ude. They are gayly, gently, and gladly travelling to the home of
industry. Among all the pleasant sights that every moment delighted us
none were more pleasant than the happy family groups, who, on every
side, "push along, keep moving." Just see that mechanic; he looks as
proud as a lord,--and why shouldn't he be?--with his wife leaning
trustingly, lovingly on his arm. He, good man, has thrown away the saw,
or plane, or any other tool of handicraft, and now his little boy--O,
the delight, the wonder in that boy's face!--is willingly dragged along.
Well, on we go,--driving across what you would call impassable streets,
and lo! we are wedged up in a crowd,--and such a crowd,--a crowd of all
nations.

At length we reach the palace gates; and there, who can tell the press
and strife for entrance. Long and nobly did the police struggle and
resist, but at length the outward pressure was omnipotent, and the full
tide of lucky ones with season tickets gained, entrance into, not the
palace, but the enclosure. Then came order,--breathing space,--tickets
were examined, and places assigned on cards, given as we entered into
the palace itself. We all obtained good positions--very good ones. This
was at eleven o'clock. At about a quarter to twelve, one standing near
to us remarked, "She will be to her time; she always is." And he was
right; for scarcely had he prophesied before a prolonged shouting told
that the queen was coming. "Plumes in the light wind dancing" were the
outward and visible signs of the Life Guards, who came gently trotting
up. Then came four carriages,--the coachmen and footmen of which were so
disguised with gold lace, and wigs, and hair powder, that their mothers
wouldn't have known them,--and then the queen--not robed and tricked
out like the queens in children's story books, so dreadful as to
resemble thunderbolts in petticoats; not hooped, and furbelowed, and
stomachered, and embroidered all over, as was Elizabeth; nor with a cap,
like Mary, Queen of Scots; not with eight horses prancing before the
queen's carriage, but in her private carriage, drawn by two horses. Off
went all hats. I wish you could have heard the cheering as the queen
entered the wondrous building. O, it was like "the voice of many
waters." Such deep, prolonged, hearty cheering I never, heard. As
Victoria entered, up went the standard of England, and never before did
its folds wave over such a scene. The entrance of majesty was the signal