, here in England, all paper money paid into the
bank is destroyed, and new issued in its stead, and that this
accounts for our clean, crisp, and undilapidated notes. I wish the
same plan held over the water.

I had forgotten the copper coins. These are one cent, two cents, and
five cent pieces. The last is covered over with some nickel
composition, so that it looks like silver. Side by side with the ten
cent silver piece, the five cent nickel bit looks the more valuable,
and it takes time to realize it is only worth half the other. The
five cent piece is often called "a nickel," the ten cent piece "a
dime."

Out far west the copper coinage is not current under five cents. When
at "San Francisco," I found that nothing was sold under that amount,
which is, of course, 2 1/2_d._ The poor there take two or three of
any cheap thing to make up the sum. Not only did the storekeepers
there _not_ think it inconvenient, they regretted the time in the
gold fever days when ten cents was the lowest tender, and if I
remember right, when that splendid city was in its first infancy
(i.e. gold in California was first discovered) nothing could be
bought under 25 cents, or one shilling!

It is a great mistake to suppose America is a cheap country. It may
be, nay often is, a good country to make money in for the very reason
that things are _not_ cheap, but it is, a very dear country to live
in, and, take it all in all, the dearest I have ever visited. It is
well that this all-important fact should be known, for numbers of
emigrants go out, deceived by agents in London, with quite a contrary
opinion. But still the broad fact requires qualification. Some few
things are cheaper than in England or the continent, but most are far
dearer. Food of some sorts is cheaper--notably meat--in many places
less than half the price it is here. Bread, beer, and liquors much
the same. Preserved provisions are a little dearer. Vegetables,
perhaps, are cheaper. But all other necessaries of life are two or
three times their cost here. Clothing is very dear. Furniture more
reasonable. Crockery, three times the home price, and everything else
that is wanted in a house exceeds by much what it would cost here.
Travelling is far more expensive, but more on this head farther on.
The truth is as follows:--If a man or family live in the States in an
out-of-the-way place, and are content so to live without the comforts
of life, nothing but the bare necessaries, the