On Friday evening we met at Mrs. Wormeley's a cosy little knot of
Americans.
The Dexters were staying there and there were Mr. and
Mrs. Atkinson and Miss Pratt, Mr. and Mrs. Aspinwall, Mr. and Miss
Jay, Mr. and Mrs. Putnam, Mr. Colman, Mr. Pickering, etc.
Wednesday Evening
On Monday we came to our HOME, preferring it to the hotel, though it
is not yet in order for our reception, and we have not yet all our
servants. Last evening we dined with Lord Morpeth at his father's
house. His family are all out of town, but he remains because of
his ministerial duties. Lord Morpeth took me out and I sat between
him and Sir George Grey. Your father took out Lady Theresa Lewis,
who is a sister of Lord Clarendon. She was full of intelligence and
I like her extremely. Baron and Lady Parke (a distinguished judge),
Lady Morgan, Mr. Mackintosh, Dr. and Mrs. Holland (Sidney Smith's
daughter), and Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Dexter, with several others
were the party.
During dinner one gentleman was so very agreeable that I wondered
who he could be, but as Lord Palmerston had told me that Mr.
Macaulay was in Edinburgh, I did not think of him. After the ladies
left the gentlemen, my first question to Mrs. Holland was the name
of her next neighbor. "Why, Mr. Macaulay," was her answer, and I
was pleased not to have been disappointed in a person of whom I had
heard so much. When the gentlemen came in I was introduced to him
and talked to him and heard him talk not a little.
These persons all came the next day to see us, which gave rise to
fresh invitations.
This morning we have been driving round to leave cards on the CORPS
DIPLOMATIQUE, and Mr. Harcourt has taken me all over the Athenaeum
Club-house, a superb establishment. They have given your father an
invitation to the Club, a privilege which is sometimes sought for
years, Mr. Harcourt says. . . . Have I not needed all my energies?
We have been here just a fortnight, and I came so ill that I could
hardly walk. We are now at housekeeping, and I am in the full
career in London society. They told me I should see no one until
spring, but you see we dine out or go out in the evening almost
every day. . . . For the gratification of S.D. or Aunt I., who may
wonder how I get along in dress matters, going out as I did in my
plain black dress, I will tell you that Mrs. Murray, the Queen's
dressmaker, made me, as soon as I found these calls and invitations
pouring in, two dresses. One of black velvet, very low, with short
sleeves, and another of very rich black watered silk, with drapery
of black tulle on the corsage and sleeves. . . . I have fitted
myself with several pretty little head-dresses, some in silver, some
with plumes, but all white, and I find my velvet and silk suit all
occasions. I do not like dining with bare arms and neck, but I
must.
Tuesday, November 17th
Last evening we passed at the Earl of Auckland's, the head of the
Admiralty. The party was at the Admiralty, where there is a
beautiful residence for the first lord. . . . I had a long talk
with Lord Morpeth last evening about Mr. Sumner, and told him of his
nomination. He has a strong regard for him. . . . Not a moment
have I had to a London "lion." I have driven past Westminster, but
have not been in it. I have seen nothing of London but what came in
my way in returning visits.
LETTER: To I.P.D.
LONDON, November 17, 1846
My dear Uncle: I cannot help refreshing the remembrance of me with
you and dear Aunty by addressing a separate letter to you. . . .
Yesterday we hailed with delight our letters from home. . . . One
feels in a foreign land the absence of common sympathies and
interests, which always surround us in any part of our own country.
And yet nothing can exceed the kindness with which we have been
received here.
Last evening I went to my first great English dinner and it was a
most agreeable one. . . . It seems a little odd to a republican
woman to find herself in right of her country taking precedence of
marchionesses, but one soon gets used to all things. We sat down to
dinner at eight and got through about ten. When the ladies rose, I
found I was expected to go first. After dinner other guests were
invited and to the first person who came in, about half-past ten,
Lady Palmerston said: "Oh, thank you for coming so early." This
was Lady Tankerville of the old French family of de Grammont and
niece to Prince Polignac. The next was Lady Emily de Burgh, the
daughter of the Marchioness of Clanricarde, a beautiful girl of
seventeen. She is very lovely, wears a Grecian braid round her head
like a coronet, and always sits by her mother, which would not suit
our young girls. Then came Lord and Lady Ashley, Lord Ebrington,
and so many titled personages that I cannot remember half.
The dinner is much the same as ours in all its modes of serving, but
they have soles and turbot, instead of our fishes, and their
pheasants are not our pheasants, or their partridges our partridges.
Neither have we so many footmen with liveries of all colours, or so
much gold and silver plate. . . . The next morning Mr. Bancroft
breakfasted with Dr. Holland to meet the Marquis of Lansdowne alone.
[Thursday] he went down to Windsor to dine with the Queen. He took
out to dinner the Queen's mother, the Duchess of Kent, the Queen
going with the Prince of Saxe-Weimar, who was paying a visit at the
Castle. He talked German to the Duchess during dinner, which I
suspect she liked, for the Queen spoke of it to him afterwards, and
Lord Palmerston told me the Duchess said he spoke very pure German.
While he was dining at Windsor I went to a party all alone at the
Countess Grey's, which I thought required some courage.
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