He Thinks He "Is A Man Of Many
Words; He Knows Something Of Everything, And A Good Deal Of Some
Things," But On The Whole He Evidently Does _Not_ Trust His
Statemanship.
He knew the late Lord Lytton and his wife, and met her
after their quarrel at Roger's, the poet, and thought her a very fine
clever woman, with charms of manner.
Lord Lytton he thought very
unpleasant; very deaf, and sensitive about it, and would not use his
trumpet. Macaulay was very _ponderous_, and had a _Niagara_
flow of language. He always engrossed all conversation, and one got
tired of listening. Mr. Winthrop greatly enjoyed the coming of age of
Lord Cranbourne, at Hatfield, to which he was invited, and he thinks
Lord Salisbury's speaking more interesting than Gladstone's, - that the
House of Lords might make some compromise about the Redistribution Bill,
and that it would be an immense pity for England to lose the three
estates of the realm, and the Established church. "We don't want you to
become a Republic, but keep up the standard of good government for the
rest of the world." Afterwards we went to Mr. Augustus Lowell's, and
there we found all vehement for _Blaine_! I did not agree with
their arguments, but listened to all very meekly and attentively! They
also urged us, as every one else, _not_ to give in to the idea of
universal suffrage, which is the _bane_, they say, of politics in
this country, and causes all their difficulties. After tea we drove home
five miles in Mr. Winthrop's carriage; I like her very much, and she has
more _softness_ of manner, being a Southerner, than the Americans
sometimes have. Wednesday we met Mrs. Pickering at the station, and
after a short railway journey, drove to the beautiful grounds of
_Wellesley College_, founded by a rich American, Mr. Durrant, for
girls over sixteen. Three separate buildings, and a pretty lake, and a
very interesting President, Miss Freeman, about thirty. After seeing the
perfect and numerous arrangements made for the education of the young
women, chemistry-rooms, libraries, statuary, &c., &c., and making
acquaintance with some of the lady professors, we had luncheon with
hundreds of girls; some of these pay less, (the regular payment is
forty-five dollars or pounds, I forget which, a year), and have some
light work to do, _wait_ on us, &c. I can't say the luncheon was
good! the beef hard, and I had only bread and jam! I thought "unless
they have a really good breakfast and dinner, these young women will not
be able to bear the strain on their mental and bodily powers." After
this innocent meal, six young girls, dressed in blue serge and white
costumes, with hats of the shape of undergraduate's, rowed us in two
boats, one painted blue with light oars, the other white, and the girls
rowing it also in white costumes; our blue captain was a very pretty
bright girl, just the type one reads of in novels as the American girl,
(but not a _lady_ in the American view, or our own,) and she
chatted away, and led the others in some pretty songs, while they rested
on their oars, and then we were obliged to hurry away.
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