10 MISS FANNY KEMBLE. 



bitants of the United States; and by drawing attention to 

 bad practices, led to the improvement of the people reviled. 

 From much I saw and heard, the keen satire of this authoress 

 is likely to produce, in a few years, the usual improvement of 

 a century. On the other hand, her caricatures of manners 

 and institutions fostered the prejudices of many of the inhabi 

 tants of Britain, and engendered dislike to political changes 

 taking place in that country, more likely to be accelerated 

 than retarded by intemperate opposition. When indelicacy 

 flows from the pen of a female, though veiled by effusions of 

 poetic fancy and garnished by wit, it is highly dangerous to 

 youthful innocence, and the popularity of Mrs Trollope s work 

 may be regarded as evidence of want of discernment, if not of 

 vitiated religious and moral feeling, in a portion of the read 

 ing population of Britain. 



The piece of the evening was &quot; The Wonder,&quot; in which 

 Miss Kemble did not appear to advantage. Having formerly 

 seen her at Edinburgh in the play of the &quot; Hunchback,&quot; the 

 contrast on the present occasion was painful. Whether my 

 disappointment arose from the difference of character she re 

 presented, or a change of feeling on my part, cannot be de 

 termined, but I left the house long before the conclusion of 

 the piece, for want of interest. 



Next morning we applied at the customhouse for our lug 

 gage, and, on paying a trifle, obtained a permit for its inspec 

 tion. The officer on board performed his duty in the most 

 gentlemanlike manner ; and in less than five minutes from the 

 time of going on board, our luggage, under charge of a porter, 

 was on the way to the Washington hotel. 



The New York races take place on the Union Course, 

 Long Island, twelve miles distant from the city, and this 

 being the last day of them, we were anxious to embrace what 

 we conceived so good an opportunity of seeing the different 

 ranks of society. Accordingly, we crossed the river at Brook 

 lyn ferry, and engaged a light four-wheeled waggon drawn by 

 one horse. The individuals proceeding to the course in 

 vehicles, and none were observed on foot, seemed under a 

 racing mania, and rattled along the road expeditiously, many 

 of the horses trotting in admirable style. On approaching the 



