Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 4).djvu/72

 perhaps ungracious in my refusal of his proffered civilities, for he appeared hurt, and made a movement to depart, but I made my peace, and prevailed on him to give me half an hour of his company, by observing that although I was a bad fellow with respect to the bottle, I nevertheless enjoyed very much the society of the well bred and well informed, and felt myself much obliged to him for his polite attention. He proved to be a man of good theoretick information, but with little practical worldly knowledge. From a desire to appear to merit the compliment I had paid him, he was particularly studious of his language, measuring each word, and weighing every sentence before he gave it utterance;—prefacing each speech with "If I may be permitted to hazard an opinion,"—"According to my local ideas," and other set phrases to fill up the vacuum, while considering what he should next say on the subject under discussion. We talked of the country—of robberies—murders and accidents, and at last he bade me good morning; setting me down, no doubt, as a poor devil without soul, who would {49} not drink spirits. On his taking leave, "my name, Sir, said he is S it would perhaps be an unwarrantable liberty to ask yours," "Not at all, Sir, mine is ." Mrs. Fleming afterwards told me that he was one of the associate judges of the county, "a very clever and fine spoken man," but rather over fond of the universal enemy;—that he had lost considerable property, but that his wife's fortune being secured to herself, enabled him to still enjoy some of the comforts of life.

This afternoon my wagonner arrived, and went on, appointing to be in Pittsburgh on the Friday or Saturday evening of next week.

Bedford the capital of a county of the same name, is very romantically situated—being hemmed in on all sides by low mountains covered with woods except on the north,