AMUSING WAGGERY.
129
him all my life. I met him a number of times in the
Prairie country ; he's a roarer." This was about the last
that I distinctly recollected before going to sleep ; and the
next morning my vigilant and wide- awake little bedfellow,
being about the room a little before me, where my name
was conspicuous on my carpet bag and writing-desk, &c.,
had from some cause or other thought it would be less
trouble and bother to wend his way amongst these " stupid
and ignorant beings " alone, than to encounter the Indians
and Mr. Catlin, and endeavour to obliterate the hasty pro-
fessions he had made ; and therefore, when I came down
and called for breakfast for two, the landlady informed me
that my companion had paid his bill and left at an early
hour. I was rather sorry for this, for he was quite an
amusing little man, and I have never heard of him since.
I found the dumpy little landlady kindly disposed, and
she gave me a very good breakfast, amusing me a great
deal with anecdotes of the party who called for " a little
bit of wet ;" she informed me they were a wedding-party,
and the man who had the lady on his arm was the bride-
groom. While waiting for my breakfast I was much amused
with some fun going on in the street before the window. It
seems that the house directly opposite had been taken by
a couple of tidy-looking young women who were sisters, and
that, having established a millinery business on the lower
floor, they had several apartments which they were anxious
to underlet in order to assist them in paying their heavy
rent. Young gentlemen are everywhere in this country
considered the most desirable lodgers, as they give less
trouble than any others, are less of the time at home, and
generally pay best. These young adventurers had been there-
fore anxious to get such a class of lodgers in their house, and
had, the day before, employed a sign-painter to paint a
conspicuous board, in bright and glaring letters, which was
put up on a post erected in the little garden in front of their
house, near the gate. The announcement ran, when the
young ladies retired to bed, " Lodgings for single gentlemen"
VOL. II.                                                                                   k