BIRKENHEAD ABBEY. SCHOOL-HOUSE. 77 



structure, and been requited for his trouble by seeing the 

 pleasure he had given us, took his leave. We remained a 

 long time, and enjoyed it as you may think. 



Did you ever hear of Birkenhead Abbey ? I never had 

 before. It has no celebrity; but coming upon it so fresh 

 from the land of youth, as we did, so unexpecting of any 

 thing of the kind though I have since seen far older ruins, 

 and more renowned I have never found any so impressively 



A ruined end of the old prior s house had been repaired 

 and roofed over many years ago, and was used as a school- 

 housemany years ago, for the ivy on it was very strong 

 and knarled, and bushes and grass were growing all over the 

 roof. I send you a hasty sketch of it ; wouldn t you like 

 the memory of such a school 1 ? (See vignette, title page.} 



At the market-place we went into a baker s shop, and, 

 while eating some buns, learned that the poorest flour in mar 

 ket was American and the best French. Upon examination 

 of his stock, we thought he had hardly a fair sample of 

 American flour, but his French flour was certainly remarka 

 bly fine, and would be so considered at Rochester. He said 

 it made much whiter bread than either American or English, 

 and he used but little of it unmixed, except for the most 

 delicate pastry. French and English flour is sold in sacks, 

 American in barrels. He thought American flour was not 

 generally kiln-dried,* and was much injured in consequence. 



* The great bulk of the flour we are now exporting to England is of 

 inferior quality, worth about $3 50 when common superfine is $4 50. It 

 is used extensively by the millers in England to mix with a superior quality 

 of their own grinding of English wheat. By the way, the custom of taking 

 a toll in kind, as a compensation for grinding at grist-mills, which our 

 fathers brought from England, and which we retain, is now obsolete there. 

 The millers make their charges in money, and are paid as in any other 

 business. 



