First Visit to England. 121 



an intelligent woman, she had a vague, horrified sense of 

 the awfulness of anybody thinking for himself. 



I had also a letter from Mr. Spencer ; he had received 

 one from his father announcing our arrival in Derby, and 

 turned his course at once southward. He wrote he would 

 be in Glasgow to-night to await a letter from me, or my com- 

 ing there, and so we have concluded to drop the Continent 

 for the present and go to Scotland. We have not much time, 

 as we have decided to return home in October, and there- 

 fore shall stay in Scotland but a day or two perhaps. . . . 

 There is so much to see of surpassing interest on this side 

 that a flying trip is almost ridiculous, and the Exhibition a 

 very small affair comparatively. Were I at home with all 

 the knowledge I have now, I would not make my stay less 

 than six months, and I would come over in February. I 

 would stay in London till May, while its people are at 

 home and it isn't crowded, and expenses are reasonable. 

 After that I would take the English country and the Con- 

 tinent. 



The meeting with Mr. Spencer in Glasgow is thus 

 described in a letter of August 24th, to Miss You- 

 mans: 



We returned this morning from Scotland after riding all 

 night from Edinburgh four hundred miles, and with but 

 little sleep the night before. I think I never was so nearly 

 used up, and have slept painfully and heavily nearly all day 

 till four o'clock. I should have commenced writing as soon 

 as I returned, but had not power to get the materials to- 

 gether. However, I now feel refreshed and bright, and, that 

 nothing may intervene to weaken the impression of the last 

 three days, I sit down to write at once. Spencer has come 

 forth from his realm of abstraction, and is a living, breath- 

 ing, and in many respects very human specimen of human 

 nature. He wrote me he would be in Glasgow Tuesday 



