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AMERICAN CHILDREN.

very short space of time we were all on board, and steaming rapidly down towards Galveston.

When we returned to the Tremont, we were greeted with the melancholy intelligence that, from the great influx of guests, our comfortable little sitting room could no longer be called our own, so that for the short remainder of our stay we were obliged to content ourselves with the ladies' parlour,' by way of drawing-room. There was only one thing to make us much regret our change of quarters, and that was, that in the component parts of the society, the juvenile branches were in far too great a majority. An American child is not generally a favourable specimen of that period of life, and a Yankee boy of ten or twelve years of age, is one of the least pleasant creatures in existence. When scarcely past the age of infancy, one of these young republicans will, if he be not prevented, (and they are very tenacious of their rights as free citizens,) puff his cigar in your face, without the slightest regard to the decencies of life. The wealth of many of the locomotive Americans, who halt at Galveston on their way up the country, seems frequently to consist in the number of their offspring. Babies are a staple commodity, and their cries frequently rendered our nights sleepless and our days wearisome. There was one large family who had spent a noisy night close to us, and whose parents, to my dismay, forgot the baby,' on their de

CROCHET WORK AT GALVESTON.

147

parture. I have no doubt it was a girl, and a sickly one to boot, or their memories would have served them better.

The ladies were all busily engaged during the day in needlework of some kind or other, but I was surprised to find that the now universal art of crochet work was unknown at Galveston. They fell in love with the accomplishment directly it was explained to them, and were all eager to begin a purse immediately. Unfortunately, the means did not keep pace with the intention, for Galveston could not boast of a single skein of the requisite silk, nor could the blacksmith whom they summoned to their assistance, contrive to make even the humblest imitation of a delicate crochet needle. I left them still struggling with their difficulties when I commenced our preparations for departure.

་

We did not return to New Orleans in the same steamer which brought us to Galveston, greatly preferring the Alabama,' a vessel lately taken off the Havannah station, where she had been running for some years. The influx of emigrants into Texas was at this time so great, that it had become quite a profitable speculation to charter vessels for their conveyance, and thus it was that the 'Alabama,' a good and safe boat, with an excellent captain, found herself running between New Orleans and Galveston, to the comfort and convenience of many who, like ourselves, neither considered the steamers

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VOYAGE TO NEW ORLEANS.

already on the station quite sea-worthy, nor the conduct of those on board altogether blameless.

6

We had made several pleasant acquaintances at Galveston, with whom we were sorry to part, and I had also to regret a delightful young English horse, nearly thorough bred, which had been hired for me during our stay, and which I could not of course take away with me. We left Galveston with the conviction that then at least she was going a-head' fast, and we felt happy in her prospects. The weather was calm and delightful, and we had a charming passage back to the city.' We approached the gay scene after an absence of a few weeks, with real satisfaction, for it certainly looked infinitely more cheerful than the lonely island we had left, and as I passed the convent of the Sacré Cœur, I could not help thinking how much less the fair nuns who inhabited that lightsome building were to be pitied than those who vegetate in a similar establishment at Galveston. Since our former visit to that place, the largest house in the island has been converted into a convent for the sisters of the Sacré Cœur, and I always thought it the most gloomy looking refuge for single ladies that I ever saw. We have now been returned two days, so I shall bid you farewell for the present.

LETTER XXXIV.

FEMALE QUAKER'S ORATION-TEMPLETON'S CONCERT -LOUIS PHILIPPE'S HOUSE-SLAVE QUARTERDEPARTURE FOR A SUGAR PLANTATIONCOUNTRY HOUSE ON THE MISSISSIPPI-DESCRIPTION OF SUGAR-MAKING-THE CONDITION OF THE NEGROES-DEPLORABLE ABSENCE OF RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION -RETURN TO THE CITY

CARNIVAL AT NEW ORLEANS.

New Orleans-February.

WE

found

on our return to this place, that amusement and gaiety of all kinds and descriptions were going on. There were nightly balls, plays, and concerts without end; but besides these popular recreations, there was the (to us) far newer exhibition of a Quaker-lady giving lectures on temperance in the St. Louis ball-room. She was a middle-aged woman, very prosy, and to the regret of at least one portion of her audience, endued with a strength of lungs almost preternatural. Her lectures lasted for more than two hours, during which she exhorted her hearers to abstain, not only from fermented liquors, but from all exciting amusements. She never hesitated in

150

TEMPLETON'S CONCERTS.

her discourse, which was entirely extemporary, nor did the well-plaited frills of her Quaker-cap vibrate with a single nervous emotion from the beginning to the end. Her lectures were evidently very popular at first, but after the novelty of seeing a woman address a large public assembly was once over, I confess that, for my own part, I soon grew tired of the monotony of her subjects and manner.

Templeton, the English singer, is also here, giving concerts, which are remarkably well attended: we went with a party of friends to hear him, and found the Assembly Room, though it is very large, disagreeably crowded. After performing some of his favourite songs, prefacing each with, what might be termed, a short musical lecture, there was an unanimous request preferred by the Americans for the 'Star-spangled Banner,' the fine and inspiring national anthem of the United States, which was beautifully sung, and produced great effect, being twice and most enthusiastically encored. The concluding words of the stanza,

'Tis the Star-Spangled Banner, oh! long may it wave, O'er the land of the Free, and the home of the Brave, made me think of the thousands of slaves outside, and as I thought, I rather shrank from the patriotic and enthusiastic demonstrations which were called forth.

After the excitement caused by the performance