Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1845-08-14
No.. 9

Departure from LioerpOol-Specd on til
English RailOays.-Pricc of til
Tr0ins.-Efccts Of travelling uprcard
of forty miles an hOur.-RurM beauty
of Eaglmd.--Arriral IN LOndOn-
Regent stred.-Nm.-W omen,- Car
rioges,-Placmds. -tShops,-Bcggars
-Samencss.-FashiOnS.-'B roughamS
-(dbs,-We paremcnt Of the streets
Difference Jetween London and Neu
York IN this particuir.- Wooden pare
ments in hot weather.- OmnibusSes.-
Lady BlesSington's equipoge,-Wt
ChiG of the Partisan POhce.-HS per.
sOnal appearance and curious career
i'm American beHe.-Her admirerS.--
DrOHerieS Tile most celebrated nota
Jihty Of the season, ETC., etc.
London, July /.
MY DEAR Misunderstanding some de.
lay in giving my little Imogen her first
English dinner, we saved our passage by
half minute, and were off from Liver
pool at preciseIy,-The distance to Lon.
don is, believe, 800 miles in five hours
an acceeration of speed which is intro
duced on the English railways. There
are slower trains on the same route and
the price by these, is less. There are al
so three or four different kinds Of cars TO
each train, and at different prices.
CHANGED to light upon the first class, and
paid Is for two places-my nurse and
child counting as one. | understand,
since, that many gentlemen and ladies Of
the most respectable rank take the second
class cars-(as few Americans would, |
am sorry to say, though there would be
two degrees below them.
This travelling at forty odd miles the
hour gives ones eyes hardly time to know
a tree from a COW, but here and there |
got distant view in crossing valley,
and recognized the rural beauty Of Eng
land, the first impression OF which lasts
one, like an enchanted memory, through
life. Notwithstanding the great speed,
the cars ran so easy ON their admirable
rails, that there was no jar to prevent
ones sleeping or being comfortable, and |
awoke from very pleasant dream to find
myself in London.
As | was dressing to dine out on the
following day, stopped tying my crayat
to send for a physician, and here, if you
please, we will make jump over twelve
days, and come to bright morning when
was let out for walk in Regent-street.
n n n
|, is extraordinary how little the Eng
fish change! Regent-street, after fonr or
five years, is exactly what Regent.street
waS, The men have the same tight era
watts, coats too small, overbrushed whs-
kers, and look Of being excessively wash'd.
The carriages and horses exactly the
same. The cheap shops have the same
placard of SELLING CFF" in their broad
windows, The blind beggars tell the
same story, and are led by the same dogs;
but what is stranger than all this sameness
is that the ladies look the same The
fashions perhaps have changed-in the
milliner's shops! But the Englishing
that is done to French bonnets after they
are bought, or the English way in which
they are worn, overpowers the nov city,
and gives the fair occupants of the spen-
did carriages Of London the very same
look they had ten years ago
Still there are some slight differences
observable in the street, and among others,
observe that the economical private car
rlage called a "Brougham," is very COM
mon. These are low cabs, holding two or
four persons, with driver, and perhaps a
footman in livery on the outside seat, and
one horse seems to Go the work as well as
two This fashion would be we'll intro
duced into New York-that is to say, IT.
our city is ever to be well enough paved to
make drive any thing but dire necessi-
Iy. The paving of London is real
y most admirable. Vast city as it is, the
str eets are as smooth as floor all over it,
and to ride indeed IS a luxury. The
1reak-neck hat-jammng and disIocating
otis of Broadway must seem to English
Judgment an inexcusable stain on our pub
&c spirit. And, 0propOs of paving-the
wooden pavement seems to be entirely out
IF favor. Regent-street is laid in wooden
blocks and in wet weather and it rains
nere some part Of every day. it is so slip
very that and omnibus which has been
stopped in going up the street is with diff.
iculty started again. The horses almost
always come to their knees, though the as
cent is slight, and the falls of cart and car
'lage-horses are occurring continually
Nothing seems to edo" like the McAIim
'avement, and wherever you find 1t in
IS perfect order as the floor of bowling
lily. see that all heavy vehicles, (by
he way are compelled to have very broad
'heels, and they rather improve the road
han spoil it. A law to the same effect
hould be passed IN New York, fit ever .
as pavement worth preserving.
Observing Lady BIessingtons faultIess
quipage standing at the door of the Cos,