ver tasted, only when you cut the duck you
have to look the other way, and take the first bite with your eyes shut,
because it has only run through the kitchen. And one would prefer to have
the terrapin alone in one's room, because of the bones--a greater test in
nice eating than the bunch of grapes which were given to the young diplomat
in the story book.

But to begin with, I have not told you of the cocktail! I had to have one.
You are handed it before anything else, while you are waiting for the soup,
and it tastes like ipecacuanha wine mixed with brandy and something bitter
and a touch of orange; but you have not swallowed it five minutes when you
feel you have not a care in the world and nothing matters. You can't think,
Mamma, how insidious and delightful--but of course I could not possibly
have drunk anything after it, and I was so surprised to see everyone else
swallowing champagne all through dinner; so I suppose it is a thing one
gets accustomed to.

Now I am very sleepy, so good-night, dear Mamma.

Kisses to my angels.

Your affectionate daughter,
ELIZABETH.

SPLEISTVILLE

SPLEISTVILLE,
_Up the Hudson_.

Dearest Mamma,--A whole week since we landed! and we are terribly amused
("terribly" is American for "much"); and do you know that describes almost
everything in comparison to at home. Everything is "colossalised"--events,
fortunes, accidents, climate, conversation, ambitions--everything is in the
extreme--all en-gros, not en-detail. They can't even have a tram run off a
line, which in England or France might kill one or two people, without its
making a holocaust of half a street full. Even in their hospitality they
are twice the size of other nations, simply too kind and generous for
words. They have loaded us with invitations; we have been out morning, noon
and night.

The thing which surprises me is they should still employ animals of normal
size; one would expect to see elephants and mammoths drawing the hansoms
and carts!

Now we are staying in a country palace with the family we met on the boat,
whom the Americans we know in England would not speak to; in fact, I am
sure they are rather hurt at our coming here; but Octavia says she prefers
to see something we do not see in England. The Van Verdens, and Courtfields
and Latours are almost like us, only they are richer and have better French
furniture. So she says she wants to see the others, the American Americans
we don't meet a