ut they do knock it about cruelly. I think every trunk we have
is already broken.

I must leave off, as I am going out for a walk in a bright sunlight and
a complete break-up of the frost and snow. I am much better than I have
been during the last week, but have a cold.

[Sidenote: Miss Dickens.]

WESTMINSTER HOTEL, IRVING PLACE, NEW YORK CITY,
_Thursday, Dec. 26th, 1867._

I got your aunt's last letter at Boston yesterday, Christmas Day
morning, when I was starting at eleven o'clock to come back to this
place. I wanted it very much, for I had a frightful cold (English colds
are nothing to those of this country), and was exceedingly depressed and
miserable. Not that I had any reason but illness for being so, since the
Bostonians had been quite astounding in their demonstrations. I never
saw anything like them on Christmas Eve. But it is a bad country to be
unwell and travelling in; you are one of say a hundred people in a
heated car, with a great stove in it, and all the little windows closed,
and the hurrying and banging about are indescribable. The atmosphere is
detestable, and the motion often all but intolerable. However, we got
our dinner here at eight o'clock, and plucked up a little, and I made
some hot gin punch to drink a merry Christmas to all at home in. But it
must be confessed that we were both very dull. I have been in bed all
day until two o'clock, and here I am now (at three o'clock) a little
better. But I am not fit to read, and I must read to-night. After
watching the general character pretty closely, I became quite sure that
Dolby was wrong on the length of the stay and the number of readings we
had proposed in this place. I am quite certain that it is one of the
national peculiarities that what they want must be difficult of
attainment. I therefore a few days ago made a _coup d'etat_, and altered
the whole scheme. We shall go to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington,
also some New England towns between Boston and this place, away to the
falls of Niagara, and off far west to Chicago and St. Louis, before
coming back for ten farewell readings here, preceded by farewells at
Boston, leaving Canada altogether. This will not prolong the list beyond
eighty-four readings, the exact original number, and will, please God,
work it all out in April. In my next, I daresay, I shall be able to send
the exact list, so that you may know every day where we