172 AN OCTOBER ABROAD. 



or conditions that speedily refines and sharpens, and, 

 shall I add, hardens ? the human features. The face 

 loses something, but it comes into shape ; and of such 

 beauty as is the product of this tendency we can un- 

 doubtedly show more, especially in our women, than 

 the parent stock, in Europe ; while American school- 

 girls, I believe, have the most bewitching beauty in 

 th3 world. 



The English plainness of speech is observable 

 even in the signs or notices along the streets. In- 

 stead of " Lodging," " Lodging," as with us, one sees 

 " Beds," " Beds," which has a very homely sound ; 

 and in place of " gentlemen's " this, that, or the other, 

 about public places, the word "men's" is used. 



I suppose if it was not for the bond of a written 

 language and perpetual intercourse, the two nations 

 would not be able to understand each other in the 

 course of a hundred years, the inflection and accent- 

 uation is so different. I recently heard an English 

 lady say, referring to the American speech, that she 

 could hardly believe her own language could be 

 spoken so strangely. 



ARCHITECTURE. 



One sees right away that the English are a home 

 people, a domestic people. And he does not need to 

 go into their houses or homes to find this out. It is 

 in the air and in the general aspect of things. Every 

 where you see the virtue and quality that we ascribe 

 to home-made articles. It seems as if things had 



