He had no relish for the
labors of the plough, and looked upon the occupation of his forefathers
as by no means fitted for the spirit which, with little besides, they
had left him. The warmth, excitability, and restlessness which were his
prevailing features of temper, could not bear the slow process of
tilling, and cultivating the earth--watching the growth and generations
of pigs and potatoes, and listening to that favorite music with the
staid and regular farmer, the shooting of the corn in the still nights,
as it swells with a respiring movement, distending the contracted
sheaves which enclose it. In addition to this antipathy to the pursuits
of his ancestors, Mark had a decided desire, a restless ambition,
prompting him to see, and seek, and mingle with the world. He was fond,
as our readers may have observed already, of his own eloquence, and
having worn out the patience and forfeited the attention of all auditors
at home, he was compelled, in order to the due appreciation of his
faculties, to seek for others less experienced abroad.
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