He Then Introduced One By One
The Children Of All Ages As "Days" Of The Coming Year.
There was
TWELFTH DAY, crowned as Queen with her cake in her hands; there was
CHRISTMAS, covered with holly
And mistletoe; there was APRIL FOOL'S
DAY, dressed as Harlequin; there was, above all, SHROVE TUESDAY,
with her frying-pan of pancakes, dressed as a little cook; there was
a charming boy of fourteen or fifteen, as ST. VALENTINE'S DAY with
his packet of valentines addressed to the young ladies present;
there was the 5TH OF NOVEMBER, full of wit and fun, etc.; the
longest day, an elder brother, of William's height, with a cap of
three or four feet high; and his little sister of five, as the
shortest day. This was all arranged to music and each made little
speeches, introducing themselves. The OLD YEAR, after introducing
his successors, and after much pathos, is "going, going--gone," and
falls covered with his drapery, upon removing which, instead of the
lifeless body of the OLD YEAR, is discovered a sweet little flower-
crowned girl of five or six, as the NEW YEAR. It was charming, and
I was so pleased that, instead of taking Louisa away at nine o'clock
as I intended, I left her to see "Sir Roger de Coverly," in the
dress of his time.
Last night at Mr. Putnam's, I met William and Mary Howitt, and some
of the lesser lights. I have put down my pen to answer a note, just
brought in, to dine next Thursday with the Dowager Countess of
Charleville, where we were last week, in the evening. She is
eighty-four (tell this to Grandmamma) and likes still to surround
herself with BEAUX and BELLES ESPRITS, and as her son and daughter
reside with her, this is still easy . . . The old lady talks French
as fast as possible, and troubles me somewhat by talking it to me,
forgetting that a foreign minister's wife can talk English . . .
Your father likes to be here. He has copying going on in the State
Paper Office and British Museum, and his heart is full of
manuscripts. It is the first thought, I believe, whoever he sees,
what papers are in their family. He makes great interest with even
the ladies sometimes for this purpose. Upon the whole, I love my
own country better than ever, but whether I shall not miss, upon my
return, some things to which I am gradually getting accustomed, I
have yet to learn. The gratification of mixing constantly with
those foremost in the world for rank, science, literature, or all
which adorns society is great, but there is a certain yearning
toward those whose habits, education, and modes of thought are the
same as our own, which I never can get over. In the full tide of
conversation I often stop and think, "I may unconsciously be jarring
the prejudices or preconceived notions of these people upon a
thousand points; for how differently have I been trained from these
women of high rank, and men, too, with whom I am now thrown." Upon
all topics we are accustomed to think, perhaps, with more latitude,
religion, politics, morals, everything.
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