week, at least. However, as that is impossible, at least for such a slow traveller as I am, I must even make the best of it, and visit you in imagination, if I cannot in reality. I shall probably continue here a year, at any rate till a better situation offers. I mean in point of salary, for in other respects I should not wish. a better. I have, as I told you in my last, three hundred dol. lars a year and board. I have also the privilege of taking in two or three of the neighbors' children. which will probably bring me in another hundred. I am confined about three or four hours a day, and the rest of the time I have entirely to myself. I spend it in studying law, reading and gunning. I have a horse whenever I wish to ride, and gun and ammunition, when I wish to go a hunting, which I do an hour or two almost every day. Indeed, I have everything found me I can possibly wish, and the only expense I can be at, will be for my clothing, of which I have a sufficient quantity for a long time to come, thanks to the care of a mother. They have no snow in this part of the country; of course no sleigh-riding, a thing I shall miss very much. It is already their winter here, yet a fire is seldom needed, and the roses are blooming every day in the garden. They sow green peas at Christmas, and in February the spring opens, and they go to work in the fields. For myself, however, I prefer the cold weather of the North; it is so delightful to sit by a good fire and hear the storin whistling without and beating against the windows, while all is comfortable and pleasant within. Still this is a very beautiful climate in the winter, and perhaps I shall like it even better than my own, when I become a little more accustomed to it. Cotton is the production of this part of the Union, and here they raise nothing else upon their plantations. I have seen thousands of acres of it since I came here. It is picked from the stalks by negroes, and being cleaned of the seed by machines called gins, is then packed up in bales, nearly as it comes to you. The cotton plant is about the size of your currant bushes, or perhaps a little larger, and the cotton grows in pods as large as hen's eggs. When it is ripe the pods burst open, so that a field of ripe cotton looks somewhat as if it vere covered with snow. The plantations yield from fifty to

three or four hundred bales each. I wrote to Mr. Boyd, at Cin cinnati, a month since, to forward me any letters there might be for me there. In a few days, I presume, I shall receive them, which I am very anxious to do, as I have had but one letter from any of you since I left home. I wish you to write me at least once in three weeks, and tell me all the news of your part of the world; how the children do, how they come on with their studies, how much you have raised on the farm, who among my acquaintances are getting married, how the neighbors all do; the most trifling things will all be interesting to me, now I am so far from home. I believe I told you in my last to direct your letters to Natchez, Miss. I also date mine there, though I live ten miles from the city. My love to William. and Samuel, and all the children. Remember me, also, to all the neighbors. Receive for yourself the best wishes of you: truly affectionate son,

S S. PRENTISS.

CHAPTER IV.

Letters Home while teaching in the Family of Mrs. Shields-Notice of George W Pierce-Letters from his Class-mate, Appleton-Takes Charge of an AcademyTrip into Louisiana-Anecdotes of him by one of his pupils-Is Licensed, and commences the Practice of Law in Partnership with Gen. Huston-His Appearance at this time-Anecdote of his first Speech at the Bar-Trip to Columbia Springs-His Views of Slavery.

ÆT. 19-22. 1828-1831.

то HIS MOTHER.

MY DEAR MOTHER:

NATCHEZ, February 12, 1828.

I again sit down to the pleasant task of writing to you—and, for a little while, shall almost imagine myself at home. Indeed it requires very little stretch of the imagination to carry me back amongst you; and often, when I awake in the morning, I expect to hear you calling me to breakfast-forgetting that I am two thousand miles beyond the reach of your voice.

I received, last week, a letter from you and William, dated December 24th; and was very glad that you had heard of my safe arrival here, as I knew you would be anxious about me till you did. William says you were all astonished at my letter from Louisville-you cannot have been more so than I was to find, by his letter, that you had sold the farm, and moved into the village. Though I doubt not it is for the best, still, I assure you, it made me feel disagreeably to learn that the place, where we had so long lived together, where I have so often been a-gunning and fishing, had passed into the hands of a stranger. Perhaps, one of these days, one of us will be able to repurchase it. But I doubt not, as I said before, it was much the best

thing you could do; and I am more especially glad because it will free you from so much care and trouble, and will give the children such great advantages for schooling. You must now be very pleasantly situated-that is, if you have got into your new house. I imagined it could be no other than Mr. C's, as I had heard you speak frequently of purchasing that, in case you should ever move to the village.

I am glad that William has given up the idea of going to sea; in my opinion he has acted wisely. What does Samuel turn his mind to? As for G- we were to make an admiral, or some other great character, of him; tell him to mind his book, and take care of the garden. I am glad Abby has the advantage of the seminary, for she is sufficiently old to attend some such institution. The girls ought to have all the advantages possible; we boys can easily take care of ourselves. I am very much alarmed to hear that your health is not as good as it has been. I hope you will take every possible care of it-do not be overanxious about us children.

The first quarter of my school is out to-morrow night. I go into company very little, though I have been introduced to most of the people hereabouts-I feel no inclination for society—and, besides, I cannot afford the time from my studies. I wish to get through with my profession, and settle somewhere as soon as possible. Sometimes, however, I am very lonesome, and would give a good deal, could I drop in of an evening, and find you all together.

I do not like the manner of living here, so well as I do our Northern fashion. The white people themselves differ very little, as I can perceive, from those of our own part of the country. Slavery is the great pest of this as well as all the other Southern States. It is considered disgraceful for a white man to do any kind of hand labor-and everything is done by the slaves. Of course, things are done in a very poor and slovenly manner; and, though the people here are far wealthier than they are in the North, yet I do not think they live so comfortably or so happily. The negroes themselves, however, appear to enjoy life, and are, for aught I see, as happy as their

masters. It is not often that they are treated so cruelly as we are accustomed to suppose, and in general they are better off than they would be if they were free-still it is a hard case for them at best.

I have nothing new to tell you concerning myself since I wrote last. As I shall probably continue here a year, at least, and should like to have the news from Maine, I wish you would send me the weekly Eastern Argus. If you will speak to Mr. Pierce, he will attend to it.

And now, my dear mother, as it is very late, I bid you good night, and also the children, to all of whom I send my love. Remember me, as usual, to all my friends.

I was very glad, as you may well suppose, to hear from you all again, and to know that you are well and happy. I have nothing new to tell you concerning myself, as I keep pretty close to my business-studying all the time I can spareand, of course, meet with nothing very interesting or extraordinary. I continue to be much pleased with my situation—and, indeed, do not think I could have found one in the whole State so well adapted to my views. As I told you before, I have the sole use of a very extensive and excellent law library, which I consider as good as a hundred dollars a-year at least. There is also a large library of miscellaneous books-so that I am in no want of this essential article, without which, indeed, I should hardly be able to exist. The family is a kind and amiable one; and, if I did not utterly detest the business of teaching, my situation would be quite bearable.

Mother requests the names and ages of my scholars. They are as follows:-William, who has just returned from Nashville; he is about eighteen years of age, and a fine young fellow. The