New Orleans to New York, and a voyage thence to England, at the present time.
In the evening, we took the cars for London, and reached our comfortable hotel, the Golden Cross, Charing Cross, at eleven o'clock. By the way, we are all very much pleased with the house and its landlord. Mr. Gardiner is a very gentlemanly man, of fine address and acquirements. He has been a most extensive traveller in almost every part of the world, and has a fine collection of paintings, and one of the prettiest cabinets of coins and medals I ever saw. He has a pretty cottage and hothouses four or five miles from the city; and his family resides partly there and at the hotel. The hotel is every thing that can be desired.
A few evenings ago, Mr. Lawrence had a splendid soirée. There were probably from two to three hundred present. Among the company were Sir David Brewster, Leslie the artist, Miss Coutts, the Duke of Wellington. "The duke," as he is called, is the great man of England. All the people idolize him, and he is known to be a great man. He has become more identified with the history of England for the last forty years than any other man. Of course, he was to us Americans the great man of the country. Whenever I have read of Napoleon, I have had Wellington in my eye, and to see him was next to seeing the emperor. I never expected the pleasure, but here it is allotted me. He is quite an old man in his bearing and gait. He was dressed in a blue coat with metal buttons, wore his star and garter, and had on black tights and shoes. He had been to the opera, and then came to this party. Every one pays the most deferential homage to the old hero. Waterloo and its eventful scenes came directly before me, and I felt almost impatient for our visit to the battle-field.
A gentleman who knows the duke told us that he spends from four to five hours every morning at the Horse Guards in the performance of his duties as commander-in-chief. Although he looks so feeble in the drawing-room, he sits finely on his horse; and when I saw him riding down Piccadilly, he seemed to be full twenty years younger than he was the day before at the party.
We shall always be glad that we came to England in time to see "the duke," and if we live twenty or thirty years, it will be pleasant to say "I have seen the Duke of Wellington."
Yours affectionately,
george.
Letter 15.
London.
Dear Charley:—
I know how curious you are to hear all about the royal exhibition, so I shall do my best to give you such an account of our visits to it as may enable you to get a bird's eye view of the affair.
Almost as soon as I arrived, I determined upon securing season tickets for the boys, in order that they might not only see the pageant of the opening on the 1st of May, but also have frequent opportunities to attend the building and study its contents before the reduced prices should so crowd the palace as to render examination and study nearly impracticable. However, there came a report through all the daily papers that the queen had abandoned the idea of going in person to inaugurate the exhibition, and the sale of tickets flagged, and it was thought prices would be reduced below the three guineas, which had been the rate. I left London for a few days without purchasing, and on my return I called for four season tickets, when, to my surprise, I was told that, just an hour before, orders had been given from the board to raise them to four guineas. I at once purchased them, although I regarded the matter as an imposition. A few days after, Prince Albert revoked the action of the board, and orders were issued to refund the extra guinea to all who had purchased at the advanced price. This was easily ascertained by reference to the number on the ticket, and registered at purchase with the autograph of the proprietor. Of course, we saved our four guineas.
For several days before the 1st of May all London, I may say all England, and almost all the world was on tiptoe. Every man, woman, and child talked of "the Crystal Palace, the great exhibition, the queen, and prince Albert."
For a week or two there had been a succession of cold rain storms. Winter had lingered in the lap of April. Men were looking at the 1st of May with gloomy anticipations of hail, rain, snow, and sleet. Barometers were in demand. The 30th of April gave a hail storm! The 1st of May arrives—the day,—and lo!
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