hosier, and even baker, were all united. I have since then seen something like them in the stores kept by our merchants in the colonies, but I should think little trace is left any where of the primitiveness with which the inhabitants of South Wales used to shut up their shops and houses, and write outside the shutters, "Gone to Bristol fair;" every one understanding, from this intimation, that the owners had proceeded thither to pay their bills, and lay in a fresh stock of goods, and respecting the property thus, as it were, left to their honour.

The shop of which I have above spoken was kept by the widow of a clergyman, and I was much struck with the contrast presented to this mode of supporting her family by her tall and handsome person and lady-like manners. She invited me to take dinner with her, and, as the inn at which we had stopped was any thing but inviting in appearance, I gladly accepted the kindness, and was shown into a well and even prettily-furnished parlour, where a meal awaited me, which, from its cleanliness and excellence, might have tempted an epicure. I felt myself in the presence of well-bred persons, and was somewhat surprised when the handsome daughter equipped herself for going out in the national round hat of the country, which I imagined was only worn by the mere peasantry, as may be seen in the annexed engraving, although she had not adopted the check-apron and mob cap,

both which are becoming every day much less frequent.

The next station of importance which we gained was Neath, situated in that exquisite valley, which has of late years been infringed upon by the works of man, but which, at that time, presented every perfection which such scenery can yield. As we were taking tea at the inn, a client of Mr. Annesley's came to request us to sup at his house; but as we refused he suddenly left us, and in a few minutes returned with his smart, little wife, who came to add her entreaties to his, and assured me that she understood the rules of etiquette by making the first call. Thus urged, we dared no longer refuse, and, just as we were feeling thankful that the plentiful meal provided for us was past, we received the most pressing invitation to breakfast next morning resistance was in vain, so at eight o'clock we repaired to a board, loaded in a manner which could be only rivalled in Scotland. Our abstemiousness, as it was called, was really distressing to our entertainers, and they insisted on our staying to dinner; it was of no use to say that we must be off early; the dinner-hour was gradually hastened for our accommodation, till it reached twelve o'clock, and we could only resign ourselves to our fate.

Scarcely giving us time to say no, the lady slipped out of the room, but returned in a few minutes

with a triumphant look, and said, "I have spoken to cook, and she says dinner shall be on the table exactly at twelve. Now, what can I show to you?" The fine old ruins of the Abbey had excited my attention, and we accordingly went to inspect them. I secretly envied her her agility, and thought to what a strange capacity for food people might bring themselves by habit. As she skipped over the mouldering fragments, she related to me the whole history of her life, and I could not but be amused, and even pleased, at the innocent freedom with which she related the perplexity which attended her courtship and marriage, the opposition of her guardians, &c.; but I was not quite so well pleased when, taking a circuitous route homeward, she brought me through the town, and paraded me to as many of her acquaintances as she could meet with. The survey of my riding-dress was taken by all the ladies, and considerable surprise was expressed that a London lady should be able to ride on horseback.

At twelve precisely, we returned to the house, and, sure enough, there was the dinner. I had just begun to breathe; and my distress may be imagined, when I saw a goose and a meat-pie smoking on the board; these were followed by a pudding. Vain were all my protestations and imploring looks at Mr. Annesley; they excited his mirth, but he was obliged to submit to the same

stuffing, and could not help me.

At length, we rose to depart, when my kind and well-intentioned hostess accompanied me to the inn to see the last of me.

All we could do was to proceed slowly to Swansea, while I inwardly vowed to myself never again to encounter the like trial.

At Swansea, we reposed from the fatigue of eating, not travelling. We here found our trunk, and letters containing many doubts and apprehensions concerning my success, all which I was able to defy. On the ensuing day, we dined with some old friends of Mr. Annesley's, and again entered into polished society. In order to take as little room as possible, I had packed up the thinnest dress I possessed; and when the matron of the family surveyed me in a dress of India muslin, and silk slippers, no thicker than brown paper, upon my feet, she began to think that I was little accustomed to the rough mode of travelling which I had adopted, and spent the greater part of the evening in trying to dissuade me from going any further. She even requested me to stay at her house, while my husband went on, and wait there till one of her sons could escort me home.

Although grateful for the interest taken in me, I was not to be alarmed or influenced, and I gave her a further proof of my obstinacy, by accompanying Mr. Annesley along the towing-path of the

Swansea canal to Ystragwnlais, where her eldest son superintended some important iron-works: her youngest son was of our party, and, although it poured with rain, we sallied forth the next morning in high spirits. Proud of our horses, we tried to distance each other, and as our friend was mounted on a pony, we soon left him behind. This was by no means a prudent action, for the path was very narrow, extremely slippery, and the bridges under which we passed so low, that we were obliged to lay our heads on our horses' necks, as we dashed through, to avoid a concussion.

Mr. Annesley was first; and on the further side of one of these bridges, some baskets were piled up in a grotesque form, which caused his horse to shy, prance backwards, and eventually to fall into the canal, his four feet in the air. For a minute, he and his rider disappeared, and then rose to the surface separately. Coated up as he was, to keep out the rain, Mr. Annesley lost the power of swimming, and I was in the act of dismounting, in order to afford him assistance, when our friend came up. To entreat me to sit still, to jump off his pony and to place the bridle in my hands, was the work of a moment, and in another, Mr. Annesley was rescued from his perilous situation. The horse clambered out of himself, and, shivering from cold and terror, awaited his master. To secure the hat was a much more difficult task, and the laughs which attended