t reputation; not merely
Maxwell Point canvas-back ducks, but the famous Terrapin also, lend
their aid to the enjoyment of the inner man. In fact, so famous is the
Terrapin, that a wicked wag detailed to me an account of a highly
improper scene which he said took place once in the Episcopal Church
here, viz., a gentleman who had a powerful voice and generally led the
responses, had his heart and mind so full of the luscious little animal,
that by a sad fatality he substituted "Terrapin" for "Seraphin" in the
response; and so far was any one from remarking it, that the whole
congregation repeated the mistake after him. The curly twinkle in the
eye with which my friend told me the story, leaves an impression in my
mind that it may be an exaggeration.

While here, I observed a play-bill with "The White Slave of England"
printed on it, evidently intended as a set-off against the dramatizing
of "Uncle Tom" in London, at some of our penny theatres. Of course I
went to see it, and never laughed more in all my life.

The theatre was about the size of a six-stalled stable, and full of
rowdies, &c.--no ladies; our party had a private-box. The tragedy opens
by revealing the under-ground of a coal-pit in England, where is seen a
fainting girl, &c. &c.: the girl is, of course, well licked by a driver;
an explosion takes place; dead and dying bodies are heaped together,
the driver says, "D---- 'em, let 'em lie; we'll get plenty more from the
poor-house." These mines belong to a Lord Overstone; an American arrives
with a negro servant, whom he leaves to seek his own amusement. He then
calls on Lord Overstone, and obtains permission to visit the mines;
there he finds the girl alluded to above all but dying, and, of course,
rescues her. In the meantime, the nigger calls on Lord Overstone as a
foreign prince, is immensely _feted_, the Duchess of Southernblack and
her friend Lady Cunning are invited to meet his Royal Highness; the
rescued girl is claimed as a slave by Lord Overstone; philanthropic
Jonathan, after some difficulty, succeeds in keeping her, having first
ordered Lord Overstone's servants to the right-about with all the
swagger of a northern negro-driver. It appears that Jonathan was
formerly a boy in the mines himself, and had conceived an affection for
this girl. Lord Overstone finds out that Jonathan has papers requisite
for him to prove his right to his property; he starts with his family
for America, to visit him on his