196 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, xiv 



there is scarcely any persuading her even with the whip to 

 get on. We arrived in time, however, and had a very 

 beautiful day and good journey, and arrived near eleven 

 without being at all tired. There is no travelling that 

 fatigues one so little as the mail. I could not help grudging 

 to leave the country at this beautiful time of year, and 

 particularly the garden, for the time is just coming on when 

 I expected to see the effect of all my arranging of the flowers, 

 that I took such pains with last year; and the peonies 

 were just coming out. We had been working very hard 

 for the last ten days for the bazaar for the Spanish and 

 Italian refugees; I, in drawing chiefly, and Elizabeth and 

 Mamma embroidering work-bags and making pen-wipers 

 and skreens. . . . 



Mr Alderson is a pleasant host. He puts one so com- 

 pletely at ease, which is seldom the case with the master of 

 a house. He is sociable and rather merry and talks a good 

 deal and very agreeably. 



Sunday 13th. Yesterday the Aldersons gave a dinner- 

 party. Dr and Mrs Maltby, Chief Justice Littledale, the 

 Andersons and the Lockharts were the party. Mrs Lock- 

 hart 1 is particularly pleasing, she is so simple, natural, and 

 modest. Mr Lockhart is remarkably handsome, and I think, 

 notwithstanding my prejudices, would be agreeable if he 

 would come out more, but he seems reserved. Georgina 

 managed for me to sit next him at dinner. Mr A. and 

 Georgina are obstinate about making me sing, which I had 

 much rather avoid. G. never sings herself, which leaves me 

 the only musician, and except people are particularly fond 

 of music, it is the most dullifying thing that can be to a 

 party. One feels it rather hard to be obliged either to bore 

 the party or be disobliging. Fanny [Mackintosh] and I 

 went to hear Chalmers 2 on Friday at the opening of the 

 new Scotch church. He has a very bad voice, but is cer- 



1 Sophia, daughter of Sir Walter Scott. 



2 Dr Thomas Chalmers (1780 1847), theologian, preacher, and 

 philanthropist. Lockhart said he had never heard " a preacher 

 whose eloquence is capable of producing an effect so strong and 

 irresistible as his." 



