184 LETTER-FILES OF S. W. JOHNSON 



the very heart of it and a grand city it is. I never appre- 

 ciated it so fully as I do now. When I was here before I was 

 in haste to see much in a little space and saw everything 

 very cursorily. Now I have walked day after day through 

 the same streets, those I have named, and the solidity and 

 grandeur of the public buildings, monuments, etc., impress 

 me more. . . . 



Yesterday morning Mr. Elliott of the N. Y. Graphic pro- 

 posed a walk to Regent Square where stands the Presbyterian 

 Church which was built for, and first preached in by, Edward 

 Irving. We found it in 15 minutes travel in what 50 yrs. 

 ago was the best part of the city and is still very good. Going 

 into the gallery we found a large and handsome building 

 well filled with a most intelligent and attentive congregation. 

 The shelves of all the pews were black with Bibles and hymn 

 books, completely covered, in fact, with them. In the pulpit 

 the Eev. Dr. Dykes, a fine solid-looking man, was speaking 

 in a most pleasant and dignified manner. This discourse was 

 upon the government of the church and was very learned, 

 very thoughtful, very sound. I was a Presbyterian again. . . . 

 Coming home after church I had a desperately hurried dress- 

 ing for dinner out, and after getting myself in passable order 

 with my best clothes, rode in cab to St. John 's Wood. Reached 

 there just in time, was very cordially rec'd by Mr. and Mrs. 

 Stevens. . . . Then Mr. Stevens walked with me to the ' ' Zoo ' ' 

 where we saw the turtle 200 years old (900 Ibs. weight), the 

 elephants, etc., but hurriedly and but few of them as it was 

 late. Returning, we had tea and afterwards talked until 

 10 P.M. when I rode nearly home in a 'bus for three 

 pence. . . . 



Last evening I stepped into a church where evening service 

 was going on. I found a small audience, of women mostly, 

 with four clergymen officiating. The service was intoned. 

 The music was simple. The sermon was an earnest one by a 

 very young man. I was very tired and the service was medi- 

 cine to me. ... I remain quite undetermined when I shall 



