UNCLE IN ENGLAND. 21 



I generally sit part of the morning in the li- 

 brary, where my uncle invited me, and am very 

 happy, except that when Wentworth and Fre- 

 derick are engaged with him I feel afraid of be- 

 ing an intruder. But my uncle likes to have me 

 there, and his conversation is always pleasant 

 and instructive. 



Yesterday evening my cousins sung, and then 

 we all danced for an hour even my uncle 

 danced, while my aunt played for us. 



II th. After I had written yesterday, I went 

 out to walk with my aunt and uncle my cousins 

 did not come. In the hot-house I saw many 

 plants, nursed with great care, which I had 

 been accustomed to see growing wild and un- 

 heeded, such as our beautiful pink and blue 

 passion-flower, the coffee-plant, jessamines, the 

 many-flowered gloxinia^ which ornaments our 

 rocks with its beautiful blue flowers, and several 

 others. 



In this sheltered place many plants grow wild 

 in the open ground, which do not live in more 

 exposed places in England. The tigridia, a na- 

 tive of Mexico, grows here in great profusion ; 

 having heard that the Mexicans eat its roots, or 

 bulbs, my uncle tried them, and found them 

 almost as good as chestnuts. 



The little lawn into which the library opens is 

 well defended from all winds, and there the most 



