tly edified by the sermon, which was on the text: "Hitherto hath the
Lord helped us." In the afternoon we decided to go to Westminster Abbey.
It began to rain soon after we got out, and we had a two miles' walk
through the mud. The old abbey looked as much like its picture as it
could, but pictures can not give a true idea of the grandeur of such a
building. We were a little late, and every seat was full and many were
standing, as we had to do through the whole service. The sermon struck
me as a very ordinary affair, though it was delivered by a lord. But the
music was so sweet, performed for aught I know by angel--for the choir
was invisible--and we stood surrounded by such monuments and covered by
such a roof, that we were not quite throwing away our time. Albert B----
dined with us, and in the evening, with one accord, we went to hear Dr.
Hamilton again. We had good seats and heard a most beautiful as well as
edifying discourse on the first verses of the 103d Psalm. Some of the
images were very fine, and the whole tone of the sermon was moderate,
sensible, and serious. I use these words advisedly, for I had an
impression that he was a flowery, popular man whom I should not relish.
At the close of the service a little prayer-meeting of half an hour was
held, and we came home satisfied with our first English Sunday, feeling
some of our restless cravings already quieted as only contact with God's
own people could quiet them.

_11th._--Went to see the Crystal Palace. It proved a fine day, and we
took M. with us. None of us felt quite well, but we enjoyed this new and
beautiful scene for all that. It is a little fairy land.

_14th._--Went to Westminster Abbey, and spent some time there. On coming
out we made a rapid, but quite amusing passage through several courts
where we saw numerous great personages in stiff little gray wigs. To my
untrained, irreverent eyes they all looked perfectly funny. George was
greatly interested and edified. It has been raining and shining by turns
all day, and is this evening very cold.

_15th._--Another of those days which the English so euphoniously term
"_nasty_." Not knowing what else to do with it, we set off in search of
No. 5 Sermon Lane, a house connected with a stereoscopic establishment
in Paris, which we reached after many evolutions and convolutions, and
found it to be a wholesale concern only. Pitying us for the trouble we
had been at in seeking them, they let us have what views