_Washington, Sunday, 5th_
I was obliged to leave off yesterday, and now proceed to take up the
tale begun in the train to Chicago. I was telling you about our arrival
at Winnipeg, &c. We returned to our car after dinner and found
ourselves, during our first sleep, shunted off to a repairing shed, and
presently I heard what seemed a shower of stones thrown all over the
car. I could look out of a window sitting up in my bed, and on doing so,
I saw two men violently throwing water over it from a hose, and some of
it came into my bed, upon which I showed my lovely countenance with
dishevelled hair and indignant expression, and called out: "Are you
going to drown me in my bed?" and then I heard a man say--"La! there is
a young lady at the window! don't disturb her!" however, just at dawn
they were at it again, and at six o'clock began to move us into the
shed. I jumped up and expostulated in my dressing gown on the platform
(all the rest were in their beds) and insisted upon their asking for
orders from headquarters; just then, fortunately, an early bird in the
shape of a representative of the _Press_ appeared, and I got John
to talk to him, and he went off to the authorities, and we were shunted
to the depot again, and so got our breakfast by ten o'clock; the
reporters always think I am John's wife (E--- is generally out of the
way), and I believe the last idea is, that John and I have a grown up
family, of which E--- is one! It is rather fun to be _interviewed_,
and John is now less shy about it, and consents to be pumped (in a
_measure_). After breakfast we all drove in a horse-car up the main
street, and were twice off the rails and sunk into a mud hole, and the
boys had to help in lifting the omnibus out of it. They are slowly
paving the streets, but there _never_ was such a muddy lane calling
itself a street anywhere before, I am sure; there are nice shops,
however, and respectably dressed people walking or driving. We lunched
and _cleaned_ ourselves at _Potter House_, where the maids had
been living during our absence in the Rockies, and it seems Mrs. Smith,
the landlady, came from Lady Ward's, and knew the Claughtons, and lived,
for years with the Miss Bakers at Boss, (these unexpected encounters
make one realize how narrow the world is). The country is ugly about
Winnipeg, and so after paying a visit to the Archdeacon, whom we met in
going there some fortnight ago, and seeing his nice house and wife, we
dined at the depot and left for _Chicago_, our coloured cook was
walking and dawdling about apparently quite well, now that he had got
rid of us. We had sleeping berths in the train--an unknown man slept in
the one over mine, and I had to dress and undress behind the curtains of
my own. We breakfasted at Barnsville Wednesday morning, and that evening
stopped in pouring rain at _Milwaukie_; it is a finely situated
town, but the station had been lately burnt down, and we were very cold
and uncomfortable for two hours. Poking about to amuse themselves, the
boys saw a large long deal box, directed Mrs. J. Stacey, and on a card
attached, "This is to certify Mr. J. Stacey did not die of any
infectious complaint." So he was waiting there to be sent on to her by
next train, and we hope she got him safely.
_Thursday, Two o'clock p.m._, we reached Chicago. Minnieappolis,
which we passed through, is likely to be a fine city. We went to the
Grand Pacific Hotel and were separated by long corridors and staircases,
and spent our time chiefly in trying to find one another amidst its vast
solitudes. Of course one never sees a chambermaid, or any one, and the
quantity of little dishes and fine sounding names which one is served
with at meals does not make up for the other discomforts.
_Friday, 3rd._--John had a letter to the pork-killing man, Mr.
Armour, and he kindly sent two carriages for us, with an assistant, who
was to lionize us about. We drove first to the Bank and got some money,
and then through the best parts of the town, along the Michigan
Boulevards, through which we had glimpses of the Lake, but everything
here is sacrificed to the almighty _dollar_, and the railway
engines poke themselves in everywhere, down the best streets, and
destroying the prettiest landscapes, and making unearthly noises close
to your bedroom, or puffing their steam out under your nose as you walk.
Chicago looks a more bustling, and a newer and a more railroad-
dominated place than Glasgow, but like it in smoke and business aspect.
As to the Boulevards, the houses are most of them new, and some in
startling styles of architecture. Some in red, which are very good. One
was nearly finished of white marble, quite a palace, with more ground
than usual round it; but alas, for human hopes, the man who owns it and
_millions_ of dollars, has lately been pronounced _mad_, is in
the care of a wife whom he lately married, and who does not care for
him, and he will die before his marble palace is finished. There are no
_prettinesses_, flowers, &c., about these fine houses, perhaps
accounted for by the forty or fifty degrees below zero which they
sometimes enjoy at Chicago. After six miles driving we got to the
Piggery, &c., and the least said about that the better; it is certainly
wonderful, but disgusting--the most interesting parts were the enormous
yards containing _cattle_, all arranged comfortably, with hay and
water, &c., and the tin-making business for the preserved meats (the tin
all comes from England). Travelling for the last three or four weeks we
have seen little hills of tin boxes perpetually along the line, as the
people in the trains and stations, &c., seem to live almost entirely on
tinned goods. After this we had a hasty luncheon, and I decided to
accompany John and E--- here, and not wait for Dick who wanted to stay
longer. We could not find our maids to tell them, and I had to pack a
great deal myself, meaning to leave Gibson to follow with the rest, but
they turned up at last, and we had a great scrimmage to get off in the
"bus." John thought we might not have time to check our luggage, and so
began to seek for tickets to give the maids, but he could not understand
them so a kind American in the 'bus explained them, and after all we
were in time, thanks again to the said American, who _passed_ E---
and me to the train, assuring the railway people that he had seen our
tickets, and he also got us into the sleeping car. When I was thanking
him warmly, I added, "You must be amused to see such distracted English
travellers?" "Well," he answered, "we are as bad in your country till we
are used to it." After a great deal of shaking and going a great pace
round many curves, which quite prevented us sleeping, we got _here_
(Washington) yesterday at six o'clock. A man met us who was sent by an
astronomer friend of John's, and brought us to this hotel, Wormley's. On
our way in a spic and span omnibus we felt _going down_ on one
side, and found a wheel had come of. We jumped out, and a crowd
collected, and finally we had to transfer our baggage and ourselves into
another omnibus, and got through some handsome wide streets, with trees
each side and good shops, to this hotel. Our first view of Washington
was a lovely one, coming in with the Potomac river in front, and the
fine Capitol, on a hill, backed by a glorious red sunset, which
reflected all in the river; it looked like an Italian scene. This is
said to be a "city of magnificent distances," being planned for future
greatness, and very like Paris in conception. We found acquaintances
here, and John went with, one to the Observatory. This morning we all
went to the American Episcopal Church, St. John's, rather "high," but
nothing really objectionable. This is the centenary of the consecration
of the first American Bishop, Dr. Siebury, Bishop of Connecticut, who,
after having implored _our_ Bishops in London to consecrate him,
went at last to Scotland, and "there in an upper room received Apostolic
orders from the Scotch Bishops, then called non-jurors." We were all
struck with the handsome features of both men and women in church. In
company with a great many others, we remained to Holy Communion, and I
don't think I ever enjoyed it more than among these brethren--strangers,
and separated by the wide Atlantic from our English Church, but joined
to us by "one Lord, one faith," &c. After luncheon John had a chat with
a French scientist, and Mr. Rutherford and his handsome son, and General
and Mrs. Strachy, and Professor Adams, the astronomer; many of these
people are here in conclave about _Greenwich_ time, &c. John and
E--- are now gone driving about with his friend. It is _very hot_,
and poor Hedley is quite knocked down, but we took a little walk.
_Later_.--After dinner a good many adjourned to the drawing-room,
Captain and Mrs. Ray, the Strachys, Rutherfords, &c. We had a scientific
experiment with the shadow of the moon. Mr. Ray told a curious story of
a wasp. He saw it advance slowly to a great _spider_, which the
wasp apparently completely mesmerised, and then the wasp carried him off
to a little house he had made, and deposited the spider next an
_egg_, then another _egg_, and again another spider, till
there was a long row alternately, then the larvae awoke to life, and
_lived_ upon the spiders, who remained fat and well-liking, and
apparently alive up to that point. Captain Ray says he believes Mr.
Scott is right in saying that the American side will never be able to
give us warning of storms which will be of any use, for not more than
one in ten of their storms reach us; our storms come from the North and
Mid-Atlantic. Captain Ray fills the same post here that Mr. Scott does
in London, meteorological and weather prophet. Presently a nigger of
fine appearance, with a companion, played the banjo and sung. It was
really very pretty, and we stood at the porch listening, and numbers of
white-robed figures appeared on the opposite side (the young women so
arrayed walk about a good deal these hot nights), and a little crowd
gathered round us. It is surprising how little music and amusement they
seem to have.
Letter No 8.
_Washington, Wormley's Hotel, Monday, 6th._
The weather has been "exceptionally" hot, they say, for the time of
year, Hedley quite unable to do anything. John went up the Monument,
five hundred feet, and I went with Gibson to see the Capitol. The dome
looks pretty from a distance, but the whole thing strikes me as large,
handsome, uninteresting and vulgar; we inspected the Congress Hall and
Senate Chamber. The view from the terrace was fine. At four o'clock
Hedley and I accompanied Mr. Strachy to Arlington Heights, where there
is a large cemetery for soldiers. It was formerly the country home of
General Robert Lee, the hero of the Confederate War. It was intensely
melancholy to drive through the graves of eleven thousand and odd
soldiers, all killed in the second battle of Bull's Run (I believe), two
thousand of them _unknown_, and buried in one grave, mostly young
volunteers who had _just_ joined. Each white stone told the story
of the bereaved families, and the destruction of so much happiness. The
view of the Potomac and Washington is very fine, and one thought
sorrowfully of the poor Lees who gave up their pretty home and _all
else_, for the sake of Virginia, and in vain!
_Tuesday, 7th_.--John and E--- and I went to Mount Vernon,
Washington's residence and tomb. H--- somehow missed us, which quite
spoilt _my_ day. The air in the steamer was delightful, and the
Potomac is mildly pretty. We were left at Mount Vernon, and I was
disgusted with the shabbiness and untidiness of the tomb of the great
patriot; that even in _his_ case such a want of sentiment and
reverence should be shown does not speak well for his countrymen. I
spoke of this to many people afterwards, and they say it is owing to his
family, who would not allow the tomb to be moved. In the evening we
dined with our Minister, Mr. West, at the Embassy. It is a fine house,
and we enjoyed our evening. There were only Mr. Johnstone and Mr. Helier
attached to the Legation, besides ourselves. Miss West now presides over
her father's house, and is very attractive; brought up in a convent in
Paris, and speaks English with a strong accent. Miss West has given me
some letters of introduction to people at Newport. They showed us some
curious beans, which jumped about in an odd way when held over the light
a little while. It is said there is a worm inside, which is influenced
by the warmth.
_Wednesday_.--We meant to leave to-day, but Dick turned up
unexpectedly from Chicago, and we put off going to Philadelphia that we
might start together. We went over the White House to-day, where the
President lives, and saw the blue room in which he receives every one,
rather ugly I thought it, and the bedroom in which President Garfield
was ill, &c. In the afternoon John and E--- went to Baltimore, as he has
scientific acquaintances there, and I don't know when we shall meet
again.
_Thursday_.--Hedley has just returned from Dick's hotel, and says
he does not go to Philadelphia to-day, so we start alone at two o'clock.
Last night two violent showers of rain cleared the atmosphere, and it is
quite cool and pleasant this morning. I heard from Mr. B--- from
Baltimore, and he says he is going to be married on the 15th, and hopes
we will go to pay them a visit on the 16th; however, as the time does
not suit, and I don't know his intended wife, I have declined.
_Friday, 10th, Hotel Lafayette, Philadelphia._
Last night I had the great pleasure of receiving four letters--one from
you, and one from C--- and Mary, and Margaret. We left Dick behind at
Washington, but he arrived last night; the journey was a pleasant one
and the scenery pretty, especially Chesapeake Bay. I hear mosquitos
swarm at Baltimore and so I am glad we did not go there. This is a very
large hotel and I am on seventh floor, No. 750! Close to me is a fire
escape, which I carefully investigated. We got cheated coming here from
the station, and _so did Dick_, to our great triumph! The country
coming here was more English and well populated than any we have seen.
Going up in the lift who should I find there but Dr. Gladstone, one of
our fellow passengers on the "Parisian;" we all laughed. Since I began
this a very kind note has come by hand from Mr. Childs, of the _Public
Ledger_, saying Mrs. C--- is at New York, but he will try to get her
back on Saturday; he is coming to call at a quarter-past two, and offers
us carriages to drive about.
_Half-past One_.--We have just come back from seeing the Roman
Catholic Cathedral--not much worth seeing excepting a beautiful picture
of our Lord as a Child among the doctors. We also saw the Academy of
Arts, but there was nothing we cared for. I have had a kind note from
Mrs. James Neilson, who hopes to see us at New Brunswick, _en
route_ for New York.
_Sunday, 12th_.--Mr. Childs came, a short, stout man, and very
kind; he sent the carriage at three, and we drove in Fairmount Park, the
largest park in the world, and really very pretty; saw conservatories
and gardens with bright, but only _foliage_, plants--wonderful
perillas, alternantheras, tresine, &c. It was a most lovely evening and
we enjoyed the three hours' airing; it was perfectly clear and still,
with sunshine and fresh balmy air. Yesterday (Saturday) directly after
breakfast we went as by appointment to Mr. Childs' office; he has a
beautifully fitted-up room, filled with all kinds of curiosities,--Tom
Moore's harp, Washington's chair, Louis Napoleon's cup and saucer,
splendid clocks of all kinds; one of them belonged to Lord Howe, which
he had to leave behind him when he was "obliged to run away from the
States in such a hurry!" Mr. Childs' seemed to think I must know all
about this, but I am afraid I had quite forgotten that humiliation. This
reminds me of a story I heard lately of an American lionizing an
Englishman about; they came within sight of Bunker's Hill, and the
American as delicately and modestly as he could announced: "_That_,
sir, is Bunker's Hill," the Englishman put up his glass and looked, and
then said: "And who was Bunker, and what did he do on his hill?" Imagine
the American's indignation at this gross ignorance! To return to Mr.
Childs' room; while there several ladies called, and among them Mrs.
Bloomfield Moore; she talked well and we made friends, and she proposed
to call for us and take us a drive, to which we agreed. After she had
gone Mr. Childs told me she was a poetess and a millionaire, and was
supposed to be engaged to Browning the poet. A man was then told off to
escort us over the building, and a wonderful place it is. All the
printing and editorial work and "job" work so beautifully arranged and
everything in such perfect order. The _Public Ledger_ prints about
80,000 a day, or rather night, and Mr. Childs is the proprietor. Almost
all the American news comes to us from his office from a Mr. Cook, who
telegraphs it to the _Times_. Mr. Cook told me that all the
speeches at the opening of the British Association meeting at
Montreal--Lord Lansdowne's, Sir William Thomson's, &c.,--were
telegraphed to London before they were delivered, John's address had
been left in London before he started. Mr. Cook got the substance of
these speeches beforehand. After this we went to the Electric Exhibition
going on here, and Dick tried an organ; then we had a drive with ----;
she talked all the time and told me all about her husband and his will,
and how astonished everyone was to find what immense confidence in her
it proved; she knows Mrs. Capel Cure and Miss Western, and she has just
bought a good house in London. She is much interested in Mr. Keally (the
inventor of Keally's motor), and has supported him through all the
incredulity and opposition he has met with; she believes he has
discovered a new force, and has just made some experiments before ten or
twelve people, in which without any apparent power of machinery he
produced astonishing results, _not_ electric and not compressed
air, or, if the latter, he has found one a way of producing wonderful
power without the usually necessary accompaniments. This is what _I
hear; he_ says it is a force in ether, which is a medium separating
atoms, but he will not tell his secret till he has taken out his
patents. Mr. Childs sent us some tickets for the opera here, and I gave
Mrs. A. B--- one, and we all went, the music was pretty and singing
good. Mr. Rosengarten, a friend of Mr. Childs, came into the box, and
between one of the acts asked me if I would like to see some typical
American political meetings? I said "Oh, yes;" so he carried me off, and
the boys followed, to a splendid opera house, which was crammed to the
galleries by a very respectable-looking, quiet audience, listening most
attentively to the "Prohibition" candidate, who was shouting and
apparently pleasing them much, but being behind him on the platform
(they wanted me to go close to him but I would not), I could not hear
the point of his jokes. Then we went to the Academy of Music, also a
very large place, where a more rowdy lot were listening very quietly,
however, to General Butler. Certainly no meetings of such size could
take place in England with such entire absence of noise or policemen, of
carriages, or cabs. We went to bed very tired having had so much to
interest us all day. Mr. Childs, by the bye, has sent me a present of
some china and a box full of lovely roses, which I shared with the sons
and Mrs. A. B---. I see I have not mentioned before that I received
yours and Mary's letter of 28th September, which came very soon after my
birthday. This morning we went to a Presbyterian Church by mistake, but
it was very dull and we soon went out and went to another close by,
which turned out to be Ritualistic, but at any rate the music, and
better still, the sermon, was very good,--"What think ye of Christ?" It
was all of Him, so no one could object, not even you! Hedley and I then
rushed off to the Lincoln Institution for Training Indian Girls, where
Mr. Rosengarten was to meet us. It is a very interesting and useful work
(the boys are also under training but we did not see that part of the
Institution) and the girls look so thriving and happy, and the teachers
say they are _above_ the average in intelligence; they sung a chant
and hymn and gave me a photograph to take home. Mr. Rosengarten offered
to take Hedley with him for a drive to see some of his relations, and so
I have been alone since--reading, and writing to you.
Letter No. 9.
_October 14th_.--I sent my last letter to you on Sunday, and on
Monday morning Mr. Childs called and brought me a note from Mrs. Childs
saying she was very unwell and her doctor said she must be quiet, and
would we defer our visit till Wednesday? I declined this at once, and
Mr. Childs seemed very sorry, but when Dick joined us he said we were in
no great hurry to leave Philadelphia and might as well stay, so I could
only agree to remain till Thursday. He gave us seats at the Theatre to
hear "May Blossom" (a pretty _good_ play, which we all enjoyed),
and he asked me if I wanted any books to read? I said "Yes, I should be
very glad of some," thinking he would lend me a few of his own; well, a
large parcel soon arrived with a lovely copy of Longfellow's Poems and
my name in it, and lots of story books, all new. This morning (Tuesday)
our future host at New Brunswick called, a nice-looking, lively man, and
we go to them on Thursday--Mr. James Neilson. Yesterday afternoon we
spent two hours at Mrs. A. B---'s, and met Mr. Keally. He is a curious
person, and looks full of _fire_, and I should say _not_ an
impostor, but I should not be surprised if he was _mad!_ He talked
away tremendously quickly, and used all kinds of new words invented to
suit his discovery, and I got quite exhausted trying to understand him;
all I could really make out was that he professed to have decomposed
_hydrogen_, and evolved a lighter element from it, and that his new
force has something to do with _vibration_; that he multiplies
vibrations almost infinitely, and can distinguish _divisions_ of
_tones_ in an unusual manner. Those who have seen his experiments
lately, declare that _no_ force with which scientists are
acquainted could produce the same effects with the machinery used. "If
it is a trick," he said, "at any rate it is a trick worth knowing--if a
pint of water can send a train from this to New York, which it will do
shortly." He employs several people to make his machinery, but when they
have made it and used it successfully, they declare they don't know
_why_ or _how_ it is done. I am trying to persuade John to
stop here on Friday on his way from Baltimore and see one of his
experiments. I have heard John say that he expected some great discovery
would be made shortly, and in the _chemical_ direction. Mr. Keally
is a mechanist, and says he discovered this force by accident. It is
curiously like the one in Bulwer's novel, which everyone was possessed
of and could destroy anything in a moment. Mrs. A. B--- is going to take
us a drive this afternoon. At present my letters to Newport have only
produced an invitation to dine with Mrs. Belmont on Saturday, which we
are unable to accept. Hedley enjoyed his Sunday outing with Mr.
Rosengarten, and was introduced to heaps of people, and felt quite an
important person. He is always much liked, and _I_ am not
surprised.
_Wednesday, 15th_.--At two o'clock we met Mr. Childs at the
station, and went with him to Bryan Maur by rail, and then his carriage
met us and took us to his farm and stables, &c., and then to his house;
it is all very new and very tidy and pretty. He told his wife to buy any
land she liked four years ago, and build anything she liked on it, and
now he has paid the bills and handed her the deeds, and it is all her
own. That's the way husbands do things in America! The wives and
children have a good time here, and the working classes, too, have many
privileges, or perhaps, I should say, that they _share_ them with
the richer and more educated people; everywhere, in the trains and trams
and restaurants of stations and waiting rooms there is _equality_,
and considering all things one does not suffer much by the mixture
excepting that they "_level down_," and one misses the comforts and
_quiet_ of the English railroads. Some of the working men are
remarkably fine and intelligent looking, and always quiet and well
behaved. I do not observe any very great politeness to women, which I
was led to expect was the prevailing habit in the United States, but I
notice that the fathers are wonderfully gentle and helpful with the
children. Mrs. Childs is a bright little woman, and sings well, which
you would scarcely expect when hearing her voice in speaking. It is a
pity that so many of the women have such unpleasant voices, and the
_men_ have generally nothing harsh in their tones. A captain of one
of the Cunard steamers sat next me, and seeing my distress over a
plateful of very large oysters, whispered, "you need not eat them." We
had carefully abstained from luncheon, as dinner was at four o'clock,
and this was the menu for dinner: soup, _big_ oysters, boiled cod,
then devilled crab (which I ate, and it was very good), then very tough
stewed beef-steak, large _blocks_ of ice-cream, and peaches, and
that was all! So my dinner consisted of crab, and I was obliged to have
something to eat on our return to the hotel. Mr. Childs is very rich,
and gives away immensely. He showed me a valuable collection of
autographs, &c., given him by Mrs. S. C. Hall, whose husband, now an old
man I believe, he partly supports. We left at half-past eight, and this
morning, _Thursday, 16th_, Mr. Childs called early with his
picture, framed, as a present. Sir William and Lady Thomson, and
probably John and E---, are going to the Childs' on Saturday till
Monday, and Mrs. B. M---, who called, is very anxious that they should
see the Keally experiments. I hear John and E--- are going to Boston.
_We_ are starting this afternoon for Woodlawn, New Brunswick, the
Neilsons' place, and to-day I have, an invitation from Mrs. Pruyn of
Albany. We are about to take our berths on board the Cunard steamer
_Oregon_, which starts on 12th November. I had a great pleasure
this morning in receiving from Clara a large photograph of _you_
and Arthur Paley. It is very nice, and I am very glad she arranged so
cleverly for you to be taken! You don't look quite so miserable and
cross, as is your _wont_ in general when being photographed. Clara
and S--- were at a large evening party lately at Euston, where they met
the Princess Frederica of Hanover, whom I have met several times at dear
Katty Mande's, and she inquired about us from Clara.
_Woodlawn, New Brunswick, October 20th_.--We arrived here
Thursday. Mrs. M--- called and kindly took me to the station, and
presented me with some beautiful roses, which I brought here unpacked
and gave to Mr. Neilson. Major R. S--- spoke to me again at the hotel
about the Keally motor, and fervently repeated that after a thorough
inspection of the machinery he is convinced that a new force is at work.
Mr. Neilson and his carriage met us at the station. He is very lively
and full of information, having travelled a great deal, and overflowing
with "_go_." She is very handsome and nice, and nothing can be
kinder than they are. It is a pretty cottage, close to his mother's
house, and with some grounds round them.
_Friday, 17th_.--We took a long drive, Mr. Neilson driving at a
rapid pace, and the river and foliage was pretty, but the scenery here
is not remarkable, and the town of New Brunswick does not look
_rich_, or flourishing. In the evening we went to his mother's, had
tea, oysters and birds, and then a number of people came; Dr. and Mrs.
Cook, Professor of Chemistry, and Mr. and Mrs. and Miss Warren, several
Carpenters, who are cousins of the Neilsons, Admiral and Mrs. Admiral
Boggs, Dr. and Mrs. Hart. He is a Dutch clergyman of the Dutch church
here, and has been at John's laboratory at Cambridge, and talked about
him and his work. I observe the gentlemen stand talking to _each
other_ a good deal as we do in England. Mrs. Neilson _mere_ is a
very nice old lady, with white hair, and something like you. She spoke
about my brother Hedley, and tears came into her eyes as we talked;
everyone here seems to have read his memoirs, and I enclose a scrap out
of the New Brunswick paper, which will show you how he is remembered.
Mrs. T. Neilson seems a capital housekeeper, and the cooking and
everything seems so good and comfortable. Mr. Neilson owns most of the
town, and is delighted when he can _sell_ some of it, and the
neighbours are nearly all his cousins. He says the municipal government
of the town, &c., is at a _dead lock_. Nothing can be done to the
_roads_, (which are disgraceful!) or the streets, which are
dreadful _everywhere_ nearly, that there is perpetual bribery and
corruption, and all owing to universal suffrage, which makes the
respectable people quite helpless! This is the view of all the people I
stayed with or spoke to. On _Saturday, 18th_, we made a long
excursion to Long Branch, going by train to Redbank, a pretty village,
where we got a carriage and drove to Long Branch, a favourite watering
place of this part of the country and New York; miles upon miles of the
sea coast is covered with houses, small and large, in every variety of
style, with no trees and quite flat, with a fine sea beyond the sands.
It looked like a scene on a _stage_! We passed some very pretty
bays and creeks, but though the day was bright, the wind blew a gale,
and we could not sit about. We lunched at the railway station, with our
driver sitting at the next table. It is so funny to find everyone at
your elbow, whatever their position may be, but I must say they behave
very well. We returned by train, and I managed to catch a chill, and
have been in bed most of the morning. The day was so lovely that Mr.
Neilson persuaded me to drive with him in his _buggy_, a very
comfortable carriage like a tea cart, and I enjoyed the sweet _Indian
summer_ and the pretty foliage with peeps of the river. In the
afternoon I went with Mr. Neilson to call on his mother and Mrs.
Carpenter, both fine old ladies, and as I said before, _old_ and
young women are well taken care of here.
_October 22nd_.--Hotel Brunswick, Boston. We left the kind
Neilsons yesterday, and as Dick and I were not well, we took
drawing-room car seats, which, however, were extremely uncomfortable
wicker chairs, which turned round on a pivot with the least movement and
made one feel sick! So I sat on a hard bench usually occupied by
conductors. This is a fine hotel, and John and E--- came to see me last
night after I was in bed; they seem enjoying themselves and are gay,
seeing lots of scientific folk at Baltimore and _here_ at
_Cambridge_. They intend starting home on the 1st. We are arranging
for berths in the "Oregon," on the 12th, Last night I was surprised to
get a letter from Liza, which had been sent to Evelyn, dated October
5th, telling me that No. 90, O--- G--- was let to Mr. Scott Holland till
8th December! I suppose some letter from Liza has been lost, for I have
never heard a word of it before. The road yesterday was very pretty,
crossing two or three rivers with beautiful colored foliage on their
banks, and some fine towns. I enjoy scenery more and more as I get
older, and feel more _one_ with Nature, and Nature's God; the sense
of the _Eternal_ and _Infinite_ deepens in my heart, and the
grandeur of sky and mountain and river _with God over all_ fills me
with calm and peace. I am not at all well just now, and have to
_starve_ nearly. It is difficult at hotels to get the right kind of
food when one is out of sorts.