admire the beauties of the noble Central Park
in the dead of winter? Perhaps, too, I was not in a good humour to
judge of New York, as it was there that I met with my first and only
misfortune during my two years' absence from home. For there I was
robbed.

I had been strongly urged by my friends at Rochester to go to Booth's
Theatre to see Mr. Booth play in 'Richelieu,' as a thing not to be
seen in the same perfection anywhere else. I went accordingly, enjoyed
Booth's admirable acting, and returned to my hotel. When I reached
there, on feeling my pocket, lo! my purse was gone! I had been
relieved of it either in the press at the theatre exit, or in entering
or leaving the tramway car on my return.

I had my ticket for Liverpool safe in my waistcoat pocket; but there
was my hotel bill to pay, and several necessaries to purchase for use
during the voyage home. What was I to do? I knew nobody in New York.
It was too far from home to obtain a remittance from thence, and I was
anxious to leave without further delay. I bethought me of the kind
friends I had left at Rochester, acquainted them with my misfortune,
and asked for a temporary loan of twenty dollars. By return post an
order arrived for a hundred. "A friend in need is a friend indeed."

The same post brought two letters from my Rochester friends, in one of
which my correspondent said that my misfortune was one that few
escaped in New York. He himself had been robbed of his purse in a
Broadway stage; his father had been robbed of a pocket-book containing
money; and his father-in-law of a gold watch. My other kind
correspondent, who enclosed me his cheque, said, by way of caution,
"You must bear in mind that the principal streets of New York are
full of pickpockets and desperadoes. They will recognize you as a
stranger, so you must be wary. You may be 'spotted' as you go into or
come out of the banking office. It often happens that a man is robbed
in Wall Street in open day,--is knocked down and his money 'grabbed'
before his eyes. So be very careful and trust nobody. Go alone to the
banking office, or get a trusty servant from the house to go with you.
But let no outsider see cheque or money."

Of course I took very good care not to be robbed in New York a second
time, and I got away from it in safety next morning by the 'City of
Brooklyn,' taking with me the above very disagreeable reminiscence of
my New York experience. It is not necessary to describe the voya