"Ay, ay, I always have heard tell," said the jailer, shaking his head inpity, "it's an awfu' place, an awfu' place,--the United States. Isuppose it's the wickedest country that ever was in the world. Idon't know,--I don't know what is to become of it. It's much worse thanSodom. There was that dreadful war on the South; and I hear now it'svery unsafe, full of murders and robberies and corruption."

I did not attempt to correct this impression concerning my nativeland, for I saw it was a comfort to the simple jailer, but I tried toput a thorn into him by saying,