I was at one period of my life much devoted to the young lady-population of Rhode Island, a small, but delightful State in the neighborhood of Pawtucket.

The number of inhabitants being not very large, I had leisure, during my visits to the Providence Plantations, to inspect the face of the country in the intervals of more fascinating studies of physiognomy.

I heard some talk of a great elm a short distance from the locality just mentioned.

"Let us see the great elm,"-- I said, and proceeded to find it,--knowing that it was on a certain farm in a place called Johnston, if I remember rightly.

I shall never forget my ride and my introduction to the great Johnston elm.
I always tremble for a celebrated tree when I approach it for the first time.