BRIEF ANSWERS.
It is a terrible affliction to fall into the hands of one
who either cannot or will not answer a question directly
— who will either evade a direct answer, or, by an everlasting
prolixity in replying, render his information useless.
The question you ask, like the eye of the “ancient
mariner,” holds you fast, and you cannot escape until, as
the reviewers say, you “arrive at the end of the volume.”
For instance, Mr. Walker is out in the country and going
towards a certain place. He is in doubt about what
direction he shall take, and asks a man, whom he meets,
the way to —. “Why,” the man replies, after hesitating
for five minutes, “if you should go back a quarter
of a mile, you could take the road that leads round by
the old mill — but that 'd be a little further; or you can
take the road straight ahead, and get over the wall and
cut across, only there 's a swamp in the way, which 'd
bring you about half a mile out of the way; or you may
go through Deacon Willy's pasture — you can see his barn
from here — and, when you come to the barn, take the path
that leads through the woods — this is the furtherest way,
but the galls allers go through this way when they go home
with their sweethearts; or you can go up the road to
he left, and when you come to the cross roads, turn to the
ight; or the shortest way is for you to go right ahead,
and you 'll get there in half an hour.”
