OF American society I scarcely saw enough to enable me to say much about it. So far as I could judge, good society in America, ¿.e. the society of well-educated men and women in easy circumstances, is much the same as in our own country; but I am disposed to think that it is inferior to the very best English society; or, rather, that there is nothing in America corresponding to the latter, partly from the general abstinence of the upper classes of Americans from politics, and partly from an inferiority in the highest kind of education, of both of which I shall speak presently. The travelled American is as superior to his untravelled compatriot as is the travelled Englishman, and if there

are but too many amongst them who have seen every country in the world except their own, it is not for us to find fault with them on that account. Few Englishmen know anything of our own great Colonies, and many of those who flock annually to Switzerland, the Rhine, or the Italian lakes, are utterly ignorant of the scenery of the United Kingdom.

I have often been asked whether what is generally termed 'the American accent' is as common as is generally supposed. Amongst the educated classes, I think the only difference from the English accent generally noticeable is a slight raising of the voice at the end of the sentence, or what is commonly called a sing-song intonation; and even this is by no means universal. With other classes, the nasal twang is often very strong in some; in others it is less, or even not at all, perceptible. At At any rate, the very broadest Yankee accent or provincialism is more easily understood, and not more offensive to the educated ear, than that of the Yorkshire 'tyke' or Glasgow 'body.' As to the use, or misuse, of English words, many Americanisms are well known; but there are very few used by the best classes. 'I guess' is common enough,

་

and certain strange verbs such as 'collided,' 'loaned,' and a few others; also the use of 'some' and 'any' adverbially; as 'Did you sleep any last night?' A shop is always called a 'store;' a railway station is a 'dēpot.' 'Quite a number' means a great number. Amongst other classes, Say' is constantly used for, I say; 'Mister' for Sir; 'On time' for in time. 'Donated,' interviewed' and 'excursed' are also strange verbs to English Stranger' I never heard used; and "You bet' and 'I want to know,' as expressions of assent and incredulity, are provincialisms, even in America.

ears.

I have already noticed in passing the peculiarity of American humour-its extravagance, and I may add its grimness-both of which seem to characterise it specially. Mark Twain and Bret Harte, both well known to English readers, appear to me to stand at the head of the list; the former especially, in 'The Innocents Abroad' and 'The New Pilgrim's Progress,' seems to me to have produced the best and most original book of travels that we have had for several years; while his 'Roughing it' is scarcely inferior. The illustrations of all three in the American editions are nearly as good as the letterpress, and I am

surprised that they have not been reproduced in England.

Of American hospitality, I had heard a good deal and was rather disappointed with it. The reserve and coldness of which I have already spoken require so much time to break through, that a mere passing traveller is apt to be chilled by the want of warmth in his reception. In India, if you are the bearer of a letter of introduction to a resident, he throws open his house to you and expects you to be his guest for as long as you choose to stay. In England, such a letter at least insures you an invitation to dinner. In America it may or may not do so; I found often that a man thought he had done all that civility required by leaving his card on me at the hotel. In one case, while at Boston, I called upon one of the leading merchants to whom I had a letter, and not finding him at home left the letter and my card. He called three times upon me at my hotel, finding me out each time, but did not invite me to his house, delaying to do so, I presume, until he could first see me to make sure that I was worthy of the honour. From other people, however, and in many cases of chance acquaintanceship by the way, I received great kindness and a cordial wel

come, and regretted only that I could not stay longer to know more of them.

If I were asked what struck me most agreeably during my visit to America, I should say it was the general absence of the pauper class of the population, to whose presence we are unfortunately but too much accustomed at home; there is nothing of that squalid misery, or abject poverty, which forms so painful a contrast to the luxury and refinement of London and other European cities.. In the two months of my travels I was only twice accosted by beggars, and of those one was blind and the other lame. This happy state of things of course arises from the fact that the country, so far from being crowded, is still eagerly demanding all kinds of manual labour. Vast provinces are awaiting the advent of the farmer and labourer to break their virgin soil; new railways are every year projected; new towns are everywhere being built; new mines are being discovered and 'worked. While I was at Chicago, bricklayers were getting four dollars and a half (about eighteen shillings) a day, for twelve hours' work; and 5,000 of them were on strike for a reduction to eight hours on four dollars. All over the West, common labourers were in