Life of Harriet Beecher Stowe _

d.-A Glasgow Tea-Party.-Edinburgh Hospitality.-Aberdeen.-Dundee and Birmingham.-Josep

wards with her brother alone over much of the Continent, was one of unusual interest. No one was more sur

and we are thus able to receive her own impressions of what she saw, heard, and did, under circumstance

l, April

me assure you, my dears, in the very commencement of the matter, th

weighs her anchor, set your house, that is to say your stateroom, as much in order as if you were going to be hanged; place everything in the most convenient position to be seized without trouble at a moment's notice; for be sure that

d the whole time from side to side with a steady, dizzy, continuous motion, like a great cradle. I had a new sympathy for babies, poor little t

uggage was all set out, and passed through a rapid examination, which in many cases amounted only t

waiting in the cabin to take us with him to their hospitable abode. In a few moments after the baggage had been examine

e not so dingy and muddy. As we are sailing up in the tend

ake this riv

-stander, "don'

of mercy is

uch to my astonishment, I found quite a crowd on the wharf, and we walked up to ou

stood very quietly, and looked very kindly, though evidently very much determined to look.

ful little retreat, on the banks of the Mersey, called the "Dingle." It opened to my eyes like a paradise, all wearied as I was with the tossing

ed at the dinner table. While dining, the sister-in-law of our friends came in from the next door

ea of what the English mean by a breakfast, and therefore went in all innocence, supposing I should see nobody but the family circle of my acquaintances. Quite to my astonishment, I found a party of between thirty and for

ery cause. When I was going away, the lady of the house said that the servants wer

from a sick gentleman, who, from the retirement of his chamber, felt a desire to testify his sympathy. We left Liverpool with hearts a little tremulous and excited by the vi

e Englishman to tell us anything about the country! Just like the six

oking out, first on his own side and then on ours, called our attention to every visible thing. If he had been appointed on a mission of in

Redgauntlet. The sun went down and night drew on; still we were in Scotland. Scotch ballads, Scotch tunes, and Scotch literature were in t

Mr. S.; "don't get

n a lifetime; do let us have the comfort of it. We sh

ere was quite a number of people collected, peering into the window; and with a strange kind of thrill, I heard my name inquired for in the Scottish ac

they were, even down to little G., whom they took to be my son. Was it not pleasant, when I had a heart so warm for

mit other awkwardnesses, from not knowing how to play my part, yet I fancied, after all, that Scotland and we were coming on well together. Who the good souls were

many. Warm greetings, kindly words. A crowd parting in the middle, through which we were conduc

'clock when I found myself in a warm, cosy parlor, with friends whom I have ever since been glad to remember. In a li

ry, and scarce could the charms of th

that it is to his suggestion in a public meeting tha

children, the youngest of whom was the bearer of a handsomely bound album, containing

noon to read and answer them in the shortest manner; letters from all classes of people, high and low, rich and poor, in all shades and styles of composition, poetr

friendship, invitations of all descriptions to go everywhere, and to see everything, and to stay in so many places. One kind

l thought on each. People have often said to me that it must have been an exceeding bore. For m

The lord provost answers to the lord mayor in England. His title and off

and I went in the carriage with them. Our carriage stopped at last at the place. I have a dim remembrance of a way being made for us through a great crowd all round the house, and of going with Mrs. Wardlaw up into a dressing-room where I met and shook hands with many friendly people. Then we passed into a gallery, where a seat was reserved for our party, directly in front of the audience. Our friend Bailie Paton presided. Mrs. Wardlaw and I sat together, and around us many friends, chiefly ministers of the different churches, the ladies and gentlemen of the

I could not help wondering what sort of a teapot that must be in which all this tea for two thousand people was made. Truly, as Hadji Baba says, I think they must have had the "father of all

t of all the people. By we, I mean a great number of ministers and their wives, and ladies of the Anti-Slavery

ses of the seventy-second psa

incident. Now we were shown the remains of old Cardross Castle, where it was said Robert Bruce breathed his last. And now

to see me any day. Such a flattering evidence of discriminating taste, of course, disposed my heart towards him; but when I went up and put my hand into his great prairie of a palm, I was as a grasshopper in my own eyes

and Lady Anderson. About this time I commenced my first essay towards giving titles, and made, as you may suppose, rather an odd piece of work of it, generally saying "Mrs." first, and "Lady" afterwa

ng, and waving their handkerchiefs, and the carriage was several times stopped by persons who came to offer flowers. I remember, in particular, a

country was at about the same time as that of Fulton in America. Mrs. Bell came to the carriage to speak to us. She is a venerable woman, far advanced in

nor the great, but the plain, common people. The butcher came out of his stall and the baker from his shop, the miller dusty with flour, the blooming, comely

walked on. It seems the honest landlord and his wife were greatly disappointed at this; however, t

ne, to a most delightful family, a gray-headed father and mother, with comely brothers and fair sisters, all look

how much may be done by a work of fiction so written as to enlist those sympathies which are common to all classes. Certainly a great deal may be effected in this way, if God gives to any one the power, as I h

You will not be surprised that the next day I fou

e that was satisfactory we were able to give in return. Again we were in the railroad car on our way to Edinburgh. A pleasant two

ong the dense moving crowd, as white doves seen against a dark cloud. Mr. S. and myself, and our future hostess, Mrs. Wigham, entered the carriage with the lord provost, and away we drove, the crowd following with their shouts and cheers. I was inexpressibly touched and affected by this. While we were passing th

itals, and through many of the principal streets, amid shouts, and smiles, and greetings.

f them, "that's he

nt, I suppose the urchins thought they were on safe ground there. I certainly think I answered one good purpose that day, and that is of giving the much-oppresse

yard, and we alighted at a porch covered with

dy is considerate; a great deal to say when there appears to be so much excitement. Everybody seems to understand how good-for-nothing I am; and yet, with

tea-party here. How in the world I am

I may mention a very kind and beautiful one from the Duchess of Sutherland, and one also from the Earl of Carlisle, both desiring to make appointments for meeting us as soon as we com

lion, into the hands of my keepers. Whenever the time comes for me to do anything, I try to behave as

ntlemen and ladies. When we go in, the cheering, clapping, and stamping at first strikes one with a strange sensation; but then everybody looks so heartily pleased and delighted, and there is such an all-pervading atmos

given in the smallest sums, often from the extreme poverty of the giver. The committee who collected it in Edinburgh and Glasgow bore witness to the willingness with which the very poo

nnot read, my son has read it to me,

sing that of the rich. Nor do I mourn that they took it from their slender store, because I know that a penny

fore the speeches were ended. Well, of course I did not

and that over the other side was Norway, within a day's sail of us, gave it a strange, romantic charm. It was towards the close of the afternoon that we found ourselves crossing the Dee, in view of Aberdeen. My spirits were wonderfully elated: the grand scenery and fine, bracing

e Dee attracted our particular attention. We were conducted to the house of Mr. Cruikshank, a Friend, and found waiting for us there the thoughtful hospitality which we had ever experienced

at we enjoyed the meeting with great zest. I was surrounded on the stage with blooming young ladies, one of whom put into my hands a beautiful bouquet, some flowers of which I have now, dried, in my album. The refreshment tables were adorned with

peakers contrived to blend enthusiastic admiration

to the supper-table for a little more chat before going to bed. The next morning-as we had only till noon to stay in Abe

rdeen, among crowds of friends, to wh

ng of the inhabitants to exchange greetings, and afterwards, at successive stati

t in the carriage with the lord provost, Mr. Thoms, to his resid

een. When they came to sing the closing hymn, I hoped they would sing Dundee; but they did not, and I fea

hing could give us greater pleasure, had we time or strength. The next day we had a few calls to make, and an invitation from Lady Drummond to visit classic Hawthornden, which, however, we had not time to accept. In the forenoon, Mr. S. and I called on Lord and Lady G

mination to plunge at once into some hidden and unknown spot, where we might spend two or three days quietly by ourselves; and remembering your Sunday at Stratford-on-Avon, I proposed that we should go there. As Stratford, however, is off the railroad lin

instinct; and so, after we reached the depot, we told him to sally out and try. Sure enough, in a few moments he pitched upon a cheerful, middle-aged gentleman, with a moderate but not decisive broad brim to his hat, and challenged him as Mr. Sturge. The result verified the tr

ement, and manners of great gentleness. My ideas of the "learned blacksmith" had been of something altogether more ponderous and peremptory. Elihu has been for some years operating, in England and on the Continent, in a movement which many in our half-Christianized times regard wi

ion which has, ever since the days of Clarkson, more or less deeply occupied the minds of abolitionists in England. I should say that Mr. Sturge in his family has for many years conscientiously forborne the use of any article produced by slave labor. I could scarcely believe

a plate of the largest, finest strawberries I have ever seen, which, considering t

very commencement of the agitation under Clarkson and Wilberforce. The windows of the parlor were opened to the ground; and the company invited filled not only the room, but stood in

ngham we had the pleasure of the company of Elihu Burritt, and en

ou more anon. Mrs. B. received us with every attention which the most thoughtful hospitality could suggest. One of the first things she said to me after we got into our room was, "Oh, we are so glad you have come! for we are all going to the lord mayor

ch was offered me in the agreeable vicinity of the lady mayoress, s

ucing himself as Lord Chief Baron Pollock. He told me he had just been reading the legal part of the "Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin," a

n o'clock, and we were conducted into a

or was simply dressed in black, without any other adornment than a massive gold chain. We rose from table between eleven and twelve o'clock-that is, we ladies-and went into the drawing-room, where I was presented to Mrs. Dickens and several other ladies. M

oments of very pleasant, friendly conversation with Mr. Dickens. They are bo

to take his seat in the House of Commons, and the rest of th

friends, "and make a night of it." "With all my heart," re

s as of clothes, and slip from one into the other! But we, not used to the London