es him more pleasure than
to relate it. Let him speak for himself."

We quickened our pace, and soon overtook him. He was a man, to all
appearance, above sixty years of age; his hair was white as snow, with a
shade of care at times upon his regular features, that flitted off, and
was succeeded by a gleam of internal satisfaction. The smoothness of his
brow, and the fulness of his features, bore an unusual contrast to the
whiteness of his locks, the appearance of age and youth being strangely
combined, while his whole appearance was winning in the extreme. When we
came up to him, Bill said--

"Simon, I am happy to have met you; how come you on?"

"Far beyond my deserts," said he. "How are you? and how did you leave my
worthy friend the widow?"

"In good health," said Bill; "I thank you. I have been just talking of
you to my friend Square here, who would feel obliged were you to give
him an outline of your strange history, as we walk on to York."

"Certainly, Bill, certainly; it may be of use to him. He is a new
beginner in his present craft, as I was when the events happened that I
am going to relate.

"The changes that occur both in nations and families," said Simon, "are
soon felt by the individuals. Lawsuits and bad management had reduced
the once extensive patrimony of our family to a small farm. At my
grandfather's death, my father, who had married, as his father thought,
far beneath him, had three sons. My oldest brother, before he succeeded,
went to Holland, having got a commission in the Scottish brigade; the
second attended the farm, at which I assisted until I was about
eighteen. I grew weary of farming, and resolved to become a merchant. I
was induced to this by the success of several who had left our
neighbourhood, done well after a few years' travel as packmen, and were
then settled in various towns, and prosperous. It was in the beginning
of May, as soon as the weather became settled, that I left the
neighbourhood of Annan, with a few pounds, on my way to Dumfries, and
thence to Edinburgh; my object being to furnish my pack. I had a
relation of my mother's, a wholesale merchant, in the first town, who
had promised to do all in his power for me, as far as advice and a few
articles would go. Cheerful and full of hope, I strode along, till,
within about two miles from Dumfries, I overtook a young and interesting
female, accompanied by a young man. We entered into conversation as we
walked along. She app