need of free discussion of the
philosophical principles that underlie these tangled social
problems. The trials of Foote and Ramsey, too, for blasphemy,
seemed unworthy a great nation in the nineteenth century. Think of
well-educated men of good moral standing, thrown into prison in
solitary confinement for speaking lightly of the Hebrew idea of
Jehovah and the New Testament account of the birth of Jesus! Our
Protestant clergy never hesitate to make the dogmas and
superstitions of the Catholic church seem as absurd as possible,
and why should not those who imagine they have outgrown Protestant
superstitions make them equally ridiculous? Whatever is true can
stand investigation and ridicule.

The last of April, when the wild-flowers were in their glory, Mrs.
Mellen and her lovely daughter, Daisy, came down to Basingstoke to
enjoy its beauty. As Mrs. Mellen had known Charles Kingsley and
entertained him at her residence in Colorado, she felt a desire to
see his former home. Accordingly, one bright morning Mr. Blatch
drove us through Stralfieldsage over the grounds of the Duke of
Wellington, well stocked with fine cattle, sheep and deer. This
magnificent place was given him by the English government after the
battle of Waterloo. A lofty statue of the duke that can be seen for
miles around stands at the entrance. A drive of a few miles further
brought us to Eversley, the home of Canon Kingsley, where he
preached many years and where all that is mortal of him now lies
buried. We wandered through the old church, among the moss-covered
tombstones and into the once happy home, now silent and deserted,
his loved ones scattered in different quarters of the globe.
Standing near the last resting-place of the author of "Hypatia,"
his warning words for woman, in a letter to John Stuart Mill,
seemed like a voice from the clouds, saying with new inspiration
and power, "This will never be a good world for woman until the
last remnant of the canon law is civilized off the face of the
earth."

Mrs. Mellen's spacious home in Pembroke Gardens, Kensington, was
thrown open for her American friends in London to celebrate the
Fourth of July. A large number of our English acquaintances were
also present, who very kindly congratulated us on the stirring
events of that day in 1776. Of the Americans assembled, many
contributed to the general entertainment. Grace Greenwood, Miss
Rachel Foster, Miss Kate Hillard and Miss Mildred Conway gave
reci