ourt for two hours, receiving each as introduced,
and having to say something pretty to him. Mr. Weld (of Lulworth),
married to a rich Baltimorean, takes to me monstrously, and with Mr.
President Gilman is going to manage a Reading here for me on my return
from the South. He took me after the great event to the Maryland Club
(making me a member for a month), and we had a glass of wine together,
meeting again several of the bigwigs migrated like ourselves for
something better than iced-water! for the odd thing is that, although
the eating luxuries were profuse at this grand banquet,--whole salmons,
bolsters of truffled turkey, oysters in every form, and plenty of
terrapines, canvas-back ducks, and other costly comestibles,--not a drop
of anything but water (except indeed tea and coffee) was to be had, the
excuse being that at least some of the party would be sure to take too
much; so all are mulcted for a few as usual." But my American journals
are full of that sort of thing, and this honest extract may serve as a
sample. I never guessed how crowded up by popularities a poor author may
be till I had crossed the Atlantic and reaped the kindness of Greater
Britain.

After all this, I went down South,--where I have seen brilliant
humming-birds flying about, some two or three days after I had waded
through deep snow northwards; my chief host, and a right worthy one,
being a good cousin, S.Y. Tupper, President of the Chamber of Commerce
at Charleston, S.C. With him and his I had what is called over there a
good time, and indited several poetical pieces under his hospitable
roof, in particular "Temperance" (see a former page). Also I wrote there
another stave of mine which caused great discussion in the States,
because I, reputed a Liberian and Emancipator, was supposed to have
recanted and turned to be South instead of North; but I was only just
and true, according to my lights. Here is the peccant stave, only to be
found in Charleston and other American papers of February 1877,
therefore will I give it here:--

_To the South_.

"The world has misjudged you, mistrusted, maligned you,
And should be quick to make honest amends;
Let me then speak of you just as I find you,
Humbly and heartily, cousins and friends!
Let us remember your wrongs and your trials,
Slander'd and plunder'd and crush'd to the dust,
Draining adversity's bitterest vials,
Patient in courage and strong in good