own, on the Press, and
we soon found ourselves in an enormous hall about 100 feet by 80,
nearly filled by a very intelligent-looking audience. A man near us told
us that Mr. Saxe had a European reputation, which made us feel much
ashamed of our ignorance, in never having heard of him before, and,
unhappily, we came away no wiser than we went as regards the merits of
his poetry; for though our seats were near him, there was something
either in the form of the hall, or in the nature of his voice and
pronunciation, which made us unable to hear what he said. There were
bursts of laughter and applause at times from the audience, but we took
the first opportunity of leaving.

As we walked home, we passed a brilliantly-lighted confectioner's shop,
where we each had an ice, but they were too sweet, and after eating and
criticising them, we came to another confectioner's, when papa insisted
upon going in, and ordered two more ices, which were very good. We were
presented here with filtered water, the usual drinking water in this
town being something of the colour of dingy lemonade, though its taste
is good.

We purpose going to-morrow.... I turn to ask papa where--and he shakes
his head, and says he does not know. On my pressing for a more distinct
answer, he says, "Up the Missouri at all events." This sounds vague,
but I believe before night we shall be on our way to Chicago, and shall
thus have taken leave of the "far west." And now I must take my leave of
you for the present, though I fear this is but a dull chapter of the
journal.

FOOTNOTES:

[11] As an instance of the ingenious devices used to save labour in this
country, we may mention a machine for paring apples, which we bought in
the streets at Boston for twenty cents, or about 10_d._ English. By
turning a handle it can perform, simultaneously, the operations of
peeling the apple, cutting out the core, and slicing it.

[12] For fear that we may have misinterpreted what is said above, we
think it advisable, as the matter is a most important one, and one that
may interest others, to extract from the report the passage on which
these observations were founded; for it is not a clear specimen of
American composition, and might, therefore, easily become a subject of
misrepresentation:--

"The Opening Exercises in every Department shall commence by the reading
of a portion of the Bible, by or under the direction of the teacher, and
appropriate singing by the pupils.