Village Life in America 1852-1872 Part 13

Canandaigua, _September_ 1.--A party of us went down to the Canandaigua hotel this morning to see President Johnson, General Grant and Admiral Farragut and other dignitaries. The train stopped about half an hour and they all gave brief speeches.

_September_ 2.--Rev. Darius Sackett preached for Dr. Daggett this evening.

1867

_July_ 27.--Col. James M. Bull was buried from the home of Mr. Alexander Howell to-day, as none of his family reside here now.

_November_ 13.--Our brother John and wife and baby Pearl have gone to London, England, to live.

_December_ 28.--A large party of Canandaiguans went over to Rochester last evening to hear Charles d.i.c.kens' lecture, and enjoyed it more than I can possibly express. He was quite hoa.r.s.e and had small bills distributed through the Opera House with the announcement:

MR. CHARLES d.i.c.kENS

Begs indulgence for a Severe Cold, but hopes its effects may not be very perceptible after a few minutes' Reading.

Friday, December 27th, 1867.

We brought these notices home with us for souvenirs. He looks exactly like his pictures. It was worth a great deal just to look upon the man who wrote Little Dorrit, David Copperfield and all the other books, which have delighted us so much. We hope that he will live to write a great many more. He spoke very appreciatively of his enthusiastic reception in this country and almost apologized for some of the opinions that he had expressed in his "American Notes," which he published, after his first visit here, twenty-five years ago. He evidently thinks that the United States of America are quite worth while.

1871

_August_ 6.--Under the auspices of the Y.M.C.A., Hon. George H. Stuart, President of the U. S. Christian Commission, spoke in an open air meeting on the square this afternoon and in our church this evening. The house was packed and such eloquence I never heard from mortal lips. He ought to be called the Whitefield of America. He told of the good the Christian Commission had done before the war and since. Such war stories I never heard. They took up a collection which must have amounted to hundreds of dollars.

1872

_Naples, June._--John has invited Aunt Ann Field, and James, his wife and me and Babe Abigail to come to England to make them a visit, and we expect to sail on the Baltic July sixth.

_On board S.S. Baltic, July_ 7.--We left New York yesterday under favorable circ.u.mstances. It was a beautiful summer day, flags were flying and everything seemed so joyful we almost forgot we were leaving home and native land. There were many pa.s.sengers, among them being Mr.

and Mrs. Anthony Drexel and U. S. Grant, Jr., who boarded the steamer from a tug boat which came down the bay alongside when we had been out half an hour. President Grant was with him and stood on deck, smoking the proverbial cigar. We were glad to see him and the pa.s.sengers gave him three cheers and three times three, with the greatest enthusiasm.

_Liverpool, July_ 16.--We arrived here to-day, having been just ten days on the voyage. There were many clergymen of note on board, among them, Rev. John H. Vincent, D.D., eminent in the Methodist Episcopal Church, who is preparing International Sunday School lessons. He sat at our table and Philip Phillips also, who is a noted evangelistic singer. They held services both Sabbaths, July 7 and 15, in the grand saloon of the steamer, and also in the steerage where the text was "And they willingly received him into the ship." The immigrants listened eagerly, when the minister urged them all to "receive Jesus." We enjoyed several evening literary entertainments, when it was too cold or windy to sit on deck.

We had the most luscious strawberries at dinner to-night, that I ever ate. So large and red and ripe, with the hulls on and we dipped them in powdered sugar as we ate them, a most appetizing way.

_London, July_ 17.--On our way to London to-day I noticed beautiful flower beds at every station, making our journey almost a path of roses.

In the fields, men and women both, were harvesting the hay, making picturesque scenes, for the sky was cloudless and I was reminded of the old hymn, commencing

"Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood, Stand dressed in living green."

We performed the journey from Liverpool to London, a distance of 240 miles, in five hours. John, Laura and little Pearl met us at Euston Station, and we were soon whirled away in cabs to 24 Upper Woburn Place, Tavistock Square, John's residence. Dinner was soon ready, a most bountiful repast. We spent the remainder of the day visiting and enjoying ourselves generally. It seemed so good to be at the end of the journey, although we had only two days of really unpleasant weather on the voyage. John and Laura are so kind and hospitable. They have a beautiful home, lovely children and apparently every comfort and luxury which this world can afford.

_Sunday, July_ 22.--We went to Spurgeon's Tabernacle this morning to listen to this great preacher, with thousands of others. I had never looked upon such a sea of faces before, as I beheld from the gallery where we sat. The pulpit was underneath one gallery, so there seemed as many people over the preacher's head, as there were beneath and around him and the singing was as impressive as the sermon. I thought of the hymn, "Hark ten thousand harps and voices, Sound the notes of praise above." Mr. Spurgeon was so lame from rheumatism that he used two canes and placed one knee on a chair beside him, when preaching. His text was "And there shall be a new heaven and a new earth." I found that all I had heard of his eloquence was true.

_Sunday, July_ 29.--We have spent the entire week sightseeing, taking in Hyde Park, Windsor Castle, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London and British Museum. We also went to Madame Tussaud's exhibition of wax figures and while I was looking in the catalogue for the number of an old gentleman who was sitting down apparently asleep, he got up and walked away! We drove to Sydenham ten miles from London, to see the Crystal Palace which Abbie called the "Christmas Palace." Mr.

Alexander Howell and Mr. Henry Chesebro of Canandaigua are here and came to see us to-day.

_August_ 13.--Amid the whirl of visiting, shopping and sightseeing in this great city, my diary has been well nigh forgotten. The descriptive letters to home friends have been numerous and knowing that they would be preserved, I thought perhaps they would do as well for future reference as a diary kept for the same purpose, but to-day, as St.

Pancras' bell was tolling and a funeral procession going by, we heard by cable of the death of our dear, dear Grandmother, the one who first encouraged us to keep a journal of daily deeds, and who was always most interested in all that interested us and now I cannot refrain if I would, from writing down at this sad hour, of all the grief that is in my heart. I sorrow not for her. She has only stepped inside the temple-gate where she has long been waiting for the Lord's entrance call. I weep for ourselves that we shall see her dear face no more. It does not seem possible that we shall never see her again on this earth.

She took such an interest in our journey and just as we started I put my dear little Abigail Beals Clarke in her lap to receive her parting blessing. As we left the house she sat at the front window and saw us go and smiled her farewell.

_August_ 20.--Anna has written how often Grandmother prayed that "He who holds the winds in his fists and the waters in the hollow of his hands, would care for us and bring us to our desired haven." She had received one letter, telling of our safe arrival and how much we enjoyed going about London, when she was suddenly taken ill and Dr. Hayes said she could never recover. Anna's letter came, after ten days, telling us all the sad news, and how Grandmother looked out of the window the last night before she was taken ill, and up at the moon and stars and said how beautiful they were. Anna says, "How can I ever write it? Our dear little Grandmother died on my bed to-day."

_August_ 30.--John, Laura and their nurse and baby John, Aunt Ann Field and I started Tuesday on a trip to Scotland, going first to Glasgow where we remained twenty-four hours. We visited the Cathedral and were about to go down into the crypt when the guide told us that Gen. Sherman of U.S.A. was just coming in. We stopped to look at him and felt like telling him that we too were Americans. He was in good health and spirits, apparently, and looked every inch a soldier with his cloak a-la-militaire around him. We visited the Lochs and spent one night at Inversnaid on Loch Lomond and then went on up Loch Katrine to the Trossachs. When we took the little steamer, John said, "All aboard for Naples," it reminded him so much of Canandaigua Lake. We arrived safely in Edinburgh the next day by rail and spent four days in that charming city, so beautiful in situation and in every natural advantage. We saw the window from whence John Knox addressed the populace and we also visited the Castle on the hill. Then we went to Melrose and visited the Abbey and also Abbotsford, the residence of Sir Walter Scott. We went through the rooms and saw many curios and paintings and also the library. Sir Walter's chair at his desk was protected by a rope, but Laura, nothing daunted, lifted the baby over it and seated him there for a moment saying "I am sure, now, he will be clever." We continued our journey that night and arrived in London the next morning.

_Ventnor, Isle of Wight, September_ 9.--Aunt Ann, Laura's sister, Florentine Arnold, nurse and two children, Pearl and Abbie, and I are here for three weeks on the seash.o.r.e.

_September_ 16.--We have visited all the neighboring towns, the graves of the Dairyman's daughter and little Jane, the young cottager, and the scene of Leigh Richmond's life and labors. We have enjoyed bathing in the surf, and the children playing in the sands and riding on the donkeys.

We have very pleasant rooms, in a house kept by an old couple, Mr. and Mrs. Tuddenham, down on the esplanade. They serve excellent meals in a most homelike way. We have an abundance of delicious milk and cream which they tell me comes from "Cowes"!

_London, September_ 30.--Anna has come to England to live with John for the present. She came on the Adriatic, arriving September 24. We are so glad to see her once more and will do all in our power to cheer her in her loneliness.

_Paris, October_ 18.--John, Laura, Aunt Ann and I, nurse and baby, arrived here to-day for a few days' visit. We had rather a stormy pa.s.sage on the Channel. I asked one of the seamen the name of the vessel and he answered me "The H'Albert H'Edward, Miss!" This information must have given me courage, for I was perfectly sustained till we reached Calais, although nearly every one around me succ.u.mbed.

_October_ 22.--We have driven through the Bois de Boulogne, visited Pere la Chaise, the Morgue, the ruins of the Tuileries, which are left just as they were since the Commune. We spent half a day at the Louvre without seeing half of its wonders. I went alone to a photographer's, Le Jeune, to be "taken" and had a funny time. He queried "Parlez-vous Francais?" I shook my head and asked him "Parlez-vous Anglaise?" at which query he shrugged his shoulders and shook his head! I ventured to tell him by signs that I would like my picture taken and he held up two sizes of pictures and asked me "Le cabinet, le vignette?" I held up my fingers, to tell him I would like six of each, whereupon he proceeded to make ready and when he had seated me, he made me understand that he hoped I would sit perfectly still, which I endeavored to do. After the first sitting, he showed displeasure and let me know that I had swayed to and fro. Another attempt was more satisfactory and he said "Tres bien, Madame," and I gave him my address and departed.

_October_ 26.--My photographs have come and all p.r.o.nounce them indeed "tres bien." We visited the Tomb of Napoleon to-day.

_October_ 27.--We attended service to-day at the American Chapel and I enjoyed it more than I can ever express. After hearing a foreign tongue for the past ten days, it seemed like getting home to go into a Presbyterian church and hear a sermon from an American pastor. The singing in the choir was so homelike, that when they sang "Awake my soul to joyful lays and sing thy great Redeemer's praise," it seemed to me that I heard a well known tenor voice from across the sea, especially in the refrain "His loving kindness, oh how free." The text was "As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings, so the Lord did lead him and there was no strange G.o.d with him." Deut. 32: 11. It was a wonderful sermon and I shall never forget it. On our way home, we noticed the usual traffic going on, building of houses, women were standing in their doors knitting and there seemed to be no sign of Sunday keeping, outside of the church.

_London, October_ 31.--John and I returned together from Paris and now I have only a few days left before sailing for home. There was an Englishman here to-day who was bragging about the beer in England being so much better than could be made anywhere else. He said, "In America, you have the 'ops, I know, but you haven't the Thames water, you know."

I suppose that would make a vast difference!

_Sunday, November_ 3.--We went to hear Rev. Dr. Joseph Parker preach at Exeter Hall. He is a new light, comparatively, and bids fair to rival Spurgeon and Newman Hall and all the rest. He is like a lion and again like a lamb in the pulpit.

_Liverpool, November_ 6.--I came down to Liverpool to-day with Abbie and nurse, to sail on the Baltic, to-morrow. There were two Englishmen in our compartment and hearing Abbie sing "I have a Father in the Promised Land," they asked her where her Father lived and she said "In America,"

and told them she was going on the big ship to-morrow to see him. Then they turned to me and said they supposed I would be glad to know that the latest cable from America was that U. S. Grant was elected for his second term as President of the United States. I a.s.sured them that I was very glad to hear such good news.

_November_ 9.--I did not know any of the pa.s.sengers when we sailed, but soon made pleasant acquaintances. Near me at table are Mr. and Mrs.

Sykes from New York and in course of conversation I found that she as well as myself, was born in Penn Yan, Yates County, New York, and that her parents were members of my Father's church, which goes to prove that the world is not so very wide after all. Abbie is a great pet among the pa.s.sengers and is being pa.s.sed around from one to another from morning till night. They love to hear her sing and coax her to say "Grace" at table. She closes her eyes and folds her hands devoutly and says, "For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful." They all say "Amen" to this, for they are fearful that they will not perhaps be "thankful" when they finish!

_November_ 15.--I have been on deck every day but one, and not missed a single meal. There was a terrible storm one night and the next morning I told one of the numerous clergymen, that I took great comfort in the night, thinking that nothing could happen with so many of the Lord's anointed, on board. He said that he wished he had thought of that, for he was frightened almost to death! We have sighted eleven steamers and on Wednesday we were in sight of the banks of Newfoundland all the afternoon, our course being unusually northerly and we encountered no fogs, contrary to the expectation of all. Every one p.r.o.nounces the voyage pleasant and speedy for this time of year.

_Naples, N. Y., November_ 20.--We arrived safely in New York on Sunday.

Abbie spied her father very quickly upon the dock as we slowly came up and with glad and happy hearts we returned his "Welcome home." We spent two days in New York and arrived home safe and sound this evening.

_November_ 21.--My thirtieth birthday, which we, a reunited family, are spending happily together around our own fireside, pleasant memories of the past months adding to the joy of the hour.

From the _New York Evangelist_ of August 15, 1872, by Rev. Samuel Pratt, D.D.