who
holds the winds in his fists and the waters in the hollow of his hands,
would care for us and bring us to our desired haven." She had received
one letter, telling of our safe arrival and how much we enjoyed going
about London, when she was suddenly taken ill and Dr. Hayes said she
could never recover. Anna's letter came, after ten days, telling us all
the sad news, and how Grandmother looked out of the window the last
night before she was taken ill, and up at the moon and stars and said
how beautiful they were. Anna says, "How can I ever write it? Our dear
little Grandmother died on my bed to-day."
_August_ 30.--John, Laura and their nurse and baby John, Aunt Ann Field
and I started Tuesday on a trip to Scotland, going first to Glasgow
where we remained twenty-four hours. We visited the Cathedral and were
about to go down into the crypt when the guide told us that Gen. Sherman
of U.S.A. was just coming in. We stopped to look at him and felt like
telling him that we too were Americans. He was in good health and
spirits, apparently, and looked every inch a soldier with his cloak
a-la-militaire around him. We visited the Lochs and spent one night at
Inversnaid on Loch Lomond and then went on up Loch Katrine to the
Trossachs. When we took the little steamer, John said, "All aboard for
Naples," it reminded him so much of Canandaigua Lake. We arrived safely
in Edinburgh the next day by rail and spent four days in that charming
city, so beautiful in situation and in every natural advantage. We saw
the window from whence John Knox addressed the populace and we also
visited the Castle on the hill. Then we went to Melrose and visited the
Abbey and also Abbotsford, the residence of Sir Walter Scott. We went
through the rooms and saw many curios and paintings and also the
library. Sir Walter's chair at his desk was protected by a rope, but
Laura, nothing daunted, lifted the baby over it and seated him there for
a moment saying "I am sure, now, he will be clever." We continued our
journey that night and arrived in London the next morning.
_Ventnor, Isle of Wight, September_ 9.--Aunt Ann, Laura's sister,
Florentine Arnold, nurse and two children, Pearl and Abbie, and I are
here for three weeks on the seashore.
_September_ 16.--We have visited all the neighboring towns, the graves
of the Dairyman's daughter and little Jane, the young cottager, and the
scene of Leigh Richmond's life and labors. We have enjoyed bathing in
the
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