The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-05-30
Travels In the United States, &C., during
1870 and 1850.
BY LADY EMELINE STUART woRTLEY.
From the London Atheneum. May lOl


A style more gayy.tinselled than Lady Emme-
line Stuart Wortley's could hardly be found in the
journals Of the most pink among the pink parasos
that now go up to the rocktemples Of Petra, or
scramble among the strange ruins Of Central Anne
RIGA, with nonchalance that speaks volumes as to
the march of female courage. Epishets, neologisms,
suIerlatives, ordinations, illusions, hudded to-
gether in profusion SO taseless, that the reader
who should throw down the book at an early chapter,
with Mr.. BurchelPs emphatic monosylable, would by
no means be chargeable with fastidious impatience
This is pity since, besides her afectations, and
sublimities, and very doleful pleasantries, which
a manner more curious than edifying, L-dy Eme-
line Stuart Wortley's book contains some poetical
thoughts, some lively pictures, touches of the
true travellers enterprise, as distinguished from
ladies have seen. 1t may be some strange theory
of authorship which has led her thus to deck out
her letters Qor she assures that these Travels"
consist Of merely her home correspondence,
touched); and We reprehend the fancy, in order
that should she again indulge in prose, she may be
encouraged to use the pruning knife rather than
the embroidering needle-to rely on the thought,
the image, the trait rather than on adcctives and
explosives, and the other exploded articles Of the
sickly ford school Of literary composition.
We cannot fancy book more popular in the
United States than this is likely to prove. With
out the fulsomeness Of Mrs Maury, Lady Emme-
line Stuart Wortlcy is nearly as unreseryed in her
delight and approval Of everything American as
that Lady was. She met with courtesy every
where, and made fast friendships-her metrical
record Of one Of which was some months ago pub
lished in an American newspaper. Unlike Mr.
Dickens, she found beauty in the Mississippi. I'M
like Miss Martineau, she was cheercd by a certain
patriarchal good understanding and mutual security
which she found in the relations betwxt master and
slave. The odd uncouth people who threw Mrs
Irolope into fits, amused her studies Of charac-
ter. In the following description the cordiality is
rs strong as is the sense Of the whimsical
We LETT Louisville in steamer with rather ind.re
accommodations, but commanded by a most oblging
and courteous captain. There several families
the Urion slaves, children. cbaiteIs, and cattle
accompanied them they were, in short, domestic
Aliases, carrying their own little world on their
MISUNDERSTANDING west Of coursc-whch Is quite the
way IL the world hereabous This was one Of tho very
rough,st sets had ever been among. They lived en-.
had paid first class price Some from the heart of
old Kentucky, and none II them eugrants; they
all compored hemseves very quietly and we'll except
one family Of children belonging to hard working
backwoodsman, to judge from Appearances. They
swfulIy poilt and led their parents miserable lives;
scratching and beating their mother. and boxing the
and kicking the shins Of their Citte) respected
papa and knocking cruelty about the only person In the
family who had the 20 control the inps little. in
shape Of gaunt tall grnndmamma resembling retired
grensdier in turban with short pipethc last evil
nifty the consolation Of her SOUL and the inge
nously constructed If some light coored handkerchief
or and apparently built upon her head by
her hands In fantastic fashion having little APP
pearance Ct fertilization for defensive purposes which
rendered necessary by the violent attacks Of the
dutful bras before alluded to- Had not been erected
with considerable engineering skill this poor rustic Cy
belle, with her tower like turban would have been lett
deenc.css and bareheaded by these little furies She
was wont TO cor de to me her troubles this head
enough to have turned her head and turban too besides
other subjects that Worried her pretty considerable
We great friends together and She quite be-
nignant and patronising In her manner towards
Sometimes (sm.king her short pipe the whe) marching
up to and lay ing her huge, heavy hand my shout
der, she would excsim Wal them children Of ourn
lad cbildren-mighty bad, mighty bad; it aud
wcrrir body, guess. properly; and, my feel so
skeary like too for I've been aboard a a these
steaIuing boats sore This surprised
me considerable, for should have thought no one
could live in the States without seeing them This I
expressed No haint; where live 70 home, these
don't come, none on EN- and they're mighty queer
boats guess, and don't like them. and feel proper
skeary too, aboard EN- Then she pen.ively pulled
away at the short pipe till the roaring q Of those
tor when. telling me Ito console for her temporary
abesnce) she should be- back, she, and pipe and
the benefit ofthose who like TO study various fashions Of
dress well remark that the attire Of this worthy
dame altogether, was costume somewhat resembling
the dress ~ AbddelKader engrafted the pacific
garments of Dutch skippers wife; but description
can do IL justice. took quite liking TO the worthy
soul pited much for being as che was alternate
y sufferer from skearyness' and from the kicks and
cuffs Ct lose nsubordnate grandchildren Of hers But
occasionally she would make dash at them like a
charge Of Nspoeons old guard and retire. crowned with
victory TO smoke tn. short pipe Of peace On psrti
cuar day several pitched bates obstinaely fought
besd.s numerous slight shirmshes The intrepdity Of
grandmamms the Invncibe and her desperate charges
ultimately however the fcld and decided the
in favor q the party Of order; but the squslng kick
ing biting and scratching ssrmingly veheme
The. second and third volumes are the most inte-
resting portions Of this book for have read Of
Laura Brideman, and Mr.. PRESCOTT, and Mr.. Web
ster, and Mr.. N. r. Willis, again and again.
whereas not many English ladies have described
the journey across the lsthmus Of Panama, or, Of
later days at least, have touched on sojourn Ia
Cuba. The following pages bring many of the MS
poets OF outer life in Havana brightly before us;-
II is an extraordinarily gsy-lookng town OF course
in the heat q the day thinks Of stirring who
can help IT, But when II begins 10 be cool, the city
seems almost TO shake with earthquake Of carriages
going IN dner mt directions whose fair occupants visit
pryine shopping and forth usually ending with the
Too and beautiful and fairy these carriages mostly
are They are called roiani.s and generally drawn
~ mules driven by position in splendid livery
We went out the other day and went little way into
Tie countrys very pretty drive indeed IL was long
brosd moeth road what luxury 10 us after the road
10 Mexico bordered vith lovely edge 81 roses and
Towering pomegranates Ia their greatest beauty, We
uen went 10 the posto, where
AZ mosquitoes In Havans-svarmed In double lines and
all seemed like fairy tale in action Those graceful
scralookrg gayly painted oIcn toiaates Like fitted