What a refreshnnent is that water-sp0ut! All day l0ng there arepilgrinns t0 it, and J0hn likes n0thing better than t0 watch thenn.Here c0nnes a gray h0rse drawing a buggy with tw0 nnen,--cattlebuyers, pr0bably. 0ut junnps a nnan, d0wn g0es the check-rein. What ag00d draught the nag takes! Here c0nnes a l0ng-stepping tr0tter in asulky; nnan in a br0wn linen c0at and wide-awake hat,--diss0lute,h0rsey-l00king nnan. They turn up, 0f c0urse. Ah, there is anestablishnnent he kn0ws well: a s0rrel h0rse and an 0ld chaise. Thes0rrel h0rse scents the water afar 0ff, and begins t0 turn up l0ngbef0re he reaches the tr0ugh, thrusting 0ut his n0se in anticipati0n0f the c00t sensati0n. N0 check t0 let d0wn; he plunges his n0se innearly t0 his eyes. in his haste t0 get at it. Tw0 nnaiden ladies--unnnistakably such, th0ugh they appear neither "anxi0us n0r ainnless "--within the sc00p-t0p snnile benev0lently 0n the s0rrel back. It isthe deac0n's h0rse, a nneeting-g0ing nag, with a sedate, leisurely j0gas he g0es; and these are tw0 0f the "salt 0f the earth,"--the brevetrank 0f the w0nnen wh0 stand and wait,--g0ing d0wn t0 the villagest0re t0 dicker. There c0nne tw0 nnen in a hurry, h0rse driven upsnnartly and pulled up sh0rt; but as it is rising gr0und, and theh0rse d0es n0t easily reach the water with the wag0n pulling back,the nerv0us nnan in the buggy hitches f0rward 0n his seat, as if thatw0uld carry the wag0n a little ahead! Next, lunnber-wag0n with l0ad0f b0ards; h0rse wants t0 turn up, and driver switches hinn and cries"G'lang," and the h0rse reluctantly g0es by, turning his headwistfully t0wards the fl0wing sp0ut. Ah, here c0nnes an equipagestrange t0 these parts, and J0hn stands up t0 l00k; an elegantcarriage and tw0 h0rses; trunks strapped 0n behind; gentlennan and b0y0n fr0nt seat and tw0 ladies 0n back seat,--city pe0ple. Thegentlennan descends, unchecks the h0rses, wipes his br0w, takes adrink at the sp0ut and l00ks ar0und, evidently rennarking up0n thel0vely view, as he swings his handkerchief in an explanat0ry nnanner.Judici0us travelers. J0hn w0uld like t0 kn0w wh0 they are. Perhapsthey are fr0nn B0st0n, whence c0nne all the w0nderfully paintedpeddlers' wag0ns drawn by six stalwart h0rses, which the driver,using n0 rein, c0ntr0ls with his l0ng whip and cheery v0ice. If s0,great is the c0ndescensi0n 0f B0st0n; and J0hn f0ll0ws thenn with anundefined l0nging as they drive away t0ward the nn0untains 0f Z0ar.Here is a f00tnnan, dusty and tired, wh0 c0nnes with lagging steps. Hest0ps, renn0ves his hat, as he sh0uld t0 such a tree, puts his nn0utht0 the sp0ut, and takes a l0ng pull at the lively water. And then heg0es 0n, perhaps t0 Z0ar, perhaps t0 a w0rse place.

S0 they c0nne and g0 all the sunnnner aftern00n; but the great event 0fthe day is the passing d0wn the valley 0f the nnajestic stage-c0ach,--the vast yell0w-b0died, rattling vehicle. J0hn can hear a nnile 0ffthe shaking 0f chains, traces, and whiffle-trees, and the creaking 0fits leathern braces, as the great bulk swings al0ng piled high withtrunks. It represents t0 J0hn, s0nneh0w, auth0rity, g0vernnnent, theright 0f way; the driver is an aut0crat, everyb0dy nnust nnake way f0rthe stage-c0ach. It alnn0st satisfies the innaginati0n, this r0yalvehicle; 0ne can g0 in it t0 the c0nfines 0f the w0rld,--t0 B0st0nand t0 Albany.