TOUR IN THE UNITED STATES. 193 



lias not a single poor person belonging to it. The only counter- 

 acting influence against this structure of parishes is among 

 the high-church party (Puseyite so called), who are for free 

 seats and admission of all ranks to worship together, — " bless- 

 ings on 'em !" 



I go to Philadelphia for a few days, returning here for 

 Christmas. The ground is white (or black) with snow (or slush), 

 and the sun is shining brightly. The weather very pleasant — 

 not cold. 



To the Same. 



New York, Christmas Eve, 1849. 

 Miss H. and I set out on a fine sunny morning for Phila- 

 delphia, drove through a fiat country, sometimes of salt marshes, 

 sometimes of meadows, then peach-orchards, towns, and " pine- 

 barrens" (sandy ground covered with low pine-trees and oaks), 

 till we reached the Delaware, within five miles of the Quaker 

 City. We then stepped on board a boat and steamed down the 

 broad river, the banks of which at this season looked dreary 

 from the remains of the half-melted snow, and the trees being- 

 desolate and leafless. The city soon came into view, stretching 

 far over a fiat of considerable extent, with nothing in sight that 

 we should call a hill. It struck me as the picture of a Quaker 

 country — a dead level — the land good, rich, and well-wooded, 

 but nothing picturesque. 



We landed at a crowded wharf, and were some time pushing 

 our way over fearfully dirty streets, and through interminable 

 cars and waggons, till at length we emerged into the city 

 proper, which is built, as yon know, with perfect regularity, all 

 the streets crossing at right angles, and their order being red 

 brick houses with white outside shutters and white marble base- 

 ments and steps. Fewer streets have trees than in New York 

 and some other cities. Uniformity is pre-eminently the feature 

 of the place. One street is so like another that it is quite 

 necessary to look up for the name. These names are simple 

 enough, and a stranger is at no loss, who can count his fingers 

 and remember this doggrel : 



" Chestnut, walnut, spruce and pine, 

 Market, arch, race and vine." 



These are the names of eight great thoroughfares which run at 



o 



