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.
DISTINGUISHED PEOPLE IN TOWN.
_To the Editor of the "Home News". - _
It may be of some interest to your readers to know that we have at
present in our midst some distinguished people. Not indeed because they
happen to be people of high rank in their own country, but because they
represent names standing preeminent in the fields of science on the one
side of their house, and on the other a name cherished in every
household as the very embodiment of Christian chivalry, that of a
veritable soldier of the cross.
The Dowager Lady Rayleigh (mother of Lord Rayleigh, the President of the
British Association), is at present the guest of Mr. and Mrs. James
Neilson, at their residence, Woodlawn. She is accompanied by her two
sons, the Honorables Richard and Hedley Stratt. The former is married to
a daughter of Lord Bragbrook, a member of the Cornwallis family. The
Dowager Baroness is a sister of Hedley Vicars, the soldier-missionary of
the Crimea, a name as well known and honoured in the households of
America as those of Great Britain.
The party came out to attend the Scientific Convention of Canada, and
have since travelled largely through the great West. They express
themselves enthusiastically as to our progress, material as well as
intellectual.
We take the occasion to congratulate our English cousins upon the
phenomenally fine season which they have selected, and trust that they
may remain long enough to enjoy the loveliness of our American autumn
and Indian summer. - _The Brunswick Daily Home News, Thursday, October
16th, 1884._
LETTER No. 10.
_October 25th, Newport, at "Madame Robertson's."_
Hedley and I and Gibson came here on Thursday, just to see the place, of
which I had heard so much, and to acknowledge the offered civilities of
some of the people there. We left Dick at Boston not very well, and
indeed, _I_ have been quite a wretch lately. Wednesday morning,
E - - brought Professor Pickering, and he asked us to join John and E - -
at his Observatory, and at a party given afterwards by Mrs. Pickering,
so at 3.30 we set off all in a tram, and Professor Pickering met us
about a mile from the house, and a carriage took us to the Observatory,
where we saw curious things, and above all, the crescent moon, through a
powerful telescope, which, oddly enough, I had never seen before. Mrs.
Pickering had a large gathering, and I was introduced to quantities of
people, some very nice looking and English in tone and manner. In this
part of America one would scarcely know that you were not living among
the present generation of English transported across the Atlantic quite
recently; the manners of the _coloured_ servants are _very_
objectionable, and the porters of the cars quite odious; they march up
and down, even in the more select Pulman cars, slam the doors, awakening
one out of a much needed doze, and throw themselves down on the chairs
and pick their teeth! "Dressed in a little brief authority, they strut
before High Heaven," and make one wish they had never been
_evolved_ but remained altogether _apes_. The _waiters_
at hotels are often pleasant enough, but the dislike of the white
Americans to domestic service has given a monopoly of this employment to
the coloured people, (shared in many parts by the Irish), and they give
themselves airs accordingly. Dr. Wendel Holmes, of literary celebrity,
was at the Pickerings, and I had a short talk with him, but as every
minute some new introduction came off, I could never have a pleasant
chat with any one. Mrs. Horsford, who was giving a large evening party,
asked us to go there, and the Pickerings wanted me to stay with them
till the time arrived, but I was not equal to this exertion, and we
three returned in trams, which ought to be called _crams_, for they
are invariably in that condition. I was also asked to join John and E - -
with a party going to a place called Beverly, but I decided to come
here, as people were expecting us, and we arrived about ten minutes to
three, and I found cards and notes, asking me to lunch and dine, and
drive, and my landlady said the bell had been ringing all the morning,
and the whole place was in excitement about our coming and its frequent
delays! I got a carriage (it was too late to lunch out or drive), and
left some cards and notes of explanation, and as we were leaving one at
Mrs. Belmont's, she drove up in a well appointed drag, so we got out,
and I found her a fair and light little person, very nice, and
wonderfully young looking. She then drove us in her beautiful park
phaton to Mrs. Bruen's, where there was an afternoon party for my
benefit - such a charming old lady! I told her I had a mother of
eighty-one, and she said "Oh I am more than _that_, but no one
knows my age, and I don't think about it, but am ready when the call
comes." I have heard since, she is past ninety!
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