American Life / A Narrative of Two Years' City and Country Residence in the United States

by Mrs. Felton

It is necessary here to explain that in some townships in New England, a law is very properly enacted, against all Sunday travelling, except for the purpose of going to, and returning from a place of worship; any violation of which is visited with a fine of ten dollars.

A few Sundays ago, this Brom Bones accompanied with his negro in a very light wagon[C] drawn by an excellent horse, was out on a spree; and his road lying close by a church, he determined to push forwards in defiance of the law, and hazard the consequences; concluding that as the service had commenced, he should meet with no interruption. As he dashed past the church, he saw the horses belonging to the members of the congregation, tied up under a row of high trees, as is usual on such occasions in the summer; but to his dismay, he also saw the deacon, bustling through the church-yard to mount his poney, as he guessed, to give him chase.

Now, as one half of the fine goes to the informer, and as it is represented with too much truth, alas, that these same deacons are ‘given to filthy lucre,’ look to thyself Brom Bones. Away went Bones, and away went the deacon; the one impelled by the fear of losing ten dollars, and the other stimulated with the hope of gaining five. Nor was the chase without spectators; for a portion of the juveniles guessing at what was up, from the sound of the wheels, and the sudden absence of the deacon, slipped out to view the sport, from the hill on which the church stood.

Bones’s confidence in his horse began to fail, as he perceived the deacon gaining ground, and, like the beaver in the fable, he judged it the best policy to relinquish a part, in order to save the whole. He hastily gave a silver dollar to his negro, directing him to display it fully in the eyes of the deacon, and then deliberately to let it fall on the road. The negro obeyed; and the stratagem for that time had the desired effect. The deacon dismounted—for what deacon that keeps a store, would be so improvident as to ride over a dollar? While his pursuer was securing the coin, Bones exerted all his energies to escape from his clutches. But the deacon was quickly mounted, and again in the field.

The negro hinted to his master that the deacon’s poney was ‘blowed,’ and that another dollar would save the ten. Bones thought the experiment worth trying, and furnished the black with the cash. Carefully did blackey turn it in the sun, to ensure its being seen distinctly; for he knew the race depended upon this point, as the deacon was just upon his haunches. He dropped it, and the deacon alighted, gathered it up, and speedily re-mounted. Five miles had now been ridden over with the utmost speed, and both horses showed symptoms of distress—now hope prevailed, and now fear, in the breasts of the contending parties. At length a ‘pretty considerable’ slough at a turn in the road suddenly appeared to the horror of poor Bones, and closed the chase in favour of the deacon. Bones’s horse and wagon were seized as security for the fine; and his spiritual pursuer kept the two dollars as a remuneration for his exertions.

I cannot say I admire these incidents; I must therefore plead their decided marks of national character as an apology for their insertion. The latter in particular, will illustrate the indecorous manner in which sacred and pecuniary matters are here associated, more effectually than if volumes of sentiment were written on the subject.

Albany is the second city in the state of New York, it contains, I suppose, about 2500 inhabitants, a very large portion of which are Dutch; here are to be seen the oldest buildings in the United States.

In order to see as much of the country as possible, we landed on our return from Albany, at a small town a little below west point, and about fifty miles above New York; having decided upon proceeding through the country towns by whatever conveyance we could obtain. This may appear a wild-goose scheme, but I think of it with much pleasure, as, in addition to the beauties of the scenery, which were passing lovely, we had an opportunity of seeing the villages and their inhabitants in their unadorned simplicity. We were fully gratified, for the enjoyment more than compensated for the inconvenience.

The place and neighbourhood where we landed, on the west bank of the Hudson, consists of several thousand acres almost exclusively occupied by families of Dutch extraction. They speak both Dutch and English fluently, are a simple hearted class of beings, read their bibles, and most cordially hate the Yankees.

I ought to have before explained this term, “Yankee”. It is applied by all the Americans to the inhabitants of the five New England States, viz. Vermont, Massachusets, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. These same Yankees are reported by their southern neighbours as being remarkable for inquisitiveness and roguishness; and many of them acknowledge this equivocal species of compliment, and admit its justice with complacency.—While here, we were told a farm had recently been purchased in the neighbourhood by a Yankee, and that the Dutchmen had submitted to some pecuniary sacrifice, in order to re-purchase it. I asked the reason, and received this answer, “We were frightened at him.”