ous title, to which she imagined that she had a
right, sent back his letter open to the post-office, with an
intimation to the postmaster that letters so improperly addressed
would not be received.

I have always perceived that a fuss about family and noble
connections betrays either that the fuss-maker is naturally a vulgar
soul, or that it is deemed necessary, from an excess of weakness, to
support a position of an equivocal nature. A gentleman never derogates
from his true position, let him be placed in whatever circumstances he
may; and an over-fastidious traveller, or a pretender to great
importance in a new country, is the most foolish of all foolish folks.

I remember travelling once in the wild Bush with a person, who, from
long-established military habits of command, thought that he could
order everything as he liked. We were benighted at a farm-house, where
the old lady proprietress eked out her livelihood by receiving casual
visitors, but disdained the thought of "keeping tavern," as it is
called, in the backwoods of Canada West. He ordered, rather
peremptorily, supper and beds for two--it would have been better that
he had ordered pistols and coffee for the same number, for then the
dame would have looked upon him as simply mad. No notice whatever was
taken of his demands, but I saw her choler rising; fortunately, I knew
her character. We were many miles from any habitation: and the horses
jaded out as well as ourselves; so I took no notice either; but,
observing the dame take her seat in the old-fashioned ample chimney, I
took another opposite to her, and, observing her commence lighting her
pipe, asked her for one, and we puffed out volumes of smoke--those
were my smoking days--for a long time at each other in perfect
silence. At last, I broke the ice.

"Mrs. Craig, your tobacco is bad; next time I come by, I will bring
you some excellent."--A gracious nod!--We smoked on, and every now and
then she condescended to speak upon indifferent subjects. At last, she
got up and went into another room. I followed her; for I saw she
wanted to speak to me without my friend.--"Who is that man?" quoth the
dame.--"Colonel So and so," responded I.--"I don't care whether he be
a colonel or a general; all I can say is, that he has got no manners;
and the devil a supper or a bed shall he get here!"--"Oh, my good
lady," said I, "he is not used to travel in the Bush, and is a
stranger, and not over-young, as you see; besid