“It was commonly my practice to walk in the afternoons of summer, and the opportunities for pleasant walking were like those of riding, very good and tempting. Litchfield, like many New England towns, was built chiefly on two main streets, one going north and south, and the other east and west, and the whole on a hill or ridge, with Bantam river running on the east and another stream on the west. North and South Street was more than a mile in length, shaded nearly its whole length by those lofty and broad spreading elms for which some of the towns of Connecticut was noted. In the warm days of summer, and in these beautiful and cloudless sunsets, like the day in which I had first seen it, most of the young people would be on the streets, and among them those of the students who, like myself, were lovers of beauty and of scenery. Owing to my introduction to society, which is always a great benefit to young men of any sense, I was soon acquainted with the best families and my afternoon walks, as well as my evening visits, often led me among those distinguished in beauty, grace and position. One of my temptations to an afternoon walk was to meet the girls, who, like ourselves, were often seen taking their daily walk. Among these, were the Wolcotts, the Demings, the Tallmadges, the Landons and Miss Peck, who afterwards became my wife.... [Illustration: PL. IX.—LUCY SHELDON (MRS. THERON BEACH) From a miniature by Dickinson ] “There were more than fifty law students boarding in Litchfield, many of them of wealthy families, and many of them from the South. Of course, there must be some amusement, and often the midnight air resounded with the songs of midnight rioters, and sometimes stories were circulated to the students’ disadvantage. After hearing some remarks on the ‘fast’ students, I met Dr. Sheldon walking, and said to him: ‘Doctor, they say we are the worst students ever were in Litchfield.’ ‘Pooh! pooh!’ said the doctor, ‘they are not half as bad as they were in my day.’ So I was comforted with the idea that we were not casting shame on those venerable Puritans who had condescended to become our ancestors. Be this as it may, I greatly enjoyed those evening sleigh rides, and those country suppers, when we would ride off to Goshen, or Harwinton, or other village, and order our turkey and oysters, served up with pickles and cake, and then set Black Cæsar to play jigs on a cracked fiddle. But the grand occasions were something beyond this, when we got sleighs with fine horses, and buffalo robes, and foot-stoves, and invited the belles of Litchfield, who never hesitated to go, and set off to the distant village to have a supper and dance. I seldom danced, and some of the girls did not, but there were always some who did, and we had jolly times. So passed my days in Litchfield, doing a great deal of good work in study,