of the London papers a letter
reflecting severely upon the failure of some of our Western States to
pay their debts. The letter concluded with these words: "And now an
American, present at this time in London, has deprived me of my last
means of support." One questioned a little whether the loan had not been
made for the sake of the pleasantry.

In the course of the visit already referred to, Mr. Smith promised that
we should receive cards for an entertainment which his daughter, Mrs.
Holland, was about to give. The cards were received, and we presented
ourselves at the party. Among the persons there introduced to us was
Mme. Van de Weyer, wife of the Belgian minister, and daughter of Joshua
Bates, formerly of Massachusetts, and in after years the founder of the
Public Library of Boston, in which one hall bears his name. Mr. Van de
Weyer, we were told, was on very friendly terms with the Prince Consort,
and his wife was often invited by the Queen.

The historian Grote and his wife also made our acquaintance. I
especially remember her appearance because it was, and was allowed to
be, somewhat _grote_sque. She was very tall and stout in proportion, and
was dressed on this occasion in a dark green or blue silk, with a
necklace of pearls about her throat. I gathered from what I heard that
hers was one of the marked personalities of that time in London society.

At this party Sydney Smith was constantly the centre of a group of
admiring friends. When we first entered the rooms, he said to us, "I am
so busy to-night that I can do nothing for you."

Later in the evening he found time to seek me out. "Mrs. Howe," said he,
"this is a rout. I like routs. Do you have routs in America?"

"We have parties like this in America," I replied, "but we do not call
them routs."

"What do you call them there?"

"We call them receptions."

This seemed to amuse him, and he said to some one who stood near us:--

"Mrs. Howe says that in America they call routs re-cep-tions."

He asked what I had seen in London so far. I replied that I had recently
visited the House of Lords, whereupon he remarked:--

"Mrs. Howe, your English is excellent. I have only heard you make one
mispronunciation. You have just said 'House of Lords.' We say 'House of
Lards.'" Some one near by said, "Oh, yes! the house is always addressed
as 'my luds and gentlemen.'"

When I repeated this to Horace Mann, it so vexed his gentle spirit as to
cause him to excla