were a few visitors here. Upwards of 300 might be accommodated. There is no hotel or tavern, but a building where the meals are taken. The company reside in small houses, called cabins. The proprietor of this establishment has shewn no little ingenuity in promoting social intercourse among his guests; for the wretched dog-holes he has provided for them are such, that they must necessarily seek the common room, to get out of their own. On leaving the springs, we were much incommoded by the dust, which a man in a gig before us purposely raised in our faces. If we slackened our pace, he drew in; if we pushed on, he flogged his horse. This lasted for a considerable time-till we arrived at the Greenbrier river, where there is a handsome covered bridge of wood. Here he stopped, to water his horse. I took the opportunity of requesting he would have the goodness either "to go a-head," or let us pass him. He offered the latter, but I begged he would take the lead; though, I added, we shall probably go faster than yourself. "I doubt it," was his reply,-shewing at once that he might have spared us the annoyance, though he had just denied that it was intentional. He then walked his horse through the right archway, in strict accordance with the directions stuck up on the bridge, vanished on the other side, and we saw him no more. On alighting from the stage at Lewisburg, the master of the hotel where we stopped desired the waiter to shew me into a quiet comfortable room. I was ushered into a small chamber, containing six or seven beds, (I had some difficulty in counting them,) all likely to be fully occupied; for I was at the same time informed that there was a smart chance" of travellers on the road. As I prefer making stagecoach acquaintances by day, I contrived, with a little coaxing, to get a bed-room to myself. At this place, I was again complimented on my language; though it was far from being Americanproof. It is no such easy matter, indeed, to get rid of the prejudices of early education. It seems unjust that "rotatory" should be deprived of a whole syllable to enrich "preventive"; while "representative" remains untouched: "plenty "* has work * Most of the peculiarities adverted to (not, I trust it will be believed, with any ill-natured motive) are common to America and England; with this difference, that no one in the latter country is likely to boast of an accomplishment which he does not possess, and which, in both countries, is as easy to a well enough in all conscience, as a substantive, without doing duty as an adjective; and to "learn", most of us have good reason to know, is the business of the pupil, and not of the master. An English ear does not recognise afterwards as an anapæst; and frets like a heretic, though orthodoxy itself pronounce levee an iambus. It may be very convenient to talk of your "right", when you are under an obligation; and many a man's opinion is "contemptible" when he means it to be "contemptuous.” For my part, I am contented with deposit and euphonous; as I cannot see what claim the former can have to another letter, or the latter to another syllable. The recollections of boyhood make me cherish the quantity of my Latin as its stock diminishes. If I were to talk of abdomen or umbilicus, I should fancy I heard my old master bawling out-" booby! the word is as long as my arm "; and giving me, at the same time, the length of the latter as a measure. I may be in error: but I can plead that I was born on the wrong side of the Atlantic; that my judge is at once plaintiff, counsel, and witness; and that I am not to be tried by a jury de medietate linguæ. The Americans seem to think that the omission of the aspirate in pronunciation is a national custom in England. If it were so, instead of being confined educated man, as agility to a well-trained runner, or gracefulness to an opera-dancer. to those whose education has been defective, it might be defended, on the same plea which is offered in favor of their own practice. Why should usage be allowed to deprive "herb" and "humble" of the rights they enjoy with us, while the same privilege is denied it when applied on a large scale? The difference is in degree only; and those who have adopted the same pronunciation that, in other instances, characterises the class alluded to, should be the last to ridicule a practice, which, however limited, equally distinguishes them from what are called the refined portion of English society? These peculiarities are said to have prevailed during the era of Swift and Addison. Be it so that is no reason why we should change our modes and manners, in deference to times with which we have little in common, and which are not to be considered as a standard for us, because they are so for another nation. Our mechanics and tradesmen might as well maintain that they merely imitate their ancestors, when they affix or discard the aspirate, and when they change w into v. Arguments, no doubt, could be found in support of the position. It may be said, for example, that the word "topsy-turvy ", which is well known to be a corruption of top-sidet'other-way, proves that the w was formerly pronounced as v now is. When our friends over the water laugh at the cockneys for confounding these letters, they forget that they themselves are ob |