The Continental Monthly, Volume V. Issue I | Page 8

mother country. American
painters are worthily illustrating American life and landscape;
American poets, and no less poetical prose writers, are singing the
forests, skies, flowers, and birds of their native land; and the inquisitive
traveller should surely not fail to add his humbler mite in the way of
discovery and description. The following sketches are founded upon
actual observation, and the delineations of scenery and manners therein
contained are strictly in accordance with the personal experience of the
author.
I.--A SUMMER EXCURSION.
'All very well,' said Aunt Sarah; 'I have no doubt the excursion would
be charming; but who will accompany you?'
'We do not require an escort; we can take care of each other,'
'Can it be that you, Lucy, a staid married woman of thirty-six, and you,
Elsie, a demure young girl of twenty, are suddenly about to enter the
ranks of the strong minded?'
'Why, dear aunt,' said Lucy D----, 'you would not have us weak minded,
would you? I think I heard you say no longer ago than yesterday that
half the domestic miseries in this world were due to the weak nerves
and feeble intellects of poorly educated women.'

'True; but the technical expression, 'strong minded,' does not mean
strong in mind--rather the contrary.'
'In other words, strong minded means weak minded, is that it, auntie?'
laughed Elsie.
'I see, Aunt Sarah,' said Lucy, 'we shall be forced to call upon you for
that most difficult of tasks, a definition. What is meant by the term,
'strong-minded woman'?'
'A monster,' replied Mrs. Sarah Grundy, 'who lectures, speaks in public,
wants women to vote, to wear men's garments; in a word, one who
would like to upset religion, social life, and the world in general.'
'Well,' dear auntie, 'we surely do not purpose committing any of these
enormities; our intentions simply embrace a short excursion of some
forty miles in search of fine scenery, health, and a little amusement. We
have no confidence in our power to influence the public, even if we
thought we had aught to say which they do not already know; we do
not see that voting has a very beneficial effect upon men, witness
election days; as for their garments, they are too hideously ungraceful
for us to covet; in faith, we are of the most orthodox; we confess, we do
think social life needs sundry reforms, more charity and forbearance,
less detraction and ostentation, etc., etc.; and as for the world in general,
we think it very beautiful, and only wish to overlook some few
additional miles of its lovely mountains, lakes, and streams.'
'Well, well, girls, young people always can talk faster than old ones;
but do you really think it safe for you to venture without escort? You
do not even know the name of the place which you wish to visit; you
have been informed that on the summit of yonder mountain is a lake,
said to be picturesque; but of its cognomen, and of the proper means to
reach it, you are utterly ignorant. You will have to ask questions of all
sorts of people.'
'Suppose we do--being women, we will certainly in America receive
civil answers.'

'But if some person unknown to you should speak to you?'
'Little danger, dear aunt, of dread unknowns, if we comport ourselves
properly; I have travelled much in all kinds of public conveyances, and
never yet have been improperly addressed. Did you ever have an
adventure of the sort'?
'Once only,' replied Aunt Sarah, 'and then the fault was my own. I was
young and giddy; Cousin Nancy was with me, and we were in a rail-car.
In a near seat sat a very good-looking young man; Nancy looked
toward him once or twice and, meeting his eye, began to giggle: I
foolishly joined her; thus encouraged, our young gentleman opened a
conversation. Nancy laughed immoderately; but I, being a few years
older, soon controlled my silly giggling; and by the tone of my reply
speedily silenced our would-be admirer. He turned his back upon us,
and, so far as I know, in less than five minutes had forgotten our very
existence.'
'Decidedly a case in our favor! And if the boat should blow up, or the
car roll down an embankment, in what would we be benefited by the
fact of having an escort also to be scalded or have his head broken?'
'Ye maun even then gang your ain gait. I wish you a pleasant journey
and a safe return.'
'Thank you, auntie, and you will not call us strong minded?'
'Certainly not, unless I find you merit the appellation.'
The little trunk was soon packed, and one fine July morning the two
travellers set off in search of the beautiful lake, whose name is not to be
found