Year: 1877




these are peculiar to this reception, nor Invented De-
cause soldier is the hero Of the hour; they ara the
lawful prerogativcs of the authorities of London.
So suppose is that warrior, splendid with srariet
and gold who marches stately at the head OF tIie
procession which advances through the hall TO the
dais at lts upper end. He was so much cheered 'ht
! suspect n good many worthy Britons took MN ior
Gen. Grant But when the General appeared III niS
sober aud peaceful attire, people were not long III
perceiving that something more than uniform goes
TO the making of a great commander. The modes'y
of Gen. Grants bearing amounts almost to shyness.
at times, but I heard bronzed veteran OF the
Crimea say thar he woud pick him out OF thousand
for the man he was; that he was solder every
inch of him.


While the City Chamberlain was speaking, Gen.
Grant stood in that a titude which l believe Is
habitual to him his head little sunk between his
shoulders and bent forward the whole figur and
face motionless. When it came his turn to reply he
spoke at first with some slight hesitation-with
rather less, should say, than most Engishmen
would have shOwn-then went straight on to the
end. in just that simple, conversational style winch
Englishrnen like, and Of which few Americans are
masters The words came so readily off his tongue
at supposed they had been learned by heart, but
when some of the reporters for the London papers
applied for the manuscript, it appeared that not
sentence had been written. The General SAID tIat
he had found he could only make speech by not
thinking of it beforehand. 1t was therefore, Just
what appeared to be, the natural expression IN TIT
terms. of his feelings; conceived in good taste
and delivered with surprising effect on those who
heard it.


Some 500 persons were present at this ceremony
aud at the lunch which followed in the banquet
Ing room OF the latter will only add that Mr.
Plerrepont, who called upon to reply to toast,
not to his country nor his colleagues, but TO him
self extricated himself with considerable tact from
All embarrassing position. He had to say something
of Gen. Grant, but not too much because the bus-
ness of prasng him could safely be left to his hosts
II only mistake was i'm explaining tIat Gen. Grant
had never fou hit two battles the same day, be-
cause there was no enemy left after the first re-
mark which did not indicate very accurate mem-
ory of for instance. the fighting In the Wilderness
nor a sutic ent sense of what was due to his OWL
countrynen then on the other sde That one slip
excepted, oar Minister'S speech was well suited to
the occasion, and was exceedingly well received
There WAS touch of real eloquence in his recogn-
ton Of what he happily de ,crlbed as a friendly
greeting across the Atlantic from an Old great ma
ton to a yolng nation beginning TO be great.


Gen. Grant and his party, including Mrs. Grant,
Mr. j. r. Grant, Mr.. and Mrs. Prerreppnt, and Gen.
| Badeau drove directly from the Guildhall to the
| Crystal Palace, which they visited by invitation OF
the chairman, Mr.. Hughes. and the directors. They
made the tour of that flry's mansion. inspected its
many courts traversed its alses and galleries, and
gazed from It's great balcony on one of the ovelest
| prospects III England; on the stretch of smiling
valley and the long reaches of slowly-rising hills
which fill the horizon There was "A concert, good
of its kind through which Gen. Grant sat with the
patience of a man who cares nothing for music, but
much for the pleasure of his entertainers. There was
the dinner of which have already spoken, and there


were the fireworks Mr. Brock, the pyrotechnst OF the
Palace is at the II, Of his profession, and there Is


no other place in tie world wLere such an exhibition
can BE- as the Illumination of the fOun ans few
or none where set pieces be seen on such scale
] The varty that came down from London to see them
| included Lady Salisbury, Lady Ripon, and many
other people of social distinction. Our hostess al
| dinAer was Mrs. Thomas Hughes, of whom could
| say nothing tha: would not seem too much to say in
"a newspaper, and TOO little to do justice to her
charm of character and manner. There were.
at guess, 10000 people in the grounds,
| and there would have been twice that num-
| Der had there been time enough to make
| known more widely the fact of Gen. Grants
| presence. With or without hlin, the Crystal
Palace is always one of the most attractive things to
be seen near London. You may get to it as easily aS
TO the Tower or the Museum, and 1t unique in It's
| co animation of interests and amusements. Among
the most delightful hours of the day might be reck-
| oned chat of the drive back to town toward md
! night under a clear sky and in purer air than you
can ever find to breathe while the sun is up and the
smoke obscurng the rays. BY the time we reached
| Cayendsh-square Gen. Grant had been at least II
| hours on duty. and agreeable the duty was he
| may well enough have been ready to postpone fur
ther honors and enjoyments till the morrow.


| &. W. S.