The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-08-12
NO.. 1913.
TcoPYRIGBT SECURED.
cvvyNwooD LEAVES FROM OVER THE SEA.
LONDON, July 10, 1852.

ny DEAR A: | began last week very
,-..antly by attending. on Monday night,
P'r':,.aI narty at the house of Mr. Holland, n
n',, ,,,cr of Parliament, where | heard some
I";lI;ont playing and exquisite singing, and
'iar, met some very interesting people, chlei
W., whom were my host and hostess. |
,,.t not forget to tell you of portrait OF the
i I'a, Iv Schoeffer 1t was glorious picture,
Id :, strangely like our sweet friend -
a, Lady Una that the sight of it made me
,ath sad and sorrowful; one of those chance
,I.nesses. more startlingly perfect than any
na Tuesday. dined with Sir Thomas-or,
A.. r,.tice Tal(ourd, as | believe this is the
L,.,bar title The poet is most kindly, quiet
,',nretending man, and converses agreeaDiy
~ I'll viii occasional wauderings OF thought
rI 7anscs into n sort of ejaculatory dreaml-
ness - c;o1 M.
D .anook for ciccrone visited Newgate and
:, bartholomew Hospital. There were com
.,,r,tiyelv few criminals in the prison, but they
,., hard heaven-furgotten looking creatures
Iink never saw human eyes which mad so
= ,cery raw of the primal soul-llght seeming
y, .5ya out only a deathly, pestilentlal geam
lrIto
'h;.L all evil passions were so stamped, as by
,'' ;rou hoof of Satan himself My very soul
'b,,jJered and sickened at the sight OF beings
.,minely 50 helpless, hopeless, and redemp-
..,nl..s vet dared not despair, remembering
that stood ON ground hallowed by the laDorS
# Elizabeth Fry. remembering what wonders
.rr.nentance and redemption she had all singly
and silently wrought, with her holy faith, her
tIat &. 4.nt tnya
which castcth out fear
Newcate is II black, gloomy place, dark
oned rs by the thick shadows OF innumera-
NJ, mis,ries and crimes, and terrible In the
.,,rov oC chains and bolts, and ponderous IRON
J,,rs--,yhere narrow stone stalrways and mol
uv" m, coils and long, low, chill passages, fill
one with shiyerlug horror. Yet this was built
,,n1.r fine direction of Howard. Surely in
chino is the progress the enlightenment, and
Uc lcn;encv of the age more marked than in
,,r.on.con,iracton and discipline. Thank
Heaven for the token
Opr Guide showed us into a sort of gallery,
biob.walled and paved with dark stone-a
damn shiny. dismal, lonesome place, from
which ! shrank back instinctively, with a
nameIess dread, chill horror, which seemed
70 come up from the black pavement, and creep
through my very bones. 1t was the place
where the criminals hanged at Newgate are
buried On the wall their initials are rudely
cut so that friends, if they leave any, may
know on which of those ponderous flag-stOnes
IL shed the bitter tears of their shame, the
drsolate tears of their sorrow. From visions
Of hurried burial scenes, where bodies, borne
uuple-taced from the near scatfOd, were
thrust into this prison charnel-house, shut
down into the blackness of darkness, with the
shades of shame and crime keeping an eter-
nal watch above, and not word of pious pity
nor scuptured prayer, not even chubby
cherub-ac TO exercise demons--my mind
went back few centuries, to the gorgeous flu
neral ohseques of sceptred robbers and crown
ed mmdcrers. who with slow religious state
aal regal pomp were laid to rest in Westmin-
s,cr Abbey. under grand canopies costly monu-
mental ctdses heraldic signs, holy texts, and
royal layi,hment of praise.
The guide told us that criminals on trial for
murder were conducted to and from the court
through this awful passage What were the
trial by fire to this ~ remarked my friend.
What were treading on burning plough
shares to walking over the bones of murder
cr,," The thought was fearfully suggestive,
anu Win Il SpnS;ltlOn Oh nOrTOr can never
forget hurried from the spot.
The courts were in Session In one which
wcysited, China man was brought up in evi-
dencc and he took the oath by sOemnly break
ing saucer. If typical, in many cases an
honcstcr than the Christian form.
From Newgatc we went to the noble old
hospital have mentioned. where | was com
tortcd by seeing the poor and suffering the
homeless and triendless, skilfully treated and
tcndcrlv cared for.
We afterwards visited the new Holloway
Prison. and the Pentonvlle Model Prison both
OF which strike me AZ most admirably con-
Sirctrd and the latter, which alone is occu-
pied very wisely and mercfully managed
After Newgate, these buildings have lofty,
airy, an elegant, and almost cheerful look
The health and comfort of the cOnvcts are
here studied to n degree quite alarming to GER
tain adhercns OF the old system, who cry out
that all such prison reforms are setting pre-
MUM ON vice rs though, even baths warm
blankets. wholesome soup and bread. were
compcnsatons for the forfeited freedom. While
rcmarking everywhere in these institutions the
perfection of order and discipline, | was vet
more deeply impressed by the kindly feeling.
the humane sentiments, expressed by the Off
GERS and left the prison walls more hopeful
Tor The criminal and for society than | en-
tered
On Thursday evening dined with Mr. and
Mrs Dickens, and Il small but brilliant party
M the pleasant house of the novelist in Tavis-
to"k square. Mr. Dickens is all | looked to
see, IN person manner, and conversation He
Is rather slight, with IA fine symmetrical head
sPHtedly borne, and eyes beaming alike with
genus and humor Yet for all the power
aud beauty of those eyes, their changes seem
ed to me to be from light TO light. ! saw in
Them no profound, pathetic depths, and there
was around them no tragic shadowng. But
was Foolish to look for these on such an Occa-
Sion, when they were very properly left in the
authors study with pens, ink, and bfotting-
Taper ana the last written pages of Bleak
House Mrs. Dickens is a very charming
ir''""--n character and manner truly gen
""o","" and such Of the children as ! saw
,L le'I''u worthy t" hand down to coming years
can "'',Y ., the mother and the name of the
al'p''' 1r' Dickens looks in admirable health
IT, %r 'l''r'S ana good Tor at least twenty more
farming serials That should he furnish to
,n' Norih yet more than that number of his
a""'''"p'e f"ni"nccS they would be rs fresh
i'I Ia attractive as those which had gone before
"''' no doubt from the confirmed impress
''" nave OF the exhaustlessness of his ge-
"'IN ana OF the infniteness of variety in Eng
ZEN '''aracter, OF phases in English life.
Wv pickenSs style Of living is elegant and
"a ''''a bat IN no respect ostentatious. or out
',lracter with his profession, or principles
@aS glad to see that his servants wore no
N.yt
d,r r'A' me at table, sat Walter Savage Ian
81 glorious old man, full of fine poetic
0o"sn' and generous enthusiasm for liberty
,o rf,'''T' sit Charles Kemble and his daugI.
o Nreiaide Madame Sartoris. At the other
C ar VI The table were Herr Devrient the great
Imam actor. Barry Cornwall and his wife
CIaSSI OF Mrs. Basil Montague.
arin" "tle' hemble is grand-looking old man,