Travels in the United States, etc.,: during 1849 and 1850./ By the Lady Emmeline Stuart Wortley.

COM),IEM,AORATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
minds to hear them "Yankee-doodling," and "Hail Columbiaing," all day long. I shall shut myself up pretty closely on the
occasion to save my feelings of nationality, especially as I have no
idea of seeing "the Crown of England" burnt in a fire-work and
consumed to ashes, as it is announced in a pompous advertisement
it is going to be, for the pleasing recreation of Brother Jonathan.
I hope, I must confess, that just at that moment it will rain in
torrents, and put out their very impertinent and presumptuous
pyrotechnics without loss of time: the Engfflish crown thus may
not be consumed to a cinder after all.
It will be suspected that I am exceedingly wroth against said
Brother Jonathan just now! but it is a spite and anger confined
exclusively to the 4th of July! and on the 5th I shall be quite
friends with him again; nay, I almost think my fury may be
hushed before the 4th itself dawns; though, if what I hear is correct of the immense and noisy excitement in general through the
whole night preceding "Independence day," the lullaby will be
of a rather rough description! But our American cousins are
such a good-humored, kindly-dispositioned people, that I think one
could not well be sulky with them long. Apropos of noise-I
believe, to keep our tempers a little, it would be a good plan to
stuff our ears with cotton, and so be "independent," in our turn,
of their uncivil serenadings, salutings, drummings, trumpetings,
and fireworkings.
The Americans are very busy just now abusing the French for
their Roman war: they call them cowards, and all sorts of hard
names. As they are in this mood they might as well, for variety's
sake burn the Gallic liberty-cap to-morrow instead of the crown
of England. They are, evidently, very indignant at the antirepublican turn affairs are taking in France. However, France
has become lately such a spinning, twisting-about, volcanic tee-totum, that who can guess what news the next steamer may bring out
To-day is a beauteous day —not too hot, yet sunny-bright, and
with a charming fresh breeze. We have comfortable, quiet, private apartments in this huge hotel: our drawing-room is a very
nice one, and is quite away from all the bustle of visitors arriving
and departing. The master, or rather masters (for there are two,
if not more), are extremely civil; and the attendance is very good.
Finger-posts are placed in some of the passages to direct bewildered and foot-sore wanderers to their own rooms. I think a few
light omnibuses might run on the different lines of passage with
much profit. Immense as the hotel is, our apartments are so
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