first eighty-two miles to Zanesville were through a pretty and hilly
country. The hills were as usual covered with woods of every hue, so
that though the scenery was inferior to what we had been passing through
for the last few days, it was still very beautiful. Zanesville, which is
a considerable town, is situated on the Muskingham river. This fine
broad stream must add considerably to the waters of the Ohio, into which
it falls soon after leaving Zanesville.

At Zanesville, after partaking of an excellent dinner, we were joined by
an intelligent woman, returning home, with her little baby of ten weeks
old, from a visit she had just been making to her mother. Her own home
is in Missouri, and her husband being the owner of a farm of 500 acres,
she was able to give us a good deal of information about the state of
agriculture in the Far West. I learnt much from her on various subjects,
and was much surprised at the quick sharp answers she gave to all my
questions. She was well dressed, something in the style of the English
lady's maid, was evidently well to do, and was travelling night and day
with her merry little baby. She possesses one slave of fourteen, for
whom she gave four hundred dollars, whom she has had from infancy; she
brings her up as her own, and this black girl is now taking care of her
other children in her absence. I asked, "What do the slaves eat?"
"Everything: corn-bread, that's the most." Papa said, "It is a great
shame making Missouri a slave state."

_Woman._ "Ah yes; keeps it back."

_Self._ "Have you good health?"--many parts being said to be unhealthy.

_Woman._ A quick nod. "First-rate."

_Self._ "Did your mother give you the hickory stick?"

_Woman._ "No: the switch:--raised me on the rod of correction."

_Self._ "Had your husband the farm before you married?"

_Woman._ "His father had 'entered it,' and he gave my husband money, and
my mother gave me money, and then we married and 'entered it'
ourselves."

All these answers came out with the utmost quickness and intelligence.
She is an Irish Roman Catholic, her mother having brought her as a baby
from Ireland, her husband is also Irish; but they are now Americans of
the Far West in their manner and singular intelligence, beating even the
clever Irish in this respect.

I said: "Do you pray much to the Virgin Mary in your part of America?"

_Woman._ "No: don't notice her much."

_Self._ "I am glad of that."

_Woman._ "We respect her