CHAPTER XXXIX. 



New York, clear Atmosphere and gay Dresses. Omnibuses. Naming of 

 Streets. Visit to Audubon. Croton Aqueduct. Harpers Printing 

 Establishment. Large Sale of Works by English and American Authors. 

 Cheapness of Books. International Copyright. Sale of Eugene Sue s 

 &quot;Wandering Jew.&quot; Tendency of the Work. Mr. Gallatin on Indian 

 Corn. War with Mexico. Facility of raising Troops. Dr. Dewey 

 preaching against War. Cause of Influence of Unitarians. Geological 

 Excursion to Albany. Helderberg War. Voting Thanks to the Third 

 House. Place-hunting. Spring Flowers Geology andTaconic System. 



May 7, 1846. ON our return to New York, we were struck 

 with the brightness of the atmosphere in spring, arising not merely 

 from the absence of smoke, but from the quantity of solar light 

 as compared to England, this city being in the same latitude as 

 Naples. The unsullied purity of the air makes gay and brilliant 

 colors in dress and furniture appropriate. 



Every fortnight the &quot; Journal des Modes&quot; is received from 

 France, and the ladies conform strictly to the Parisian costume. 

 Except at balls and large parties, they wear high dresses, and, 

 as usual in mercantile communities, spare no expense. Embroi 

 dered muslin, of the finest and costliest kind, is much worn ; and 

 my wife learnt that sixteen guineas were not unfrequently given for 

 a single pocket handkerchief. Extravagantly expensive fans, with 

 ruby or emerald pins, are also common. I had heard it said in 

 France that no orders sent to Lyons for the furnishing of private 

 mansions, are on so grand a scale as some of those received from 

 New York ; and I can well believe it, for we saw many houses 

 gorgeously fitted up with satin and velvet draperies, rich Axmin- 

 ster carpets, marble and inlaid tables, and large looking-glasses, 

 the style in general being Parisian rather than English. It was 

 much more rare here than at Boston to see a library forming 

 part of a suite of reception-rooms, or even a single book-case in a 

 drawing-room, nor are pictures so common here. 



