winter's scene as sleigh after sleigh dashed into
the tavern barn or shed and the stiffened driver, after "putting up" his
steed, walked quickly to the bar-room, where sat the host behind his
cage-like counter, where ranged the inspiring barrels of old Medford or
Jamaica rum and hard cider, and

"Where dozed a fire of beechen logs that bred
Strange fancies in its embers golden-red,
And nursed the loggerhead, whose hissing dip,
Timed by nice instinct, creamed the bowl of flip."

Many a rough joke was laughed at, many a story told ere the tired circle
slept around the fire; but four o'clock saw them all bestirring, making
a fresh start on their city-ward journey.

In town the traveller was busy enough; he not only had his farm products
to sell, but since he sometimes got the enormous sum of fifty dollars
for his sleigh load, and it was estimated that two dollars was a liberal
allowance for a week's travelling expenses, he had much to spend and
many purchases to make--spices and raisins for the home table,
fish-hooks and powder and shot, pewter plates, or a few pieces of
English crockery, a calico gown or two, a shawl, or a scarf, or a beaver
hat; and thus brought to dreary New England farms their sole taste of
town life in winter.

For many years travel, especially to New York and other seaport towns,
was largely by water, on sloop or pink or snow; and many stories of the
discomforts of such trips have come down to us.

The first passenger steamboat which ran between New York and Providence
made its trial trip in 1822. The boats made the passage from town to
town in twenty-three hours, which was monstrous fast time. On one of the
first trips the boat lay by near Point Judith to repair a slight damage
to machinery, and all the simple country-folk who came down to the shore
expecting to find a wreck, were amazed to see the boat--apparently
burning up--go quickly sliding away without sails over the water until
out of sight. Many whispered that the devil had a hand in it, and
perhaps was on board in person. The new means of conveyance proved at
once to be the favored one for all genteel persons wishing to travel
between Boston and New York. The forty-mile journey between Boston and
Providence was made in fine stage-coaches, which were always crowded.
Often eighteen or twenty full coach-loads were carried each way each
day. The editor of the _Providence Gazette_ wrote at that time: "We were
rattled fro